Becker (1998)
Becker is a dedicated, outspoken and talented doctor with a gruff exterior. While he tends to offend those who try to get close to him, he is extremely dedicated to his medical practice in the Bronx, N.Y., where he always goes the extra mile to help those in need. But Dr. John Becker looks at the world around him and sees a society gone mad, full of incongruities and just plain wrong thinking. And he has no qualms about saying anything that comes to mind – anything.
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Episode 1 - Pilot
Release Date: 1998-11-02Becker deals with an HIV-positive child, and the fact that Reggie has inherited his favorite diner from her father.
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Episode 2 - Take These Pills and Shove 'Em
Release Date: 1998-11-09Becker must make a house call after a patient has an adverse reaction to his brutal bedside manner. He remains hellbent on convincing his patient, Mr. Marino, to acknowledge the fact that his diabetes has just triggered a minor heart attack and his condition needs to be monitored. Unfortunately, Mr. Marino is convinced that Becker is just trying to get away with a medical scam. Meanwhile, Jake takes a sculpting class in order to meet women.
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Episode 3 - Sex in the Inner City
Release Date: 1998-11-16Despite his best efforts, Becker can't escape the sexual overtones that follow him throughout the day. He starts his morning at the cafe where Reggie and Jake are discussing the various things they do to release sexual tension. When Reggie suggests jogging, Becker quickly dismisses the idea, declaring that he doesn't have any such issues. As his day progresses, a bemused Becker is faced with various circumstances that make him all too aware of his sex life -- or, rather, lack thereof.
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Episode 4 - Tell Me Lies
Release Date: 1998-11-30Becker and Jake notice that Reggie is upset about something, but she refuses to tell them why. Becker presses Reggie for details, but she responds with a series of lies before finally revealing the truth.
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Episode 5 - My Dinner With Becker
Release Date: 1998-12-07Becker initially declines the offer of a blind date, but he eventually agrees to meet the woman. After hearing about her passion for line-dancing, karaoke and aroma therapy, Becker is kicking himself for not trusting his instincts. Meanwhile, Reggie's evening goes south when she realizes that the guy she's dating is just too... nice.
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Episode 6 - Man Plans, God Laughs
Release Date: 1998-12-14Becker's attempt at friendship is short lived; with Margaret at home with the flu, the flaky Linda is left in charge of the office; Reggie receives an unwelcome visit from a former high-school classmate.
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Episode 7 - City Lights
Release Date: 1998-12-21Becker is crabbier than ever when a flickering street light keeps him from getting any sleep. When the city refuses to make the broken street light a priority assignment, Becker takes matters into his own hands to ensure that he gets a proper night's rest. Meanwhile, Margaret agrees to let Linda bring one personal item into the office, unaware that Linda's item is breathing.
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Episode 8 - Physician, Heal Thyself
Release Date: 1999-01-11The disagreeable doc gets even more irritable when he becomes the patient in this pungent episode of the surprise hit of the season. The arrogant Bronx doctor is once again complaining about the shortcomings of society, sparking another verbal sparring match with Reggie. Becker is later compelled to swallow his pride and ask for her help when his back goes out, leaving him prone on the floor of his apartment. But he scoffs when she suggests he see an acupuncturist. Meanwhile, Margaret receives special deliveries from a smitten mailman.
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Episode 9 - Choose Me
Release Date: 1999-01-18When Reggie announces that she has an extra ticket to a Rangers-Flyers hockey game, Jake and Becker each makes it his primary goal to be chosen as the lucky recipient.
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Episode 10 - P.C. World
Release Date: 1999-01-25When a self-serving reporter witnesses a heated argument between Becker and a man at the diner, he determines that Becker's comments are "politically incorrect" and uses his column to create a local controversy. Becker tries to ignore the reporter's comments, but when the hack then belittles Becker on a local radio show, the short-fused doctor heads to the station for a one-on-one confrontation.
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Episode 11 - Scriptus Interruptus
Release Date: 1999-02-01Becker agrees to write an article for a fellow doctor's medical journal, but has trouble finishing the project. With the article's deadline quickly approaching, Becker tries desperately to find a place to sit and hash out the piece. Unfortunately, he can't seem to acquire five minutes of quiet time before something or someone finds a way to interrupt his concentration.
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Episode 12 - Love! Lies! Bleeding!
Release Date: 1999-02-08Becker, not convinced of the wonders of love after witnessing a woman stab her husband with a fork, is forced to consult a teenager who wants a vasectomy, treat a woman with a severe allergic reaction to roses and watch Linda begin and end a relationship within hours. Even so, a late night hospital visit abruptly softens his perspective as he begins to understand why this holiday can be so important to others.
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Episode 13 - Becker the Elder
Release Date: 1999-02-15Becker is less than thrilled when his estranged father, Fred, makes an unannounced visit. Although Becker is unhappy to see his father, the others are instantly charmed by Fred's easygoing, jovial manner. Despite Becker's chilly welcome, Fred refuses to give up on resuming contact with his polar opposite son.
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Episode 14 - Larry Spoke
Release Date: 1999-02-22Becker copes with a patient who believes he can talk directly to God; Linda decides to keep a jacket mistakenly returned to her by her dry cleaner.
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Episode 15 - Activate Your Choices
Release Date: 1999-03-01When Becker learns that his ex-wife Sandra is in town for a book signing tour, he feigns disinterest until he learns that chapters of her new self-help publication denounces "Angry Man," a pseudonym for Becker. When Becker confronts Sarah at her hotel, it becomes abundantly clear that their explosive chemistry remains fiercely intact.
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Episode 16 - Limits & Boundaries
Release Date: 1999-03-08When a patient's mother desperately needs Becker to watch her two kids for the day, he reluctantly agrees and then makes Margaret and Linda keep an eye on them. But when the day turns into an unexpected sleepover at Becker's, his attempts to establish rules for the kids are about as effective as a blender during a power outage.
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Episode 17 - Partial Law
Release Date: 1999-04-05When Becker's computer is stolen from his apartment, he's shocked to learn that the insurance company's reimbursement won't even cover the cost of a keyboard. Against his better judgment, he purchases a top of the line system via shady means and soon realizes he's made a "fatal error."
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Episode 18 - Saving Harvey Cohen
Release Date: 1999-04-12Much to Becker's dismay, an alley cat finds its way into his office and refuses to leave. When they realize that the cat is sick, Becker's guilted into taking care of it -- to the tune of $1,500. Meantime, Margaret attempts to help Becker plan a trip she knows he'll never take.
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Episode 19 - Truth and Consequences
Release Date: 1999-04-19Becker's cousin Berry invites him over to his house for dinner, and Becker learns first-hand that Berry and his wife are having major marital problems. However, Becker makes the situation worse by letting it slip that Berry once had an affair.
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Episode 20 - Drive, They Said
Release Date: 1999-05-03Becker reluctantly agrees to shuttle Reggie, Margaret, Jake and Linda to various engagements in Queens when they learn that he's heading that way in his car. It quickly becomes a "what-was-I-thinking" scenario for the gang when Becker's terroristic skills behind the wheel cause an accident. Even More Shameless Crossover Monday winds up when Dr. Becker returns to his office waiting room to find Hilton Lucas, Doug Heffernan and Ray Barone -- side-by-side -- waiting.
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Episode 21 - Lucky Day
Release Date: 1999-05-10A prime parking space, an unexpected tax refund and a flawless trip to the post office are just a few of the lucky breaks bestowed upon Becker. Unable to accept the idea that he might just be having a good day, he remains wary of each new stroke of luck and convinces himself that payback is on its way.
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Episode 22 - Regarding Reggie
Release Date: 1999-05-17Becker fears that Reggie may get the wrong idea if he asks her to be his date at a medical fundraiser. Fearing that Reggie will misread his invitation, Becker struggles to find someone else to take to the event. Despite his resistance, his friends insist that he should just ask Reggie. The ongoing pressure causes Becker to recall the first time he was rejected by the opposite sex, as Prequel Monday concludes with a flashback sequence of a 10-year-old Becker asking a little girl to a school dance.