Touched by an Angel (season 8)
The eighth and penultimate season of the American dramatic television series Touched by an Angel aired CBS from September 29, 2001 through May 11, 2002, spanning 22 episodes. Created by John Masius and produced by Martha Williamson, the series chronicled the cases of two angels, Monica (Roma Downey) and her supervisor Tess (Della Reese), who bring messages from God to various people to help them as they reach a crossroads in their lives. They are frequently joined by Andrew (John Dye), the angel of death. In this penultimate season, a new trainee angel, Gloria (Valerie Bertinelli) is also added to the cast.
| Touched by an Angel | |
|---|---|
| Season 8 | |
| Starring | |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of episodes | 22 |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Original release | September 29, 2001 – May 11, 2002 |
| Season chronology | |
The episodes use the song "Walk With You", performed by Reese, as their opening theme.
Episodes
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 168 | 1 | "Holy of Holies" | Bethany Rooney | Martha Williamson, Burt Pearl and Luke Schelhaas | September 29, 2001 | |
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While the angels begin training their newest member, a college professor attempts to find the Ark of the Covenant. After revealing, the widowed 88-year-old lady settles his promise to take it to the post office and deliver to Paul, who's out of school, where Tess, Monica and Gloria are floating around Paul's campus eager to work on the next assignment. Guest stars: Roy Dotrice, Julianna McCarthy, Shareen Mitchell, R.D. Robb and William Russ | ||||||
| 169 | 2 | "The Perfect Game" | Frank E. Johnson | Glenn Berenbeim | October 6, 2001 | |
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A pathetic liar who blames his son for all the outstanding performances, including a two-hit shut out, is about to reconcile with his son. Permitting Ben to release all the anger, Monica comes on down as the new team's trainee to support him. His father prevents Ben from seeing his grandfather, who was also a great baseball player in his time. While Ben's game is perfect on his own, the angels take Ben and Norm into grandfather's memory to reconcile the debate surrounding "the perfect game," Tess shows them how the game began, how Ben's grandfather pitched, how the Babe was defeated, and how anger and pride led a promising pitcher to a life as a baseball clown. With the memory played out, sons forgive fathers, fathers embrace sons, and Ben’s perfect game resumes as though he never left it. Guest stars: Chaz Lamar Shepherd, Hank Aaron, Hinton Battle, Lee Weaver, Jeremy Elliott, Bradford English, Ernie Hudson and Omar Gooding | ||||||
| 170 | 3 | "The Birthday Present" | Peter H. Hunt | R.J. Colleary | October 13, 2001 | |
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An alcoholic widower takes his rage out on his two young children until his son hides his daughter from him in an old fallout shelter, and until a shy mailman---mourning the death of his grandmother---accidentally kills the boy with his truck after the boy runs from another of his father's drunken beatings. Tess comforts the girl inside the shelter while Monica, who'd been the grandmother's final nurse, helps the mailman find the courage to help stop the father from injuring his children again. Guest stars: Kirk Cameron, James MacDonald, Michael Welch, Skye McCole Bartusiak, Benito Martinez and Gloria Stuart | ||||||
| 171 | 4 | "Manhunt" | Victor Lobl | Danna Doyle | October 20, 2001 | |
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The Angels attend Happy Hour at the Monte Carlo, a bar run by one of Tess's former assignments, where she sees Tess and Andrew hang out, while Monica must do a case about a lonely woman struggles to cope with a recent breakup, while a delivery man who secretly pines for her tries to find the courage to approach her. Guest stars: Debbie Reynolds, Sarah Paulson and Jennifer Leigh Warren | ||||||
| 172 | 5 | "Chutzpah" | Frank E. Johnson | Story by: Daniel H. Forer, Allen Estrin and Joseph Telushkin Teleplay by: Allen Estrin and Joseph Telushkin | October 27, 2001 | |
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Against Tess's advice, Gloria learns about the Jewish people, after Monica leaves her alone at the Portland bus stop. Monica works with an editorial cartoonist, that conflicts with her Jewish father when her popularity soars for writing "edgy" cartoons that portray Jews satirically, until a showdown with anti-Semitic skinheads at their synagogue teaches both the cartoonist and new angel Gloria a powerful lesson in fighting hate with knowledge. Guest stars: David Margulies, Meredith Scott Lynn and Carol Locatell | ||||||
| 173 | 6 | "Famous Last Words" | Peter H. Hunt | Brian Bird | November 3, 2001 | |
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The angels try to help a death row inmate reconcile with his estranged mother before his sentence is carried out---for killing his abusive stepfather. Guest stars: Sean Patrick Flanery, Veronica Cartwright, and Mark Rolston | ||||||
| 174 | 7 | "Most Likely to Succeed" | Stuart Margolin | Burt Pearl | November 10, 2001 | |
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Monica assigns Gloria to a young, successful billionaire, who also attends his high school reunion seeking revenge on the football player who tormented him. Tess learns he was getting a new program designing for his computer. When a surprising turn of events arise, the angels must help overcome his resentment and forgive. In the end, Tess crowns the head cheerleader as she and her boyfriend take the stage as King and Queen of the Reunion. Guest stars: Christopher Daniel Barnes, Dylan Bruno, Jennifer Morrison and Toby Keith | ||||||
| 175 | 8 | "Heaven's Portal" | Bethany Rooney | Glenn Berenbeim | November 24, 2001 | |
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After Tess teaches Gloria to drive her boss's car, which it backfires (due to her driving too fast and listening to loud dance/pop music), she is enlisted to babysit a troubled teen who decides to attend a rave party while his mother seeks work after his father---anguished over his business's bankruptcy---can't bring himself to return to his family. Guest stars: Stephanie Zimbalist and Peter Scolari | ||||||
| 176 | 9 | "When Sunny Gets Blue" | Frank E. Johnson | Jason Jersey | December 1, 2001 | |
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A young man tries to discover the truth about his absent father, who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia. A young man also looks at Gloria's records, before Monica reveals some bad news, where she can't locate her father. Tess, who herself, looks at the records, then asks Gloria where she saw that name, and remembers also produces an old jazz album featuring Simon K. and the Chattanooga Express. His father is amazed and goes inside to play the record on the Juke Box. Guest stars: Zachary Quinto and John Savage | ||||||
| 177 | 10 | "Angels Anonymous" | Larry Peerce | R.J. Colleary | December 15, 2001 | |
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An aging busboy tempted into an arson scheme finds a way to resist temptation when the angels reunite him with people from his past---his one-time high school history students, each of whom has dilemmas of their own to resolve, and all of whom remember precious lessons he once taught them, where they all attend a restaurant at a run down bar and restaurant. Andrew behaves as a marriage counselor, sending Yvette and Peter there when they have trouble talking about anything but work, Monica locates a paramedic and sends him on a wild goose chase ending to the bar, and Tess sends Leigh and her 'I’m the boss' husband Jimmy to the dive in order to squeeze lunch into their thoroughly planned outing. Guest stars: Alexis Cruz, Chris Potter, Molly Hagan, Geoffrey Blake, Leila Kenzle, A.J. Johsnon, Erik King, Jack McGee and Hal Linden | ||||||
| 178 | 11 | "A Winter Carol" | Victor Lobl | Martha Williamson and Burt Pearl | December 16, 2001 | |
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A man who is a drumming teacher to a boy goes missing on September 11, 2001 whose wallet is later discovered at ground zero. The boy's mother is the mayor of the town and refuses to grieve because she has too many responsibilities. The boy's elder brother has lost his Christmas spirit after his younger brother's heart is broken and decides to enlist in the army to kill as many terrorists as possible. The mother has not laughed in ages and refuses to go to a doctor's appointment in Manhattan. The mother and two brothers find out that the drumming teacher's present to the boy was a drum and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir to sing Battle Hymn of the Republic at the Christmas pageant, and Tess is volunteered to play the organ at the Christmas services. Guest stars: Blair Brown, Steven Curtis Chapman and The Mormon Tabernacle Choir Note: Called "I'll Be Home for Christmas" on CBS Access | ||||||
| 179 | 12 | "The Last Chapter" | Ricardo Mendez Matta | Martha Williamson | January 12, 2002 | |
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Elizabeth Jessup is visited by Monica to help her write her memoirs. However, Elizabeth doesn't want to finish it and her granddaughter, now a teenager doesn't know that she was saved out of the fire by Monica. Tess demands that Monica is there as the answer to the prayer of somebody else's. She collapses after being delivered her new car, a Lincoln. When admitted to hospital, it is found she has a brain tumour, and Tess acts out as the nurse. Gloria is brought in to type the last chapter. Guest star: Phylicia Rashad | ||||||
| 180 | 13 | "Ship-in-a-Bottle" | Armand Mastroianni | Rita Russell | January 26, 2002 | |
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Tevis Lockwood is a successful widowed father with two young daughters and an obsession over controlling every aspect of his life. When one daughter---suffering sickle cell anaemia---takes ill, and the doctor in charge of the emergency room can't prioritise her in a room crowded with flu patients, he tries driving her forty miles to a sickle cell specialty clinic---but her death en route causes first rage and then redemption for the stricken father when the angels step in. Monica visits as part of the transition team of the shipping company, and all thanks to Gloria, tries to protect the girls, while Tevis settles in for his work, who comes to the office, pleased with his new station in life and is anxious to make an impression of the world. When the receptionist's desk is empty, Tess comes with a resume and answers the phone for him. Impressed by her plan, Tevis hires her immediately, not a moment before Joaquin, the real receptionist arrives. Guest stars: Lee Garlington, Aysia Polk, Arreale Davis and Mykelti Williamson | ||||||
| 181 | 14 | "The Blue Angel" | Larry Peerce | Glenn Berenbeim | February 2, 2002 | |
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Max and Elmer are 50-year-old friends who work together on a TV station. Max is a chain smoker who refuses to listen to Elmer and stop smoking. Max has also had 3 angels; Tess, Monica and Andrew speak to him, but refuses to listen to them also. Gloria is his last chance. Max nearly dies when he collapses due to emphysema. When the "Blue angel", a strip show is in jeopardy, due to the usual girl having a cold, Gloria offers to help, not knowing what she is in for. Tess appears, who tells Gloria of her experience with Max. When Elmer finds out Gloria is doing the Blue Angel, he quits. As Gloria starts to take her clothes off, she also reveals herself as an angel. It was 1954, and Max was back to being at the top of his game, directing a variety show for July 4. Everything was perfect, except for the blonde singer, who hired is horrible, despite Tess's attempts to instruct her. He had a dream that was lost, but Monica present the notebook to him with his list. Guest stars: Ernest Borgnine and Tom Bosley | ||||||
| 182 | 15 | "Secrets and Lies" | Armand Mastroianni | Brian Bird | March 2, 2002 | |
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The angels have a challenge on their hands over a man's affair very early in his otherwise happy marriage coming back to haunt him when his daughter is stricken with leukemia and needs a bone marrow transplant to survive . . . and the only compatible donor is the son he fathered with his former lover. Tess helps the former lover overcome years-long resentments with a novel approach that doesn't involve revealing herself as an angel, as Monica helps the man seek forgiveness from both the former lover and his wife in order to facilitate the transplant. Guest stars: Jeanette Brox, John Heard, Sherri Hursey, Patricia Kalember, and Trever O'Brien | ||||||
| 183 | 16 | "The Princeless Bride" | Kevin Dowling | Luke Schelhaas | March 9, 2002 | |
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Liz and Jonas are a couple about to get married in Washington, DC, on their wedding day. However, due to the fact that the weather cancels all flight and therefore all guests arriving, as well as Jonas being annoyed that she is so selfish. The reception is held and street people are invited to eat with Liz. Andrew drives Jonas to Washington, DC, instead of New York as he requested. Jonas is mugged, his wallet, ring and shoes stolen and is left for dead to freeze to death on the street, who has been broken down by Liz, and refuses to show and tell Monica, Tess and Gloria about the wedding she had requested, and how she'll never deserve it. Later that evening, the angels show up at Liz’s door to throw the pre-wedding slumber party she wanted to have. Guest stars: Kim Rhodes, Lainie Kazan and Neil Patrick Harris | ||||||
| 184 | 17 | "Hello, I Love You" | Frank E. Johnson | R.J. Colleary | April 6, 2002 | |
| A little girl wants to find her father for the upcoming school father-daughter dance, but when her mother is in an accident, the search becomes even more desperate and with Monica, she goes looking for 4 separate Jacksons plus a handyman who is unlisted in the phone book. The person she is looking for is tracked down by Tess when officer Jackson pulls Tess over for speeding and is then brought to the hospital. | ||||||
| 185 | 18 | "Minute by Minute" | Robert J. Visciglia, Jr. | Rosanne Welch | April 13, 2002 | |
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Three teens plot to bomb their Catholic high school as the angels try to help a nun with a checkered past stop them. John, Cory and Bobby are all 17, and like the 2, Bobby's the most responsible for planting the bombs. By the time he approaches John and Cory, Bobby realizes that he can’t go through with it. Instead, he heads down the street to Millie’s, the greasy spoon diner where he works. He apologizes to Tess, the new manager, for arriving work late, and begins his shift instructing Gloria how to work the register. They all get along well. Guest star: Mary McDonnell | ||||||
| 186 | 19 | "The Bells of St. Peters" | Robert J. Visciglia, Jr. | Glenn Berenbeim | May 4, 2002 | |
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Maggie di Santo and her husband Brian who is a neurologist are a husband and wife doctor team at a hospital. Maggie's mother, Rose also works at the hospital and wants to go to Rome but her health is not up to it, as she is feeling tired. Maggie wants her to go with someone so Maggie and Brian were to go with her. Rose believes in doing the best you can and after that is Que Sera Sera. She also believes in luck and crossing her fingers. Maggie believes in science but not in God or faith. When Monica replaces Rose temporarily due to her tiredness, she is permanently on staff when Maggie gets angry with Rose after losing a mother in the delivery room and the baby survives. It turns out later that Roe's white blood count is through the roof is the reason for her tiredness, and she needs surgery. After the surgery, Tess comes to Maggie to tell she needs a break. During this, Rose tries to leave for Rome, but her health won't allow it. Guest stars: Doris Roberts, Tom Verica and Mare Winningham | ||||||
| 187 | 20 | "The Impossible Dream" | Peter H. Hunt | Brian Bird | May 4, 2002 | |
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A matriarch, Aunt Charlotte Hunter, who is a teacher at a local school has decided to retire. However all of her family's dreams are coming true except for one-Reggie Hunter. The family want to have a concert for Charlotte retirement and want Reggie to sing but he doesn't want to. Andrew asks Reggie about why he quit and finds that when he auditioned he only sang once and was rejected. The family's situation changes when Martin Hunter, the loan officer at a bank is arrested and jailed for being associated with fraud. Monica hires Gloria as Martin's lawyer. They need $50,000 bail money but do not have the money. Reggie finds out that he could have been a big success. Tess comes to find out what Reggie will be singing at the concert. Reggie at first says that they need money but Tess says they have to focus on what they do have. When Reggie tries to sell his mother's piano for $40,000, Charlotte refuses and then tells Reggie that Barry Gordie did call back. unknown to Reggie and Martin took the call and said his folks had died. when Reggie tries to look for the serial number to sell the piano, Andrew and Tess show up and Tess asks him why he didn't fight for his dream. Tess then reveals what his mother has written in her letter. Meanwhile, Monica is speaking to Martin about praying about the loans he was giving out. Martin is later released and Reggie sings The Impossible Dream with Tess at the farewell concert. Guest stars: Joe Morton, Lee Chamberlin, Penny Johnson Jerald, Richard Biggs and Luther Vandross | ||||||
| 188 | 21 | "For All the Tea in China" | Stuart Margolin | Martha Williamson and Luke Schelhaas | May 5, 2002 | |
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At a Chinese orphanage, Gloria takes care of an orphaned baby in the middle of a freezing winter night. Monica is a maid for a wealthy woman, Lady Berrington. Her only living relative is her grandson James and his wife Sarah who live with her. James reveals terrible news to his grandmother, he and his wife are infertile. They show their intent to adopt a baby girl from China. Lady Berrington first disapproves, but later reluctantly agrees to the transracial adoption as that is the only way to continue the family. God had decided that the couple are to adopt the baby. But Andrew comes to Gloria and says there's been a complication. After Lady Berrington reveals her past to Monica (she is an orphan and not a noblewoman as marketed in her tea company), the three go to China to adopt the baby. Lady Berrington finds her long lost friend Li Na from 1937 when she lost her parents, then happily welcomes her new great-granddaughter, whom Sarah and James have named Rose. When Tess comes, as an adoption worker, Penelope becomes so unfriendly and melodramatic that might hold back their chances of being approved. James confronts her about her behavior, but stands up for this. Tess returns to let Penelope know that the adoption had disapproved, and that she is to blame. She gives Penelope the opportunity to tell James and Sarah. She admits to them that she has been lying about her identity all these years, that she is not a noblewoman, that she started her tea company with a stolen identity, and when it became a success, she used it. She tells them about her upbringing in China, where she lived with her missionary parents. She tells how she and a friend, Li Na, were separated from her parents during an evacuation, and how she never saw them again, returning to England on her own. When the truth is out and accepted, Tess releases the adoption and they head to China to meet Rose, and to allow Penelope to come to terms with her past. Guest star: Angela Lansbury | ||||||
| 189 | 22 | "Forever Young" | Victor Lobl | R.J. Colleary | May 11, 2002 | |
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The family of motivational speaker Don Costello is breaking apart quietly but severely in the wake of teen daughter/honour student Kimmie's murder by a former boyfriend, unless Monica (assigned to Don), Gloria (assigned to young son Justin, who blames himself for his sister's death), Tess (assigned to wife Stacy, who can't let her daughter go and meets her spirit in the park daily), and Andrew (who shepherded Kimmie to heaven) can convince them to honour more than mourn her. Guest stars: Donna Bullock, Myles Jeffrey, Bethany Richards, Mike Erwin and Gregory Harrison | ||||||