List of Joan of Arcadia episodes

The list of episodes of the CBS television drama Joan of Arcadia. The series premiered on September 26, 2003 and ended on April 22, 2005 with 45 episodes produced within 2 seasons.

Series overview

Season		Episodes	Originally aired
	1	23	September 26, 2003 – May 21, 2004
	2	22	September 24, 2004 – April 22, 2005

Season 1 (2003–04)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code
1	1	"Pilot"	Jack Bender & James Hayman	Barbara Hall	September 26, 2003	100
Sixteen-year-old Joan Girardi is approached by someone claiming to be God. He gives her a mission: get a job. Will Girardi, Joan's dad and new chief of police for Arcadia, is trying to solve the case of a serial killer.
2	2	"The Fire and the Wood"	James Hayman	Hart Hanson	October 3, 2003	101
Joan enrolls in advanced-placement chemistry, after God asks her to stop being an underachiever; Will ruffles feathers during an arson investigation.
3	3	"Touch Move"	Josh Brand	Barbara Hall	October 10, 2003	102
God encourages Joan to learn how to play chess; Will must work with a psychic on a missing toddler case; Helen hopes a miracle will enable Kevin to walk again.
4	4	"The Boat"	Kevin Dowling	Randy Anderson	October 17, 2003	103
Helen fears Joan is becoming eccentric when she enthusiastically tackles her boat-building project; Will encourages Kevin to join a wheelchair basketball team.
5	5	"Just Say No"	Steve Gomer	Tom Garrigus	October 24, 2003	104
Joan learns from God that she's holding a garage sale on Saturday, which doesn't leave her much time to sort through her family's unwanted belongings. Among the items she unearths are paintings created by Helen during a dark period in her life. Elsewhere, Will goes to bat for a rape victim even though the district attorney feels the case isn't strong enough. Also, Joan catches the interest of a class charmer and a newspaper job falls right into Kevin's lap.
6	6	"Bringeth It On"	David Petrarca	Joy Gregory	October 31, 2003	105
Joan gets a lesson in popularity when God tells her to try out for the cheerleading squad, and her efforts to impress two pom-pom girls pay off with an invite to hang out together outside of school. Meanwhile, Will's first case working with Det. Toni Williams involves an abandoned newborn left in a trash bin, presumably by a student from Arcadia High. Another story line has a classmate sensing a gay vibe in Luke.
7	7	"Death Be Not Whatever"	Peter Levin	Barbara Hall	November 7, 2003	106
Joan baby-sits for a boy (David Dorfman) who is obsessed with death; officers assault a black man at a gas station.
8	8	"The Devil Made Me Do It"	James Hayman	Hart Hanson	November 14, 2003	107
God's mysterious ways once again bewilder Joan, when He asks her to volunteer at the high-school art show, so that she can keep Adam Rove's sculpture from being exhibited. Elsewhere, Will feels pressure from the DA's office to call a man a hero after he shoots and kills a home intruder. Meanwhile, Kevin grows weary of receiving special treatment because he uses a wheelchair.
9	9	"St. Joan"	Martha Mitchell	Randy Anderson	November 21, 2003	108
God wants Joan to score an "A" on a test about French saint Joan of Arc. As the teen hits the books, she draws comparisons to the life of the young heroine who claimed to hear divine voices and was burnt at the stake. Helen finds her daughter's newest obsession troublesome and urges Will to have the entire family visit a therapist. Meanwhile, Will is unjustly raked over the coals for shutting down a crack house.
10	10	"Drive, He Said"	Ron Lagomarsino	Tom Garrigus	December 5, 2003	109
Each of the Girardis deal with crises of varying seriousness, the worst of which puts Will at the mercy of a crazed gunman. The day also finds Helen reacting with mixed emotions after getting a positive result on a home-pregnancy test. Meanwhile, Joan dreads having to take her driver's exam, and Luke is presented with a major distraction just before he's supposed to compete in a high-stakes competition.
11	11	"The Uncertainty Principle"	Helen Shaver	Joy Gregory	December 12, 2003	110
God instructs Joan to ask a troublemaker to the winter formal. Will uncovers secrets that could prove unfavorable to the former Chief of Police and other members of the city's government.
12	12	"Jump"	Timothy Busfield	Hart Hanson	January 9, 2004	111
Joan is saddened when she learns Rocky (David Dorfman) ("Death Be Not Whatever") has died, causing her to further question God about life and death. Will loses his job when his discovery and public revelation of the town's political corruption causes the city government (including the police department) to be dissolved by the State Governor. Luke continues to work on his science fair project and his growing attraction to Grace, while Kevin is injured in a game of wheelchair basketball.
13	13	"Recreation"	Elodie Keene	Barbara Hall	January 16, 2004	112
At Helen's insistence, she and Will take a getaway to a spa, but all does not go well when Will cannot forget about his job. And with the parents away, the kids are up to a little recreation of their own; Kevin and his boss, Rebecca, find it hard to ignore their mutual attraction; Joan, as she is trying to sort out her feelings for Adam, is instructed by God to throw a party while her parents are away; Luke helps Joan pull off a successful party.
14	14	"State of Grace"	Steve Gomer	Joshua Ravetch	February 6, 2004	113
God tells Joan to join the debate team, where her partner has a stuttering problem. A new security system is implemented at Arcadia High School. After the art teacher quits, Helen wonders if she would be right for the job. Both Kevin and Luke separately deal with the aftermath of a kiss. And Will and Toni deal with a case involving a reverend accused of child molestation.
15	15	"Night Without Stars"	Kevin Dowling	David Grae	February 13, 2004	115
Joan's newest mission from God is to work with kids, so she volunteers to help babysit children of abused mothers; Joan becomes jealous when Adam falls for one of the volunteers; Kevin starts to get cocky again and sleeps with his girlfriend, Rebecca; previous events emotionally catch up with Will; and Luke makes a shocking admission to Kevin.
16	16	"Double Dutch"	Alan Myerson	Tom Garrigus	February 20, 2004	116
God tells Joan to learn to jump rope with a group of inner-city teens, one of whom Joan discovers is homeless. Kevin goes on a date, but not with who you think.
17	17	"No Bad Guy"	James Hayman	Sibyl Gardner	February 27, 2004	114
After Joan stands up for one of her classmates being bullied, an embarrassing picture of Joan, taken with a picture phone, is rapidly spread around school. God instructs Joan to join the band. Will must deal with an elderly driver who accidentally killed several people.
18	18	"Requiem for a Third Grade Ashtray"	Kevin Dowling	Joy Gregory	March 12, 2004	117
God instructs Joan to help out with the a chaotic Girardi household; Adam has his first art show; Will and Toni witness a carjacking. Will and Toni, while making an arrest, get stuck in an elevator with a pregnant woman who is about to give birth; Kevin believes he might be recovering some sensation in his stomach area and gets an EMG (a nerve conduction) test done.
19	19	"Do the Math"	Rob Morrow	Antoinette Stella	April 2, 2004	118
God tells Joan to take piano lessons; Joan helps her piano teacher deal with her past; Joan learns a painful secret Will and Helen have been keeping from the family; Iris becomes suspicious of Adam and Joan closeness.
20	20	"Anonymous"	Steve Gomer	David Grae	April 30, 2004	119
Joan joins the yearbook staff, per God's request, and decides to use this assignment as a means of impressing Adam... Feeling threatened that Iris and Adam continue to share a bond over their passion for art, Joan vows to discover a hidden talent that Adam will admire. However, her disastrous attempt to be the yearbook's star photographer soon adds to her insecurities about losing him. Meanwhile, Will and Toni attempt to set up a sting for a man who is planning to hire a hitman to murder his wife.
21	21	"Vanity, Thy Name Is Human"	Jerry Levine	Robert Girardi	May 7, 2004	120
Joan takes a cosmetics class, per God's request, and Kevin doesn't react well to crossing paths with the last girlfriend he dated before his disabling accident... Glynis' flattering makeover attracts a great deal of positive attention at school, which only adds to Joan's disappointment when Adam fails to notice her own new look. Meanwhile, Kevin, who remains bitter with the belief that he had been dumped by Beth because he had become a paraplegic, harshly rebuffs her efforts to make peace with him.
22	22	"The Gift"	Martha Mitchell	Stephen Nathan	May 14, 2004	121
After God tells Joan to give Adam a gift, she finds something that leads her to wonder if God's suggesting she have sex with him... While secretly searching through Adam's backpack for gift ideas, Joan is stunned to find a condom there. She soon wonders if sex is the "gift" God had in mind, and she nervously ponders whether or not she'd be ready for such a big step. Meanwhile, Kevin begins covering court proceedings for the paper and ends up causing a stir in one of Will's cases.
23	23	"Silence"	James Hayman	Barbara Hall	May 21, 2004	122
Upon hearing that Joan may have been suffering from the symptoms of Lyme Disease for months, a somewhat relieved Will and Helen believe this news may explain Joan's mood swings and atypical behavior, while a concerned Adam wonders if Joan will be different upon her recovery. Meanwhile, the hospitalized Joan experiences a crisis of faith -- and considers revealing to someone close to her that she's been talking to God. In separate circumstances, Helen and Will begin to rethink their belief systems after, respectively, experiencing spiritual dreams and miraculous events.

Season 2 (2004–05)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code
24	1	"Only Connect"	James Hayman	Barbara Hall	September 24, 2004	201
After a summer of therapy and with school resuming Joan tries to return to a "normal" life even as she ignores God, who keeps reappearing; Will is sued for emotional distress by Andy Baker, whose drunk driving caused the accident that paralyzed Kevin; Luke and Grace try to adjust to their relationship.
25	2	"Out of Sight"	Rob Morrow	Stephen Nathan	October 1, 2004	202
Judith, a wild friend of Joan's from summer camp, starts school at Arcadia High; Will investigates a drive-by shooting; Kevin confronts Andy about the on-going lawsuit.
26	3	"Back to the Garden"	Kevin Dowling	Joy Gregory	October 8, 2004	203
God instructs Joan to start a community garden; Judith continues her downward spiral; Luke puts up a strong front with Grace; a former police informant is killed setting Will and Carlisle on a mission to find corrupt cops and Kevin gets let in on the lawsuit.
27	4	"The Cat"	Steve Gomer	David Grae	October 15, 2004	204
God wants Joan to adopt a stray cat; Aunt Olive gets a stroke which paralyses her from the waist down; Will again starts an internal investigation; Grace finally lets Luke in and Judith gets 'coerced' into a possible date.
28	5	"The Election"	Rob Morrow	Ellie Herman	October 22, 2004	205
God wants Joan to make a difference in the election; Will has problems with the new head of the police department and asks his son to find dirt, as does Joan to try win the election for the one who fired her from the yearbook club.
29	6	"Wealth of Nations"	Kevin Dowling	Tom Garrigus	October 29, 2004	206
God wants Joan to get everyone a piece of the pie and get Joan to use her new-found knowledge to make money; Kevin meets an old friend; Grace and Luke meet twice to 'study'; Will wants to countersue the Bakers, and Joan finds out there are things God can't do right.
30	7	"P.O.V."	Graeme Clifford	Lindsay Sturman	November 5, 2004	207
Joan struggles with the pressures of Junior year; God assigns Joan to work on a videography; Adam and Judith work on a project together; Will, Kevin, and Helen meet with a lawyer to discuss a counter-lawsuit.
31	8	"Friday Night"	Elodie Keene	Stephen Nathan	November 12, 2004	208
After being prodded by Judith to go on a real date, Joan and Adam nervously prepare for a romantic night at a fancy French restaurant. Little do they know that Judith has subsequently made some misguided plans for herself for that evening, which later causes the guilt-ridden Joan to wonder if she could have prevented her friend's misfortune.
32	9	"No Future"	James Hayman	Barbara Hall	November 19, 2004	209
As Joan begins to deal with Judith's death, she faces the added pressure of having to relive the day of Kevin's accident during her deposition. Meanwhile, Will feels guilty as he recalls how poorly he treated Kevin in the hours preceding his accident. Additionally, Grace reluctantly agrees to join Luke for dinner at the Girardi's on his birthday.
33	10	"The Book of Questions"	Steve Gomer	Ellie Herman	November 26, 2004	210
While helping Grace shop for a dress for the occasion, Joan is delighted to finally meet Grace's seemingly perfect mother, Sarah. However, when Sarah's drinking problem becomes evident, Joan begins to understand why Grace is so private – and why she's long been avoiding having her bat mitzvah. Meanwhile, Luke racks his brain to come up with a meaningful bat mitzvah gift for Grace. Additionally, Adam and Joan have different ways of coping with Judith's death. Will supports Lucy's less-than-legal means of trying to get one of Judith's friends to describe Judith's on-the-run killer, and Kevin's ex-girlfriend is deposed for the trial.
34	11	"Dive"	Martha Mitchell	David Grae	December 10, 2004	211
As Joan tries to work her way up to the high dive despite her acrophobia, Luke attempts to overcome his paralyzing fear of undertaking an activity at which he might fail. Meanwhile, Will continues his quest to find Judith's killer, and Kevin goes on a date with Beth. Additionally, while reflecting on Judith's death and Kevin's accident, Helen becomes overwhelmed with concern about her family being in harm's way.
35	12	"Game Theory"	Gloria Muzio	Tom Garrigus	January 7, 2005	212
Despite everyone's protests, Joan allows her snobby, Ivy League-educated guidance counselor to advise her against applying to college. However, after Joan relays her plans to Roger, an engaging college student on the campus she's visiting, he tells her that college is attainable and persuades her to hire him as a tutor. Meanwhile, Adam becomes jealous of Joan's rapport with Roger; Will sees a dark side of Lucy; Helen questions her commitment to Catholicism, and Beth finds it difficult to resume a relationship with the wheelchair-bound Kevin.
36	13	"Queen of the Zombies"	Graeme Clifford	Joy Gregory	January 14, 2005	213
God instructs Joan to try out for the school play; Adam builds the sets for the play; Grace becomes jealous of Luke and Glynis.
37	14	"The Rise & Fall of Joan Girardi"	Martha Mitchell	Lindsay Sturman	January 28, 2005	214
After saving a girl's life Joan suddenly becomes famous but she soon learns fame is fleeting and can even turn against you; Adam has a job interview that doesn't quite go the way he wants; tension builds between Lucy and Will; as Luke prepares to get his drivers license Grace tries to educate him on the harmful impact vehicles have on the environment.
38	15	"Romancing the Joan"	Joanna Kerns	Barbara Hall	February 11, 2005	215
God wants Joan to do an extra credit assignment on Romantic poetry; Adam takes on a perky and cute assistant (special guest star Haylie Duff); Lucy gets a promotion; Helen takes a break from her Catholic studies; Kevin decides to get back into the dating game.
39	16	"Independence Day"	James Hayman	Ellie Herman & Stephen Nathan	February 18, 2005	216
Incensed that Will and Helen have forbidden her to go to a concert with Adam and stay overnight with him in his father's camper, Joan goes anyway. After Joan has a conversation with God about free will, she decides to use it as a rationale for lying to her mother in order to go on the trip as she's convinced that Helen simply wants her to remain a dependent little girl. Meanwhile, Luke is shocked when the nerdy, girl-obsessed Friedman rebuffs the advances of the surprisingly infatuated Stevie.
40	17	"Shadows and Light"	Kevin Dowling	Tom Garrigus & David Grae	February 25, 2005	217
Joan is convinced that she's meant to help Stevie keep her part-time job with Adam, despite Stevie's mother's order that she quit. In an effort to supply Stevie with the Social Security number that Stevie's mother is withholding, Joan gets Kevin to use his investigative reporting skills. Kevin's findings end up leading Will to make a discovery that quickly turns Stevie's world upside-down. Meanwhile, Adam is upset with Joan for telling Helen that he tried to have sex with her, and Kevin is conflicted when the local television station asks him to do a report that pertains to paralysis.
41	18	"Secret Service"	Michael Fresco	Teleplay by: Joy Gregory & Lindsay Sturman Story by: Ben Eicher	March 4, 2005	218
After Price discovers Joan holding an empty egg carton near his freshly egged car, he wrongly assumes she's the culprit and punishes her with a weekend of community service. Without more direction from God than to rise above the injustice, Joan tries to figure out if she's meant to help a bitter former nun, Lilly, who is overseeing the service project, or one of the social outcasts who are serving as a result of their own offenses. Meanwhile, Joan's also upset that her reluctance to begin a sexual relationship with Adam is driving a wedge between them. Also, Adam meets a troubled artist at the community center; Joan gets Luke a job at the bookstore; Kevin has another car accident.
42	19	"Trial and Error"	Neal Israel	Teleplay by: Marc Flanagan Story by: Matthew Donlan & Jeremy Martin	April 1, 2005	219
Joan prepares to prosecute a case for a mock trial at school, per God's request, while enthusiastically planning a way to celebrate her one-year anniversary with Adam, who has secretly betrayed her. Joan surprises everyone with her passion in prosecuting a mock case against the equally motivated defense attorney, Grace. Meanwhile, while trying to hide his guilt from Joan as she plans a special anniversary night out with him, Adam decides to confess his wrongdoing to an appalled Grace. Meanwhile, Will investigates the murder of a girl and Helen continues her study of Catholicism.
43	20	"Spring Cleaning"	Bethany Rooney	Lyla Oliver	April 8, 2005	220
In the wake of Joan's difficult breakup with Adam, God tells her to do some therapeutic cleaning, which ends up putting her in the middle of a scandal involving her guidance counselor... As part of Joan's clean sweep, she returns everything Adam ever gave her, which only adds to the awkwardness between them. Meanwhile, when Joan returns some items to Mr. Tuchman that he loaned her, a jealous student with feelings for Tuchman vindictively tells the school authorities that Tuchman initiated intimate relationships with both her and Joan. Also, Kevin considers getting a place of his own.
44	21	"Common Thread"	Elodie Keene	Stephen Nathan	April 15, 2005	221
Before a storm will hit the town. Adam and Joan have a falling out with each other. Adam leaves and heads in to the woods to avoid the approaching storm. But when the storm hits, Adam gets lost. When Joan becomes worried that Adam might be in danger. She calls her father and every one searches for Adam while the storm dies down. In the end of the show, Adam is rescued by Ryan Hunter – a young, charming dot com millionaire who also talks to God. He smiles in a very sinister way at Joan before the credits roll.
45	22	"Something Wicked This Way Comes"	James Hayman	Barbara Hall	April 22, 2005	222
God tells Joan that her last two years were just practice for her greatest challenge, which will be to face off against a mysterious man who, though he also talks to God, has a sinister agenda... Initially, Joan is simply curious about Ryan Hunter, the charming, wealthy and influential man who revealed to her that he also speaks to God, and who rescued Adam from the woods during a storm. However, she soon discovers Ryan's dark side and is alarmed that he's insinuated himself into the lives of her loved ones, who are quick to dismiss Joan's qualms about him.

External links

• List of Joan of Arcadia episodes at TV.com
• List of Joan of Arcadia episodes at Internet Movie Database