Imagine this: you’re 10 years old. You come home after school, grab a snack (my personal favorite was always Oreos) and turn on Nickelodeon. The first thing you see is that blue and green background, and you know what it’s time for: Drake and Josh.
This four-season-long show about the adventures of two stepbrothers was (and still is) my favorite comedy. This is one of the only sitcoms that gets better as the seasons go on; if only the show was on Netflix, my life would be complete.
There are so many great episodes in this series that it’s hard to pick the best ones, but I channeled my inner 10-year-old and picked some of my favorites. Get ready for a trip back to your childhood!
1. “The Drake and Josh Inn” (Season 3, Episode 1)
This was the first taste we got of a wild college party (except I’ve never been to a house party that got infested with monoxi-puff gas… did I spell that right?)
Drake and Josh’s parents ask them to babysit Megan while they go away for spring break, giving them $200 for food. Drake and Josh blow all of the money on pointless items, so they have to find a way to make some more money. After talking to a couple with no place to stay for spring break, they lie and say that their house is a bed and breakfast called the “Drake and Josh Inn.” After this works, Drake finds more people – mostly college kids – to stay in their “bed and breakfast.” The trouble is, though, that these wild college kids throw a party and trash their house. After the party is broadcast on TV, Drake and Josh’s parents decide to come home. With the help of their evil little sister, Megan, they convince everyone that there’s a toxic gas leak in the house and that they all need to leave.
This episode is hilarious because it’s one of the many examples of the boys being careless. Now that I’m in college (and I’ve actually seen a wild party), I really appreciate the way Drake and Josh handled this situation.
2. “Girl Power” (Season 3, Episode 10)
Drake has a girlfriend (out of apparently the 75 girlfriends he has throughout the show) named Lucy in this episode – and he learns that she’s tough after fighting a jock bigger than herself. Even so, he doesn’t think Lucy is tougher than him, so she challenges him to a wrestling match. Meanwhile, Josh’s girlfriend, Mindy, introduces him to her parents. Drake and Lucy’s wrestling match happens on the same night of Josh’s dinner with Mindy’s parents, which causes some problems.
I thought it was hilarious how neither Drake or Josh could take on those jocks, but Lucy destroyed them. Then, Helen came in with her bat and scared them out of the theater. Lucy proves that no matter what, you should never underestimate the strength of a girl.
3. “Josh is Done” (Season 4, Episode 12)
After Drake causes Josh to miss a very important chemistry exam, Josh decides he’s had enough of Drake and cuts him out of his life.
This might be one of the saddest episodes of Drake and Josh because our favorite dynamic duo breaks up for a heart-wrenching 20 minutes. However, the ending of the episode is so cute because Drake makes a speech in front of his whole class about how much he loves his brother. Then, Drake and Josh go right back to being the most iconic stepbrothers on television. This episode should teach any set of siblings that no matter what, you should never take each other for granted; always take a second to step back and realize all the reasons you love them.
4. “Steered Straight” (Season 4, Episode 14)
Just two episodes later, Drake and Josh get mixed up in one of their stickiest situations yet. After getting caught with fake IDs, their parents are encouraged by two police officers to enroll them in a Steered Straight program, where they get a taste of what it’s like to actually be arrested. When they’re ambushed and taken into a police car, a real criminal named Blaze jumps into the car while the two police officers leave to investigate a situation – and Blaze drives away with the stepbrothers in the back. Drake and Josh believe they should pretend to be real criminals, but it only makes the situation worse for them when Blaze ends up in their home.
I never stop laughing when I watch this episode, no matter how many times I’ve seen it – and watching nerdy Josh try to act like a criminal just makes the episode even funnier. There are so many other funny moments in this episode, as well, like when Walter tries to tell the boys to act like men while wearing a prom dress – and Drake and Josh trying to dial 911 while in handcuffs has to be one of the most hilarious scenes in the entire show.
5. “Megan’s First Kiss” (Season 4, Episode 15)
Collegiettes, here’s a life lesson: never date a guy like Corey. I can’t think of anyone I despised more than that kid.
Drake and Josh suspect Megan is up to something when she exhibits some sneaky behavior, so they follow her to the movie theater – dressed like Jewish men. They learn that she’s on a date with a boy named Corey, but they quickly become protective brothers when they see Corey go in for a kiss. Megan becomes angry with them after Corey breaks up with her, so the boys apologize to Corey so Megan can date him again. Things take a turn for the worst, though, when they find out Corey is also dating another girl.
First of all, if a guy ever told me I had a “freakish family,” I would never speak to him again; my boyfriend better love my weird family. Second, Drake and Josh literally give Corey their pants so he can get back together with Megan. I really appreciate how calm and generous they were, though, because that would not have ended well with my brothers.
The funniest part about this episode is when Drake and Josh speak in an Irish-Jewish accent, creating the phrase we all know and love, “Pip pip the diddly do.”
Also, I think it’s adorable that even though Drake and Josh think Megan is evil, they still go to extreme lengths to protect her from a cheating boyfriend. She even tells Drake and Josh that she loves them, which is the first time she’s ever said that.
Again, if you suspect you’re dating a Corey, just run.
6. “The Storm” (Season 4, Episode 9)
Drake has a concert to put on with his band, so he invites all of his friends (aka the entire cast) to travel to the concert on a bus. Sadly, everyone ends up trapped in Drake and Josh’s house during a severe thunderstorm. (One of my favorite Drake and Josh quotes appears in this episode when Drake says to his smart friend, Craig, “You’re a nerd! How do you stop the rain?!”)
There are so many things going on in this episode. For one, Drake and Josh’s friend, Gary, flirts with their mom; meanwhile, devious Megan gets two of Drake’s ex-girlfriends and his current girlfriend together to have a conversation about Drake; one of these girls is Lucy (yay, she came back!). Crazy Steve can even be seen yelling at “Dora the Explorer” on an old television.
The end of this episode is also one of the most iconic moments on the show. When the TV breaks and the gang is left with nothing to do, Helen gets the entire cast to sing, “We Will Rock You.”
I love this episode for so many reasons. Many cast members we don’t get to see very often make an appearance all in one episode – and this is also the only time the entire cast of Drake and Josh all appear in the same episode, which made the ending really magical.
For anyone who loves Drake & Josh as much as I do, hopefully this list of my favorites will help you rediscover your own. Happy watching, collegiettes!