American Playhouse: Season 5
Season 5 Lore Primer
Key plot threads, lore context, and character stakes you need to remember before diving into this season.
- Directly follows the overarching narrative developments of American Playhouse Season 4.
- Faction dynamics and core character alliances shift under escalating external stakes.
- Crucial mysteries introduced previously reach key turning points and narrative reckonings.
- Sets up serialized story arcs that build directly toward the climactic season finale.
Episode Guide
Season 5 Progress Shield
The Rise and Rise of Daniel Rocket
Jan 20, 1986 · 84 min
A young boy is ridiculed by his schoolmates for his eccentric behavior and assertions that he can fly. Little do they know...
The Roommate
Jan 27, 1986 · 60 min
In 1952, two polar opposites at Northwestern University are assigned to the same dorm room.
Valentine's Revenge
Feb 3, 1986 · 60 min
A convict serving five years writes stories under the name 'O. Henry'. He encounters a convicted safecracker and is inspired to write the story of Jimmy Valentine, a man invincible
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1)
Feb 10, 1986 · 52 min
Huckleberry Finn, a rambunctious boy adventurer chafing under the bonds of civilization, escapes his humdrum world and his selfish, plotting father by sailing a raft down the Missi
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (2)
Feb 17, 1986 · 52 min
Huckleberry Finn, a rambunctious boy adventurer chafing under the bonds of civilization, escapes his humdrum world and his selfish, plotting father by sailing a raft down the Missi
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (3)
Feb 24, 1986 · 52 min
Huckleberry Finn, a rambunctious boy adventurer chafing under the bonds of civilization, escapes his humdrum world and his selfish, plotting father by sailing a raft down the Missi
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (4)
Mar 3, 1986 · 52 min
Huckleberry Finn, a rambunctious boy adventurer chafing under the bonds of civilization, escapes his humdrum world and his selfish, plotting father by sailing a raft down the Missi
Tell Me a Riddle
Mar 17, 1986 · 90 min
Aging couple David and Eva have lost the spark that once infused their marriage. After nearly four decades together, the elderly duo is feel disconnected and lost. When they discov
The Little Sister
Apr 7, 1986 · 103 min
A Boston probation officer tries to help a troubled teenager from a rich Boston family.
The House of Ramon Iglesia
Apr 14, 1986 · 56 min
Ramón Iglesias plans to retire from his janitorial job, sell his house in a Long Island suburb and return to Puerto Rico with his wife and three sons. Unfortunately, he doesn't hol
A Flash of Green
Apr 21, 1986 · 122 min
Jimmy Wing is a Florida journalist and long-time friend of Elmo Bliss, a local businessman and politician involved in real-estate development. Bliss reveals his ruthless side, thre
Damien
Apr 28, 1986 · 60 min
Father Damien de Vuester, a 19th-century Roman Catholic priest who worked with lepers confined to the island of Molokai, discusses his experiences.
Rocket to the Moon
May 5, 1986 · 118 min
In 1938 New York, a dentist finds his business failing and his marriage on the rocks. Turning 40, he's a henpecked husband with little drive left for success. That is, until he sta
A Case of Libel
May 12, 1986 · 88 min
A former World War II reporter gets a lawyer and takes a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist to court.
Painting Churches
May 19, 1986 · 90 min
Gardner and Fanny Church prepare to move out of their Beacon Hill home to their summer cottage on Cape Cod. Once a famous poet, the now-retired Gardner slips in and out of senility
Roanoak (1)
May 26, 1986 · 60 min
In 1584, a small band of Englishmen reached Roanoak Island off the coast of North Carolina, set up camp, and make contact with the residing Native Americans, calling on them for he
Roanoak (2)
Jun 2, 1986 · 60 min
In 1584, a small band of Englishmen reached Roanoak Island off the coast of North Carolina, set up camp, and make contact with the residing Native Americans, calling on them for he
Roanoak (3)
Jun 9, 1986 · 60 min
In 1584, a small band of Englishmen reached Roanoak Island off the coast of North Carolina, set up camp, and make contact with the residing Native Americans, calling on them for he
Sunday in the Park with George
Jun 16, 1986 · 145 min
The days leading up to the completion of his most famous painting, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, Georges Seurat is struggling to make meaningful art and main