The fourth season of the American dramatic television series Touched by an Angel premiered on CBS on September 21, 1997 and concluded airing on May 17, 1998, spanning 27 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. A season set containing all of the episodes of the season was released to Region 1 DVD on August 31, 2004.
The episodes use the song "Walk with You", performed by Reese, as their opening theme.
Joe Greene returns to visit his family, but is hiding a horrible incident he caused, Tess vehemently confronts him about the many car accidents, already killing two people on the road, putting one child in the hospital. After receiving an inspiration from Monica, he finally tells his brother, Russell, about the scenes he caused on the road, when Russell (himself) also confronts him about his accidents on the road. Joe told his brother he wanted to make a change, when it was already too late.
A expectant couple learns their baby will be born with down syndrome. This outrages the husband, a shop owner, who tells Monica he would give anything to have his child be like one young man who comes into his store with a typical "All-American" image, wearing a letterman jacket. Monica responds if he would really want his son to be like that when the supposed clean-cut young man stages an armed robbery of the shop, and in the gunfire wounds the wife. With both his wife and baby hospitalized in intensive care, the husband is visited by an angel with Down syndrome. Tess clarifies to the husband that perfect souls do not come in perfect bodies and that 'it’s not the packaging but the parenting' that will make the difference in a child's life
A rebellious basketball player and terrible role model is idolized by a young boy. Having to appear in the announcer's box, Monica, Tess and Andrew all overlook at that next assignment.
The angels try to help a group of runaway children living on the streets. Prior to Tess and Monica working in an inner-city coffee shop, Monica begins to appoint herself with Andrew, while Tess and Rafael both encourage her partners to be patient, not to push so hard.
A man sues God for a drought that is crippling his town, therefore, Tess represents Him, while Monica is summoned to a witness in a lawsuit filed against Him by a South Dakota farmer who's representing a drought-stricken town.
Tess, Monica, Andrew and Raphael discover a message in a bottle from a boy who says his mother is dying. Their help is needed from others prior to the search. Tess offers them the choice of both helping the boy, as well as Monica and Rafael set out to find Scooter in Pacific Falls.
A high-powered Hollywood executive must face her family's past during the McCarthy era, where Tess and Monica arrive to help her who gets more than she bargained for after she asks her blacklisted father's best friend to appear on stage with her mother at an awards dinner.
A young woman trying to make it on Broadway gets a job costarring with a diva. When the young woman's mother comes to visit her, it is revealed that years ago, the mother and the diva were rival actresses, and the diva sabotaged the mother's big chance at a Broadway career.
Note(s): Carol Burnett and Carrie Hamilton were also mother and daughter in real life. Sadly, Carrie Hamilton died only 5 years after making this episode.
A woman starts to lose her vision before realizing her dream of visiting Italy. Monica and Tess help find the truth to a widow and three other people, who for years, been at odds because of suspicions surrounding the death of the woman's husband.
The angels revisit Wayne and Joey on Christmas. When Wayne goes missing, Monica tells Joey the story of how she met Mark Twain, while Tess, who's living in the present, arrives with the sheriff, who must also tell Joey that he found Wayne's truck, not Wayne, and that Joey's worry escalates.
A troubled family dealing with an abusive situation hits its boiling point when the wife's sister shoot her husband. However, the wife is in denial about her husband's abuse, so Monica must pose as a cop so she uncover the truth and save her family, after Tess was given only one lesson from her, in ice skating, who also met the family.
Residents of a small town believe God is speaking to them through a payphone where Tess tries to give him a chance to be responsible for the lie, when he couldn't muster the courage, therefore, he runs out on her, electing to deliver an apology letter to the aspiring singer. The bar was planning on the day of the grand opening, only to find the place was in flames, where they lost everything, even mortgaging the café. Tess, then acknowledges to the townspeople, asking them why they lost their faith, who also tells the minister to begin the search, where all successful searches begin, with The Lord.
An artist is diagnosed with ALS and must say goodbye to his wife and three boys, hence, Tess and Andrew represents him, during this time Monica to help take care of his wife's three boys.
A base commander and his soldier son are feuding while his other son is MIA, and it is up to the angels to help them reconcile by posing as military recruits. Tess blames Rafael for being the first angel to hit a case, in spite of her doing, all three landed in jail, Rafael learns that Col. Walls is actually Tomas's father, and has another son, who is missing in action in Bosnia. When the son is confirmed dead by Andrew, Monica must convince Col. Walls to face up to his own faults in order to save his and Tomas' relationship before its too late
Andrew must help an introverted boy with a gift for spelling deal with the loss of his popular older brother, while Tess help his mother reconcile with him.
While traveling to a small Mississippi town, Tess and Monica discuss about a case, but Monica loses her memory when she slips and hits her head at a bus station, who doesn't know she's an angel or who God is, but she prays for help, and upon her recovery is able to restore the faith of an embittered doctor.
A comedic tells his friends about two aging, feuding who must reconcile in the time they have left, and it is up to Monica and Andrew to release their anger, after a 30 year estrangement to attend their induction into the Comedy Hall of Fame. To pay homage of the guys' request to go into the diner of the old neighborhood where they met, when a comic collapses and suffers from cardiomyopathy, Tess drives the men in the ambulance, to the hospital.
A young beauty pageant contestant is hiding a son with a serious medical condition. Before Monica, Tess, Andrew and Rafael all agree to be her sponsors crowning her Miss Unincorporated Area #579, they all have to understand her, while being very unhappy.
A slumlord is sentenced to live in one of his own apartment buildings. Monica gives the slumlord an opportunity for the changes that need to be made, but intends to go around the law, offering her a bribe. When he was given the impression to hide from the police at his mother's place, where he was picked up right in the midst of the Passover meal, Tess introduces Jake as he attends his internment and places his ankle monitor on his leg to warn him that he's not to leave.
A teenage boy and girl's relationship is tested by the interference of their feuding mothers. Tess and Monica must hope all relationships don't self-destruct. Andrew, who works as a DJ, encourages all the high schoolers to respect everybody else and their bodies.
When Tess tests a kite, she immediately tells Monica and Andrew for their next assignment, where they both must cover a dissident, who returns to China to find her missing husband and daughter.
