Popular Season #1

EPISODE #1: POPULAR (ROUND ONE) – It is said that first impressions last and that is the first impression the kids of Kennedy High learn on their first day if school. We are introduced to Sam McPherson, a strong-willed reporter, along with her small circle of unpopular friends: Carmen, Ferrara, a pretty girl desperate for a spot on the cheerleading squad, Lily Esposito, a passionate activist; and Harrison John, the geeky guy who is in love with the head cheerleader. On the other side of the cafeteria sit the popular kids – Brooke McQueen, the head cheerleader and Queen of Kennedy High, along with her cohorts: Nicole Julian, the evil power-hungry best-friend; Josh Ford, the popular jock boyfriend, Mary Cherry, the dim-witted millionaire heiress and Sugar Daddy, the wannabe gangster. The two groups collide an come to realize they are a lot more similar than they previously believed.

EPISODE #2: MO’ MENACE, MO’ PROBLEMS – After learning that she did not make the cheerleading squad, Carmen decides to skip classes – making Brooke feel guilty. Sam tries way too hard to impress the popular crowd and Mr. Grant, which creates upset amongst her friends. While both the popular and unpopular crowds are in for a surprise that will flip their high school lives around. Previously – Sam’s Mom is going away on a cruise. Brooke’s Dad is going to New York on business. Brooke and Nicole are hosting a party in his absence. Thursday – Carmen is avoiding everyone, including Sam. Rumors are flying about Carmen’s disappearance and Brooke and Josh’s relationship troubles. Sam is worried about Carmen and feels guilty that she didn’t talk about her with Brooke like she had asked. Brooke is concerned about Josh’s decision to participate in the school musical but is also feeling guilty about not selecting Carmen for the squad. Nicole is adamant that they made the right decision and Brooke should make Josh forget the musical. The teachers are writhing in their chairs after only a couple of days of school. A major conflict erupts between Mr. Vincent the Drama teacher and Coach Piretti over who should get Josh Ford. Sugar Daddy confronts Josh as he is concerned that if Josh’s popularity wanes, his will as well. Sugar Daddy believes that he lives in Josh’s shadow and is only popular through association with him. Lily stands up for herself because of Carmen’s previous advice and refuses to dissect the frog in Biology class. She is faced with a hard front from Miss Glass. Josh’s Dad bursts into the musical rehearsal and demands that Josh quit the musical and ‘suit up’.

Carmen’s interview reveals her motivation for auditioning for the squad. She has fond memories of how cheerleaders in her youth made her feel good about herself. She wants the chance to make others experience this happiness when they are feeling down. Mr.  Grant likes all the interviews Sam had done -except for Brooke’s. He believes she is antagonistic towards her. He wants her to talk to more popular kids and be more neutral. He suggests that she ask more questions at Brooke’s party. Sam milks an invite, to the displeasure of Nicole. Josh is feeling torn between the musical and football, Brooke, his Dad and popularity. He is trying to decide whether to please himself or everyone else. Harrison is angry that Sam got an invite to Brooke’s. He accuses her of abandoning her moral code after just four days of school and befriending Brooke even after what she did to Carmen. He points out the fact that she wants to be popular and be in Brooke’s circle “You want to be unique – just like everybody else,” but her invitation had been revoked. Sam reacts to the attack by asking Mr. Grant out for dinner on the night of the party and finally getting the nose ring she had been talking about. Brooke runs into a disheveled Carmen at a Diner. Brooke shares the fact that she has an eating disorder due to the fact that her mother left. Her Dad didn’t notice until she dropped down to 75 pounds and broke a rib when she sneezed. Carmen asks her why she didn’t make the squad and Brooke admits that she was the best that tried out but didn’t make it because she is too fat.

Friday – The Party: Mary Cherry turns up to Brooke’s party in the same silver outfit that she saw Nicole buying at the mall. This results in the two blondes fighting over Sugar Daddy. Lily finds Carmen on the beach. Carmen doesn’t want to return to school because she is embarrassed. Lily tells her about boycotting the frog dissection and informs her that it was because of Carmen’s’ sage advice. “You may not have made their stupid list, but you’re at the top of mine.” At dinner with Mr. Grant, Sam has lewd thoughts about him. Sam’s nose is becoming really infected and s not approved by Mr. Grant. She is shot down by the arrival of Mr. Grant’s girlfriend, the waitress. Mr. Grant sees the frustration in Sam’s face and realizes what’s going on. Sam flees the dinner and finds her friends at the diner. She apologizes and they forgive her (and also bag her out about her nose ring). They decide to confront Brooke about why they didn’t get invited. At the party the argument gets heated but is interrupted by the arrival Brooke’s Dad and Sam’s Mom home early. He confesses that he ended up going on the cruise with her. He came back with a tan and she came backing with a ring. They’re engaged.

✰ EPISODE #3: UNDER SIEGE = Both Mr. Vincent and Coach Peritti are in fierce competition to win over Josh’s stardom. Sam gets involved in a class sandal and goes way too deep. Lily’s personal beliefs force her to carry more “pet weight” than expected. And the McQueen/McPherson clan are in for a nightmare. Previously – The fight over Josh continues -Football or the musical? He wants to do both. Sam confronted Broke at her party and is interrupted by their parents’ announcement that they are engaged. Sam is devastated at the engagement. She believes that her father, Joe is being replaced and forgotten. Jane defends her need to move on. Mike is also defending his relationship with Jane with Brooke. And they are both told that their parents have organized a ‘family dinner’ on Thursday night. Lily is still in trouble with Miss Glass for boycotting the frog dissection. As punishment, Miss Glass makes Lily carry around a frog-purse. It will only cease if she agrees to dissect the frog, Lily is adamant that she will get her way be the end of the week. In Humanities class, the teacher educates them about listening to their instincts. She tests their response in an experiment where she wastes their time and calls them names. Nobody calls her on it, even though their instincts were telling them that she was doing something wrong. Principal Hall calls Josh into her office with his teachers to discuss what is going to happen with the musical and football. Josh tells her that he wants to do both. She tells Coach Piretti and Mr. Vincent to “work this out” so he can do both. The conflict in the cafeteria continues. Both groups conspire to hate each other. Harrison suggests to Sam that she try to be friends with Brooke and that the dinner is an opportunity for to start. Both Sam and Brooke are just waiting for the engagement to fail and are convinced that it will. Brooke announces that she had bought them all, the front row on opening night of South Pacific, starring Josh Ford. Josh is pleased that she has finally accepted him being in the musical.

Sam gets a mysterious phone call in class (obviously Mr. Vincent) telling her that if she wants the story of her lifetime, meet him in the parking lot tonight. She meets him and gives her a copy of the football budget that he stole and he makes s special note to look at the cheerleading budget. The story goes out the next day: BROOKE MCQUEEN IMPLICATED IN SCANDAL! NATIIOMN SHOCKED! – The cheerleaders are way over their budget to allow for their expensive tastes – like a Prada allowance. The school is going to shut the squad down and Sam is faced with the wrath of revenge-filled cheerleaders led by Nicole. Principal Hall takes the Football budget and gives it to the Drama department – much to the pleasure of Mr. Vincent and to the disgust of Coach Piretti. Lily is angry with Sam for not running the animal right editorial like she had asked. Coach Piretti arranges to meet Brooke and Nicole to tell them he is shutting down the Glamazons unless they can get Josh to play in the Homecoming game and miss the musical. Brooke approaches him about it, but he sees what she is doing and storms off. When this doesn’t work Nicole devises a plan to get back at Sam. She goes to Principal Hall and tells her that Mr. Grant and her ‘friend’ Sam ae having a relationship, but Sam won’t come forward in a meeting. Sam lets it slop that they had dinner – it doesn’t look good for Mr. Grant.

At the dinner the parents act romantically to each other and it is awkward for everyone. Each conversation turns to fighting and scathing remarks by both Brooke and Sam. Sam gets frustrated and leaves. Brooke finds her in her room and they discuss how Sam’s father died and Brooke’s mother left. Sam says, “With a daughter like you, I could see why” and Brooke slaps her. Back at school, Lily, Harrison and Cameron want to help Sam through the situation after realizing how upset she is. They didn’t realize it was so bad. Josh tells his group that he wants to take a break from them until he figures out what he is going to do. Mr. Vincent ‘resigns’ after a tape of him stealing the budget files is given to Principal Hall. Principal Hall also tells Miss Glass to stop the frog-purse torture as Lily score a 98% on the anatomy test without dissecting her frog and tells Coach Piretti to stop using Josh as a Yo-Yo. From the cold reception Brooke and Sam get from their parents, they realize that maybe they really do like each other and maybe this engagement will go ahead. Josh speaks with Lily at the funeral of the frog. She tells him to stand by your beliefs and stay true to yourself. He respects her for being to make that decision.

✰ EPISODE #4: WINDSTRUCK – Josh experiences a “personal moment” with Sam which leads to the revelation of an even bigger secret that involves both Brooke and Josh. Lily must swallow her strong opinions and beliefs in order to keep her new job. Meanwhile, Sam begins connecting with Josh and Harrison connects with Brooke. Wednesday – Miss Ross is now directing the musical after the departure of Mr. Vincent. Whilst Sam is interviewing her, she is asked to help Josh with his lines. When she sits on is lap something… arises. Sam is freaked out and flees the scene. She rushes to the Novak and tells Carmen all about it. Brooke is upset that Josh hasn’t spoken to her. Nicole recommends dressing sexier to entice hm. They run into Sam and Carmen and are still angry about the article Sam wrote but Mary Cherry has stepped in to fund the Glazamons so they can continue. Harrison hides his bad haircut under a beanie and when talking to Lily about it, finds out that she works at Mr. Chuck’s chicken shack. However, she hates her job. The manager, Godfrey is always picking on her. Josh wants Sam to keep what happened a secret. She agrees. Later she realizes that because of this event, her eyes have been opened up to a possibility – Josh. Throughout she watches him and begins to have fantasies about him. Carmen writes an email to Lily to tell her all about what happened with Sam and Josh “J.F. sprung major pup tent.” While she is typing, she drops some candy on the keyboard. When she goes to pick it up, she accidentally sends the email to everyone in her address book.

Thursday – Everyone has found out and pities Brooke. Nicole tries to reassure that no one will believe it actually happened. Everyone is acting weird to Sam and she does not realize why until she sees “BE MY LAP DOG” on her locker. In Biology, Carmen tries to explain what happened, but Miss Glass stops her. Brooke switches partners with Nicole so she doesn’t have to sit with Sam. She sits with Harrison instead. He fantasies about his new lab partner… until Miss Glass, revealing his awful haircut, brings his fantasy to a screeching halt. Mary Cherry asks a “biologically related question” about the control a male has over an erection. Miss Glass explains that it may occur due to psychogenic fantasy.  Josh tries to explain to Brooke that it happened because his hormones are on edge. He wants to get together and finally do it. Brooke later reveals to Nicole that her and Josh are still virgins. Mary Cherry is eavesdropping and finds this juicy bit of gossip irresistible and immediately starts telling everyone in school. Sugar Daddy confronts Josh about lying and playing up his ‘experience’ with Brooke. When Brooke finds out that everyone knows she cancels their date to do damage control.

After being rejected, Josh goes to talk to Sam. He attacks her about ruining his life. She tells him that she didn’t start the virgin rumor. He calms down a bit and they start to talk about his problems. They connect over memories of elementary school after Josh realizes that they were in the same but he doesn’t remember her. Lily is in trouble at Mr. Chuck’s for pushing the side dishes in place of chicken. She is made to eat the chicken and apologize. She quits later that day, but when she tells her Mom, her Mom reveals that they are going broke and Lily needs to work. She goes back the next day and asks for her job back. Nicole and a depressed Brooke get drunk off Tequila and Margarita mix. Harrison watches them from his bedroom window that overlooks Brooke’s backyard. She eventually sees him and calls him down when Nicole leaves. She tries to make him choose between Sam and herself but starts feeling sick in the process. Harrison takes her inside and watches over her as she sleeps it off. Sam goes to see Carmen to thank her for sending the email, because it has brought her and Josh closer together and she likes him.

Friday – Brooke thanks Harrison for staying with her and covering with her Dad. Josh asks Sam for help translating a poem he has written to ‘someone special’. She tells him not to bother translating it – it is already good. She tells him to just give it to that someone special. He does – he gives it to Brooke. They make up, leaving both Sam and Harrison devastated.

✰ EPISODE #5: SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE – Carmen decides to have an all-girl slumber party for her sixteenth birthday and decides to invite Sam and the popular girls. Sam believes Carmen is making a huge mistake and is proven right when the popular girls take advantage of Carmen’s amicable nature. Harrison is desperate to become Brooke’s leading man, but how far is he willing to go? Meanwhile, Sam spots her mother in a sticky situation. Carmen thinks it’s time she expands her social circle and her horizons. Every year she has a party and only invites Sam and Lily. This year she plans to invite Brooke and Nicole in hopes that it will make them friends. She is prepared to do anything to get on the cheerleading squad. Brooke, Nicole, Poppy and Mary Cherry immediately reject her invitations. Harrison is feeling left out and also said that he will always be ‘just friends’ with Brooke. Sam doubts Carmen’s decision to invite the popular kids. Carmen realizes that they probably won’t come, but she’d rather be strong than hide away ‘like a loser.’ She believes persistence is the key and she won’t quit. Harrison calls Sam on her selfishness. Sam is trying to force her hatred for Brooke onto Carmen for her own benefit.

Brooke is super eager to hook up with Josh. She tries being aggressive after she reads the suggestion in Seventeen magazine. Nurse Glass catches her making out and calls Brooke’s Dad. He subsequently bars her from seeing Josh for a week. In a concurrent storyline, Mike and Jane are trying to get together as well. Both couples make plans to hook on Friday night. Brooke and Nicole meet an attractive man waiting outside the school. He turns out to be Carmen’s brother Leo. Nicole sees Carmen’s party as an opportunity to hook up with Leo and it is also a perfect place for Josh and Brooke to meet up – so now they’re going. Lily can’t get away from work, so she can’t go. Carmen is about to change the night of the party, but when she finds out that Nicole and Brooke are coming, Lily has to miss out. Sam and Lily are sad that Carmen has chosen Brooke and Nicole over them and she is regressing from their close friendship. Sam pleads with Brooke not to come to the party. She doesn’t want Carmen to made fun of or humiliated. Brooke gives her word that nothing will happen. When she tells Nicole not to use Carmen as a joke, Nicole calls her a hypocrite as she is using Carmen just so she can be with Josh.

Nicole gives Carmen a list of demands the girls need for the party as well as asking her about Leo. Carmen tells her that he has had many girlfriends with Birkenstocks and hairy armpits. Carmen sees this socializing as the first step into their group, but when Sam sees it she fights with Carmen and then refuses to come to the party. Sam goes home to tell her Mom about it and her Mom convinces her to reconsider. Harrison and Brooke recall when Harrison was the slumber party guard when they were little. Brooke suggests that Harrison should be Carmen’s party guard because she would feel better knowing he is standing guard. At the party, all the girls are having secret doubts, Sam about Brooke, Brooke about being a hypocrite and Carmen about her new friend’s thoughts about her. Sam gives Carmen a poem for her birthday entitled “On the occasion of your 16^th birthday” Carmen mocks the poem to impress the other girls but regrets it immediately when Sam leaves the room.

When Josh and Sugar Daddy turn up at the party, Harrison is standing guard outside. Brooke realizes that there is an alarm on the window and Josh can’t get in. She calls down to Harrison and asks him for the code. He hesitates but finally gives it to her. He is crushed to see Brooke and Josh getting together while he remains “the friend” outside. The new hairy-arm-pitted Nicole goes to find Leo but is shot down when Leo is more interested in Sam. Nicole is angry and in retaliation she starts scheming. The girl start hypnotizing each other. When it is Carmen’s turn, Nicole turns her into a chicken and forces her to be their servant. Sam sees what’s going on and goes to tell Brooke. She finds Brooke and Josh and calls her a hypocrite for using Carmen. When Josh finds out that Brooke used Carmen, he leaves in disgust. Harrison tells Brooke that he won’t help her out anymore. He has been burnt too many times. Sam goes home but is disgusted to see her Mom and Mike having sex, through the kitchen window. It finally sinks in that this relationship isn’t going away.

The girls take Carmen-the-chicken to Mr. Chuck’s to order chicken… as a chicken. “Buck, Buck, Bucket” Lily serves her and thinks Carmen is making fun of her. The ‘hypnotism’ wears off once Carmen realizes that everyone is laughing at her. Brookes comes to Carmen’s rescue and tells Nicole to leave. Brooke apologizes to Carmen. Carmen, Sam and Lily sit down and there are apologies all around. They make a birthday cake out of chicken and Carmen gets the birthday she really wanted… Just the 3 of them.

✰ EPISODE #6: TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES – Food, food everywhere and not a piece to spare? All hell breaks loose in Kennedy High’s cafeteria and both Brooke and Sam are responsible. Its midterm week at Kennedy and the popular kids have the “perfect” plan to get the “perfect” grade. But when Sam digs deep to decode the in-crowd’s agenda, everything goes up in flames. Previously – Sam sees Mike and her mother ‘doing it full on’. She realizes that it is real between them. There is food everywhere in the cafeteria – quite obviously the aftermath of a food fight. Broke and Sam explain their situations to Principal Hall. They have officially snapped. Principal Hall wants to know “How did this begin?”

Last Monday, 7:29am – Sam asks her Mom what she did on Friday night. She keeps grilling her until Jane realizes that Sam knows what happened between her and Mike that night. Brooke asks her Dad what he was doing. He tells her that he spent the night at Jane’s. She can deal with the relationship, but she wants him to be open and truthful. He agrees. Yo, still Monday, 9:04am – It’s Biology midterm time-groan. Sugar Daddy and Josh see Harrison with a set of golf clubs. He likes to hit the driving range it helps him focus for midterm studying. Sugar Daddy and Josh think it is a great idea and invite him to come to their club to caddy for them. San found Mike’s boxer shorts in her house and gives them back to Brooke at school, hoping to get a reaction out of her. But Brooke already knows about it, so there is no great shock. Sam is angry that Mike can talk about it with Brooke, whilst her Mom can’t talk about it with her. Nicole, Mary Cherry and Poppy admire Brooke’s discipline, as she chooses to study by herself. She is remaining stress-free, while they are fretting about the exams. Without Brooke’s assistance, the girls realize that they are going to flunk. Nicole suggests an alternative: Cheating. Cue Charlie’s Angels montage – The plot to steal the test from Miss Glass while Mary Cherry distracts her.

Tuesday – Bio test Eve, 12:35pm – In the Novak, Brooke and the girls see that she has her first-ever stress zit. They ask her what the problem is. It’s Josh, her GPA, her family situation and the midterm combined. Nicole tells her about stealing the test answers. They try to convince Brooke to take the answers, but in the middle of the discussion Sam comes out of one of the stalls, having heard everything. Sam, Lily, Harrison and Carmen are all stressing because they aren’t ready for the tests. Emory Dick offers his instant excuse letters, ‘complete with doctor’s forged signature’ but they refuse. Sam asks the group what she should do about Brooke and the stolen test. They don’t help her make a decision. She goes to ask Mr. Grant and he tells her to be careful because it’s not the truth until you have proof. Nicole and the girls are worried about being found out. Brooke tells them that she isn’t going to read the answers. She wants to do the test legitimately and leaves the girls to sort out the dilemma by themselves. She goes home to find Jane in her kitchen only wearing one of Mike’s shirts. Brooke calls Mike on sneaking around after promising to be honest.

Wednesday, it’s morning – Everyone prepares for the test in their own way. Brooke has pushed her problems out of her mind. Harrison ‘got his golf-Zen on’; Carmen bought one of Emory’s excuse letters and Sam is remaining calm and focused even though she didn’t study because she was stressing about Brooke. Only Nicole, Mary Cherry and Poppy are calm. Carmen’s excuse letter fails – claiming that she has a distended anus. Everyone struggles through the test except the cheaters.

Thursday – Judgement Day – Everyone got disappointing results bar Brooke, Nicole, Mary Cherry, Poppy and Sugar Daddy, who got the answers from Mary Cherry. In a quest to prove the cheating, Sam asks Harrison to get evidence from Sugar Daddy and Josh when they are golfing together. He finally accepts after she keeps pushing him. Whilst playing the boys start to bond and become friends. He gets them talking and Sugar Daddy admits Mary Cherry gave him the test. Josh didn’t know about it and scolds Sugar Daddy for cheating. Sugar Daddy apologizes.

Friday, word TGIF – Harrison tells Sam that he didn’t get any evidence and hides the tape in his locker. Sam sees that he has become friends with the boys and steals the tape from his locker. Josh asks Brooke if she cheated, she denies it, but has a stress attack and has to go to Nurse Glass.

Another Manic Monday – Sam tells Mr. Grant that she has the evidence on the cheating scandal. She is ready to move forward with the story after she tells Harrison about it. Mary Cherry hears the conversation and rushes to tell the girls. Sam goes to tell Harrison about the story, but he blows her off because he is having lunch with the boys. She gives the word to run the story without his consent. After being told about the story by Mary Cherry, Brooke pleads with Sam not to run the article. Sam tells her that only way she will stop the article is if Brooke admits that she cheated. Brooke explains that she saw Jane and Mike in her house after they had sex. She couldn’t study so she took the answers from Nicole’s locker without anyone knowing. Brooke and Sam begin to open up to each other because they have similar problems with their parents. Sam agrees to stop the article. Brooke admits that she was wrong about Sam and apologizes. Sam goes to the printer to stop the article only to find that Mr. Grant put a rush on it and it has already gone out for distribution.

Tuesday, Bloody Tuesday – BIO CHEATING SCANDAL EXPOSED – Everyone at school hates Sam including Harrison, who had a big fight with Josh. He tried to explain but Josh and Sugar Daddy wouldn’t listen. Brooke admits to Nicole that she cheated too, confessed to Sam and provided the proof needed to run the article, or so she believes. Miss Glass wants the cheater to step forward. Nicole does to save everyone from failing and to protect Brooke. Nicole blames the cheating on the mass amounts of cheating in society. ‘Am I sorry I cheated? Hell no, I’m not sorry, I’m the norm.’ Principal Hall revokes her participating in Homecoming. She can’t run for Queen. Josh again asks Brooke if she cheated. This time she admits it and he is so disgusted by her lying, her cheating and because she let Nicole take all the consequences. Harrison doesn’t sit with the group at lunch. Sam calls across the room to him to explain. He tells her that she is obsessed with Brooke McQueen and that she is upset because he dared to hang out with someone outside her approved circle of friends. The argument gets heated until Lily casually throws a bun at Harrison. He tosses one back at Sam. Sam throws one that accidentally hits Brooke. Then it is on! FOOD FIGHT! Everyone releases his or her stress and hatred for everyone else in the cafeteria. Flash forward to the Principal Hall interrogation. Mike and Jane are now at school and reveal that Brooke and Sam need to get past this petty bickering because they are moving in together.

✰ EPISODE #7: QUEEN B. – Brooke, Mary Cherry, Poppy and Carmen find themselves in a “dog eat dog” competition to win the title of being Kennedy High’s Homecoming Queen. But when a devastating photo threatens Brooke’s status, Sam is put in odds. Previously – Brooke and Sam are causing each other to stress out. They are never going to be friends like their parents want. Mike and Jane tell Sam and Brooke that they are moving in together. Sam and Jane are moving into Brooke and Mike’s house. Brooke is fussing over all the stuff Sam is bringing in, including an ugly lamp she made in the seventh grade. Mike and Jane are also having some small disagreements about where their stuff should go in the house. Mike asks Brooke to help Sam unpack, but they end up fighting over the sinks in the bathroom. Both girls are adamant that they will get their way.

In response to being removed from contention in Homecoming, Nicole has volunteered to chair the Homecoming Committee with only one thing in mind: Rigging the nominations. Principal Hall announces “The nominees for this year’s Junior Court Homecoming Queen are: Poppy Fresh, Mary Cherry, Carmen Ferrara and last, but not least, Brooke McQueen.” Mary Cherry calls her mother Cherry Cherry (special guest star Delta Burke) to tell her about her nomination. Cherry Cherry tells Mary Cherry about being Miss Texas, Miss America runner-up and to keep the family tradition alive. Mary Cherry will do anything to win. Mary Cherry and Poppy revel in nomination bliss until Nicole shoots them down by informing them that they will be supporting Brooke’s campaign, not their own. Carmen is shocked about her nomination but is shaken to find that her friends are 100% supportive, as they believe that only the best-looking contestant wins. Carmen has confidence that some people want a new kind of Queen – that is why they nominated her. At home Jane and Mike try and create some ‘family time’ with a slideshow. The highlight is an ugly picture of Brooke taken she was sick. The fun times quickly turn to awkwardness when a slide of Sam’s Dad – Jane’s husband – Joe, gets stuck in the machine and they can’t move on. Brooke kills the unease by announcing her nomination.

April Tuna and dirt-eating May Tuna discuss their votes going to Brooke because anything else is a ‘wasted ballot’. Nicole’s poll taking reveals Brooke is the favorite. Sam asks to run Carmen’s campaign, but Carmen tells her that she is turning into a major drag because of her many attempts to get back at Brooke. Carmen hopes that if Sam is her campaign manager, it will be like old times. Sam promises that there will be no more negative behavior from her. Carmen asks Sam if Brooke is always perfect and Sam shows Carmen the ugly picture of Brooke and they get a laugh out of it. When Sam goes to put it back with her stuff, she accidentally drops it in the hall. A mysterious hand picks it up. Identity unknown. Lady T interrogates Poppy about remaining invisible during her campaign when she chould be standing up and representing the minorities within the school. Poppy agrees with her and starts making campaign plans. She tells Nicole about running, but Nicole knows she doesn’t have a chance. Brooke is worried about the amount of campaigning she is doing compared to Carmen. Nicole tells Brooke not to worry, as she already has the Chess Club vote. “The Chess Club is to our Queenly race, what New Hampshire is to the presidential election.” They are the voice of the people. – A voting barometer.

Cherry Cherry turns up at school to run Mary Cherry’s campaign. She confronts Nicole and tells her that beauty and cold-hard cash always win. The school is suddenly decked out in infinite Mary Cherry paraphernalia. The race is on. All nominees are now seriously running for Queen and there is much stiff competition and backstabbing. All of the nominee try and convince the Chess Club to vote for them. Brooke takes a hard blow when she does not know Freddy Gong’s name, even though she’s been at school with him for so many years. Brooke gets stressed over the campaign and wants to know why Sam hasn’t backstabbed her yet. Sam tells her that she has turned over a new leaf. The next day at school, all of the walls are plastered with the ugly photo of Brooke. Sam is as shocked as everyone else, but everyone accuses her of putting the photos of up. Brooke is genuinely concerned and ashamed about knowing Freddy’s name and being “real”. A façade of perfection always covers her. Carmen fires Sam from the campaign for breaking her promise about keeping it clean. No one believes Sam that she is falsely accused, including her Mom and Mike. She moves into the laundry to get away from it all.

Brooke is on her way to withdraw her nomination when Carmen stops her and convinces her to continue to run. Carmen says “Don’t let recent setbacks stand in the ay if your right to feel special.” At the voting, Harrison votes for Carmen, Brooke votes for Carmen, Carmen votes for Brooke, Sugar Daddy votes for Poppy; April Tuna writes her own name on the ballot, May Tuna eats her vote, Nicole votes for Poppy, Sam votes for Carmen, and Mary Cherry puts hundreds of votes in for herself. At the crowning, Nicole announces the nominees and then asks for the envelope. ‘And the winner of this year’s Kennedy High Homecoming Queen is… Brooke McQueen.’ Brooke thanks Carmen for the confidence. Whilst Mary Cherry is congratulating Brooke, the ugly picture of Brooke falls out of her handbag. Brooke, Jane and Mike see that they were wrong about Sam. Jane finds San in the graveyard talking to her Dad. Sam talks to him about the troubles she is having. Jane apologizes to Sam for not believing her. Mary Cherry and Cherry Cherry connect when Cherry Cherry reveals that she lost her first pageant too. She tells Mary Cherry to hold her head high. ‘That’s all the attitude you need to win in life.’ At home, Brooke softens a little and agrees to try and work together with Sam to share the role of Queen of the house.

✰ EPISODE #8: TONIGHT’S THE NIGHT – Brooke and Sam both make a bet in which Brooke must win Josh’s affection without intimacy and Sam must get a boyfriend. Sugar Daddy hits things off with an online buddy but is shocked to discover the charming women’s identity. Harrison and Lily’s friendship heats up, leading both to asking the burning question. Sam and Brooke be on if Sam can land a boyfriend by the end of the week and if Brooke can prove her relationship with Josh is more than just physical. Also, the gang plans to lose their virginity. The new controversial hit pop music video that promotes promiscuity and sex causes moral panic among teachers and parents. Sam’s Mom finds an unused condom in her daughter’s drawer. Worried, she has an in-depth talk with embarrassed Sam and Brooke about the birds and the bees. Brooke bets Sam that Sam can’t find a boyfriend before the family dinner and Sam bets Brooke that Brooke can’t show her relationship with Josh is more than simple physical attraction. Brooke agrees to bring Josh to their first big family dinner and Sam gets her friend and Carmen’s older brother, Leo, who now works as a Tennis coach, to pretend to be her boyfriend for the dinner. She realizes she has a crush on him. The controversial song proves to be highly popular among the high schoolers, especially April Tuna’s geek squad and everyone starts talking about sex. Lily with Harrison’s help starts promoting condoms and safe sex, despite the school’s ban on these and nurse Glass’ strong protest. Several students, who are all virgins, plan to finally lose their virginity. Brooke and Josh plan a romantic night that leads to their first sex. Sugar Daddy meets a girl in a chat room, who claims to be one of the Glazamons and the two agree to meet in a nice hotel and lose their virginity together. Since everyone in the chat room is anonymous and people can’t see one another, Sugar Daddy lies about his looks. Harrison is frustrated that all his friends are girls, yet he can’t get a date, so he suggests to Lily that the two of them have their first sexual experience together, as friends without any pressure. Lily likes the idea, so Harrison rents and prepares a nice romantic hotel suite for this special occasion. Things don’t go as planned for any of them.