"Who's your daddy" isn't necessarily a rhetorical question

You Don't Tug On Superman's Cape… - Josh and Lily get married. Bet you didn't see that coming, did you? Well neither did the writers...until a bunch of them went on a crystal-meth binge upon hearing they'd be out of job pretty soon. Mary Cherry, yet again the only redeeming feature of this episode, incurs the wrath of a seventh-year senior and finds out who her friends really are.

05.10.2001
05.17.2001 F

Gustave

2-19
Recap

Screaming Queens!

I Know What You Did Last Spring Break! - Being peerless in its use of fantastic, obscure, and campy film references, you'd think Popular would avoid making a parody of the most picked-over genre in the history of film: the teen slasher flick. I mean, what's left to say now that the Scream trilogy pretty much deconstructed the genre to death and then Scary Movie deconstructed the Scream trilogy? Two words: Mary Cherry and a banana peel.

05.03.2001
05.11.2001 C

Gustave

2-18
Recap

Some Heads Are Bigger Than Others

The Brain Game - Mary Cherry wins our hearts all over again as she forms an academic decathlon team at Kennedy just so she can be on TV. Josh and Lily almost break up over the intellectual disparity in their relationship. Carmen makes an big ass out of her newly Latina self.

04.26.2001
05.03.2001 B-

Gustave

2-17
Recap

Coup The Bitch is back! Long may she reign!

Coup - Brooke is forbidden to date her new college boyfriend and Harrison, Lily and Josh have a dance-off. This gives everyone some much needed time to go make popcorn in between the scenes in which Nicole KICKS ASS.

03.15.2001
03.22.2001 A

Gustave

2-16
Recap

Black-eyed pea-brains

Fag - There's no such thing as discrimination when Gustave looks for a substance that will dull the pain of having to recap this antediluvian episode, in which everyone suffers some form of social oppression.

03.08.2001
03.15.2001 F

Gustave

2-15
Recap

Frat chance!

It's Greek To Me - The girls decide that they are sick of the immature boys in their lives, so they decide to sneak out and attend a frat party. Carmen is almost date-raped. Brooke almost gets her ass kicked by a truckload of anorexic sorority girls, and Lily and Sam have to stay home with Mike and Jane. Furthermore, Nicole wraps up her birth mother plotline.

03.01.2001
03.08.2001 D+

Gustave

2-14
Recap

Tuna 69

The News Of My Death Has Been Greatly Exaggerated - No Mike and Jane. No “fat Carmen” jokes. A shout-out. Lily being tolerable. In other words, an amazing episode.

02.22.2001
03.01.2001 B

Gustave

2-13
Recap

Sweet (and sour) charity

Mary Charity - Everyone's too proud to beg. Except the po' folk, who huddle in front of fires in garbage cans. Thank God Lily has their best interests at heart and comes around every so often to smile at all of them warmly. Speaking of charity, now that Harrison has had leukemia, Brooke wants to date him.

02.01.2001
02.08.2001 C

Gustave

2-12
Recap

Which one of you cross-dressing bitches is my mother?

The Shocking Possession Of Harrison John - Will Popular's newfound triumph of camp over schmaltz gain much-needed ratings and critical success in time to prevent impending cancellation? Judging by its banishment from February sweeps, Gustave says, sadly, no. Nicole finds out she's adopted. Harrison, who has her bone marrow, starts acting like an uber bitch.

01.25.2001
02.02.2001 B

Gustave

2-11
Recap

Feelin' crabby

Fire In The Hole - Chem makes the kids take part in her play about STDs just as Sam and George (remember him?) start thinking about doin' it. Mary Cherry takes her role as a case of crabs too seriously. Harrison decides that since he came thisclose to dying a virgin, he'll do anything to get some experience.

01.18.2001
01.29.2001 C-

Gustave

2-10
Recap

Harrison Hears A "Who Cares?"

The Consequences Of Falling - It's Christmas, and Harrison finds out what life would have been like if he'd never been born. Sound familiar? Yawn.

12.14.2000
12.22.2000

Gustave

2-9
Recap

In heaven, there are skateboards for everyone!

Are You There, God? It's Me, Ann-Margret - Harrison meets God and finds out she's got a great plastic surgeon. Carmen's mom hits her again. Sam's not a doctor, but she plays one on stage. Lily and Josh get naked. And only Nicole's deliciously bitchy appearance tonight has stopped me from throwing my TV out the window.

12.07.2000
12.15.2000 C

Gustave

2-8
Recap

Whole lotta Sugar Daddy

Misery Loathes Company - On so many levels. And less Brooke. But more so. Oh yeah, and a toilet seat gets stuck to Carmen's butt, and Harrison doesn't like his roommate at Cancer Sleepaway Camp.

11.16.2000
11.25.2000 C

Gustave

2-7
Recap

Nothing's campier than cancer!

Ur-ine Trouble (2) - In the strangest ploy for ratings yet, Popular actually assumes we care enough about the health of any of their characters to sit through a really heinous cancer story line. Carmen grabs the homecoming crown because she's just so GREAT. I'm sure I'll see it someday. Goodbye, Michelle Phillips.

11.09.2000
11.16.2000 D+

Gustave

2-6
Recap

A glass of Robitussin and thou

Style And Substance Abuse (1) - Lily and Josh get it on over the counter and under the sheets. Sam, Carmen, Nicole, and Mary Cherry run for homecoming queen. Brooke, Harrison, and April Tuna run for student council president. Chem's high school nemesis shows up.

11.02.2000
11.09.2000

Gustave

2-5
Recap

He knows how to dance, and he's not gay...

Joe Loves Mary Cherry - Sam and Brooke have a catfight over the new, dull quarterback. We finally find out why Mary Cherry calls Harrison "Joe." Nicole schemes and plots. Lily and Josh hook up. Jane and Mike live and breathe.

10.19.2000
10.26.2000 D

Gustave

2-4
Recap

The lamest taboo

The Sweetest Taboo - Everyone is supposed to be laughing at how big Mary Cherry's lip implants are, but in reality we are all laughing at Sam's hair, which just gets bigger and bigger throughout the episode. Josh's mom is back, so you can count on a lot of uncomfortable situations.

10.12.2000
10.22.2000 D

Gustave

2-3
Recap

Citizen Shame

Citizen Shame - Carmen needs a place to stay. "My house is a war zone," she explains. Her parents are fighting. As she takes off her jacket, she's got a tank top on underneath, and there's a bruise on her arm that she hides just before Sam can turn around and see it -- in the unlikely event of Sam actually noticing something happening to someone else.

10.05.2000
10.05.2000 D

Gustave

2-2
Recap

Baby, Don't Do It!

Baby, Don't Do It! - Brooke has to actually be concerned about where her "child" is. You know, before she actually moves away, because that's totally going to happen.

09.28.2000
09.28.2000 C

Gustave

2-1
Recap

Timber! (2)

Timber! (2) - Josh is not buying the power of the "forever" tree due to his recent disillusionments, i.e. his parents divorcing and him growing apart from Brooke. I'm not buying "forever" either, due to the fact that Exquisite isn't in the credits and therefore is not a series regular.

09.21.2000
09.21.2000 D+

Gustave

1-22
Recap

Two Weddings And A Funeral (1)

Two Weddings And A Funeral (1) - Nicole is loving the fact that the school year is over, but adds that she doesn't like what happens to her favorite TV shows during May sweeps.

05.17.2000
05.17.2000

Gustave

1-21
Recap

What Makes Sammy Run

What Makes Sammy Run - Hey, if the motif of tonight's episode is going to be Crime and Punishment, how come I didn't see any spoilers about anyone being chopped up with an ax?

05.10.2000
05.10.2000 D

Gustave

1-20
Recap

We Are Family

We Are Family - Brooke and Sam agree to join forces to stop the wedding between their parents.

05.03.2000
05.03.2000 D

Gustave

1-19
Recap

Hard On The Outside, Soft In The Middle

Hard On The Outside, Soft In The Middle - If Lily's teen activism award is being given to her by a right-wing organization who chose her because she did more this year to make liberals ashamed of themselves, then she definitely deserved it.

04.26.2000
04.26.2000 C

Gustave

1-18
Recap

Ch-Ch-Changes

Ch-Ch-Changes - Mr. D has a couple of announcements: 1) Design concepts for final projects are due on Friday, and 2) Mr. D. would appreciate it if everyone called him "Miss Debbie" from now on, because tomorrow he begins dressing like a woman to psychologically prepare himself for a male-to-female sex change operation. Reaction shots galore.

04.19.2000
04.19.2000 C

Gustave

1-17
Recap

Lord Of The Files

Lord Of The Files - Carmen tells Brooke that she’s fine with a barely noticeable smirk and then tells Josh that she’s got tickets "for Saturday night." Josh is excited by her news and starts making out with her right then and there. Brooke turns around in her seat. It’s hard to tell if her look of horror is due to the fact that she’s lost Josh to Carmen or whether she, like millions of home viewers nationwide, is repulsed by the sight of the chemistry-free pairing that is Carmen and Josh.

02.23.2000
02.23.2000 D

Gustave

1-16
Recap

All About Adam

All About Adam - Brooke, when they SAY right off the bat that they're not stalkers, then they proceed to tell you your life story in ultra-flattering terms, you can bet your bottom dollar that they're stalkers with unrealistic expectations. I'm just saying.

02.16.2000
02.16.2000 C

Amorgan

1-15
Recap

Booty Camp

Booty Camp - Dear God, please grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Oh yeah, and please help me remember that this is just a TV show and no real high school would ever leave a couple of girls like Sam and Brooke in charge of a confidential peer hotline. Thank you Lord, Amen.

02.09.2000
02.09.2000 C

Gustave

1-14
Recap

Caged!

Caged! - Hester didn't really have a shameful secret. You see, the whole town knew she was an adulteress because she had to stand around in public with a scarlet A on her chest for adulteress. But hey, that's not the point. The point is that all the girls have shameful secrets and that's the theme of tonight's episode.

02.02.2000
02.02.2000

Gustave

1-13
Recap

Hope In A Jar

Hope In A Jar - Oh great, it’s another one of those who is going with who plot lines they always put on the teen shows even though everyone knows that real teens today go to dances in large groups and never ask each other on dates.

01.26.2000
01.26.2000 C

Gustave

1-12
Recap

The Trial Of Emory Dick

The Trial Of Emory Dick - Emory is all pissed about it when he talks to Harrison in the hall. Harrison tells Emory that Bio picks a student every year to flunk. Okay, can I just ask where are these American public high schools where mean teachers flunk their students just because they’re mean?

01.19.2000
01.19.2000 C

Gustave

1-11
Recap

Ex, Lies And Videotape

Ex, Lies And Videotape - Looks like Carmen is moving up in the world because, for once, she is not delivering her monologue to a serving of snack food.

01.12.2000
01.12.2000 D

Gustave

1-10
Recap

Fall On Your Knees

Fall On Your Knees - It’s one year ago, and Nicole is really nerdy. She's got a really preppy haircut and she's wearing glasses and a crew-neck sweater over a pair of Gap jeans.

12.08.1999
12.08.1999 D

Gustave

1-10
Extra

Amorgan Interviews Ryan Murphy

The Ryan Murphy Interview - That's right: it's amorgan's madcap conversation with Ryan Murphy, executive producer of Popular.

12.03.1999
12.03.1999 A+

Amorgan

1-9
Recap

Wild Wild Mess

Wild Wild Mess - Last episode, Brooke and Josh did It. Can you guess what this episode is gonna be about? Because it’s not about how Brooke’s worried that she’s pregnant or has an STD or anything like that. No, really. Swear.

12.01.1999
12.01.1999

Amorgan

1-8
Recap

Tonight's The Night

Tonight's The Night - This episode deals with sensitive material, such as It, It, It, and, yes, It. If you are offended by It, freaked out by It, or just don’t want to know about teenagers with eating disorders doing It, then back away. You have been warned.

11.17.1999
11.17.1999 D

Amorgan

1-7
Recap

Queen B.

Queen B. - This episode opens with squabbling. Duh.

11.10.1999
11.10.1999 C-

Amorgan

1-6
Recap

Truth Or Consequences

Truth Or Consequences - Jane is smearing makeup on her face with a cosmetic sponge. And speaking of cosmetic sponges, Sam pops into the frame not a minute later, just in time to ask Jane what she ended up doing on Friday night.

11.03.1999
11.03.1999 C-

Amorgan

1-5
Recap

Slumber Party Massacre

Slumber Party Massacre - Carmen announces that this year, on her sixteenth birthday, she is going to get on the cheerleading squad. She’s going to invite all the Blondes into her home, and eat them. Or have them over for a slumber party. Whatever.

10.20.1999
10.20.1999 C-

Amorgan

1-4
Recap

Windstruck

Windstruck - The fourth episode opens with a voice-over of a weather commentator, warning people against the craaaazy Santa Ana winds. They are, apparently, usually accompanied by confusion and unexpected hijinks, not to mention romance. Thank God for foreshadowing.

10.13.1999
10.13.1999 D+

Amorgan

1-3
Recap

Under Siege

Under Siege - When Sam’s mom asks her what the problem is with Brooke, the camera starts cutting back and forth between Sam and Brooke, each telling her respective parent how "heinous" the other is. Apparently, the problem is that both the girls are self-absorbed, manipulative prima donnas who have been allowed to run wild by their parents.

10.06.1999
10.06.1999 D

Amorgan

1-2
Recap

Mo' Menace, Mo' Problems (2)

Mo' Menace, Mo' Problems (2) - Sam suffers from severe sinus congestion, and snits are had by all.

09.29.1999
09.29.1999 C

Amorgan

1-1
Recap

Welcome to Popular

Popular, Round One (1) - Welcome to Episode One of Popular, in which Sam acts like an idiot, Brooke stands up for her values (not), Josh tries out for the school musical, Carmen tries out for the cheerleading squad, and everyone gets at least one chance to run off in a snit.

09.28.1999
09.28.1999

Amorgan