POPULAR: CAGED! (TV)
Summary
One in this series about two teenage girls from vastly different social circles who become stepsisters when their single parents hook up, throwing the entire social structure of Kennedy High School out of whack.
In this episode, Brooke and Sam share an herbal remedy for PMS and discuss the elevated level of “the whole hatred thing” between their cliques, wondering if they can diffuse the tension. Later, however, this leads to a massive fight between the two groups in the Novak, the girls’ bathroom. Several days previously, in feminist lit class, Mr. Bennett tries to discuss “The Scarlet Letter” as the girls snipe at one another. He tells them that they are “all Hesters” and instructs them to write down and then dispose of the secrets that are holding them “captive.” Nicole steals the anonymous confessions from the trash can. Harrison attempts to chat with his female friends in the hall, but is scared away by their hormonal mood swings, as are Josh and Sugar. The girls accuse them of being sexist, but an argument soon breaks out between Brooke and Sam, leading to the two groups vowing to fight each other at 3 p.m.. The boys, alarmed, appeal to Ms. Glass for advice, and she tells them about the aggressive gender relations between ants and gives them an educational video. Mary provides Nicole and Brooke with “girl-gang jackets” and they head off to fight the uncool girls. However, Harrison, Josh, and Sugar trick them all into meeting in the Novak, where they soon realize they are locked in. With their cell phones dead, they begin to panic that they will run out of oxygen or resort to cannibalism, leading to more arguments. Nicole, however, reveals that she has the stolen secrets from class and writes them all on the mirrors, inviting everyone to confess which is theirs. The girls are disturbed when two separate secrets pertain to Josh.
Elsewhere, the boys view Ms. Glass’ science video, only to discover that it is an embarrassing home movie starring the teacher herself; she catches them and ties them up. In the bathroom, Mary admits to having webbed feet, her fingers having been already surgically corrected. Lily confesses that she has been questioning her sexuality, saying that she was “not interested” in sleeping with Harrison when the opportunity arose. She flashes back to a conversation with Carmen in which she suggests that Lily may be into girls and that she will support her if she is, and the two almost kiss. Carmen is angry with Lily for revealing the incident, and Sam is hurt not to have known about it. Her friends call her “self-absorbed,” and Nicole notes how the secrets are causing problems within the cliques. Brooke then confesses that she hooked up with Josh again on the night of the Sadie Hawkins dance, despite their breakup, but stopped and sent him away. Sam guiltily speaks up and says she was with him that same night; after Brooke rejected him, he and Sam had a long talk that led to kissing, but Sam prevented it from going further and Brooke thanks her. Back in the lab, Ms. Glass admits that she was wooed by a man named Godfrey who manipulated her into make the video, and they are surprised when he arrives in their midst and ties her up too. In the Novak, Carmen reveals that she is in fact currently dating Josh, having bonded with him over feeling misunderstood by others, and that their first date was supposed to be tonight. Nicole scoffs at her claim and then tries to say that her own secret involves shopping with a celebrity. Carmen calls her out on it, revealing that her true secret is that she, too, slept with Josh.
Brooke is furious with her so-called best friend for seducing Josh after their breakup, and Nicole says she is sick of being “second place” to Brooke. Josh picks that moment to burst into the bathroom, and the girls corner him. Sugar and Harrison manage to escape and restrain Godfrey, but Glass says to let him go, as she is no longer intimated by him and his threats to reveal the video; he then leaves. She offers them straight As for the year if they keep her secret, and they gladly agree. Feeling left out, Mary tells an outrageous whopper about her liaison with Josh and several others, and a full-out fight breaks out amongst the girls. Harrison arrives and tries to break things up, and the girls calm down and realize that they are glad that they talked out their secrets and issues. They leave for dinner, locking Harrison and Josh in the bathroom behind them. Brooke, however, declares her friendship with Nicole over. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: WB
- DATE: February 3, 2000 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:44:59
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:61545
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama; High school; LGBT Collection
- SERIES RUN: WB - TV series, 1999-2001
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Ryan Murphy … Executive Producer, Created by, Writer
- Gina Matthews … Executive Producer, Created by
- Greer Shephard … Executive Producer
- Michael M. Robin … Executive Producer
- Eric Preven … Producer
- Ari Posner … Producer
- Phillip M. Goldfarb … Producer
- Mike Weiss … Associate Producer
- Oliver Goldstick … Consulting Producer
- Jamie Babbit … Director
- Donny Markowitz … Music by
- Kendall Payne … Theme Music by
- Leslie Bibb … Cast, Brooke McQueen
- Carly Pope … Cast, Samantha 'Sam' McPherson
- Tamara Mello … Cast, Lily Esposito
- Christopher Gorham … Cast, Harrison John
- Sara Rue … Cast, Carmen Ferrera
- Bryce Johnson … Cast, Josh Ford
- Tammy Lynn Michaels … Cast, Nicole Julian
- Ron Lester … Cast, Michael 'Sugar Daddy' Bernardino
- Leslie Grossman … Cast, Mary Cherry
- Lisa Darr … Cast, Jane McPherson
- Scott Bryce … Cast, Mike McQueen
- Delta Burke … Cast, Cherry Cherry
- Diane Delano … Cast, Roberta "Bobbi" Glass
- Mitchell Anderson … Cast, Mr. Bennett
- Robert Clendenin … Cast, Godfrey