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Season 2 – 8 Simple Rules

Play trailer Poster for Season 2 – 8 Simple Rules Sep 2003 Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
60% Tomatometer 5 Reviews 44% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
Raising the Hennessy's three children -- Bridget, Kerry and Rory -- is no easy task. Oldest daughter Bridget is traversing the dating scene. Kerry is cute and smart, but she has a hard time getting in touch with her true feelings because of her lack of self-confidence. The youngest of the three children, and only boy, Rory is beginning to discover one of life's greatest mysteries -- girls.
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8 Simple Rules — Season 2

Critics Reviews

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Alessandra Stanley New York Times 10/23/2018
"8 Simple Rules'' may seem like a strange hybrid -- neither a sitcom nor a drama, but some awkward compromise in between. Go to Full Review Steve Johnson Chicago Tribune 10/22/2018
The show is probably not as good without Ritter, but it's probably not as bad as, say, "Yes, Dear." Go to Full Review Ken Tucker Entertainment Weekly 10/22/2018
B-
I find Ritter's performance - as a father besieged by a pop culture he no longer understands - to be, within the confines of the series' dumb-dad punchlines, rousingly substantial. Go to Full Review Stuart Galbraith DVDTalk.com 12/13/2019
3.5/5
But for a while there, 8 Simple Rules made for compelling, even insightful comedy-drama. Go to Full Review Christel Loar PopMatters 10/23/2018
6/10
Watching these three navigate these situations, it's tough to imagine more perfect casting on television. Go to Full Review Read all reviews
8 Simple Rules — Season 2

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Cast & Crew

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John Ritter

Paul Hennessy

Katey Sagal

Cate Hennessy

Kaley Cuoco

Bridget Hennessy

Amy Davidson

Kerry Hennessy

Martin Spanjers

Rory Hennessy

James Garner

Jim Egan

Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Sep 23, 2003 Premiere Bridget's popularity wanes, while Kerry's social status soars; Cate waits for the results of her pregnancy test, while the others gripe about how disruptive a baby would be. Details Episode 2 Aired Sep 30, 2003 Sex Ed Bridget is dismayed when the sex-education teacher turns out to be Cate; Kerry is a changed person since she starting dating Kyle. Details Episode 3 Aired Oct 7, 2003 Donny Goes AWOL The Doyles (John Ratzenberger, Cindy Williams) are shocked when Bridget breaks up with Donny (Thad Luckinbill) in a video message. Details Episode 4 Aired Nov 4, 2003 Goodbye Cate's parents (James Garner, Suzanne Pleshette) console her and the children, as they grieve over the loss of beloved family patriarch Paul. Details Episode 5 Aired Nov 4, 2003 Goodbye Cate's parents help console their daughter and grandchildren as they cope with the loss of family patriarch Paul. Details Episode 6 Aired Nov 11, 2003 No Right Way Cate is unprepared for Bridget and Kerry's reactions to their first day back to school following their father's death. Details Episode 7 Aired Nov 18, 2003 What Dad Would Want Cate urges Rory to try out for the basketball team because it would have made his father proud; the sisters manage to refrain from fighting until Bridget accidentally destroys Kerry's collage honoring Paul. Details Episode 8 Aired Nov 25, 2003 The First Thanksgiving Cate plans to raise the family spirits with a special Thanksgiving dinner; Bridget and Kerry plan to attend a party with their boyfriends during Thanksgiving. Details Episode 9 Aired Dec 23, 2003 The Story of Anne Frank and Skeevy Bridget lands the lead in a high-school play about Anne Frank's life, but she is not sure whether she can act; Rory becomes obsessed with a dummy named Skeevy. Details Episode 10 Aired Jan 6, 2004 YMCA Cate orders Kerry, Rory and Jim join the YMCA; Rory falls for a yoga instructor (Lisa Rinna); Jim punches a man for making a lewd remark about Bridget. Details Episode 11 Aired Jan 13, 2004 Get Real Cate's wrongheaded nephew C.J. (David Spade) turns the household upside-down when he comes to pay his respects to Paul. Details Episode 12 Aired Jan 27, 2004 Consequences Rory steals a police dog to make a name for himself at school, then the dog sniffs out marijuana in Kerry's bag; Bridget refuses to wear a helmet while riding on her boyfriend's motorcycle. Details Episode 13 Aired Feb 10, 2004 Opposites Attract Bridget's friends suspect she is falling for her shy, brainy tutor (Jonathan Taylor Thomas); Kyle indulges in old-fashioned romance on St. Valentine's Day; Jim sends C.J. on an errand that takes him to Canada. Details Episode 14 Aired Feb 17, 2004 Opposites Attract Bridget flirts with her brainy tutor (Jonathan Taylor Thomas), but he seems more intrigued by her debate-team rival; Cate forces Jim to share his basement room with C.J. Details Episode 15 Aired Feb 24, 2004 Opposites Attract: Night of the Locust Bridget examines her feelings for Jeremy (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) and ex-boyfriend Damian; a ban on provocative dancing at the high-school formal vexes Kerry; Jim falls for a PTA member (Tatum O'Neal). Details Episode 16 Aired Mar 2, 2004 Daddy's Girl The family therapist (guest star Peter Bogdanovich) encourages Cate to pursue her dream of becoming a singer. Connie Stevens also guest stars. Details Episode 17 Aired Mar 16, 2004 Mall in the Family Kerry might have to fire her grandfather for treating customers with disdain at the fast-food restaurant; C.J. busts Bridget for sneaking into a movie without paying; Cate catches Rory selling worthless items on the Internet. Details Episode 18 Aired Mar 30, 2004 Let's Keep Going The girls see Cate at a saloon with a stranger while visiting their grandmother; Kerry learns of Rory's crush on her friend. Details Episode 19 Aired Apr 6, 2004 Let's Keep Going The girls blow off their trip to their grandmother's in order to sort out their feelings about Cate and Artie; Rachel confesses her true feelings to Rory. Details Episode 20 Aired Apr 20, 2004 C.J.'s Party Cate banishes C.J. and grounds Bridget for going to C.J.'s college keg party; Jim has to take a written drivers exam after being pulled over with an expired license. Details Episode 21 Aired May 4, 2004 Mother's Day Bridget and Kerry try to set up a special Mother's Day surprise for suspicious Cate; Jim falls in love with a classic car and decides to try to fix it. Details Episode 22 Aired May 11, 2004 The Principal Bridget gets in trouble at school, prompting a meeting between Cate and Principal Gibb (Adam Arkin), who turns out be an old schoolmate. Details Episode 23 Aired May 18, 2004 Finale Part Un Cate has to deal with Principal Gibb again when she forgets to turn in a health form for Kerry's trip to Europe. Details Episode 24 Aired May 18, 2004 Finale Part Deux Cate tries to set the record straight with Principal Gibb over coffee, but the girls are convinced it's a date. Details

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8 Simple Rules — Season 2

8 Simple Rules 8 Simple Rules 8 Simple Rules 8 Simple Rules View more photos

Season Info

Director
James Widdoes, Lynn McCracken, Pat Doak
Executive Producer
Tom Shadyac, Flody Suarez, Michael Bostick, Tracy Gamble
Screenwriter
Bonnie Kallman, Bill Daly, Bill Callahan, Seth Kurland, Martin Weiss, Tracy Gamble, David S. DiPietro, Gayle Abrams, Grant Nieporte, Donald Beck, Paul Ciancarelli, Ric Swartzlander, Robert Spina
Network
ABC
Rating
TV-PG
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date
Sep 23, 2003