Ep 1. Pilot

The show "8 Simple Rules" follows the Hennessy family, consisting of parents Paul and Cate and their three children, Bridget, Kerry, and Rory. The first episode, "Pilot," introduces the family and sets the stage for the rest of the series.

The episode begins with Paul, a sportswriter, telling his wife Cate that he's nervous about their oldest daughter, Bridget, starting high school. Cate reassures him that everything will be fine and makes a reference to their own high school days. The scene then cuts to the first day of school, where we see Bridget getting ready and chatting with Kerry, her younger sister. Bridget is excited to start high school and eager to make new friends, while Kerry is more reserved and nervous.

At school, Bridget is immediately drawn to a group of popular girls, but quickly realizes that they're not as nice as she thought. Meanwhile, Kerry is struggling in her first class and trying not to draw attention to herself. During lunch, Bridget's new friends invite her to smoke pot with them in the bathroom, but she declines. However, she still wants to impress them and ends up lying about her experience with drugs.

Back at home, Cate and Paul are discussing their respective work days when Bridget comes in and asks for permission to go to a party that night. Cate and Paul are hesitant, but eventually agree to let her go as long as she's home by midnight. Later, when Bridget's friends arrive to pick her up, they're loud and obnoxious, prompting Paul to remind Bridget that she can't behave that way.

At the party, Bridget continues to lie to impress her new friends, but she starts to feel uncomfortable when they pressure her to drink more and more. Just as she's about to take a drink, her dad shows up to take her home. Bridget is embarrassed and angry, but Paul is adamant that she needs to understand the consequences of her actions.

The next day, Bridget is apologizing to her parents for her behavior, and Paul tells her that they trust her, but she has to earn that trust back. The episode ends with the family watching a home video and laughing together.

Overall, the "8 Simple Rules" pilot sets up the show's premise of a family navigating the challenges of adolescence and parenthood. It introduces the Hennessy family's personalities and dynamics while also exploring themes of peer pressure, honesty, and trust. The episode balances humor and heart, making for an enjoyable introduction to the series.