American Dreams Episode Guide

Episode Guide

American Dreams: Season 3 (2004 - 2005)

• Season 3 Episode 17: It's My Life

  When Chris tells Meg he has been drafted, she must decide if she will leave her family and dodge the draft with him.

• Season 3 Episode 16: No Satisfaction

  When Jack's older brother is in a near-fatal car accident, Jack must make one of the most difficult decisions of his life.

• Season 3 Episode 15: California Dreamin'

  When Meg and Roxanne are selected to dance on 'American Bandstand,' they travel to Hollywood and visit the set of 'I Dream of Jeannie' along the way.

• Season 3 Episode 14: Commencement

  Meg and Sam struggle to define their relationship as Meg prepares her senior speech on the hope of the future; Helen helps Shelly (Daphne Zuniga) get a job at the travel agency.

• Season 3 Episode 13: Starting Over

  When Chris leaves town, Meg is left without a date to her senior prom, so JJ decides that he will escort her.

• Season 3 Episode 12: For Richer, for Poorer

  While preparing for the wedding, JJ receives a plea for help from Vietnam and must use the money he has been saving for a house.

• Season 3 Episode 11: Truth Be Told

  Meg and Chris (Milo Ventimiglia) take their relationship to the next level, but her excitement is short-lived when he confesses that he lied to her; Helen is upset at the thought of JJ and Beth not having a Roman Catholic ceremony.

• Season 3 Episode 10: Home Again

  JJ's experience in Vietnam still haunts him, and when Beth tries to help him cope, they rekindle their love and decide to set a wedding date.

• Season 3 Episode 9: Tidings of Comfort and Joy

  As JJ struggles for survival in the jungle, he comes across a fellow American soldier, and together they encourage each other to stay alive until they find help.

• Season 3 Episode 8: One in a Million

  JJ is found alive in the jungle but tries to escape from his rescuer; Meg is asked to speak at an assembly honoring East Catholic students serving in the war; Helen goes to see a psychiatrist.

• Season 3 Episode 7: What Dreams May Come

  When news that JJ is missing reaches home, everything reminds Helen of her son; Jack goes to Washington, D.C., to find some answers and agrees to bring Meg with him; the family receives an unexpected package during Thanksgiving dinner.

• Season 3 Episode 6: Clear and Present Danger

  Meg's reckless anti-war behavior lands her in jail; the Pryors learn that JJ is MIA after he and his squad are captured by the Vietcong.

• Season 3 Episode 5: So Long, Farewell

  Meg gets in trouble at school when she adds an anti-war element to her play; Luke's return to Philadelphia turns Roxanne's life upside down; Helen has an uncomfortable encounter at work; Jack's new role is overwhelming.

• Season 3 Episode 4: Surround Me

  JJ experiences other aspects of the Vietnam War; Jack continues his campaign despite some dirty tricks from his opposition; Meg continues to work on her play; Chris' influence begins to show; Cal and Beth grow closer.

• Season 3 Episode 3: Leaders of the Pack

  Meg is unable to recruit other students for her play until Chris makes her an offer that involves breaking and entering; Jack prepares to embrace alternative voting groups in his run for city council; Roxanne moves in with the Pryors.

• Season 3 Episode 2: Charade

  The Pryors are shocked by their new neighbors, a single woman and Playboy bunny with a son old enough to attend East Catholic; Meg continues her anti-war campaign; Jack's run for city council begins to affect his family and professional life.

• Season 3 Episode 1: Long Shots & Short Skirts

  Word of Meg's arrest is leaked to the newspapers, compromising Jack's run for city council; Beth is hesitant to join an organization of soldier's wives despite Helen's invitation; JJ awakens in a military hospital.

American Dreams: Season 2 (2003 - 2004)

• Season 2 Episode 19: No Way Out

  Meg and Sam get caught in the crossfire at an anti-war demonstration and Jack takes a stand on Beth's marital status as he begins his campaign for city councilman. Wyclef Jean guest stars

• Season 2 Episode 18: Stewart's Charge

  A new corporal imperils JJ's squad, then lies to cover up his mistake; Helen and Jack discover Beth's parents have disowned her; Nathan is jailed for contesting the draft; Dion and Tina Turner (Jason Mraz, Fefe Dobson) perform.

• Season 2 Episode 17: Chasing the Past

  Jack delves into city politics; Patty takes the rap for crashing the car; Beth's parents give her two options; JJ's squad rescues American prisoners of war; the Everly Brothers (Evan & Jaron) perform at the Lair.

• Season 2 Episode 16: Can't Hold On

  Beth and JJ break up after rendezvousing in Hawaii; tearful Beth tells Meg something that even JJ does not know; small-business owners approach Jack with an idea; Jackie DeShannon (Liz Phair) performs.

• Season 2 Episode 15: Shoot the Moon

  Jimmy Riley returns from Vietnam and reunites with Meg; Roxanne reveals her secret to Meg; Henry's new lady; Uncle Pete and Nancy's wedding does not go as planned; a friend from boot camp joins JJ and the Untouchables.

• Season 2 Episode 14: Old Enough To Fight

  Nancy Sinatra, Miss USA and a Playboy playmate (Jennifer Love Hewitt, Alison Sweeney, Farah Fath) entertain JJ and his fellow Marines; a new soap opera, 'Days of Our Lives,' sparks a conversation at Pryor TV & Radio.

• Season 2 Episode 13: To Tell the Truth

  At a father-daughter dance, Meg realizes she cannot continue to lie to her parents; Patty discovers Roxanne and Luke's secret; Henry has alarming news about Jack's shop; Tom Jones and Petula Clark (Nick Lachey, Charlotte Martin) perform.

• Season 2 Episode 12: Real to Reel

  JJ sees the harsh realities of war when a village is razed; well-wishers record an audio reel for JJ; Meg betrays a secret; Carla Thomas (Macy Gray) sings 'B-A-B-Y'; Lenny Bruce (Rich Vos) performs at the Lair.

• Season 2 Episode 11: Beyond the Wire

  When Meg brings Drew home to dinner, it becomes apparent that Jack does not like him; Helen strives to balance career and family but misses an important moment in Patty's life; Henry has an admirer; JJ engages the enemy for the first time.

• Season 2 Episode 10: The 7-10 Split

  Meg reaches a decision about dating Drew; Sam must choose between two colleges; JJ is inducted into the Untouchables; Nancy Sinatra, Ricky Nelson and Barry Maguire (Jennifer Love Hewitt, Brad Paisley, Josh Kelley) perform.

• Season 2 Episode 9: The Long Goodbye

  JJ prepares to go back to boot camp, but is drawn into an argument with Meg over her relationship with Drew. Meanwhile, Roxanne returns home as her musical career comes to an end

• Season 2 Episode 8: Change a Comin'

  Meg asks JJ and Beth to double-date with her and Drew; Helen notices something amiss following Will's surgery; Sam defies his father to hear Malcolm X speak; the Shangri-Las (Hilary and Haylie Duff) perform on 'American Bandstand.'

• Season 2 Episode 7: Ticket To Ride

  JJ comes home for two weeks and tells his family he will be stationed in Okinawa, Japan; Roxanne drops out of school to tour with her boyfriend's band; Helen has doubts about Will's surgery; the Dave Clark Five (Steadman) performs.

• Season 2 Episode 6: Rescue Me

  Jack pushes Helen to quit her job; Meg sets a date with Drew; JJ gets one step closer to the front lines; Sam and Nathan explore the teachings of Malcolm X; Fontella Bass (Alicia Keys) sings 'Rescue Me.'

• Season 2 Episode 5: Life's Illusions

  Meg attends a free-speech rally with Drew; Roxanne and Lenny's romance heats up; JJ and Beth make their engagement official; Jack and Helen plan for Will's future; Sam makes a discovery that changes the Walkers' lives.

• Season 2 Episode 4: Crossing The Line

  Helen discovers the difficulties of being a working mother; Beth visits J.J. at Camp Lejeune; Meg writes a report on a controversial book over her teacher's objections; the Kinks (Third Eye Blind) perform on American Bandstand.

• Season 2 Episode 3: Another Saturday Night

  Meg and Roxanne go to their first college party; a woman catches JJ's eye at a bar near boot camp; Henry and Gwen receive devastating news; Shirley Ellis (Lil' Kim) performs.

• Season 2 Episode 2: R-E-S-P-E-C-T

  Roxanne buys time with the new producer (Michael Rodgers), as she campaigns for Meg's return to 'Bandstand'; JJ competes for the title of Honor Man at boot camp.

• Season 2 Episode 1: And Promises to Keep

  Meg and Sam's relationship is strained; JJ gets shipped off to Camp Lejeune; Jack and Helen debate the merits of a new treatment that could help Will walk again; Brenda Lee (Kelly Clarkson) performs on 'American Bandstand.'

American Dreams: Season 1 (2002 - 2003)

• Season 1 Episode 25: City on Fire

  Meg rebels against her good-girl image and embraces the morals of her friend Roxanne. Together they achieve their goal of becoming dancers on Dick Clark's locally produced American Bandstand. Kelly Rowland guest stars

• Season 1 Episode 24: High Hopes

  JJ leaves for college to begin training for the upcoming football season; Luke teaches Meg how to drive; police hassle Sam and Nathan during a North Philadelphia curfew.

• Season 1 Episode 23: Down the Shore

  Jim plays baseball for the Philadelphia Phillies and the Pryors begin their annual Wildwood Vacation. Meg's new rich friend Carol invites her to a beach club, and she returns the favour, by getting Carol and some friends into a Bandstand beach hop featuring the Kinks

• Season 1 Episode 22: Secrets and Lies

  JJ decides not to attend his senior prom after receiving a better offer from Colleen. Meg's new friend places her in a tricky situation when she invites her to a sleepover at her house, but snubs Roxanne in the process. Sixties-set drama, starring Brittany Snow

• Season 1 Episode 21: Fear Itself

  Meg and Roxanne accept a daunting challenge - they must persuade the cooler senior students to get onto the Bandstand set and capture the moment on camera. Will nervously prepares for the Soap Box Derby, but must first overcome his fear of hills, and JJ's afraid of testing his newly healed leg. Drama, starring Brittany Snow

• Season 1 Episode 20: The Carpetbaggers

  Meg worries about her blossoming relationship with Luke and attempts to act more worldly in a bid to impress him. JJ prepares to celebrate his 18th birthday and Helen is tortured by the past. Sixties-set drama, starring Brittany Snow

• Season 1 Episode 19: Where the Boys Are

  Meg tries to help reporter Roxanne get an interview with hit singer Bobby Darin. Guest starring Duncan Sheik and LeAnn Rimes

• Season 1 Episode 18: The One

  Meg struggles with her feelings for Luke as she signs autographs at the Vinyl Crocodile; Jack excludes Henry while exploring the possibility of opening another store; Jackie Wilson (Wayne Brady) performs on 'American Bandstand.'

• Season 1 Episode 17: Past Imperfect

  Jack and his brothers visit their father's grave; the doctor gives JJ disturbing news regarding his broken leg; Meg impresses the producer; Helen and her professor help to register voters; Sam joins his cousin at a rally.

• Season 1 Episode 16: Act of Contrition

  Helen helps a classmate recover from a miscarriage but is taken aback when she learns the truth behind the woman's loss.

• Season 1 Episode 15: False Start

  JJ and Sam square off to determine who will race one of the fastest runners in the city, while Luke and Meg have difficulty figuring out their relationship following the break-up. Elsewhere, Helen is convinced her professor has a crush on her

• Season 1 Episode 14: Heartache

  Meg tries to convince Luke of the importance of St Valentine's day, Jack returns to hospital following a health scare and JJ begs Beth's forgiveness

• Season 1 Episode 13: The Pursuit of Happiness

  JJ's fling could cost him his relationship with Beth; Meg and Sam save money by sharing records; Jack's new employee, Nathan, does not return from a delivery; Helen baby-sits for her professor.

• Season 1 Episode 12: Great Expectations

  Concerned about daughter Meg's poor grades, Helen attempts to provide encouragement by inviting her to a college lecture. Beth notices JJ talking to Colleen, and Jack hires Henry's nephew Nathan, while Roxanne has trouble at home, so she goes to stay with the Pryors

• Season 1 Episode 11: I Wanna Hold Your Hand

  Jack asks his older brother (Christopher Cousins) for financial help after the University of Notre Dame denies JJ a full scholarship; Beatles mania grips the Pryor household.

• Season 1 Episode 10: Silent Night

  Meg wins a date with Jimmy under the mistletoe, which jeopardises her budding relationship with Luke, JJ receives an early Christmas present and Henry hopes to get a pay-rise from the store during the busy festive season. Guest starring R'n'B singing star Ashanti

• Season 1 Episode 9: The Home Front

  Meg braves the streets of North Philadelphia to hear Luke play with a church choir; JJ sneaks out of the house for a late-night rendezvous with an older woman; Helen protests when Jack disciplines the children using different standards.

• Season 1 Episode 8: Black and White

  JJ questions his team-mates' integrity when he discovers some of Philadelphia's finest have offered them money to throw an important game

• Season 1 Episode 7: Cold Snap

  JJ looks on as football players pull a prank on Sam; a record store clerk urges Meg to listen to Bob Dylan's music; Roxanne asks Marvin Gaye (Usher) to sign his latest record.

• Season 1 Episode 6: Soldier Boy

  Helen gets a glimpse into her husband's past when she and Jack attend a reunion of his old World War Two Navy team. Meanwhile, Meg organises a party in her parents' absence

• Season 1 Episode 5: The Fighting Irish

  Meg is delighted at being asked to be Jimmy Riley's dance partner on Bandstand, while JJ makes plans for his future when he arranges to meet a Notre Dame recruiter and Helen struggles with family issues of her own

• Season 1 Episode 4: Pryor Knowledge

  Meg prepares for her first date with teen heart-throb Jimmy Riley, while Jack and Helen spend an evening with a couple who have extremely radical ideas. JJ's lack of dancing skills means he can't accompany Beth to the party, and Patty meets the new transfer student

• Season 1 Episode 3: New Frontier

  Jack welcomes Henry's son into his home and Meg hopes to attract the attention of heart-throb Jimmy Riley. Helen joins new friend Rebecca at Temple University, while JJ prepares for college

• Season 1 Episode 2: The End of Innocence

  The family attempt to regain a normal routine following the assassination of President Kennedy. Meg's social life takes a turn for the worse when she loses her dance partner, while Helen decides it's time to broaden her mind

• Season 1 Episode 1: Pilot

  Pilot episode of the evocative drama set in the 1960s, which tells the story of the Pryor family of Philadelphia as they brace themselves for the cultural turbulence which lies ahead

American Dreams:

• Another Saturday Night

  Meg y Roxanne asisten a su primera fiesta universitaria; una mujer atrae a JJ en un bar cercano al campamento; Henry y Gwen reciben noticias devastadoras; actuación de Shirley Ellis (Lil' Kim).

• R-E-S-P-E-C-T

  Roxanne compra tiempo con el nuevo productor (Michael Rodgers), mientras ella realiza una campaña para que Meg regrese a 'Bandstand'; JJ compite por el título de Hombre Honorario en un campamento.