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American Dreams Season 3 Episodes
Season 3 Episode Guide
18 Episodes 2004 - 2005
Episode 1
Long Shots and Short Skirts
Sun, Sep 26, 2004 60 mins
Meg and Sam are fined following their arrest at a Penn antiwar demonstration. Sam could lose his scholarship, but the experience only whets Meg's appetite for protest. And, as it happens, a stern new headmaster (Dermot Martin) begins cracking the whip at East Catholic. Meanwhile, JJ's in a Vietnamese hospital, recovering from his wounds. Later, he'll learn he's a father-to-be, while mother-to-be Beth (Rachel Boston) has attracted the attention of a folksinger (Ben Taylor) who's playing at the Lair. On "Bandstand," Brandy impersonates Gladys Knight, performing "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," and at the Lair, Gavin DeGraw covers Smokey Robinson and the Miracles' "The Tracks of My Tears."
Episode 2
Charade
Sun, Oct 3, 2004 60 mins
Nicole Richie impersonates the lead singer of the Exciters, performing the group's 1962 hit "Tell Him" in an episode in which East Catholic is abuzz with the news of coed classes. Meanwhile, JJ gets hush-hush orders from an attaché at the U.S. embassy in Saigon; Beth finds a friend in Cal, a performer at the Lair; Sam is urged to try out for the freshman hoops team at Penn; Jack dips into vacation money to pay for campaign expenses; a new neighbor shows up at the Pryors' front door bearing gin.
Episode 3
Leaders of the Pack
Sun, Oct 10, 2004 60 mins
Meg's having trouble getting students interested in her updated production of "Henry V" (it's set in Vietnam), so she tries to enlist her popular new neighbor, Chris (Milo Ventimiglia). Meanwhile, Sam strikes a chord with his new tutor, Melanie (Benita Krista Nall); JJ's buddy Blair (Patrick Macmanus) awaits a letter from his girlfriend back home; Helen reluctantly invites Donald (Hank Stratton) to dinner, and he brings his "girlfriend" with him; Henry's efforts to woo black voters to Jack's campaign aren't going well; and Roxanne's mother gives her long-time boyfriend an ultimatum. Hawk Nelson appears as a member of the Who, performing "My Generation."
Episode 4
Surround Me
Sun, Oct 17, 2004 60 mins
As Jack's City Council election nears, his brother Pete (Matthew John Armstrong) finds himself in the papers. In Vietnam, JJ and Anh (Mai Pham) from the café are becoming an item. And at East Catholic, Meg is looking for an upgrade on the actor who's playing Henry in her production of "Henry V." She has her eye on her rebellious new neighbor Chris (Milo Ventimiglia). Meanwhile, Sam plays his first basketball game at Penn. Melanie: Benita Krista Nall. Stan: David Magidoff. Father Bertoli: Tony Pasqualini.
Episode 5
So Long, Farewell
Sun, Oct 24, 2004 60 mins
New city councilman Jack faces his first political crisis: Henry's pastor (Rocky Carroll) demands that he push for a black member of the police commission. Meanwhile, Meg's having difficulty getting Chris (Milo Ventimiglia) to show up for rehearsal; Melanie (Benita Krista Nall) becomes jealous when she sees Sam with Meg; JJ learns what his mysterious mission will entail; Luke (Jamie Ellman) returns from Berkeley (with a beard); Donald (Hank Stratton) has a fight with his lover that his boss overhears; and Will gets into a fight with a girl.
Episode 6
A Clear and Present Danger
Sun, Oct 31, 2004 60 mins
Father Cassidy (Dermot Martin) cracks down in the wake of the school play, and Meg and her fellow thespians are blamed for it. Meanwhile, JJ's secret mission in Cambodia takes an ominous turn, but Helen and Jack don't know that as they head off to the Poconos for their 20th anniversary; Nathan (Keith Robinson) is released from prison and must perform "alternative service" in a VA hospital; and Roxanne moves out of the Pryor house---and in with her "buddy" Luke (Jamie Elman). On "Bandstand," Phantom Planet performs the 1965 Zombies hit "Tell Her No."
Episode 7
What Dreams May Come
Sun, Nov 7, 2004 60 mins
It's Thanksgiving, but with JJ missing in action, the Pryors aren't feeling thankful. Alanis Morissette plays a folksinger at the Lair, and Tavis Smiley has a cameo as Thurgood Marshall, who's a guest at a lavish holiday dinner given by the parents of Sam's new girlfriend, Melanie (Benita Crista Nall). Meawnhile, a rock group known as the Organization crashes at Luke's apartment. His new roommate, Roxanne, is overwhelmed at first but soon gets an idea: She could be their manager. Mr. Reeves: Michael Warren. Luke: Jamie Elman. Chris: Milo Ventimiglia.
Episode 8
One in a Million
Sun, Nov 14, 2004 60 mins
News that JJ is a MIA affects all the Pryors in different ways, but Helen's depression is the most striking. Meanwhile, Fantasia Barrino, impersonating Aretha Franklin, sings "Respect" on "Bandstand"; Sam's new friends in high places are affecting his attitudes; and Luke (Jamie Elman) is getting a bit jealous of the attention that the Organization's drummer (Daniel Capellaro) is paying to Roxanne. At the Lair, Sara Mann sings "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?"
Episode 9
Tidings of Comfort and Joy
Sun, Nov 21, 2004 60 mins
In Cambodia, JJ begins a fateful trek; on "Bandstand," Brenda Lee (Kelly Clarkson) is "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," while JoJo also appears as a young Linda Ronstadt, who's auditioning for the show. Meanwhile, Meg continues her antiwar activities; Beth has an unpleasant reunion with her father (James Read); Luke's San Francisco girlfriend shows up unexpectedly; Nathan (Keith Robinson) shows his Christmas spirit to a VA hospital patient (G.W. Bailey); and Sam seeks to mend fences with both Meg and Melanie. Joey Tremain: Chris Pine.
Episode 10
Home Again
Sun, Jan 2, 2005 60 mins
The Four Tops are impersonated by 112 (performing "Reach Out, I'll Be There") in an episode in which JJ has trouble readjusting to life at home. Meanwhile, Meg is accepted into college, but the two most important men in her life (Jack and Chris) aren't pleased; Nathan gets his first look at the boat he inherited; Helen attends a lecture by peace activist Dorothy Day; Pete pays Will to snoop on Helen and Shelly (Daphne Zuniga); and Patty has real competition at West Catholic's science fair.
Episode 11
Truth Be Told
Sun, Jan 9, 2005 60 mins
Chris is questioned by police about the recruitment-center bombing, and has a special date with Meg. And Beth and JJ plan their wedding, but a problem arises: Which church? Meanwhile, Henry presses city councilman Jack for funding for Angela's school; members of Sam's track team decide to show their solidarity with civil-rights icon James Meredith; and Patty's wracked with guilt for having sabotaged a fellow student's science-fair project.
Episode 12
For Richer, for Poorer
Sun, Jan 23, 2005 60 mins
Van Hunt impersonates Jimmy Ruffin on "Bandstand" in an episode in which Beth and JJ get married. Unfortunately, the love nest she has found is a bit beyond his reach. Meanwhile, Jack is offered his first bribe as a city councilman; Melanie invites Sam to spend part of the summer with her in Paris; and Patty looks on Beth's boy cousin as something of a sociological experiment. But she also thinks he's cute. Hunt sings Ruffin's "What Becomes of the Broken Hearted." Toby Lightman also performs.
Episode 13
Starting Over
Sun, Jan 30, 2005 60 mins
Joss Stone performs at the Lair in an episode in which East Catholic's senior prom is approaching. With Chris gone, Meg doesn't have a date, but Patty might. Meanwhile, JJ's lack of enthusiasm for house-hunting disturbs Beth; and Jack has a decision to make about the police-commission candidacy of the abrasive Rev. Davis (Rocky Carroll). Councilman Acker: John Prosky.
Episode 14
Commencement
Wed, Mar 9, 2005 60 mins
Meg's graduating from East Catholic---and dating Sam. But Roxanne won't get her diploma unless she passes a physical-fitness test, and she's in terrible shape. JJ comes home one night in bad shape too. It seems that cops beat him up for no reason he's aware of. But Jack knows why. Meanwhile, Henry's reluctant to date again; Shelly gets a job at the travel agency; and Patty's essay is selected as a winner, sort of. R&B singer Brian McKnight has a cameo as activist Stokely Carmichael.
Episode 15
California Dreamin'
Wed, Mar 16, 2005 60 mins
"Bandstand" hits Hollywood, where Meg and Rox hit it off with Barbara Eden (Paris Hilton). On the set, John Legend impersonates Stevie Wonder, singing "Uptight." Off the set, Rox is starstruck, but Meg is more interested in a be-in at Elysian Park. Back in Philadelphia, JJ won't let go of his dream to be an astronaut while a not-so-agile kid he's coaching dreams of making the varsity; Nathan and Patty see romance in their futures; and a reporter is snooping into Jack's city-council record.
Episode 16
No Satisfaction
Wed, Mar 23, 2005 60 mins
The Fountains of Wayne impersonate the Hollies, singing "Bus Stop" on "Bandstand"---which is where Patty (yes, Patty) wants to be after a classmate calls her a nerd and it sinks in. Meanwhile, Jack and Pete's brother Ted, no friend of the family, is seriously injured in an auto accident, leaving Jack with a decision to make; JJ makes his mark at the engineering firm; and Henry makes a big sales presentation. Five for Fighting's John Ondrasik performs at the Lair. Chris: Milo Ventimiglia.
Episode 17
It's My Life
Wed, Mar 30, 2005 60 mins
In the third-season finale, Chris reappears, but he won't be in Philly for long---he has been drafted and must decide what to do. So must Meg. Meanwhile, Beth's father offers to pay her tuition if she returns to Penn; JJ takes on a big responsibility at his new job; a busy Nathan asks Sam to fill in for him on a date; and Jack and Henry decide to do a TV commercial for their store. Art Alexakis performs at the Lair.
Episode 19
No Way Out
Sun, Apr 4, 2004 60 mins
In the second-season finale, Wyclef Jean impersonates Curtis Mayfield on "Bandstand," while in Vietnam, JJ takes charge of his unit in the wake of the fragging incident, while Meg and Sam go to an antiwar protest at Penn, and Nathan tells his mother that he plans to resist the draft. Meanwhile, Beth's pregnancy might hinder Jack's nascent city-council bid; Patty goes on a "date" with Carl (Wes Robinson) to see "The Sound of Music," which gives them both ideas; Helen meets her new colleague Donald's roommate, Russ (Larry Sullivan), then sees the two together in an unguarded moment; Luke (Jamie Elman) plans to emulate Jack Kerouac and hit the road; and Roxanne comes to a conclusion about boyfriends and girlfriends.