8 Simple Rules backdrop
Comedy•Drama

The Best Episodes of 8 Simple Rules

Every episode of 8 Simple Rules ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of 8 Simple Rules!

Binge this in 1d 3h•Peaking at 9.7/10

Paul and Cate are raising their three children -- Bridget, Kerry and Rory -- which is no easy task. Oldest daughter Bridget is traversing the dating scene. Kerry is cute and smart, but she has

Airs on
ABC
BestEpisodes
WorstEpisodes
BestSeasons
AllEpisodes

Seasons3

All123

Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    Click to reveal
    8 Simple Rules Season 3 Episode 8 - Secrets
    9.7/10(3 votes)

    #1 - Secrets

    S3:E8

    Everyone fears the ringing of the phone when they all keep secrets from each other. Rory refuses to divulge the identity of the student responsible for beating him up at school. Bridget and Kerry use fake IDs to get into a club, where Bridget gives her phone number to guy, unaware that he's a police officer. Cate doesn't want the family to know that Coach Scott tries to get her to go out with him. C.J. is distracted and forgets to pick up Rory's pain medication.

    Director:James Widdoes
    Writer:Bonnie Kallman

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  2. 8 Simple Rules Season 2 Episode 4 - Goodbye
    9.0/10(3 votes)

    #2 - Goodbye

    S2:E4

    Cate receives a phone call that Paul had collapsed and died in the grocery store. Later that evening, Cate's parents arrive to help them through their grief.

    Director:James Widdoes
    Writers:David Flebotte, Martin Weiss

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  3. 8 Simple Rules Season 1 Episode 10 - Give It Up
    8.3/10(3 votes)

    #3 - Give It Up

    S1:E10

    When no one can agree on where the family vacation should take place, Paul challenges the Hennessey clan to give up their bad habits for a week and the winner gets to choose the vacation spot. But the family's vices soon get the better of them, and secret collaborations and clandestine alliances threaten to foil the contest.

    Director:James Widdoes
    Writer:Martin Weiss

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  4. 8 Simple Rules Season 1 Episode 16 - Come and Knock on Our Door
    8.3/10(3 votes)

    #4 - Come and Knock on Our Door

    S1:E16

    After discovering that boyfriend Kyle kissed Kerry at a party, Bridget gives her sister the silent treatment which is anything but quiet for Paul. But real life merges with fantasy when Paul has a dream that lands him in familiar territory, showing Kyle as a swinging bachelor living with Paul's two beautiful daughters in an apartment straight out of the 70s.

    Director:James Widdoes
    Writers:Bill Callahan, Philip Wen

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  5. 8 Simple Rules Season 2 Episode 3 - Donny Goes AWOL
    8.3/10(3 votes)

    #5 - Donny Goes AWOL

    S2:E3

    Donny's parents ask Bridget to be a part of a video message they are sending Donny. They are shocked to discover that Bridget has broken up with their son on the tape. Donny goes AWOL to try and patch things up. Meanwhile, Paul is asked to help give a nickname to a neighborhood prankster who has been terrorizing the block, not realizing that the culprit may be living under his own roof.

    Director:Robby Benson
    Writer:Seth Kurland

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  6. 8 Simple Rules Season 3 Episode 1 - First Day of School
    8.3/10(3 votes)

    #6 - First Day of School

    S3:E1

    Knowing that Kerry is dragging her feet over breaking up with Kyle, Bridget takes it upon herself to do it for her sister. Meanwhile, Cate is offered the position of school nurse and Rory's first day of high school proves embarrassing when he has to hit the showers after gym class.

    Director:James Widdoes
    Writer:Kathy Ann Stumpe

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

    7. Trending NowTRENDING NOW

    The 20 WORST Episodes of 8 Simple Rules

    READ
  7. 8 Simple Rules Season 3 Episode 23 - The Sleepover
    8.3/10(3 votes)

    #7 - The Sleepover

    S3:E23

    After Principal Gibb and Cate fall asleep at the house while watching a movie, the family catches them and falsely assumes that the two are having a relationship. Bridget, Kerry, Rory and C.J. are forced to go ice-fishing with Jim in order to spend quality time with their grandfather. But Jim would much rather be left alone and is forced to keep up a happy façade.

    Director:James Widdoes
    Writers:Judd Pillot, John Peaslee

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  8. 8 Simple Rules Season 1 Episode 8 - By the Book
    8.0/10(3 votes)

    #8 - By the Book

    S1:E8

    In an effort to win back the love and respect that his daughters used to show him when they were young, Paul turns to a parenting book for some quick advice. But when Bridget and Kerry discover Paul's teaching tool, they try to use it to their advantage to get their father to let them go to a rock festival.

    Director:James Widdoes
    Writers:Paul F. Ciancarelli, David DiPietro

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  9. 8 Simple Rules Season 1 Episode 13 - Rory's Got a Girlfriend
    8.0/10(3 votes)

    #9 - Rory's Got a Girlfriend

    S1:E13

    When a proud Paul lets thirteen-year-old Rory go out on his first date, Bridget and Kerry accuse him of unfairly changing the rules because they were never allowed to date at that age. Kerry is shocked when Bridget receives a higher score then she did on a state aptitude test.

    Director:James Widdoes
    Writer:Bill Daly

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  10. 8 Simple Rules Season 1 Episode 24 - Queen Bees and King Bees
    8.0/10(3 votes)

    #10 - Queen Bees and King Bees

    S1:E24

    Bridget and Paul are surprised to find themselves in similar situations when they are both alienated in their social circles. But they devise a plan to settle the score, leading Paul to crash a poker game with Tommy to get closer to boss Nick, and Bridget trying to break up ex-boyfriend Kyle and her nemesis Jenna.

    Director:James Widdoes
    Writer:Martin Weiss

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  11. 8 Simple Rules Season 2 Episode 11 - Consequences
    8.0/10(3 votes)

    #11 - Consequences

    S2:E11

    Rory steals a police dog when he hears about CJ's glory days of stealing his old school mascot, but Cate is shocked when the dog finds marijuana in Kerry's backpack. Meanwhile, Bridget gets brought home by the police for not wearing a helmet on her boyfriend's motorcycle after Cate telling her she has to.

    Director:James Widdoes
    Writer:Bill Callahan

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  12. 8 Simple Rules Season 3 Episode 7 - Coach
    8.0/10(3 votes)

    #12 - Coach

    S3:E7

    Bridget is psyched to join the high school tennis team when she develops a crush on Coach Scott. But her infatuation soon turns to disgust when she learns that Scott has a crush on Cate. Meanwhile, Kerry and Rory begin to question the authenticity of Jim's war stories while rummaging through his war chest.

    Director:James Widdoes
    Writer:Laurie Gelman

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  13. 8 Simple Rules Season 3 Episode 10 - Vanity Unfair
    8.0/10(3 votes)

    #13 - Vanity Unfair

    S3:E10

    After Bridget is turned down for a role in a sports car commercial, Jim discovers that the head of the modeling agency who rejected her is an old flame. When he tries to persuade her to reconsider his granddaughter, Jim soon finds himself reminiscing over old times. Kerry and Rory discover a secret about C.J.'s past modeling experiences.

    Director:James Widdoes
    Writers:Paul F. Ciancarelli, David DiPietro

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  14. 8 Simple Rules Season 3 Episode 13 - The Sub
    8.0/10(3 votes)

    #14 - The Sub

    S3:E13

    Cate is shocked to discover that Principal Gibb has hired C.J. as a substitute teacher. When C.J. catches Rory cheating on a test, he is torn about reporting it as Cate tries to persuade him to look the other way. Meanwhile, when Bridget breaks her leg because of Kerry's blunder, she makes her little sister's life a living nightmare.

    Director:James Widdoes
    Writers:Bryan Behar, Steve Baldikoski

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  15. 8 Simple Rules Season 3 Episode 16 - Closure
    8.0/10(3 votes)

    #15 - Closure

    S3:E16

    When Cate and C.J. discover that Kerry has been e-mailing Bruno, they secretly try to snoop in her computer to find out what the two have been up to. Unbeknownst to them, Bruno is hiding in the attic, while Bridget tries her best to talk Kerry out of doing something she may regret. Meanwhile, Jim discovers Rory's clandestine poker game and decides to deal himself in to teach Rory and his friends a lesson.

    Director:James Widdoes
    Writer:Seth Kurland

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  16. 8 Simple Rules Season 3 Episode 24 - Ditch Day
    8.0/10(3 votes)

    #16 - Ditch Day

    S3:E24

    After C.J. discovers that Cate may be starting a relationship with Principal Gibb, he blabs it to Bridget. An angry Cate has Gibb put C.J. in charge of the student detention on Ditch Day, and C.J. gets even by detaining Bridget. Because she is stuck in detention and can't complete the Ditch Day prank herself, Bridget convinces Kerry and Rory to steal the rival school's mascot.

    Director:James Widdoes
    Writer:Jeremiah Leibowitz

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  17. 8 Simple Rules Season 1 Episode 27 - Sort of an Officer and a Gentleman (1)
    7.8/10(4 votes)

    #17 - Sort of an Officer and a Gentleman (1)

    S1:E27

    Having learned that her sister Maggie is having marital problems, Cate is nevertheless not too thrilled when Paul invites Maggie to stay at the house. Meanwhile, Paul and Cate are impressed with how mature Bridget has become after they agreed to let her go out with neighbor Donny Doyle, who is home from the Naval Academy. Bridget and Kerry wonder if Kyle has ulterior motives when he befriends Rory.

    Director:James Widdoes
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  18. 8 Simple Rules Season 1 Episode 3 - Bridget's First Job
    7.7/10(3 votes)

    #18 - Bridget's First Job

    S1:E3

    After seeing how much money Bridget spends on keeping up with the latest fashions, Paul tells her to go out and get a job to learn how to be fiscally responsible. But when she lands a job at a trendy mall clothing store that offers its workers a 40% discount, Paul and Cate begin to worry that she may not be learning the true value of a dollar.

    Director:James Widdoes
    Writer:Bill Daly

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  19. 8 Simple Rules Season 1 Episode 7 - Trick or Treehouse
    7.7/10(3 votes)

    #19 - Trick or Treehouse

    S1:E7

    Paul seems to be the only one looking forward to a family Halloween, as Bridget, Kerry and Rory make plans to spend the spooky evening away from home and with their friends. But Paul's wish to relive the past by having the family get together for one last Halloween campout in the old treehouse may turn out to be the biggest nightmare of the evening.

    Director:James Widdoes
    Writer:Bonnie Kallman

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  20. 8 Simple Rules Season 1 Episode 15 - Kerry's Big Adventure
    7.7/10(3 votes)

    #20 - Kerry's Big Adventure

    S1:E15

    After Kerry and her boyfriend break up, Paul tries to cheer her up by getting Bridget to take her little sister with her to a party. Meanwhile, Paul and Cate try to discover what is hidden in Rory's secret box.

    Director:James Widdoes
    Writers:Tracy Gamble, Martin Weiss

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  21. 8 Simple Rules Season 1 Episode 17 - Drummer Boy (1)
    7.7/10(3 votes)

    #21 - Drummer Boy (1)

    S1:E17

    Bridget defies the rules of the house after Paul forbids her from going out on a date with Ben, her college-age drum instructor. Meanwhile, Kerry is mad at Cate when her ex-boyfriend confesses that he thinks her mother is pretty.

    Director:James Widdoes
    Writer:Bill Daly

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  22. 8 Simple Rules Season 1 Episode 19 - Cool Parent
    7.7/10(3 votes)

    #22 - Cool Parent

    S1:E19

    After a party at Tommy's house is broken up by the police, Paul chastises his friend and unwittingly volunteers to host the next one. But when the party gets out of control too, the kids think of him as a cool parent, while the neighborhood parents think he's just as unreliable as Tommy.

    Director:James Widdoes
    Writers:Paul F. Ciancarelli, David DiPietro

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  23. 8 Simple Rules Season 1 Episode 20 - Every Picture Tells A Story
    7.7/10(3 votes)

    #23 - Every Picture Tells A Story

    S1:E20

    When Paul is asked by race car driver Carter Tibbits (Jason Priestley, "Beverly Hills 90210") to write a book about him, Paul brings the family to Tibbits' mansion to meet the driving legend and his sarcastically dry-witted butler, Cody (Robert Guillaume, "Benson," "Sports Night") -- who used to be Carter's crew chief. But a misunderstanding leads Rory to steal a photo from Carter's room, and it's Paul who's under suspicion when a security camera catches him trying to return the item.

    Director:Mark Cendrowski
    Writer:David Flebotte

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  24. 8 Simple Rules Season 2 Episode 6 - What Dad Would Want
    7.7/10(3 votes)

    #24 - What Dad Would Want

    S2:E6

    Cate persuades Rory to try out for basketball because that would've made his dad proud.

    Director:James Widdoes
    Writer:Bill Daly

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  25. 8 Simple Rules Season 2 Episode 8 - The Story of Anne Frank and Skeevy
    7.7/10(3 votes)

    #25 - The Story of Anne Frank and Skeevy

    S2:E8

    After Cate encourages Bridget to participate in extracurricular activities to beef up her college resume, Bridget shocks the family by landing the lead in the high school production of the story of Anne Frank. Rory's obsession with a dummy named Skeevy becomes a little unnerving for the Hennessy clan.

    Director:James Widdoes
    Writers:Tracy Gamble, Bonnie Kallman

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

Best Episodes Summary

"Secrets" is the best rated episode of "8 Simple Rules". It scored 9.7/10 based on 3 votes. Directed by James Widdoes and written by Bonnie Kallman, it aired on 11/12/2004. This episode scored 0.7 points higher than the second highest rated, "Goodbye".