Hellcats is an American television cheerleading comedy-drama series based on the book Cheer: Inside the Secret World of College Cheerleaders by journalist Kate Torgovnick.[1] The series stars Alyson Michalka as Marti Perkins, a pre-law student who has lost her college scholarship due to her mother's carelessness. In order to remain in school, she must join the college cheerleading squad to obtain a new scholarship. The series also stars Ashley Tisdale, Robbie Jones, Heather Hemmens, Matt Barr and Sharon Leal.
The series ran from September 8, 2010 to May 17, 2011 on The CW.[2] In late September, the network ordered 6 more scripts of the show, although the episode order remained at 13.[3] On October 22, The CW gave a full season order for the series, saying they were "thrilled that [it] paid off for us".[4] Hellcats moved to Tuesdays at 9/8c, following One Tree Hill, on January 25, 2011.[5] Hellcats was cancelled on May 17, 2011 and the complete series released on DVD in 2012.
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| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | DVD release date | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season premiere | Series finale | Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 | |||
| 1 | 22[4] | September 8, 2010 | May 17, 2011 | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Production code |
U.S. viewers (million) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "A World Full of Strangers" | Allan Arkush | Kevin Murphy | September 8, 2010 | 2J5591 | 3.02[6] |
| In order to gain a scholarship and stay in school, pre-law student Marti Perkins tries out for the cheerleading squad. She eventually makes it by becoming friends with Savannah Monroe, the head cheerleader. Marti does not get along with Alice Verdura, the cheerleader she replaced in the squad after a bad injury, but finds a fast friend in one of the Hellcats bases, Lewis Flynn. | ||||||
| 2 | "I Say a Little Prayer" | Allan Arkush | Story: Kevin Murphy Teleplay: Kevin Murphy & Jennifer Schuur |
September 15, 2010 | 2J5552 | 2.64[7] |
| Marti realizes that Wanda is in the audience during qualifiers and banishes her from the stadium. Savannah must choose to stay and compete with the Hellcats or join her sister Charlotte who fell and injured herself when she was competing for the Hellcats' rival Memphis Christian College squad. The Hellcats arrange to switch places with another team, so they can postpone the competition and Savannah may be with her sister. Savannah leaves to take care of her sister though her sister does not welcome her pleasantly and her mother ignores her presence. Marti decides no to tell Wanda about her competition being postponed so she wouldn't assist. Savannah's mom invites her to a praying circle for Charlotte's health but it's the same time of the competition. Savannah confides in Marti about her uptight Christian parents disowning her because of her choice in transferring from Memphis Christian to the secular Lancer University; Marti confides in Savannah that in the past her mother's presence also tenses her up and makes her lose her concentration (the reason she failed in a past gymnastics competition). Savannah competes (after saying a prayer to God for her family and her sister). Wanda shows up, though Marti initially begins to kick her out, she realizes her mom only assists because she proud of her and decides to let Wanda stay. In the end, Marti is able to perform even with her mother's presence and The Hellcat win the competition. | ||||||
| 3 | "Beale St. After Dark" | Bethany Rooney | Story: Kevin Murphy Teleplay: Kevin Murphy & Peter Calloway |
September 22, 2010 | 2J5553 | 2.32[8] |
| Savannah goes on a date with Dan and asks Marti and the rest of the squad to accompany her. Things get messy when Lewis spots Alice taking steroids from Lancer's star quarterback. When Lewis confronts Alice about it, a fight breaks out between the quarterback, Lewis and Dan (Dan was defending Savannah after she was pushed down while trying to break up the fight). The three are sent to jail, however, the football-fan sheriff lets the quarterback go. Lewis is worried her might lose his scholarship so Savannah and Marti turn to Marti's law teacher to get the boys out in time. Meanwhile, Vanessa finally reveals to Derrick that she once had a relationship with Red. | ||||||
| 4 | "Nobody Loves Me But My Mother" | David Paymer | Anne Kenney | September 29, 2010 | 2J5554 | 2.22[9] |
| Lewis asks Marti out but she rejects him. Marti's mother employs the help of her daughter for a promotion at the bar. Meanwhile, Savannah brings Dan home to meet her family but ends up fighting with her mother who wants her to stop seeing Dan. Things start to get serious between them. Alice seeks Lewis' help for the bid video but ends up getting more than Lewis bargained for. Marti then changes her mind and decides to go out with Lewis, and things get even more complicated when he has second thoughts. | ||||||
| 5 | "The Prisoner's Song" | John Behring | Curtis Kheel | October 6, 2010 | 2J5555 | 2.13[10] |
| Savannah attempts to get Dan to direct the squad's bid video, but her idea clashes with Alice. Meanwhile, Marti hopes to investigate Julian's case even further concerning a inmate serving a life sentence for a crime he may not have committed. Also, Derrick punches Red after saying that he has returned to Lancer to get back Vanessa. | ||||||
| 6 | "Ragged Old Flag" | Kevin Fair | James Eagan | October 13, 2010 | 2J5556 | 2.01[11] |
| Lewis coaches the Hellcats cheerleaders in a flag football game against the girls volleyball team. In an attempt to win the game, Alice secretly copies plays from the playbook of her boyfriend, who is coaching the opposition. Savannah convinces Alice that cheating is not the way to win. Meanwhile, Marti goes to a conference with Julian. Also, Lewis is upset at his father for accepting money from the school booster club. Marti and Lewis share a intimate moment. | ||||||
| 7 | "The Match Game" | John Dahl | Jennifer Schuur | October 27, 2010 | 2J5557 | 2.03[12] |
| The Hellcats plan a date auction so they can raise funds to get them to Nationals, but things go awry after Savannah's old boyfriend, Noah, shows up. Meanwhile, Lewis and Marti start dating, and Marti wants to keep it a secret from everyone until they find out what's really going on between them. | ||||||
| 8 | "Back of a Car" | Allan Arkush | Kevin Murphy & Amanda Alpert Muscat | November 3, 2010 | 2J5558 | 1.94[13] |
| The Hellcats plan an 80s party to celebrate their anniversary. Savannah decides to have a romantic evening with Dan, but the night doesn't end as well as she planned and Marti has conflicting feelings about Savannah and Dan's relationship moving forward. A local magazine shows more interest in doing a story on the Hellcats than the football team, which angers Bill Marsh. | ||||||
| 9 | "Finish What We Started" | Ron Underwood | Vince Gonzales | November 10, 2010 | 2J5559 | 1.92[14] |
| Savannah fights with Marti after she finds out about her and Dan's past. Lewis overhears their argument and gets angry at Marti for keeping her past a secret. Savannah then decides to go home and spend some time re-connecting with her family. After a deep and honest talk with her sister, Charlotte (Emma Lahana), Savannah learns she is pregnant. Desperate to stop Charlotte from "flying" in their cheer leading routine, Savannah commits herself to being the flier in Charlotte's place. Conflicted over her feelings for Dan and Lewis, Marti decides to focus on Travis' case, but when Dan comes along for the stakeout things get worse; especially since Lewis apologizes for getting mad. | ||||||
| 10 | "Pledging My Love" | Debbie Allen | Peter Calloway | November 17, 2010 | 2J5560 | 2.05[15] |
| When naked pictures of Alice lead to her public humiliation, Lewis & Jake (whom the pictures were meant for, but his phone was stolen during practice) decide to help her find the culprit. Marti clashes with Julian over representing Travis. Vanessa is frustrated about Derrick's work schedule and has a talk with Red, which stirs old feelings but in the end Derrick proposes in a very special way and she accepts. Both Dan and Marti are conflicted with their feelings for each other which makes Dan break up with Savannah. | ||||||
| 11 | "Think Twice Before You Go" | Dennie Gordon | Matthew B. Roberts | December 1, 2010 | 2J5561 | 1.89[16] |
| Dan threatens to no longer be Marti's friend if she does not tell him how she feels and he tells her he wants to be with her but she says she's not in the same place. Savannah is upset and gets too drunk which puts her in a sticky situation with the host of the BBQ night. Marti reveals her relationship with Dan to Savannah, Lewis and the rest of the squad. Dan leaves town, while sectionals are on the way. It is revealed that there is a bigger picture to Travis' case in which Bill Marsh is also involved. | ||||||
| 12 | "Papa, Oh Papa" | Andy Wolk | Kevin Murphy & Jennifer Schuur | January 25, 2011 | 2J5562 | 2.15[17] |
| Alice gets a surprise visit from her father (Mario Van Peebles) and his new fiance (Christine Lakin) who showed up to watch her fly causing Alice to blackmail Savannah into giving up her spot as a flyer by threatening to tell the squad that Savannah helped Memphis Christian get a free ride to the sectionals. Marti gets the cold shoulder on the bus on the way to the sectionals from the squad after admitting to hooking up with Dan. Lewis is shocked when he finds out Alice hasn't told her dad about the two of them breaking up and her not being a flyer anymore. | ||||||
| 13 | "Worried Baby Blues" | Ron Underwood | Kevin Murphy & Curtis Kheel | February 1, 2011 | 2J5563 | 1.80[18] |
| The Hellcats shoot a sexy calendar for a fundraiser and throw a party with 3OH!3 performing. Marti and Alice break into Bill Marsh's office while Vanessa tries to sort out her feelings for Red. Savannah tells her mother that Charlotte is pregnant after Wanda's convincing. | ||||||
| 14 | "Remember When" | Omar Madha | Kevin Murphy & James Eagan | February 8, 2011 | 2J5564 | 1.72[19] |
| Jake asks Alice to help him get the disk that holds his darkest secret but Alice denies because she can't betray a fellow Hellcat but explains to Marti about the dire consequences if the secrets comes out. Meanwhile Marti out of desperation calls Dan who once again says he can't help her. The Hellcats kidnap Marti for her "Initiation Ceremony" into the group. Savannah, Alice, Lewis and Vanessa flashback on how they become a part of the Hellcats which ultimately makes Marti realize that she can't make a decision on her own. Travis is beaten by two men in prison on Bill Marsh's appeal so that he fires his lawyers "Marti, Morgan and Julian". When Marti receives news of what happened to Travis she and Savannah come clean to the squad and asks for support, which they ultimately get including Alice. | ||||||
| 15 | "God Must Have My Fortune Laid Away" | John Behring | Vince Gonzales & Matthew B. Roberts | February 15, 2011 | 2J5565 | 1.58[20] |
| The Hellcats decide to throw a toga party as a last farewell. Meanwhile, Marti, Vanessa, Julian, and Red hatch a plan to take down Bill Marsh once and for all. Step 1 of the plan was for Red to have Bill say something threatening and betraying about Jake, which they recorded. Step 2 they ask that Jake confess to robbing the pharmacy so Travis can be set free but Jake refused and shut them down. They showed Jake the recording of Bill Marsh, but he stormed out angry. Hopeless, Marti goes to see Travis one more time where she tells him that Jake refused to confess so they are going to take this to the media. She tells him about their situation and Travis tries to stop Marti from letting down the Hellcats but Marti is still determined to set Travis free. On the other hand, Alice and Savannah invite firemen to their party. In the party Savannah seems to be getting along with the fireman Keith. After Marti comes to the party Alice questions her about Jake and finds him on the Football Field. Jake resists but Alice finally convinces him to confess and prays with him; regardless of her disbelief in God. Finally, Jake calls a press conference and confesses but to his surprise, everyone is proud of him and considers him a hero. Red, Julian and Marti blackmail Bill Marsh with his recording so he will retire without pension and he accepts. As Travis is leaving jail he makes eye contact with Jake while Jake is entering the jail. After Jake gets to his cell, Jake starts to cry. In the last scene we see the Hellcats singing "Redemption Song" in Cheertown with Travis, Marti's mom, Vanessa, Julian, Lewis, Savannah's sister and Red. | ||||||
| 16 | "Fancy Dan" | John Dahl | Anne Kenney | February 22, 2011 | 2J5566 | 1.64[21] |
| Dan comes back for his brother's wedding, where Marti and Savannah both compete for the affections of Dan. While at the wedding, Marti performs, and she and Savannah both dress up in hope of winning Dan, however they later find out that Dan has a girlfriend whom he kisses in front of Savannah and Marti later in the episode. Alice feels guilty about convincing Jake to confess and refuses to visit him in jail. However, a talk with Travis convinces her to go to him. Dan's father reminds him that Marti is not a good match for him as they are both "trainwrecks" but Savannah encourages Dan to be a better person and more mature. The episode ends with Marti and Dan agreeing to just stay friends and Dan reunites with Savannah after he asks for her forgiveness. Derrick is getting shipped out for a year with the army and asks Vanessa to marry him before he leaves. She initially agrees but at the last second cannot sign the marriage certificate. Derrick guesses that it's because of Red and breaks up with Vanessa, wishing her well for her future with Red, The episode ends with a kiss between Dan and Savannah. | ||||||
| 17 | "Don't Make Promises (You Can't Keep)" | Robert Berlinger | Amanda Alpert Muscat | March 1, 2011 | 2J5567 | 1.46[22] |
| The Hellcats and Cyclones have a crisis when Alice discovers they have the same song for nationals, which causes problems. They compete by doing a routine in front of the band, which gave both teams permission to use the song, where the best routine claims the song for nationals. Savannah finds out who the father of Charlotte's baby is, while Charlotte announces wedding plans with the baby's father. Travis slips about Marti's father with a song that Marti's father wrote, causing Marti to regain interest and confronting Wanda to find out more about him. | ||||||
| 18 | "Woke Up Dead" | Andy Fickman | Jennifer Schuur | April 19, 2011 | 2J5568 | 1.19[23] |
| The Hellcats help Dan with his short movie trailer, involving zombies. Marti continues to investigate into her father's past with help from Deirdre, a music store employee (AJ Michalka). Kelsey, a magazine reporter (who previously wrote a story on the Hellcats) convinces Alice to work with her in exposing athletes cheating on their assignments, with Lewis being one those athletes. | ||||||
| 19 | "Before I Was Caught" | Andy Wolk | Peter Calloway | April 26, 2011 | 2J5569 | 0.98[24] |
| Marti is about to represent Lewis in the case concerning the cheating scandal, when it's discovered that he's actually covering up for Savannah. As Marti is working on the case, it becomes too personal for her and Julian. She feels a hint of jealousy after seeing all the couples together after she wins the cheating case and then goes to visit Julian in his 3-Strikes office, the episode ending in them both kissing. | ||||||
| 20 | "Warped Sister" | Tricia Brock | James Eagan | May 3, 2011 | 2J5570 | 1.01[25] |
| Marti discovers more about her father, Rex, with Julian's help; she discovers that Deirdre is her half-sister, and their bond grows after a rocky start. Savannah loses her scholarship after her passing grade from a class is revoked because of her cheating, forcing her to ask her father for help with tuition money. Later, police arrest Savannah's dad on account of firewire and fraud, using the excuse of him writing a big check to Savannah. At Charlotte's baby shower, Lewis discovers the reason behind Savannah and Kathy's bitterness towards each other. Vanessa and Red continue to feel tension from Emily (Camille Sullivan), Red's ex-wife who is investigating the Lancer athletic department. The episode ends with Marti and Julian kissing again. | ||||||
| 21 | "Land of 1,000 Dances" | Debbie Allen | Curtis Kheel | May 10, 2011 | 2J5571 | 1.18[26] |
| Marti is shocked to find out that Julian has a daughter and is finalizing a divorce with his soon-to-be ex-wife, and she asks him to help out Savannah's father in prison. Lewis and Kathy enter a dance competition to win a Toyota Rav-4 for Lewis's father, but Alice and Morgan enter too. Kathy's knee injury forces Alice and Lewis to partner up despite Alice's injured feet. Mr. Monroe is bailed out of prison but later goes on the run, apologizing to Savannah over the phone for disappointing her. | ||||||
| 22 | "I'm Sick Y'all" | Omar Madha | Kevin Murphy | May 17, 2011 | 2J5572 | 1.16[27] |
| Strep throat hits Lancer, and the Hellcats find themselves a few members short as they prepare for Nationals, leaving the squad disqualified from competing. Charlotte goes into labor a month early and Savannah ditches Nationals to be at her sister's side. Marti and Deidre hit some major road bumps in their relationship, due to Deidre refusing to acclimate to Marti's cheerleading life. The sisters later patch things up until Marti learns that Deidre has been in contact with their father meaning that Deidre was lying to Marti from the moment they met. | ||||||