Did Brooke McQueen Die??? [Popular on CW]

[youreyesgocold]

Girlies, how many of you have also debated the final moments of the CW’s hit series Popular for the entirety of your lives????

 

 

For those who don’t remember (or didn’t exist), Popular was a teenage dramedy which aired on the CW/WB for two seasons and was the world’s introduction to the production talent and humour of Ryan Murphy (Glee, Nip/Tuck, Monster). The show WAS gay culture. It was camp. It was emotional and had major heart. It was peak trash television. It also starred Leslie Grossman as the dumb rich blonde Mary Cherry, who is enough of a reason to watch the show alone. 
 

The final episode of season 2, “Promblems”, aired on May 18, 2001 and served a MAJOR cliffhanger where series lead, icon, and queen bee Brooke McQueen (Leslie Bibb) is seemingly run over by her livid and drunk ex best friend Nicole Julian (Tammy Lynn Michaels). 
 

The show was cancelled due to poor taste and homophobia low ratings, and the cliffhanger ending became the series finale.

 

So ATRL, what have you decided over these last 22 years? Did Brooke McQueen die a brutal death???  How big were her “promblems” exactly? Why did Ryan reuse so many of the tropes from this show in glee? Why did he have two blonde cheerleaders face similar fates? (Brooke being run over, Quinn Fabray texting and driving into a runaway Soccer Mom minivan)????

 

 

 

Edited February 28, 2023 by youreyesgocold

[Helios]

I discovered this show on YT a few months ago and was hooked on season 1. Season 2 was an absolute DISASTER. One of the worst things to grace television. With that being said it was very entertaining. I always imagined that Harrison would have saved Brooke or she would have woken up in a hospital bed. The ending was dramatic peak teen tv.

[Katamari]

lmao i vaguely remember this

 

 

[savedthemixtape]

This show was EVERYTHING.

 

Wasn't RuPaul a guest star as Mary Cherry's dad?

[fridayteenage]

he already told us what would have happened in the next season, back in 2004

 

https://ew.com/article/2004/11/12/what-would-have-happened-popular/

 

Brooke (Leslie Bibb) bolted the prom after Harrison (Christopher Gorham) chose between her and Sam (Carly Pope) off screen — and was hit by a car driven by Nicole (Tammy Lynn Michaels). Mary Cherry (Leslie Grossman) was sent to an orphanage when her mom, Cherry Cherry (Delta Burke), decided she’d rather let Mary’s twin sister, B. Ho, live with the family.

 

What Would Have Happened

Turns out Harrison chose Brooke, who fled out of guilt. Nicole stands trial for attempted murder but walks.

After her twin is gunned down in a drive-by(!), Mary Cherry is rescued — from a dog pound (where dad RuPaul abandoned her post-orphanage). ”You find out she was literally suckled and raised by pound dogs during her formative years,” Murphy says. ”It was gonna be so wrong.” Or so right.

 

 

[youreyesgocold]

2 hours ago, Helios said:

I discovered this show on YT a few months ago and was hooked on season 1. Season 2 was an absolute DISASTER. One of the worst things to grace television. With that being said it was very entertaining. I always imagined that Harrison would have saved Brooke or she would have woken up in a hospital bed. The ending was dramatic peak teen tv.

We should have seen the Ryan Murphy curse coming after his debut. Literally all of his shows collapse after season 1 from peak television to hot dumpster fire 

 

2 hours ago, savedthemixtape said:

This show was EVERYTHING.

 

Wasn't RuPaul a guest star as Mary Cherry's dad?

YES and somehow it just made sense 

 

1 hour ago, fridayteenage said:

Mary Cherry (Leslie Grossman) was sent to an orphanage when her mom, Cherry Cherry (Delta Burke), decided she’d rather let Mary’s twin sister, B. Ho, live with the family.

This family had the fkn CAMPIEST names in herstory I swear 

 

1 hour ago, fridayteenage said:

What Would Have Happened

This is NOT enough. Did the other half of the cast just not have any storylines planned whatsoever??? Lilly can sit on the curb and protest the war on Jupiter or whatever the F but what about Sam, Josh, and Carmen 

[Helios]

18 minutes ago, youreyesgocold said:

We should have seen the Ryan Murphy curse coming after his debut. Literally all of his shows collapse after season 1 from peak television to hot dumpster fire 

 

Exactly. He hasnt changed at ALL. First 1-2 seasons are amazing then they just go off the rails. Im still waiting for Ratched season 2 but honestly maybe its for the best that we dont get it since it will probably be a disaster.

[Into The Void]

Wait Ryan Murphy created this? It makes sense tbh it was such a blast.