In 1980, a group of high school students face various social struggles. Wealthy "brain" Lindsay wants to rebel. Her geeky freshman brother Sam and his two friends are targeted by a bully.

When Mr. and Mrs. Weir go out of town for the weekend, Lindsay hosts a keg party. Sam, Bill, and Neal are worried that the party-goers will get too rowdy, so they substitute a keg of non-alcoholic beer for the one the freaks have on ice.

Halloween doesn't go as expected for Sam, Lindsay, or their parents.

Kim befriends Lindsay but she has ulterior motives, while Sam is bullied mercilessly by Karen Scarfolli, whose locker is next to his.

Daniel cons Lindsay into helping him pass an algebra test, while Sam and his pals try to figure out the basics of human sexuality.

Lindsay encourages Nick to pursue a career in music. Nick continues to practice with his current band, but quickly decides he's better than them. Lindsay encourages Nick to audition for a bigger local band. When things don't go well in the audition, Lindsay is there to comfort Nick. Sam, Bill, and Neal struggle with having to shower in gym class.

Sam, Neal, and Bill befriend a pretty new transfer student, but soon fear of losing her to the popular crowd and try to win her over with a series of fun things they plan for her. Lindsay, Nick, Daniel, and Ken decide to get fake IDs so they can see a hot local band perform at a bar. However, after they go through the trouble of getting their IDs and going into the bar, the group is stunned to find out who the hot local bands lead singer is.

Lindsay and Nick get more serious, and her parents give unwanted advice. Sam joins the yearbook staff to get closer to Cindy, who thinks of him only as a friend.

Lindsay worries that Nick is getting too intense about their relationship; Sam becomes the school mascot in order to be close to cheerleader Cindy.

Lindsay's parents are convinced Kim is leading their daughter down a path toward drugs and sex, so they consider taking a peek in her diary. Meanwhile, Bill is tired of the same jocks picking the teams during P.E., often leaving him picked last, so he makes prank calls to Coach Fredricks then confronts him directly. The adults may be the ones learning lessons from the students.

Lindsay experiences a crisis in her relationship with the Freaks; Sam tries to improve himself - from the outside.

Neal learns his father is cheating on his mother. Ken develops a crush on the tuba player in the school's marching band and Lindsay helps set them up.

When Bill talks about being allergic to peanuts in class, Alan tries to prove he's lying but Bill ends up in the hospital after an allergic reaction. Lindsay smokes weed for the first time.

Kim befriends Millie after accidentally killing her dog; Bill is horrified to discover that his mother is dating his gym teacher.

Unable to cope with his father's infidelity, Neal takes refuge in a new hobby; rejected by Kim, Daniel pursues another girl - and changes himself radically to win her approval.

Nick stays with the Weirs after a fight with his father and the geeks go to a make-out party.

As McKinley High prepares for a visit from Vice President Bush, Ken and Sam must sort out conflicted feelings in their love lives.

Nick explores disco, Lindsay listens to the Grateful Dead, and Daniel tries something new. What's cool? Friendship.