The essential episodes of Lizzie McGuire

Watch these 15 in order and you've got Lizzie McGuire — each pick states its reason.

1. 01

   S01E01 · Pilot · January 12, 2001 · 22m

   Rumors9.0

   Lizzie tries out for cheerleader but doesn't do very well. Later that night she and Miranda chat online. Lizzie jokes that Kate made the squad because she stuffs her bra. Miranda accidentally sends out the message to everyone on the class roster. The next day at school Kate is furious about the taunting she's receiving and confronts Lizzie and Miranda, demanding to know who is responsible. Lizzie stutters and stammers for a few moments, then Miranda says that she did it. Kate promises to make her life miserable, and a war of dirty tricks breaks out between the two. Miranda tells Lizzie that she took the blame because Lizzie can't handle conflict. Lizzie feels guilty as the war between Miranda and Kate escalates. Finally Lizzie works up the nerve to take responsibilty for the message and she stands up to Kate. Also, Matt brings home a lizard for a school project and names it Lizzie, much to his sister's annoyance. While Mr. and Mrs. McGuire are supposed to be watching the lizard, it die

2. 02

   S01E02 · Top rated · January 21, 2001 · 22m

   Picture Day8.5

   Lizzie, Miranda and Gordo all have big problems on the day their pictures are to be taken for the junior high yearbook. Lizzie searches and searches for the right thing to wear, but her mother insists she put on a ""hideous"" sweater that her grandmother gave her. Miranda runs afoul of Kate when they both show up wearing the same outfit. And Gordo feels the pressure to assume a tough-guy pose when his picture is snapped. Meanwhile Matt hasn't studied for a quiz at school, so he fakes being sick to get out of it. But he finds out that his mom's cure can be worse than the disease.

3. 03

   S01E03 · Season 1 peak · January 26, 2001 · 22m

   When Moms Attack9.5

   Lizzie is looking forward to the science class field trip, but she is mortified when she finds out that her mother is a last-minute replacement as the girls' chaperone. Lizzie fears that her mother will embarrass her to death, and Mom does a pretty good job of doing just that while they are competing with the boys on a nature walk. But Mrs. McGuire proves how cool she can be when she helps the girls get back at the boys for a prank they pulled then takes all the blame herself. Back at home, Matt and Mr. McGuire are left on their own and try to cook for themselves.

4. 04

   S01E04 · Top rated · February 2, 2001 · 22m

   Pool Party9.5

   Lizzie and Miranda are ecstatic about being invited to a pool party given by their heartthrob, Danny Kessler. Mrs. McGuire is excited for Lizzie too until she finds out it's on the same day as grandma's 80th birthday party. She tells Lizzie she has to go to her grandma's instead and Lizzie is furious. The next day at school Miranda temporarily gets on the good side of Kate, the girls' former best friend who has literally and figuratively outgrown them. Kate invites Miranda to hang out with her crowd, causing a conflict between Miranda and Lizzie. At home Lizzie catches her mom on the phone making up a lie to get out of a commitment and accuses her of being a hypocrite. Gordo helps Lizzie to smooth over her differences with Miranda. Mom tells Lizzie she can go to the party after all, but she decides not to and spends the day with Gordo.

5. 05

   S01E05 · Top rated · February 9, 2001 · 22m

   I've Got Rhythmic9.5

   Lizzie is dissatisfied with being an ordinary ""B"" student and is looking for something at which she can excel. Surprisingly, she finds out in gym class that she has a real talent for rhythmic gymnastics. But she thinks the sport is stupid and is ambivalent about competing. She trains hard and goes to the regional competition, where a jealous Kate tries to sabotage her performance. Miranda and Gordo help foil Kate's plan and Lizzie wins first place. Her parents are proud but Lizzie decides to give up the sport and go back to being her ""ordinary"" self.

6. 06

   S01E06 · Top rated · February 23, 2001 · 22m

   Jack of All Trades9.0

   Gordo is sure that Mr. Pettus is giving him ""B""s instead of ""A""s because Pettus doesn't like him. His state of mind isn't helped any when the teacher gives the class an aptitude test which shows that Gordo is best suited to be a blackjack dealer. To prove that Mr. Pettus has it in for him, Gordo convinces Lizzie to turn in his science project with her name on it and vice versa, which ends up having disasterous results. Also, Matt adopts a hip-hop attitude and insists that everyone call him ""M-Dogg.""

7. 07

   S01E09 · Top rated · April 20, 2001 · 22m

   Election9.0

   Lizzie and friends are frustrated--the only candidates for school president are super-popular cheerleader Claire Miller and oddball Larry Tudgeman, who promises to eat a worm for every vote he gets. Gordo encourages Lizzie to run as a ""normal"" candidate and Miranda seconds the motion. Lizzie agrees to do it. Gordo is her gung-ho campaign manager as she runs on a ""voice of the people"" platform. Lizzie starts to gain confidence, even enough to tell off Claire and Kate. Gordo thinks she should schmooze the ""second-tier"" popular kids in the drama club, so Lizzie puts on her shades and black leather and tries to get in good with them. Miranda is annoyed that Lizzie is blowing off the less popular kids and groups to hang with the drama club. Lizzie starts to develop a prima donna attitude and now Gordo has to agree that he has helped create a monster in candidate Lizzie.

8. 08

   S01E10 · Top rated · April 27, 2001 · 22m

   I Do, I Don't9.0

   Mrs. Stebel pairs up the students in her social studies class for a mock marriage assignment. Each set of partners must draw a job from a jar at random, work up a fictional lifestyle and report back at a pretend 20-year reunion. Always-snobby Kate is horrified to find herself matched up with Larry Tudgeman, but at least she likes her job, a television anchorwoman. Lizzie wants to be partnered with Ethan Craft, who's not so smart but is cute. But she gets familiar old Gordo, whose job is sanitation engineer (garbageman). Lizzie figures it's not so bad, though, since Gordo will probably ensure she gets a good grade. Her mind begins to change when Miranda gets picked to be Ethan's partner, and he's a surgeon to boot. Lizzie can't help but be jealous.

9. 09

   S01E11 · Top rated · May 4, 2001 · 22m

   Bad Girl McGuire9.0

   Lizzie falls in with a bad crowd when she befriends "bad girl," Angel, at school.

10. 10

    S01E21 · Top rated · August 31, 2001 · 22m

    Lizzie Strikes Out5.0

    Ethan invites Lizzie, Gordo and Miranda to go bowling with friends on the weekend. Of course the girls are thrilled but Gordo isn't so happy--bowling is something he's not good at. In fact, he got so nervous doing it before that his fingers swelled up and the ball had to be cut off his hand! Miranda says she will be Gordo's ""life coach"" for bowling and tries to teach him him a kind of mystical philosophy (""Be the ball!"") Meanwhile, Matt and Lanny are trying to think of what they can do to stop the bully Heywood Biggs from picking on them. When Sam McGuire hears Lizzie talking about her sort-of date on the phone, he worries that he's not involved enough in his daughter's life. He asks her if she'd like for just the two of them to go out to dinner on Friday so they can spend some time together. Lizzie agrees, but later realizes that the bowling date is the same night! She decides she'll have to ask her father to reschedule.

11. 11

    S01E22 · Top rated · September 21, 2001 · 22m

    The Untitled Stan Jansen Project6.0

    Director Stan Jansen is filming a documentary at the junior high and everyone is trying to get on camera--except Gordo, who wants to be a director himself. But Stan singles out Gordo as his star and tells him his appearance in the film could lead to a career in directing. Gordo is eager to go along, so when the director tells him he wants conflict, Gordo trashes Kate on camera. Lizzie and Miranda think that's great, but it's not so great when Tudgeman gets upset after the same treatment. Then when Gordo manipulates Lizzie and Miranda into revealing long-held secrets about each other, the trio's friendship is on the rocks. The girls can't stay mad at each other, though, and they convince Gordo that their friendship should be the most important thing to all of them. The kids find a way to get back at Stan Jansen.

12. 12

    S01E23 · Top rated · September 28, 2001 · 22m

    Last Year's Model6.0

    Lizzie auditions to be in a fashion show presented by "Teen Attitude" magazine at a local mall and she gets accepted. At the show Lizzie looks great on the stage. Afterward, popular girl Jessica asks Lizzie to come to a party at her country club. Lizzie gets Miranda and Gordo invited also. At the party, all three are enjoying the fun, including the hot tub. But already Lizzie's friends are acting different. When Jessica asks her about coming to another party, Miranda starts answering for Lizzie like a press agent and she and Gordo start negotiating future appearances for her like a supermodel! At school things are very different, also. Kids stare at her in the hall like she's a celebrity. Kate is now fawning all over Lizzie, wanting to be her friend. Ethan is so starstruck that he can't even mumble a coherent sentence around her. Gordo and Miranda are as bad as anybody. Lizzie muses, "Gordo and Miranda aren't my friends anymore. They're my people!"

13. 13

    S01E24 · Top rated · October 5, 2001 · 22m

    Night of The Day of the Dead7.0

    The middle school is putting on a big Fright Night celebration for Halloween. Lizzie wants to appear as Vampira, the dungeon mistress, but Kate is in charge and she keeps the job for herself, making Lizzie clean out the janitor's closet and then giving her the role of a clown handing out balloons. Miranda brings her parents, who are helping her celebrate a Mexican holiday, the Day of the Dead. They bring by several items including skulls and skeletons which are meant to represent ancestors who are being honored. Kate is all smiles when Miranda's parents are around (""Toon Lizzie"" calls Kate ""phonier than cafeteria cheese""), but once they leave she yells at Miranda to get rid of that junk they brought. Miranda warns Kate that by disrespecting the dead, she is risking their wrath.

14. 14

    S02E17 · Season 2 peak · September 13, 2002 · 22m

    Movin' On Up8.0

    Gordo skips a grade and gets promoted to high school. After initial euphoria, Lizzie and Miranda start to miss Gordo.

15. 15

    S02E34 · Series finale · February 14, 2004 · 22m

    Magic Train6.0

    Lizzie, Miranda, and Gordo go to see their childhood favorites Clover and Daisy live, keeping it hush so no one from school will find out-only to be shocked when the most popular girl in school is there on a babysitting job. Lizzie and friends remember that sometimes it's great, just to be silly, willy, nilly, and extaslopadily. Meanwhile Matt comes up with a dirty scheme to make money.