Never in my entire life had I remotely entertained the prospect of cheating on a high school exam, and admittedly, only after screening the inept conceptualizations of youth culture all too frequently exhibited by ABC's "Afterschool" series, with a particular emphasis on the contents of "The Cheats", did I actually consider cheating if only for the purpose of defying the message contained within the implications of a laughably ridiculous episode which I found impossible to take seriously.
Aside from suffering under the rigors of such inadequate screen writing, "The Cheats" further undermines it's own foundation by treating the occurrence of mere cheating incident with all the severity and urgency of a political conspiracy. Hence, consider one scene in which two teachers probe a variety of evidence after hours in effort to determine who might have schemed their way into achieving an 'A' which they hadn't earned, which is exhibited with such a morbid level of intensity typically reserved for cinematic depictions of district attorneys presiding over a murder case.
To add insult to injury, the characters exhibit such appalling personality traits through inane dialogue which any rational viewer would find impossible to take seriously.
After honest, straight-'A' student Lynnie Ryan is advised to snitch, under penalty of expulsion, on several of her friends suspected of being culprits in the aforementioned cheating incident, she attempts to console lifelong acquaintance Holly (McAdams) into turning herself in. Foreseebly reluctant to do so, Holly attempts to reassure her that the principal is merely bluffing with the aforementioned threat.
As if propelled by some supernatural form of inexplicable stupidity, Ryan inanely retorts "Are you sure?" "Promise!" Beth reassures her with a wink.
And low and behold, exhibiting a lack of foresight which no homosapien on the planet is possibly capable of, Lynnie buys into her friend's advice, hook, line, and sinker, and foreseeably suffers the consequences, as a result.
Assuming by some freak occurrence that this turkey is somehow destined to be released on DVD, "The Cheats" will certainly more than suffice as perfect viewing material for one's "B-Movie Night".