Freaks and Geeks SE01 EP06 - "I'm with the Band"

Episode Name: I'm with the Band
Original Airdate: November 13, 1999

If Nick can't maintain a C+ average, his father will send him to the military - Nick's dream of being a drummer takes a dive when he realizes this. His nameless band, made up of himself, Ken, Daniel and Sean (a lesser character), but despite their rambunctious energy, they're not that good. More problematic, the others just want to have fun and jam out; they're not invested in the idea of becoming a good band like Nick is. Taking some suggestions from Lindsay, who understands his predicament, he tries to shape the band into a more professional imagine, making them play "Sunshine of Your Love" multiple times until they get it right. This zaps the fun out of it for Ken, Daniel, and Sean, and the band breaks up.

Nick playing drums

Sam, Neil and Bill have a slight problem of their own - the state recently passed a law that requires all students take a shower after P.E., and body-sensitive Sam has zero interest in that. He tries ignore the new requirement, but after a short time, between skipping P.E. so he can avoid the situation all together and hiding in bathroom stalls, decides to do it.

Sam, Bill, and Neil talking about girls

Nick's bummed out now that the band is officially dead. Lindsay tries to talk him up, and gives him a flier of a local band holding auditions for a new drummer. Excited, he practices for the audition, but it very quickly goes terribly for him. Feeling worse than ever, he's resigned himself to going to the military like his father wants. Lindsay, sensing his dismay, cheers him up in the only way she knows how - she kisses him.

Lindsay trying to perk up Nick

Lindsay kissing Nick to make him feel better

Sam's attempt to take a shower gets sidetracked as bullies force him out of the locker room, taking his towel and leaving him nude. Desperate for clothes, he runs to his locker for a pair of shorts, but the bell rings and Sam wildly runs back to the gym, entering from the outside, and is able to get back into the locker room. Deeply embarrassed by the whole thing, Sam considers switching schools, but when his crush, Cindy, tells him she thinks it's cool that he streaked in school, he starts feeling better about it.

Nick makes up with Daniel, Ken, and Sean, and they get back together as a band, though one for fun and not serious intent. More so, because of the kiss he and Lindsay shared, Nick's rather infatuated, and even Kim is impressed that Lindsay took that step. That said, Lindsay doesn't really look as though she's committed to a relationship with Nick.

Note Lindsay's face

Personally, I don't believe the whole Nick/Lindsay storyline is going anywhere positive.

I've long felt that Nick was the nicest, by far, to Lindsay, due to various actions and things he's said in the past, and if Lindsay was so interested, he would be the best guy to get with out of those she hangs out with. But as nice a guy as Nick is, I don't believe Lindsay sees a spark there. They're good friends, but throw in romance, and I don't think it'll work out for either one of them. Unfortunately, given the type of guy Nick is, it may be Lindsay who has to break up with him (if they actually start dating), which will likely hurt him quite a bit.

Really, Nick doesn't have a lot going for him. His father's an insufferable military man - his brothers, according to Nick, are in the same vein. Most of Nick's friends don't really value him, and they certainly don't understand his need to make something of his drumming passion. Lindsay is really the only one who understands what he's going through, or even tries. Because of this, Nick likely feels as though he likes Lindsay more than he actually does - if he does start dating her, I don't think he'll really understand this, though. We'll see what happens, though. It's possible a relationship between Nick and Lindsay could work out, but I just don't see it.

Lindsay already knows she made a mistake in trying to cheer up Nick with a kiss. You could see it in her face. She doesn't want to mislead Nick, but at this point in time, she might be too sweet to forcefully and effectively tell him she's not interested in him romantically. In fact, though so far all we've seen of Nick is his gentle and kind attitude, I can sense that he's prone to illogical anger at points. Hopefully it doesn't come to that, as I don't think that Lindsay's really capable of dealing with that. In fact, if that did happen, I half expect Kim to help her out in some way, maybe even talk to Nick and end the relationship for her. She wasn't really the focus of this episode, but she did really change the course of her senior year.

I can sort of understand Sam's hesitation about showering in front of other guys, but at the same time, I'd be far more concerned about the bullying of Neil and Bill than I would be about the self-conscious reasons he's unable to undress in front of other men. He just needs more confidence, really. Bill does also, but that seems far less likely. This being said, I don't think his sister telling him he has a beautiful body will help (though that was a beautifully delicious and awkward scene). I really don't know where Sam will be at the end of this series - I just can't see where his storyline's taking him. Hopefully down the line he and Lindsay can become as close as they were back in the first few episodes, as I think that would help ground the both of them.

Daniel's not wrong to want to rock out as opposed to playing music seriously, but I do think he should have been more supportive and understanding of Nick's situation. Instead, he angrily leaves the band, mocks Lindsay, and takes leave. He just doesn't seem a great friend. He flirts with other girls even though he's dating Kim. He manipulates Lindsay multiple times. And then here, he shows zero concern for the fact that Nick is likely to be sent to the army if he can't raise his grades. Truth be told, while I started out this series likely Daniel, he's just become a dick as of recently, and I don't see that changing soon.

Ken's much the same way as Daniel. He makes fun of Lindsay's suggestion of band names and her advice of how to become a better band. Was Lindsay overzealous in voicing her opinions to Nick? Possibly, but she knew how important it was to him, whereas Ken and Daniel really don't seem to, or perhaps they just don't care. Ken's not a bad guy, it seems, but he did unjustly attack Lindsay for breaking up the band, which wasn't very fair of him.

While this wasn't a bad episode by any means, Nick's struggles didn't interest me as much as they should, maybe because I've never been one of those individuals who wanted to join a band in high school and get famous. Nick clearly believed he could have, but by the end, he comes down to reality, and realizes that he's not nearly as good as he previously believed himself to be.

This is the first episode of this series I felt indifferent about. There's still good scenes, but overall, it felt amazingly average to me. These last few episodes too were a downgrade from the first two, so I do hope it's not a middle-series slum we're entering. This series has a lot of potential, but this episode doesn't really show us that.


Rating: Average


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Freaks and Geeks SE01 EP05 - "Tests and Breasts"

Episode Name: Tests and Breasts

Original Airdate: November 6, 1999

In sex ed class, Sam gets embarrassed by Coach Fredricks due to his lack of knowledge of the female anatomy. In fact, the incident gives him the nickname "Dr. Love," which follows him around, even popping up when he's having a conversation with Cindy (who we've not seen in a few episodes). More frustrating, when the trio (Sam, Neil and Bill) hear a sexual joke in school and don't get it, they try to figure out what it means.

Coach Fredricks, none other than Biff from Back to the Future

Neil, Sam and Bill attempting to understand the joke

Daniel is at risk of having to retake algebra - in Mr. Kowchevski's class, the test tomorrow means almost certain failure. Lindsay notices he's feeling down, and offers to help him study so that he can past the test tomorrow. He goes over to her house that night, and takes a smoke break prior to studying.

Mr. Kowchevski

Outside, he speaks briefly to Sam, noting the anatomy book Sam's reading. He tells Sam that he's not going to learn what he needs to learn from a book. He then says that tomorrow, he'll give Sam something that will help him out. Back inside, though Lindsay tries to help him through the algebra, but Daniel gives up, telling her that he'll be fine.

Daniel and Sam talking

The next day, after handing off a pornographic movie to Sam, Nick helps Daniel steal Kowchevski's test. He goes to Lindsay for help, and at first she declines, deciding to ask Kowchevski to give Daniel an extension (figuring that as he likes her, he would give Daniel an extension). The teacher instead accuses Lindsay's hormones of getting in the way. This angers Lindsay, and she decides to help Daniel study, providing that he actually studies from here on out, and doesn't resort to cheating again. Daniel agrees. After school, Sam watches the movie with Bill and Neil, which makes him greatly uncomfortable.

Sam, Bill and Neil discovering the pornographic movie

Lindsay helping Daniel cheat on test

Neil, Sam, and Bill watching the porno

After Kowchevski discovers that Daniel got an A on the test, he let's Lindsay know that he got an anonymous letter accusing her of cheating, and sets a disciplinary hearing for the next day. She talks to Daniel, and Daniel tells her that it'll be okay, and that's he's gotten past these types of things before. Most important, he says, is to not confess - if neither one confesses, they have nothing on them. Once her parents find out, they immediately berate her for cheating, which angers Lindsay, as they won't even listen to her side of the story.

Sam, profoundly bothered by what he saw in the movie, acts coldly toward Cindy the next day. Neil tries to smooth things over, which fails to work, as neither Bill nor Sam seem to want to speak much.

Cindy talking to Sam

Before the disciplinary hearing, guidance counselor Jeff Russo talks to Lindsay. After relaying a story of how he helped a student cheat back in school, Lindsay reaffirms that she didn't help Daniel cheat. Russo believes her. After a conversation with Kim, in which she says that no matter what Daniel said, he'll just steal the next math test and do it without her help, Lindsay confronts Daniel in the workshop, stating that she wants to come clean and tell the truth, along with accusing Daniel of manipulating her. Daniel denies that accusation, and tells her about how when he came to junior high school, he was placed with the slower, more stupid students, which has impacted his work ethic sense. Being told he was dumb from the beginning made him feel that he had no other way through then to skate by and cheat. Lindsay, taking pity on him, decides to continue to lie for him.

Coach Fredricks holds Sam back after sex ed, and tells him he found Sam's question, which the class wrote down on paper, disturbing. Sam admits that he saw a porno movie. Fredricks then decides to open up to Sam, and explain sex to him in a personable way, all the while a funky soundtrack plays in the background. Sam, uncomfortable at first, thanks Fredricks for being open with him, and is no longer disturbed by what he saw in the movie. Lastly, he asks about the sexual joke, in order to understand it.

Daniel explaining academic life to Lindsay

Coach Fredrick's talking to Sam about sex

Lindsay's parents come to the hearing to support her, apologizing for the way they accused her the previous night. Russo speaks to Kowchevski, supporting Lindsay. He then finds out that there was no note - Kowchevski lied because he's certain that Daniel cheated, and this was a way that would sometimes get a confession. He then berates Daniel, saying that students like that are a waste of time, which profoundly bothers Russo, who believes that teachers have to be friendly and trust students in order to make a connection.

Russo and Kowchevski arguing

Their styles continue to differ as the meeting starts. Mr. Weir yells at Kowchevski for accusing his daughter of cheating. Russo lets them know that he knows Lindsay doesn't cheat, and believes Daniel when he says he didn't cheat also. Kowchevski, though, to Russo's annoyance, gives Daniel a copy of the test, stating that if he can do a single question, he'll retire.

Sam apologizes to Cindy, and the two of them work on a banner together, Sam happy that he is now again comfortable around her.

After Daniel fails to do a question, he goes into the same story her told Lindsay earlier. Not only is it the same story, it's word-for-word, the same pauses, everything. While Mr, and Mrs. Weir, along with Russo and Kowchevski soak up the surface sadness of his story, Lindsay can't help herself, and begins hysterically laughing.

Cindy and Sam working together

This episode dealt with something I'm sure we've all dealt with - the awkwardness of sex education.

Sam's story here is one that many people can probably relate to. Neil seems mature enough, though he obviously doesn't know much more about this type of stuff than Bill or Sam. Bill is bothered greatly by the movie, perhaps more so than Sam (partially because Sam probably talks to girls infinitely more than does Bill). When Sam makes up with Cindy at the end of the episode, Bill's still disturbed, and likely will be for some time.

Coach Fredrick's initially starts out acting like a dick, embarrassing Sam in front of the class (when it wasn't Sam's fault that Neil and Bill were talking). When he decides to talk to Sam, though, frankly about sex, you can sort of see that he is caring in his own way. The man-to-man conversation really gets Sam out of his funk, and because of that, he's able to move on.

Lindsay shows that she still harbors some feelings for Daniel, when she allows herself to be manipulated. Luckily, though, she's able to break away from this at the end, once she realizes how manipulative Daniel actually is at the hearing. I'm hoping that this teaches her to stay clear of Daniel romantically, should the situation happen to arise.

On Daniel, well, I'm sure there is truth to the story he recited both to Lindsay and Russo. And while I understand where he's coming from, he's clearly manipulative. When he tricked Lindsay into hosting the party back in "Beers and Weirs," I suspected that he was doing it intentionally, but couldn't really formally conclude it. I am now. As far as Lindsay is concerned, Daniel knows exactly what he's doing when it comes to manipulating her. And more so, it's to benefit him more than it's to benefit her.

This is not to say Daniel is a bad character. Much like Kim, I'm sure much of who he is comes from his background. When Sam was having troubles, Daniel did try to help him by giving him the porno. While not helpful, or the kind of help that Sam needed, it was probably exactly how Daniel was taught about sex. His intentions were good - the outcome, though, was not.

Personally, Daniel's becoming a character which I am disliking more and more. The last two episodes had this feeling grow - this episode cemented it. I don't know how Lindsay could continue being friends with him, but it'll probably be just so she can stay around Kim and Nick, both of whom are friendly to her.

Speaking of which, while we see Nick in this episode help Daniel steal the test, he didn't really get much involved in the main story. I don't think he would mind helping Daniel out again, and they've probably done it before. Ken, we've not seen for two episodes now, so I do hope he comes back, this time with some actually character (deadpan Rogan is great, but I'd like to see him break out of that a bit).

Mr. and Mrs. Weir, when it mattered, were there for their daughter, though they really should have let Lindsay explain her side of the story before accusing her of cheating on a test. Hopefully, they become more trusting as the series progresses, but I suspect that it'll only get worse.

One last note - Russo has said many a corny thing before, but I deeply respect him after he stood up for Daniel and Lindsay against Kowchevski. Kowchevski's attitude about students is deplorable, and while Russo misplaced his trust in this episode, the fact that he's willing to help out students and stand with them, even against other faculty, makes him a pretty cool guy.

All-in-all, this was a pretty good episode. At the same time, it felt it was lacking in the same way the previous episode was. A good episode, still, and some great scenes, but just a notch below the first three episodes.

Rating: Above Average

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Freaks and Geeks SE01 EP04 - "Kim Kelly Is My Friend"

Episode Name: Kim Kelly Is My Friend

Original Airdate: September 5, 2000

Kim and Karen, a friend of Kim's, bully and humiliate Sam, afterwards writing the word "Geek" on his locker in lipstick. Being bullied by girls makes Sam question his masculinity. Later in the day, Karen catches Sam washing off the lipstick, and marks up the locker again, this time writing "Pygmy Geek" instead. When Sam finds it, he's accused of doing it himself by a teacher, and is given the assignment to write an essay about why school property should be respected.

Karen and Kim picking on Sam

Lindsay, meanwhile, is fed up with Kim's antics toward her, and leaves their lunch table angry. Nick follows, and tries to convince her to come back to the table, going as far as to offer to talk to Kim, which Lindsay vehemently protests against. Nick, though he feels bad about how Kim treats Lindsay, promises that he won't talk to her.

Later, Lindsay overhears a call between Kim and her mother, which results in shouting from both sides. Daniel states that while Kim has a hardened surface, she's cool if you get to know her. Surprisingly, after Daniel leaves for a biology test, Kim starts acting nice toward Lindsay, indicating she wants to hang out with her. After school, Kim invites Lindsay for dinner at her house, which she hesitatingly accepts.

Lindsay's reaction when Kim is nice to her

At home, Sam tries to load up on carbs, telling his mother that he no longer wants to be a "midget." Lindsay asks if she can skip out on dinner, and upon saying she'll be eating at Kim's house, Sam angrily calls Kim both a "psycho" and "evil." Perturbed by this, their mother asks Lindsay why she'd want to be friends with a girl like that, and Lindsay defends Kim, saying, basically, that she's just misunderstood. Reluctantly, she allows Lindsay to have dinner with Kim's family. Before being picked up, Lindsay and Sam get into an argument about Kim, with Lindsay defending her and Sam admitting that she and Karen bully him. Lindsay states that maybe he is a geek, which naturally causes Sam again to become angry. Kim pulls up, and Lindsay, before getting in, asks her to stop picking on Sam. Kim doesn't really agree, but Lindsay doesn't push the issue.

On the way to Kim's house, Lindsay learns that the car Kim's driving was given to her by an aunt, but Kim's parents believe it to be theirs, and have been considering selling the car, causing Kim to be much more on edge recently. Kim then informs Lindsay, before they go into her house, that her parents really like what they've heard of Lindsay, the fact she has good grades, and some falsehoods, like she has a vacation home in Michigan.

Kim's house is dilapidated, and her mother and father, much like Kim suggested, are quite dysfunctional. The dinner starts out moderately well, but when Lindsay fails to lie properly about coming from a wealthier family, the thing falls apart, and Lindsay and Kim drive off before Kim's parents can stop them.

Sam, meanwhile, is trying to write his essay, which is difficult as Neil and Bill are messing around with a chemistry set. Sam decries the whole thing as unfair, believing that should he have to write an essay, Karen should also. Neil and Sam get into an argument over what Neil would have done differently, and they end up physically attacking one another. Sam ejects both Bill and Neil from his house.

Kim's day, as expected, gets no better. While going to find Daniel, she spots him and Karen intimately flirting, which causes her to lose it. She shouts angrily at Daniel, and speeds off, all the while Lindsay not knowing what to do. They go back to Lindsay's house, and Kim decides to have dinner with them, sitting across from an angry Sam, still mad about being bullied earlier. Kim's teary-eyed, to which Lindsay informs her parents is due to troubles with her boyfriend. Kim's mother calls, and at first, Mrs. Weir believes Kim to be a bad influence, but after Kim politely thanks her for dinner, she decides to let her stay over for a bit.

Daniel and Karen flirting

Kim's breakdown

Later on, Nick and Daniel come over, and want to see Kim. Though Mr. and Mrs. Weir encourage her to talk to him, she refuses, and hides in no other than Sam's room. Sam, outraged at first, yells at her to get out, but calms down once Kim tells him that Karen's not her friend, and the following day, she plans on hurting her badly.

Kim informing Sam of what she plans to do to Karen

Daniel enters the house, causing a ruckus, and a very ugly fight between Daniel and Kim. As Kim is slapping Daniel multiple times, he repeats over and over that he did not sleep with Karen. His calm, persistent tone causes Kim to slow down, and she forgives him. Nick, Kim and Daniel leave, and Lindsay rushes to do homework, leaving no time for her to explain what just happened to her parents. Mr. Weir quips simply to his wife, "This isn't good."

Nick trying to calm a tense Lindsay down

Neil and Sam make up the following day. Sam turns in the essay, but the teacher throws it away in disgust after seeing another locker written on, this one being Karen's. Kim, in her anger, wrote "Slut" on it. Karen starts yelling at Sam, but Kim shows up and defends him, letting Karen know that after school, her days are numbered. Sam thanks Kim, to which she replies, "No problem, geek."

Kim and Daniel making up

This episode, like many of them, had a lot in it.

Let's start with Kim: In this episode, we get a really good look at Kim's life, and insight into why she acts the way she does. Her home life is less than ideal, not to mention constantly being on the lookout to ensure Daniel doesn't cheat on her. In fact, during an emotional breakdown, Kim suggests to Lindsay that she is her only real friend.

The main question is, should she have forgiven Daniel? Well, as cliche as it is, the heart wants what the heart wants. Even though she was hurt, and hurt badly, by Daniel, she trusts that he loves her, and trusts also that, despite what she thought, he was not unfaithful with her regarding Karen. And thus, she forgives him. I don't think, though, down the line, the relationship will work at all. At some point, one of them is going to get really tired of dealing with the other, and this episode points to that person being Kim.

And I can't say I blame her. Daniel was clearly flirting with Karen. Without a doubt. Kim, though she went overboard, had every right to be pissed at him. The fact that Nick doesn't see it as that big a deal is actually moderately concerning. For Kim and Daniel's relationship, pain and heartbreak is down the line.

Lindsay, this episode, had an eye-opening experience. While Kim has been very harsh to her in the past, Lindsay seems mostly willing to let that go and start anew. Seeing Kim at her worst, she definitely has a sympathy for Kim that she didn't have before. I don't know if Kim will continue to try to be friends with Lindsay, or if it was purely a one-off thing, but hopefully, at the very least, they remain civil to each other, as Lindsay went out of her way this episode to be sensitive to Kim's emotional needs.

Nick felt detached through the whole thing. He's seen Kim and Daniel fight before, and because of that, there's not a doubt in his mind that despite Kim's anger, they'll get back together (which he is proven right on). The fact that Nick seems more on Daniel's side, though, is disheartening. He either doesn't know the extent to which Daniel hurt Kim, or doesn't think it's a big deal. Overall, I still think he's a good guy, but if Lindsay and him ever happen to get into a relationship (which I think is quite possible), then Lindsay best be looking out for herself.

Speaking on Nick's character, during the chaos erupting between Kim and Daniel, Nick sensed that Lindsay was tense, and tried to relax her with a massage, which is pictured above. While Daniel's coming into the house interrupts this, it does show that Nick really is concerned with how Lindsay is doing, and while he doesn't seem to understand how badly Kim was hurt, is looking out for Lindsay (which is also backed up when he offered to talk to Kim for Lindsay earlier in the episode). 

Sam's having a hard time thus far. Being humiliated by Karen and Kim really pushed him over the edge, and furthermore, having Lindsay defend Kim makes me feel that the two of them may never really connect again with each other as they did in the first few episodes. The egging was bad enough, but this may cause irreparable damage. The fact that Sam and Kim sort of made up might help a little, but I think Sam will look at Kim more highly than he does Lindsay.

Neil arguing with Sam over how best to deal with bullies was also a bit sad to see. They made up also, as younger kids often do, but this isn't the first time they fought. Bill seems unable to pacify them during their arguments, which is something I wish he would be more forceful about. Right now, I can't imagine the three of them ending their friendship, but I do think they need to work on it to solidify it a bit.

Lastly, and I sense this will be important as the series progresses, Mr. and Mrs. Weir get their first real look at Lindsay's new friends. After the Halloween incident, she was already on thin ice, but since they saw Nick, Kim and Daniel for the dysfunctional group they appear to be, I think that they'll do a lot more to ensure that Lindsay steers clear of them.

Though this episode did contain a lot within, I felt it wasn't in the same league as the first three episodes. The subplot regarding Sam wasn't as enthralling as I would hope it'd be, and Kim forgave Daniel a lot easier than I would have hoped for. It's still a good episode, no doubt, but compared to the first three, it's a slight downgrade.


Rating: Above Average


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Freaks and Geeks SE01 EP03 - "Tricks and Treats"

Episode Name: Tricks and Treats

Original Airdate: October 30, 1999

Characters:

1) Lindsay Weir

2) Sam Weir

3) Neil

4) Bill

5) Daniel

6) Nick

7) Ken

8) Kim

9) Millie

10) Jeff Russo

11) Harris
12) Alan

It's nearing Halloween, and Mrs. Weir is excited to hand out candy again with Lindsay, who is less than ecstatic, but her mother doesn't catch on. Sam, now in ninth grade, claims he's too old to trick or treat, which his mother doesn't agree with, but his father vehemently does.

Plans, of course, don't work out. When given Crime and Punishment to read for a book report, Sam convinces Neil and Bill to go trick or treating with him. They're a bit old, sure, but feeling like a kid instead of reading Crime and Punishment Halloween night strikes him as a good, likely nostalgic idea. Lindsay, meanwhile, is invited to hang out with Nick, Daniel and Kim (which is done in a way which make Nick's attraction for Lindsay pretty obvious). At first, she declines, but after finding out that Millie has a boyfriend, she decides to join them, potentially hoping to get with Nick.

The night goes well for no one.

Lindsay leaves her mother without any warning, and Mrs. Weir hands out her home-baked cookies herself, though many parents aren't accepting them, as they're not wrapped.

Lindsay's night goes downhill first when Ken is with Nick, Daniel and Kim - instead of a double-date like scenario she was considering, Ken being there makes the whole thing far more casual to her. Not to mention, her suggestions of what to do get shot down by Daniel and Kim, as they simply want to aimlessly drive around, and let what happens happen. Eventually, bored, they decide to raise hell, and beginning smashing pumpkins, hitting mailboxes with bats, and egging kids.

Lindsay, Nick and Ken

Sam, Neil, Bill, and Harris (who has appeared in both previous episodes) are ridiculed by parents, those handing out candy, and even some girls that Neil has a crush on. Worse, they run into Alan, the bully from the Pilot, and he and some friends rough them up a little, leading to a harsh argument between Neil and Sam. Worse still, Sam gets egged by no other than Lindsay and Kim (not knowing it was him). Lindsay tries to apologize to him, and Daniel offers to drive him home, but he runs back himself, very obviously hurt.

Neil, Harris, Sam and Bill

They both get home around the same time, and while Sam doesn't tell their parents that Lindsay was the one responsible, but calls those who did it "dirtbags" while glaring at Lindsay. He then insists he'd not a baby at his mother's concerns, and leaves for his room. After a heart-to-heart with her mother about leaving her to hand out candy herself, Lindsay decides to dress up and finish the night off, but beforehand, speaks to Sam, apologizing. Understandably angry, Sam lets her know that no one thinks she's cool for hanging out with the "freaks," to which she solemnly agrees. Lindsay hands out candy with her mother, and her father talks briefly to Sam, who is reading Crime and Punishment prior to going to bed, choosing to, in a way, leave his childhood behind him.

This episode was far removed from the previous one. Instead of emotional drama insofar as relationships are concerned, this episode focused on the drama within the family.

Let's talk about Mr. Weir, first. Personally, I found him pretty terrible for most of the episode. He wasn't supportive of his wife's interest in Halloween, and also more or less mocked his son when he did decide to go trick or treating. Toward the end, he definitely tried to be more supportive, but overall, I found it pretty weak.

Mrs. Weir's story was perhaps the most disheartening of the episode, I feel. She deeply cares about Halloween, and went all out to celebrate. But when parents actively refuse to accept her cookies, her night goes downhill, and without her daughter by her side, she is very obviously depressed. I am happy that this arch was tidied up nicely, as the final scene really was heart-warming.

Sam trying to hold onto his childhood by trick or treating failed in about every way it could have. I think many of us have had those moments where you weren't sure where you fit on the scheme of things - were you a kid, or ready to grow up? For many people, it's a mix of both. I didn't have much of a childhood, so seeing Sam's childhood pretty painfully ripped away from him was quite sad. More so, I cannot imagine that Sam will easily forgive Lindsay for her actions, and more so, it may change their whole relationship for the rest of the show. Sam's fight with Neil will be far easier to smooth over, but there may be some remaining tension there come the next episode.

For Lindsay, her story is two-pronged - family concerns, and relationship concerns.

She really screwed up by egging Sam, and while it wasn't entirely her fault (she couldn't see who exactly she was egging), you could tell she felt immensely bad about it. Immediately, she wanted to be let out of the car, and go back to Sam. And you could tell the worry was real also - sure, she was scared about getting in trouble, but her apology to Sam, multiple, all had a lot of feeling behind them. With her mother, I think we've all been in a situation in which you don't want to let down a loved one so you grit your teeth and do something you'd otherwise not do. Lindsay's actions her were not ones I could blame, though she did apologize to her mother, and by the end, I think that particular wound had mended.

After finding out that Millie of all people has a boyfriend, though, she is really desperate to get into a relationship. Nick, whom she seems to be at least mildly attracted to, seems a good choice, and I hope that is something she pursues. At the very least, I think she's mostly over Daniel, which is good news for everyone, unless Daniel and Kim break up, and Daniel tries getting with Lindsay. That would be a mess.

Why would Nick be a good partner, though? In this episode alone, he shows his deeply supportive and gentle side. When Lindsay realizes that it's her brother who she egged, Nick is the one who gets people to quit laughing and turn the car around for her. He stood up for her beautifully, though in that moment of panic, Lindsay may not have seen it. Regardless, I do hope for good things in their future.

The rest of the "freaks"? Well, personally, I detest Kim about as much as I detest anyone. While I am sure there are reasons for her bitchiness (her mother, by the sounds of this episode, is one prime candidate), at this moment, it really doesn't allow Kim to be shone in anything than a negative light. I'm sure the time will come when this changes, but I've little pity for her at the moment.

Daniel, I am starting to dislike more and more. He stood up for Lindsay a few times in this episode, but it was more half-heartily and far less passionately than Nick did. While Nick demanded that Daniel let her out of the car after the egging, Daniel was content with just continuing on driving, reasoning that Sam was "fine" and wouldn't be hurt. It just wasn't anything I'd consider impressive, and his character is not one I am much fond of at the moment.

Lastly, as always, Ken didn't really do much. While he laughed at the fact Lindsay egged her brother, he did stop immediately once Nick told him to. Aside from that, he didn't show much character here, which is on par for him.

This episode was quite different than the last one, and initially, I thought it was slightly worse. Not bad by any means, but not as poignant. Upon re-examination, though, I realized that this episode is just as touching as the last one, and in many ways, more so. Again, I give this series' episode my highest rating.


Rating: Superb


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Freaks and Geeks SE01 EP02 - "Beers and Weirs"

Episode Name: Beers and Weirs

Original Airdate: October 2, 1999

Characters:

1) Lindsay Weir

2) Sam Weir

3) Neil

4) Bill

5) Daniel

6) Nick

7) Ken

8) Millie

9) Cindy

10) Kim

11)  Jeff Russo

Lindsay and Sam's parents are going out of town for the weekend, and on the suggestion of Daniel (whom Lindsay has a crush on), who happened to just break up with Kim, Lindsay agrees to throw a party at her house. Bill and Neil overhear this, which causes Neil consternation: he believes that they are bad influences on her, and will ruin her life. More so, as Bill points out, Neil has a bit of a crush on her. Lindsay lets Sam know about the plans, and he promises not to tell their parents. After a school assembly displaying skits about alcohol deaths, though, Sam begins to share Neil's concern about the party, and decides they need to take measures to prevent any shenanigans: they plan to switch out the beer keg with a keg of non-alcoholic beer.

Daniel resting head on Lindsay's shoulder during school assembly

Neil, Bill, and Sam buying non-alcoholic beer

Sam, Neil and Bill are able to switch out the kegs, with Sam and Bill doing the heavy lifting and Neil smooth-talking Lindsay, occasionally awkwardly, though his Sabbath joke was pretty amusing. Daniel, Ken and Nick arrive, and the party begins, Daniel telling her not to be nervous - he knows it'll be great.

Daniel, Nick, and Ken arriving at party

With Bill guarding the beer in Sam's room, Sam and Neil patrol the party, making sure things don't break and people don't do stupid things. The first setback comes in the form of Millie (who in fact participated in the anti-alcohol skit earlier that day), who is immensely uncomfortable in the situation, decides to stay and keep an eye on things, though as she says, she will have more fun then anyone else, sober. Next, older friend's of Daniel arrive, far past high school age, along with Kim. Neil and Sam worry, while watching the party unfold, that while the beer is non-alcoholic, the placebo effect will cause damage to the house regardless. Bill, alone in the room with the keg watching Dallas, begins to drink.

Lindsay catches Daniel looking over her extensive collection of pictures and medal, and while Lindsay acts as though it reflects a past geeky life, Daniel backs up her right to be proud of her achievements, seemingly flirting with her. Millie, being her self-righteous self, begins playing a hymn on the piano when the music cuts off, and while most are annoyed, Nick jumps in and sings with her. Daniel prevents a fight between an older guest and Ken. Cindy, Sam's crush, comes over, and a drunken Bill insists that he show dominance to gain her attraction.

After looking around for Daniel, Lindsay catches him and Kim making out in her bed, thoroughly disgusting and hurting her. She tries to calm down outside, and Nick attempts to comfort her, but while hugging her, undoes her bra-clip, only disgusting her further. Nick immediately apologizes, blaming the fact that he's "wasted," but Lindsay goes back inside and cries in an empty room.

Neil tries to comfort her, telling her that while things may not be working out, she is a beautiful young girl, and is able to do anything she wants. They hug, Lindsay seeking comfort. Wanting the party to end, but afraid to look lame in front of everyone, she's not sure what to do. Neil then comes up with a plan - calling the police, pretending to be a next door neighbor, and shutting the party down. Just as Sam begins talking to Cindy, Neil clears everyone out by saying that the police are outside.

Miserably, Lindsay heads off to bed, telling a drunken Bill that he should get off the floor, as that's how the drummer of Led Zeppelin died.

Millie arriving at party

While on the surface not as substantive as the pilot, Beers and Weirs holds within it some great emotional nuggets worth examining.

First thing's first, though - while I identified the actor playing the father of Lindsay and Sam last episode as one I knew (mostly from Happy Gilmore), it just hit me this episode I knew the mother also. She played one of the characters in the 1999 mini-series Storm of the Century, an extremely good horror story worth watching (and written by Stephen King). Her face just clicked, so I thought it was worth mentioning.

Insofar as the characters go though, who better to start off with than Lindsay? Trying to impress her new friends, and specifically Daniel, was a poor idea, but once it's done, there's only so much you can do to salvage the situation (one of the reasons Neil's solution at the end was quite welcomed). As she bemoaned near the end, her old friends (such as Millie) think that she's throwing her life away, while her new friends believe her to be a goody-two shoes. Lindsay is in a confusing situation, and doesn't know how to move forward. More so, Daniel's misleading behavior in the episode (which I personally feel was clearly flirting) has hurt her deeply, given her crush on him. Where will she go from her? Whatever she may think of Daniel now (though I suspect she'll still harbor feelings for him), at the very least we know that she'll stick with her new friends as opposed to backpedaling into her academically-focused life. She's put too much into it to do otherwise. Down the line, she may even attempt a relationship with Nick, but more on this later. Suffice it to say, the next few episodes should be an interesting trip for us, and a gut-wrenching one for Lindsay.

On Daniel, I am rather mixed. It's not clear if he knew that Lindsay was hosting the party only to impress him, but some glances he gives her, and actions toward her, seem to suggest that. At the very least, he should be aware enough to realize when he lays his head on someone's shoulder, that could be misconstrued as flirting. I don't know if Daniel is intentionally using Lindsay, but even if he is, I don't think it's being done maliciously. If anything, I think he just wants Lindsay to live life a little. If this is his intention, though, he is going about it the wrong way, and at the end of the episode, when he and Kim are leaving the party, there is no indication he feels bad that Lindsay caught the two of them making out on her bad. I'm not overly impressed with his actions, but perhaps they'll be expanded on as the series goes on.

Nick, throughout the episode and the pilot, has been nothing but kind to Lindsay as she's adjusting to her new friends. Showing her his drum set and telling her to pursue her passion was well-done, and here, trying to comfort her outside initially started out well. I do believe the hug was purely well-intentioned, and his actions thereafter due to the placebo effect of being drunk. I do feel he felt quite bad about what he did, indicated further when he attempts to have Sam apologize for him. We know already, though, that Nick is a gentle soul, even if he does make mistakes. When Millie began playing a hymn during the party, Kim openly mocked her. Despite being Kim's friend, Nick joined in with Millie and sang with her, standing up for her when no one else would, and urged others to join in. All-in-all, I hope that Nick is able to apologize properly to Lindsay, because despite all the fuss over Daniel, Nick seems a far better guy.

Millie is someone we don't know much about, but what we do know makes her character a mixed bag. The bad: She is quite judgmental toward those who don't live life the way she does (somewhat similar to Neil, actually), which may be due to her strict religious upbringing. She simply cannot understand why Lindsay would want to throw a party or drink. Now, it's perfectly okay to believe in the straight-edge lifestyle (I myself didn't drink until I got to college), but when she starts pushing that belief in other's faces (as she tries to do at the party), it comes across, rightly so, as annoying. Millie's a sweet girl, and I hope Nick sticking up for her opens her eyes to the fact that what people do to themselves is their choice, and not one that she has the right to dictate. Though I do give her some kudos - she did not call the police on Lindsay, and instead stuck around at the party to make sure things went okay.

To finish off the freaks, though, we have Ken and Kim. Ken, we still don't know a whole lot about, as he's not much of a talker. He did, though, seem to bear no ill-will toward Sam when he revealed that the beer was non-alcoholic, and despite his deadpan, gruff exterior, seems mostly a nice guy. Kim, I'm torn on. Well I can imagine a man being oblivious to how girls take his actions, Kim should have known perfectly well that making out on Lindsay's bed with Daniel was not okay. In fact, I suspect that Kim knows Lindsay has a crush on Daniel, and has known from the beginning. Given that she and Daniel are dating on-and-off, I can understand the jealousy, but the passive-aggressive attitude she displayed at the end of the episode just struck me as catty. I don't much like her character, though I do hold hope that she can become more accepting toward Lindsay as the series drags on.

Sam was pretty on point this episode. While he didn't tell his parents about the party Lindsay was planning, he did, with the help of his friends, work hard to ensure that people at the party would be safe from what he believed to be the dangers of alcohol. Personally, I think it was wrong to switch out the kegs, but I understand fully the reasoning behind it. He is opening up slightly more to Cindy, and if not for Neil's announcement of police, who knows what he might have revealed.

Neil here showed a maturity which I would not have expected from him (though possibly it has something to do with being raised Jewish). Though awkward as it may be for both parties, he is perfectly able to handle a conversation with Lindsay, and more so, able to speak to liquor store owners and get non-alcoholic beer out of it. His crush on Lindsay is cute, and he was a big help to her insofar as clearing the party, so while a relationship is not likely to happen (given age differences, not to mention a plethora of other things), he did show a very mature and sweet side. I think if he had been five years older at least, he could have had some chance. Nonetheless, Lindsay saw him in a different light, and I hope that she remembers he is there for her if need be going forward.

Looking back, that's quite a lot of thought put into this episode, but then again, I felt this episode had a lot packed into it. Overall, I was skeptical a typical house party episode would hold up a match to the pilot, but it did, and did it well. The emotional drama in this episode was high, and Cardellini, the actress portraying Lindsay, was as spectacular as I'd have expected. Insofar as other call-outs to good performances, Martin Starr (Bill) and Sarah Hagan (Millie) did extremely well in this episode, and hope to see them continue to shine.

This was a fantastic episode despite my initial beliefs, and, like the first one, is getting my highest rating.

Quote of the episode:

Jeff Russo [during student assembly]: Now, I know what you're thinking - Mr. Russo, you don't understand. If I don't drink, I won't be cool. Well, you know what I say to that? Maybe if you don't drink, you will be cool."

Rating: Superb


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Freaks and Geeks SE01 EP01 - "Pilot"

Once more, this is another one of those shows that I've never seen, but I've heard only good things about. I've not watched the Pilot yet, but I am expecting it to go over well, and I feel like I'll enjoy the series immensely.

Episode Name: Pilot
Original Airdate: September 25, 1999

Characters introduced:

1) Lindsay Weir
2) Sam Weir, Lindsay's brother
3) Neil, Sam's friend
4) Bill, Sam's friend
5) Daniel, Lindsay's friend
6) Nick, Lindsay's friend
7) Ken, Lindsay's friend
8) Millie, Lindsay's friend, also a "mathlete"
9) Cindy, a cheerleader whom is kind to Sam, and incidentally, who Sam has a crush on
10) Kim, a friend of Daniel's group; dislikes Lindsay
11) Eli, a mentally challenged student who Lindsay stands up for
12) Jeff Russo, the guidance counselor


It's 1980, and in William McKinley High School, located in Michigan, changes are afoot. Lindsay's been going through emotional trouble since her grandmother died, and is veering away from her academically focused past to hang out with burnouts at her high school (the freaks), while her younger brother and his friends (the geeks) are being bullied by an individual named Alan.

Lindsay [Linda Cardellini]

Lindsay helps fend off Alan, so afterward, Sam and his two friends, Neil and Nick, try to find a solution to the problem without involving his sister and looking weak.

Sam (Lindsay's brother) and Bill

Neil (friend of Sam)

At dinner that night, Sam and Lindsay's parent insist they both attend the high school homecoming dance, which neither have interest in doing. Lindsay, however, doesn't have much choice as her father forces her into it. The next day, Lindsay goes out of her way to hang out with Daniel and his friends Nick and Ken, all underachievers, and tries to bond with them. One of the friends, a girl named Kim, calls her a poser for wanting to hang out with them despite being a high achieving student, and despite the protests of Daniel and Nick, smack down her purse. Also in her day, she stands up for a mentally challenged student named Eli, who was being picked on, and invites him to the homecoming dance. The student, being picked on again by different bullies, ends up breaking his arm after trying to get away from Lindsay when she lets him know the bullies aren't being friendly to him, just making fun of him for being "retarded."

Daniel speaking to Lindsay

Ken [Seth Rogan] and Nick

Sam's day hasn't been easier. Alan picks on him some more, and a girl he has feelings for brings him his jacket which he left in chemistry class, leading Neil and Nick to insist he ask her to the homecoming dance.

Lindsay confronting bullies - Eli on far right

Following the incident with Eli, Lindsay meets with the guidance counselor, who, instead of talking about Eli, wants to know why Lindsay no longer has interest in participating in the academic decathlon. Lindsay refuses to answer, and claims that she's perfectly fine. The next class period, Lindsay is noticeably down, and Nick offers to cut their next class and take her back to his place to show her something, thinking it'll make her feel better. What it is happens to be a large drum set, and Nick states that it's his passion, and tell Lindsay she has to find her own passion, or her reason to live. Russo, the guidance counselor, then catches her skipping class, and forces her to work the refreshment table at the homecoming dance as a form of tough love.

Jeff Russo, guidance counselor

Sam, Bill and Neil determine that they have to fight back against Alan if they ever want him to stop harassing them, and plan to fight him later on in the week. At dinner that night, her father chastises her, and her mother states that she should be happy her grandmother wasn't around to hear about her skipping classes. Lindsay than angrily leaves the table after an outburst at her parents.

Sam checks in on Lindsay, and Lindsay lets him know that she was the only person around when their grandmother died, and this has affected her deeply. She also lets her brother know that she thinks he and her friends can take Alan in a fight.

The next morning, Bill and Neil turn out to the place where the fight will take place, and wait for Sam. Sam, however, gets held up when Cindy approaches him, and they chat. Eventually, Sam asks her to the dance - Cindy says she's already going with someone, but will save a dance for him, which Sam seems to accept well. Not being present, Bill, Neil and another individual, Colin, take on Alan, ripping his shirt and causing him to flee, leaving the three boys pretty pleased with themselves, and making Sam happy also when he hears this.

At the homecoming dance, Sam dances with Cindy to "Come Sail Away" by Styx, while Lindsay decides to ask Eli, who is sporting a cast due to his broken arm, to dance, which he happily accepts.

Eli and Lindsay

Cindy and Sam

Everything about this episode was well-done.

I could end the review there, and be perfectly correct, but I'll expand.

The relationship between Lindsay and her brother is beautifully done, and reflects reality pretty accurately. You can tell the two are close, especially when she stick up for him against Alan near the beginning and speaks with him about grandmother later in the episode. Each truly cares for the other, and they showed that well in this opening.

The freaks portion of the show, consisting of now Lindsay, Daniel, Nick, Ken and Kim seem a solid bunch. Daniel is a particularly nice guy, and Nick seems much the same way. I'm torn on Ken (who is played by Seth Rogan, by the way, being his first acting role), but I suspect his deadpan nature will grow on Lindsay, who seemed unsure of him in this episode. The important point is that the three of them are completely non-judgmental toward Lindsay, unlike her other friends such as Millie, her parents, and the guidance counselor. The only exception is Kim, who views Lindsay as a do-gooder "poser" hanging out with them only to rebel against her parents. When Kim saw Lindsay dance with Eli at the end of the episode though, I got the impression that she softened her opinion. I guess that time will tell.

Speaking of Eli, Lindsay standing up for him twice was another fantastic moment which really makes the audience feel for her character. Despite her not living up to the high standards of her parents, Lindsay has a good heart, and standing up for Eli, along with asking him to the homecoming dance, really shows the good values she possesses at her core.

Meanwhile, her brother Sam also has a good set of friends in Bill and Neil, representing the geeks. While we don't know much about them yet aside from Bill being the stereotypical geek, I am hoping that over the series, the three of them can strengthen their bond and become closer and more willing to stick their necks out for each other, something Neil seemed hesitant to do regarding Alan's bullying. Basically, I want to see the three of them mature as a group.

High school for many people was a good time, and for many others, it wasn't. It was a bit of both for me, so I certainly see where Lindsay and her new friends are coming from. What connected to me more, though, was the dodge ball scene. Personally, I hated that game, simply because I had no interest in throwing a ball at classmates. I didn't see the point (and as such, this is how I feel about most competitive sports). I wasn't a bad player, per se - I just had no interest in participating whatsoever. The scene really shows a good perspective of childhood's trials, which many of us forget after we've reached college. Of course, some people really liked dodge ball, but it's important to remember that some people didn't, and the scene shows exactly why there is reason for this.

The theme song and opening, being "Bad Reputation" by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, is a perfect choice. Generally, theme songs and openings don't make an impression on me, but I really liked the way they approached this one. Also, the use of "Renegade" during the fight scene between Alan and Neil/Bill we nice, and the ending dance using "Come Sail Away" was just beautifully done (both "Renegade" and "Come Sail Away" are Styx songs), in my opinion, between showing the dancing between Sam and Cindy along with Lindsay and Eli.

Lastly, on the actors and actresses, there made great choices here. Lindsay's actress, Linda Cardellini, has almost an Ellen Page aura about her, and as Ellen Page is a favorite of mine that's definitely a positive thing. Bill's actor, Martin Starr, did a wonderful job portraying a geeky guy, and you can definitely feel for him, especially when he says that he simply can't see himself going to the homecoming dance. Rogan, in his earliest role, does the typical deadpan act wonderfully, and it's nice to see he's been consistent throughout his career (I'm not a big Rogan fan, but I did rather like Zack and Miri Make a Porno). James Franco stood out also, and I'd like to see where he goes in this role. Lastly, Lindsay and Sam's father, played by Joe Flaherty, did an excellent job, and had some of the funniest lines of the episode (the whole "they died" conversation was deeply amusing). If the name doesn't sound familiar, he was in Happy Gilmore, the one who was paid to distract Gilmore by heckling him. Yep, it's that guy. And he did very well here.

This was simply a fantastic episode and great opening to this series. Based off this, I only expect well-done, above average episodes from here on out, and I hope I won't be disappointed.


Rating: Superb


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