Freaks and Geeks - E06

I'm With the Band
First Aired: Saturday November 13, 1999

Nick's future is in jeopardy and he is trying his hardest to make it as a drummer. Lindsay tries to help, but ends up messing things up. Sam is ordered to take a shower in gym class, but he continually tries to duck out of them.

The episode opens with showing Nick pantimoining to a live recording while playing his drum kit. His father comes downstairs and shakes his head disapprovingly. The next day, Lindsay goes to hear his band play, but everyone bails when Nick's father wishes to talk to him. Lindsay stays and overhears the conversation. His father is going to send him into the Army when he is eighteen if he doesn't keep a C+ average. Lindsay tells Nick that they need to practice more and that they currently aren't that great. When the band gets together the next day, Nick brings this up and the band becomes disgruntled after having to perform "Sunshine of Your Love" six times. Ultimately, the band dissolves and Lindsay is to blame. All of the friends are at odds now the next day. Lindsay tries to rectify it by showing Nick a "drummer wanted" flyer for a local band. He goes to try out, but finally realizes he is way out of their playing league. To reassure him, Lindsay kisses him in the parking lot. The next day, all of the friends are talking again and Nick is more at ease with things. However, Kim talks with Lindsay about how Nick told people he and her had sex, leading to a confused Lindsay.

In the other story line, Sam's gym class is told by their gym teacher that they must all now take shows afterwards. Sam continues to refuse to do so, even getting Bill and Neil to join him in protest the first day. The following day, however, they relent and go to take shows. They are summarily harassed by the bigger kids with towel slaps. Sam finally does agree to take a shower, but on the way there, he is waylay-ed by his bully Alex. The bully pushes Sam out into the halls and then takes his towel. Sam then sprints around the school trying to get to his locker, but ends up back in the gym area where the teacher is flirting with another teacher. Sam is depressed about his ordeal and his bully confronts him after school about it. However, a car of football players and cheerleaders come by and applaud Sam's "ballsy" move. His bully leaves in a huff since Sam feels better now.

This was a good episode, a bit better than the couple of previous ones. I think it was and interesting story line for Nick and progressed his character. One thing I don't enjoy too much is that previous episodes aren't ever addressed, it seems. Lindsay and Dan are friends again even though she laughed in his face during the cheating episode. I am also sure nothing will come of Nick's "boasting". As for the Sam story, I think this is a common theme is sitcoms dealing with young boys, so I wasn't terribly impressed with it. Bill and Neil did have some great lines, though.

Score: 3 / 5

Freaks and Geeks - E05

Tests and Breasts
First Aired: Saturday November 6, 1999

Lindsay offers her services to Daniel so he can pass an algebra test, but things don't go as planned as they are accused of cheating. Sam and his friends decide to learn about sex the hard way; by watching a porno.

This episode began with Sam and his friends in health class. Bill and Neil are being disruptive and it is Sam who tries to quiet them done. However, he turns out to be the one who gets into trouble. The health teacher gets frustrated enough that he makes Sam go up to the front and teacher about the female reproductive system. Sam is unable to but is called Doctor Love is jest. Daniel is having the same type of trouble, but he is jeopardy of failing algebra. Later at lunch, he tells Lindsay this and she offers to help him study that evening. Sam, while trying to talk with his crush Cindy, is taunted by other males by being called Doctor Love. He and he friends then try to figure out a perverted joke, even trying to tell other people and get it explained to them. That evening, Daniel shows up, but is miffed when he finds out Lindsay actually wants him to study instead of learn "shortcuts". As he goes outside to smoke, he sees Sam trying to read the sex education book, and offers to help him with something tomorrow. Dan leaves shortly after. The next day, he steals the test and asks Lindsay to help him fill it in, but she refuses by trying to get him an extension. When the teacher is rude about that, she agrees and Dan passes, which sends up a red flag with the teacher. He accuses Dan and Lindsay of cheating. Dan lived up to his promise to help Sam, though it wasn't what he expected. He gave same a 35mm porno. Neil offers to have Sam and Bill come over to watch it, but when they do, Sam and Bill become disgusted. The next day, Sam can't even talk to Cindy without being embarrassed. The health teacher pulls him aside after class because Sam had submitted some odd questions anonymously, but the teacher was able to tell who it was. He then proceeded to disclose secretly what he could to Sam about sex. Back with Lindsay and Daniel, she keeps flip-flopping about whether to admit it or not. Dan even gives her a sob story about how he was labeled dumb when he was in sixth-grade. When they are in their meeting, the teacher said he will dismiss the charges if Dan can do the first problem. Of course, he can't and instead writes "LED ZEPPELIN". When the teachers and parents start to get upset, he comes into his sob story that he had told Lindsay. Before anyone can say anything at the end of it, Lindsay begins to laugh uncontrollably because she realized how badly Dan has been playing her.

I enjoyed the episode, but I still felt like it was average. I understand that the humor, if there is any, is suppose to be subtle. The show seems like it has become more and more serious with each episode, and though that is not a bad thing, I think the comedy they did have in the show's pilot and even second episode were what made it great. I figured before that Dan is really good at manipulating people, but I didn't think he would do it this soon to Lindsay. At first, I wanted to feel bad for him, but now I am beginning to realize just about everything he says is a lie. As for Sam's story, I think that was pretty good from the awkward side of things. It was cool to see Tom Wilson as the sex education teacher, since I remember him mostly from the Back to the Future movies. I think his ending was good with the teacher giving him the whole truth about sex. So, overall I enjoyed Sam's story more than Lindsay's.

Score: 3 / 5

Freaks and Geeks - E04

Kim Kelly Is My Friend
First Aired: Tuesday September 5, 2000

Lindsay has been trying very hard to be nice to Kim, but Kim keeps putting her down or she is bitchy towards her. On the verge of giving up trying, Kim asks Lindsay to come to her house for dinner.

Ever since the first episode, Kim has been nothing but hostile towards Lindsay and her intrusion into their clic. After she talks to Nick about it, Kim asks her to come over to her house for dinner that night. Worried Nick said something, she doesn't know what to say but agrees anyway. Sam has been having trouble with Kim's one friend, Karen, who started berating him when Sam confused their lockers. Karen starts to write demeaning stuff on his locker so that he will remember. When he tries to write over the latest one, a teacher sees, thinks Sam did it, and tells him to write a paper for the next day. Lindsay goes to Kim's home, which is a total madhouse, and learns that Kim is only using her to show her parents she has a "normal" friend. Also, she has been using Lindsay as an excuse on weekends. When Lindsay slips up, the two girls have to make a frantic exit from the premises. Going to find Dan, they instead notice him being very touchy-feely with Karen, so Kim proceeds to try to run him over. The girls retreat to Lindsay's home, where Kim is treated nicely, though awkwardly, by Lindsay's parents. Eventually, Dan shows up and the two make up. The next day in school, Kim had written "SLUT" on Karen's locker, which Sam thanked her for.

This was another average episode of the show. There were some good parts, but overall I felt this was more just awkward humor then anything. It was fun trying to figure out if Kim is being sincere or not and I am interested in just what will happen in the next feew episodes. One thing this episode was missing was more Bill and some of Seth Rogen, which might have been the downfall of the episode.

Score: 3 / 5

Freaks and Geeks - E3

Tricks and Treats
First Aired: Saturday October 30, 1999

In this Halloween themed episode, Lindsay wishes to be with her new friends for the evening, but her mother is psyched to spend the night with her handing out candy. Sam wants to go trick-or-treating after finding out he has to read Crime and Punishment.

Around the Weir table, the family discusses Halloween. Their mother wonders why Sam no longer wants to trick-or-treat, but he tries to make it clear he is fourteen and in high school now. She is still excited about spending the night giving out candy with Lindsay, though. At school, Lindsay joins the "freaks" at lunch and Daniel tries to get her to go out with him, Kim, and Nick for the evening. She refuses because she wants to spend it with her mother. Later on in the day, she sees her old friend Millie kissing a guy. It is revealed that Millie met a boyfriend at bible camp and she didn't want to tell Lindsay because she didn't have one. Lindsay becomes upset and goes to tell the guys she is going out with them. Elsewhere, Sam and his friends have to read half of Crime and Punishment by Monday. This seems to make Sam have the resolve to be younger again, so he tries to get his buddies to go trick-or-treating with him. On Halloween, Lindsay tries to brooch the subject, but things keep getting in the way. Finally, she just leaves when Dan shows up. While she is out doing mischievous things, Sam and his friends meet resistance around every corner, including from their bully. The last straw is when Lindsay unknowingly pelts him with eggs. Lindsay comes how quickly, but Sam doesn't tell on her. Their mother is upset that Lindsay didn't come to her to tell her about Halloween. The episode, however, ends with Lindsay dressing up anyway and helping her give out candy while Sam begins to start reading Crime and Punishment.

This was a good episode, little above average. I think it was a building block for Sam most of all, since it really isn't spelled out to the viewer, but it seems Sam does a double take. He tries to become a kid again in order to get out of having to be grownup and read the book his class was assigned. By the end of the episode, though, he has resigned himself to his fate and begins to read the book. I am not really sure if Lindsay grew much in this episode. She runs from her roots of helping her mother, but comes back in the end. The constant "toe in"/"toe out" of water is disrupting her with who she is trying to figure out she really is. She at first gives herself up to be bad with Daniel and his friends, but then retracts fast once she sees the damage she has cause her brother. She wants the best of both worlds (of the brain and of the freak/cool), and she can't see to find an equal balance. I find myself enjoying her brother's parts more than hers, which was not the case with the first episode. While watching this, I get a feel of Dawson's Creek, but with a hardnosed edge, which I like. Also, I want Lindsay to slap Kim ... 'nuff said.

Score: 3 / 5

Freaks and Geeks - E02

Beers and Weirs
First Aired: Saturday October 2, 1999

When Lindsay and Sam's parents go out of town, they leave the children alone instead of getting a babysitter. Words gets around and Lindsay ends up hosting a kegger while Sam tries to stop it from happening.

The episode begins in the Weir household where the family argues about whether Sam and Lindsay need someone else to watch them while the parents are out of town. Lindsay ultimately convinces their parents to let them alone. In school, Lindsay mentions the party in passing to the "freaks" and they suggest having a kegger. Lindsay agrees due to the snarky nature of Kim, who had apparently broken up with Dan. Lindsay tries to get same to keep quiet, but he is worried their father will be mad at him if he doesn't tell on her. Sam and his friends try to devise a plan to stop the party from getting out of hand. Bill gets the idea of replacing the keg of beer with the non-alcoholic kind. They are successful in doing so, but as the party goes on, the guests don't seem to notice any difference as they seem to get wasted anyway. Millie, Lindsay's old friend, shows up as well and vows to have fun sober. Cindy also shows up to Sam's delight. A bit later on, Lindsay is looking for Dan and stumbles into her room to find him and Kim making out. She retreats outside since she is upset and talks with Nick, who tries to unhook her bra. Disgusted, she goes to her parents room. There, Sam's friend Neil consoles her and suggests that they call the cops to make the people in the house scatter. She worries at first but then he lets he know it is non-alcoholic beer. As Sam lets out the call, everyone scrambles to leave. The episode ends up with Bill, who had started drinking from the real keg while watching Dallas, passed out on the floor being kicked lightly by Lindsay.

I think this was a good follow up to the pilot. This episode seemed about 75% drama and 25% comedy. I think I like it a bit more than the pilot because it was more human. While certainly not the most original idea for an episode, I believed it showed a good progression of Lindsay's character, of how she feels for Dan, and of how both Neil and Nick have feelings for her, even though the latter is her younger brothers friend. One of the things I personally enjoyed the most were the references to the time period, including Dallas (hahaha, "Dallas rules") and the mention about Jon Bonhman dying.

Score: 4 / 5

Freaks and Geeks - E01

Pilot
First Aired: Saturday September 25, 1999

Focusing on a high school in Michigan, we see the lives of two siblings play out; Lindsay, who has just recently shed her "brainy" station in life to hang out with the freaks of the school, and her brother Sam, who is lumped with the geeks of the freshman class.

The series opens in a high school in Michigan where Lindsay Weir looks to try to integrate with the freaks of the school. However, she ends up helping her brother and his geek friends from being harassed by a freshman bully. We learn that their parents wish them to go to the Homecoming dance in order to better socialize, since Lindsay has been slipping into darkness and Sam is becoming too much of a geek. Lindsay eventually starts to interact with the freaks, but she is shown hostility by Kim, the other female of the group. Though there is this female rift, the guys still try to be nice to Lindsay. Elsewhere, Sam's bully continues to harass him and his friends try to convince him that Cindy, a pretty freshman cheerleader, is in love with him. Lindsay, trying to be a good person, asks the "special" person in school to the dance when she sees him being harassed. Later, when she sees him being harassed further, she tries to help again but enrages him when she says he is retarded. The boy runs away, but ends up falling and breaking his arm. Afterwards, the guidance counselor tries to get Lindsay to rejoin the Math-eletes, but she doesn't want to. When she later skips school with one of the freaks, he sees them and tries to blackmail her into joining the Math-aletes. She still refuses and he rats her out, making her serve refreshments at the school dance. That night, she reveals to her brother that she had been their when their grandmother died. She is jaded now because she was convinced her grandmother didn't see anything related to Heaven, like God or a bright light. The next day, Sam and his friends, who are also now targets of the bully, decide to have a showdown. Sam is caught up talking to Cindy, though, so his friends are left on their own. While they aren't able to beat him up, they do scare off the bully. Sam asks Cindy to the dance, but she is already going with someone but will save a dance for him. Sam is happy besides this because his friends stood up for him. In the end, Lindsay is serving the refreshments but does dance with Eli anyway. Cindy and Sam also dance.

I had heard about this show a number of times over the years, but never ended up seeing it. I wasn't convinced too much within the first 10-15 minutes, but after that, I started to really enjoy the show. The thing I like about the humor was it as sometimes subtle and those moments were I ususally chuckled the most. In particular, I liked the idiocy of Seth Rogan and Martin Starr. I really started to like Linda Cardellini's character about halfway through and I kind of understand what she is doing with her high school life. The directing and filming were good and on par with this sort of dramatic show. I can see why this may not have succeeded, as it looks like it would be more targeted towards the teen through thirty year olds, but some of those people might not get some of the stuff. Overall, after the shaky beginning, this turned into something that I wanted to watch the next episode of right away.

Score: 8.6 / 10