Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

Television is going down the tubes. This is my conclusion after contemplating how long the rare high-quality shows seem to stay on the air these days. I think perhaps I will never quite forgive Les Moonves for pulling the plug on Joan of Arcadia; conversely, if I see one more ad for Fear Factor, I’ll gag. The truth seems to be that audiences in general have little patience for sensitive, intelligent, well-crafted dramas. Or maybe I’m just bitter. Most of my favorite shows were on years ago, so when I find something new that I like, I latch on to it and defend it fiercely. Ironically, one of the best shows on television virtually passed under my radar while it was on, only for me to discover it and fall in love with it long after its untimely cancellation. The show: Freaks and Geeks.

I recall seeing commercials for this program my freshman year of college, and I even saw part of one episode that left the lasting imprint of uber-nerd Bill muttering, “Are we gonna go to Hell for this? I don’t want to go to Hell,” after viewing a porno. I recall finding the show rather odd, and what little I saw didn’t make enough of an impression on me to get me hooked. But in the summer of 2004, my friends Libbie and Dan read about the series on DVD, which had just been released, and were intrigued enough to rent it from the library. I watched one episode, and I was hooked. By the time they returned the boxed set, I had watched half the episodes and considered myself a genuine fan. Every once in a while, I mentioned the show to my family, especially when scenes in another movie, such as Mean Girls or 13 Going on 30, reminded me of one of the episodes. I guess I must have gushed more than I realized because this Christmas, my brother presented me with the boxed set. He headed back to Rochester before he got a chance to watch it, but the rest of my family gathered around on New Year’s to watch the first episode and discover that they liked it just as much as I did. In two weeks, we sat together and watched all 18 episodes, feeling the pangs of loss when there were no more to be seen. I can’t understand how such a brilliant show only lasted one season. But the brevity of its run lends each episode added significance. In the end, it almost feels more like a mini-series; it doesn’t take much longer to watch the entire series than it takes to watch the extended Lord of the Rings trilogy, and although each installment has a distinct storyline, they are deeply interconnected.

So what’s the show? I compare it to The Wonder Years, which I’m now itching to watch again. It’s been years, and although I recall thinking the show got a bit stale as Kevin approached college – one advantage, at least, to Freaks and Geeks’ short run – several episodes had me laughing so hard the tears rolled down my cheeks. One of the predominant features of Freaks and Geeks is its music, but since it takes place from 1980-81, most of it isn’t stuff I particularly care for. I found myself thinking, “Now gee, if this show just took place in the sixties, it would be perfect!” And then: “Oh, yeah, The Wonder Years... “ While not as blatantly nostalgic as that Fred Savage vehicle – there are no voiceovers, for instance – there still is an extent to which we feel we’re getting a peek into someone’s memories, particularly with the portrayal of Harold (Joe Flaherty) and Jean Weir (Becky Ann Baker), parents of the two main characters.

Lindsay Weir (Linda Cardellini) is an intelligent, compassionate beauty whose life was turned on its head when she witnessed the death of her beloved grandmother. The beginning of the series finds her riddled with existential angst, attempting to redefine herself by abandoning the straight-edge crowd for the titular “freaks,” teens who hover on the periphery of high school life but never quite immerse themselves in it. Caring little for grades or sports or traditional notions of popularity, they forge their own path, albeit a rather sordid one compared to what Lindsay is used to. Despite her discomfort with their lack of regard for rules, she is drawn to them initially by an attraction to Daniel Desario (James Franco), a bad boy in the tradition of James Dean. Although her romantic designs are soon thwarted by the acidic Kim Kelly (Busy Philipps), she continues to hang around with this new gang while attempting to figure out who and what she really is. Cardellini infuses the role with just the right blend of timidity and gusto. Her expressions are understated; a small smile goes a long way, especially with the dimples that crease her cheeks. She is very likable, if frustrating. Most of the characters had me shaking my fist at them at some point, but Lindsay takes wrong turns more often than anybody else, it seems; she’s a very good person, and she has a pretty good idea of when she’s doing something she shouldn’t, but she often goes against her better judgment. All a part of growing up, I guess.

Her brother Sam (John Francis Daley) is luckier in that respect because he has a very strong sense of self and two lifelong friends who help him to nurse it. He’s a sweet, puny kid who looks like he belongs in middle school rather than high school. This impression is amplified by the fact that Samm Levine and Martin Starr, who play his best buddies Neal Schweiber and Bill Haverchuck, are three years older than Daley. Sam is the only one of the trio whose voice hasn’t changed, and gloriously gangly Bill, whose awkwardness and massive glasses immediately call to mind Paul from The Wonder Years, towers over both Neal and Sam. We get a large dose of pop culture thanks to these three: Star Trek, The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Bionic Woman, Dungeons and Dragons… They love sci-fi and comedy, and Neal loves to imitate actors in both genres. Each has a favorite actor – William Shatner (Neal), Bill Murray (Bill), Steve Martin (Sam) – but they all agree on who is talented and who isn’t. They’ve been friends so long that they’re practically a family, and though they bicker occasionally no argument can last long. Still, it can be frustrating to be perceived by the high school masses as a loser, and Sam must face bullies, the intimidation of gym class, and a hopeless crush on a cheerleader who seems vastly out of his league. Daley is a very expressive young man, and we’re treated to all sorts of amusing expressions, particularly when he’s disgusted about something, which seems to happen often. When he smiles, it’s an ebullient, toothy grin that makes me think of a chipmunk. Sam’s an incredibly likable kid who reminds me a lot of my little brother.

The cast of the show is simply phenomenal, and there are a couple dozen characters who we get to know pretty well by the end of the series. We learn not to judge from first impressions; the meanest characters have moments of redemption, while the nicest sometimes act like jerks. In the beginning, Daniel comes across as sort of a stereotypical troublemaker, but he’s actually also a very nice guy, and it turns out he rather admires Lindsay for her squeaky clean roots. Kim takes even a more drastic turn throughout the series. Initially, her purpose seems to be to act as an antagonist to Lindsay. She’s coarse and rude and snotty, not to mention the fact that she’s very in-your-face about her relationship with Daniel. But as the show progresses, she mellows out considerably; as much as Mr. and Mrs. Weir might worry about Kim’s influence on Lindsay, in the end Lindsay has a much larger influence on Kim. Jason Segel is adorable as Nick Andopolis, a burnout goofball who’s one of Daniel’s best friends. He’s sweet and polite, if often inarticulate, and he’s passionate, though the depth of his emotion sometimes gets him into trouble. Seth Rogen, who seems to pop up in most of executive producer Judd Apatow’s work, portrays Ken Miller, another of Daniel’s buddies, who spends most of his time on screen not saying a word. When he does speak, an acerbic wit is his most notable characteristic. He seems completely detached from the world around him, though when circumstances call for it he lets his emotion shine through.

Harold Weir is hilarious, almost a caricature of a curmudgeonly dad. He barks at his kids, especially Lindsay, who seems to be going off track, and delights in sharing anecdotes meant to scare them straight. He seems at first like a severe man, but he also has a strong sense of humor and can be very gentle. Most of all, he is utterly devoted to his family, and as we see the difficult family lives of many of the other characters, we come to appreciate just how reasonable a man Harold is and how good Lindsay and Sam have it. Jean is extremely motherly, almost a fifties mom instead of one from the eighties. She’s calm and tender, though not above using guilt to manipulate her children once in a while. Sometimes she’s a bit more involved than her kids would like her to be, but mostly she’s a very nurturing force. Both parents remind me of the Foremans on That Seventies Show, but Jean is less annoying and Harold is not nearly so emptily cantankerous. My dad seemed a bit bothered by how the parents came across and kept asking if that was what we thought of him and Mom, but I thought the Weirs were treated with a great deal of affection and regard and that creator Paul Feig’s parents were honored in the portrayal.

While there are three main geeks and five main freaks, several other students play a significant role. There’s Millie Kentner (Sarah Hagan), Lindsay’s childhood best friend, who is as straight-laced as they come. She reminds me a lot of a girl I know, but even more of Ned Flanders, my favorite character from The Simpsons. She’s extremely square and occasionally judgmental, and in the beginning it seems like we’re supposed to pity her or make fun of her. But we come to realize that in a pinch, Millie is just the sort of person you want in your corner, and ultimately her character is treated with considerable respect. She’s probably my favorite of the semi-major characters. On the geek side, there’s Gordon Crisp (Jerry Messing), an overweight, rather jolly fellow who shares many interests with the geeks but whom they initially avoid because he smells bad. There’s also Alan White (Chauncey Leopardi), who bullies Sam and his friends to mask his feelings of inadequacy, and Harris Trinsky (Stephen Lea Sheppard), a truly bizarre but self-assured teen mystic. Finally, there’s Cindy Sanders (Natasha Melnick), the perky cheerleader with whom Sam is undeniably in love.

And what would a show about high school be without a few memorable teachers? While we see several of them and all have their own unique characteristics (and curiously, Bill, Sam and Neal seem to have every single class together), there are three that really stand out. Mr. Kowchevski (Frank Bennos) is the token teacher everyone seems to despise. He’s ornery and belligerent, and we get the impression he resents almost every one of his students. He’s always hollering at somebody, attempting to make sure not a single rule gets broken. In many ways, he’s like Mr. Weir, but he spends much time as a scapegoat for all the teenage frustrations floating around the school. He’s at his most sympathetic when he’s with the members of the Mathletes, his elite squad of math geniuses of which Lindsay used to be a part. Coach Fredericks (Thomas Wilson) at first seems the typical rough, tough and buff gym teacher out to make life miserable for the less athletic among his charges. He’s a no-nonsense kind of guy, and he’s not opposed to doling out hearty doses of sarcasm. But he’s also an incredibly compassionate person who truly cares about his students and will always go the extra mile to diffuse any problems they might be having. He’s another of my favorite characters, as is Jeff Rosso (David Gruber Allen), the hippie guidance counselor who’s way more involved with his students’ lives than any counselor I’ve ever met. This is a guy who absolutely loves his job and is completely committed to improving the lives of each student who comes his way. He constantly tries to be cool, whether it’s by singing songs or regaling students with stories of his youthful hi-jinks, but his best efforts seems to backfire and he winds up looking dorkier than ever. I had a teacher a lot like Mr. Rosso once, and I always felt bad that he got walked all over much of the time. The students he tries to help might not seem too receptive to his advances, but ultimately I think they must appreciate having someone on the staff who is so willing to help them and try to relate to them. Everybody should have a Mr. Rosso.

I could stop here, but Freaks and Geeks is such a landmark series, and I have so much to say about it, I think some episode recap action is in order. If you’ve never seen the show, you might prefer to skip this part. So without further ado…

1. Pilot – Lindsay gets to know the freak crowd, and it seems like she’s headed for a potential romance with Daniel, who drew her to them in the first place. Meanwhile, Nick seems to have taken a shine to her. Mr. Weir is at his curmudgeonly best as he regales Lindsay with stories of people who smoked, drank or engaged in other dubious activities, all with the same result: death! This introduction to him is one of his funniest scenes in the series. Sam is tired of being picked on by Alan and initiated a showdown. We see Lindsay’s compassionate nature as she tries to stick up for mentally disabled Eli (Ben Foster), and Cindy Sanders shows she’s not your stereotypical stuck-up cheerleader when she takes the time to talk to Sam. Concludes with what is probably my favorite use of music in the series: Come Sail Away playing at the dance where the episode ends on a heartwarming note despite the fact that things haven’t exactly gone as either Lindsay or Sam had initially hoped.

2. Beers And Weirs – I love this episode first and foremost because it emphasizes the bond between Sam and Lindsay and shows how far Sam will go to protect his older sister, much as she tried to defend him in the first episode. Neal is also very sweet in this episode, while Bill is hilarious. Their scheme to thwart the drunken revelry of the party Lindsay is cajoled into hosting (some form of this episode seems a necessity in every show centering around teenagers) is ingenious and amusing. We learn that Bill loves Dallas. Nick shows off his sweet and goofy side by joining Millie in an enthusiastic rendition of Jesus is Just All Right. (Just all right? I would think Millie would describe him in more superlative terms than that…) Sam has two amusing conversations with Ken. Lindsay begins to suspect that Daniel is more trouble than he’s worth. On a random note, it was on this episode that I discovered you can’t skip past the theme song. Well, you can with fast forward, but not a nice clean skip. I tried, and it took me halfway through the episode. Not that I have anything against the opening. The song is perfectly appropriate, and the school picture scenario is clever, though Daniel’s little smirk is oh so irritating. Bill’s dazed look, which concludes the line-up, makes up for it though. Another point of similarity between this and 13 Going on 30. Anyway, good theme song, but it’s not really necessary to watch it every time around. A separate track would’ve been nice.

3. Tricks And Treats – This is a really depressing episode. There’s something inherently disillusioning about Halloween once you reach a certain age, I think. Charles Schulz tapped into the angst of that night, and Freaks and Geeks does it too. It’s sad because Halloween is so fun and exciting when you’re little, but then it sort of loses its luster, and it’s one of those holidays that you can’t really reclaim as an adult, except perhaps through your kids. I feel really sorry for Jean, who is so excited about spending Halloween with Lindsay only to find herself abandoned and facing a mob of parents angry with her for handing out unwrapped treats. Boy, do I remember those lectures. Our teachers had us all half-convinced we were going to keel over from poisoned candy and get drugged up on tainted temporary tattoos. Sam attempts to reclaim the magic of past Halloweens in an effort to stick it to the man, his English teacher who is eager to see him and his peers grow up way too fast, but he fails. Mr. Rosso’s appearance is so brief here as to be a cameo, but it’s a very funny one, which is welcome in such a grim series of events. The episode is deflating, but its events force Lindsay to evaluate the path she is choosing and whether it’s worth hurting those she loves. On an isolated note, the geeks partake in the time-honored ritual of dumping everything in the kitchen in a blender and drinking it. If I had a dollar for every time my brother and cousin did that…

4. Kim Kelly Is My Friend – This episode never aired because it was supposedly too dark, but I don’t really see where it’s out of line with the rest of the episodes. We see Kim’s home life, and it’s pretty dismal, but there’s nothing R-rated about it. Mainly just a lot of yelling. And it’s worth the trip into uncomfortable territory to give Lindsay a reason to be sympathetic and thereby begin to form a friendship with someone who up to this point seemed an enemy. We also see, unsurprisingly, that Lindsay is a lousy liar. Sam defiantly eats a banana in two enormous bites. When he scarfs down dinner and then feels sick, Mrs. Weir fears it’s worms while Mr. Weir comments that if he throws up, it was a waste of a perfectly good piece of veal. Ah, sweet sympathy. Neal is referred to derogatorily as Bilbo Baggins, though I suspect that knowing Bilbo’s name at all might qualify someone for geekdom. Well, maybe they had to read The Hobbit in class. Nick makes off with as many of the Weirs’ fruit roll-ups as he can carry – after asking politely, of course. This episode is packed with great moments, and it’s a shame it never aired.

5. Tests And Breasts – This was the episode I saw when I watched it on the air. Daniel hooks Sam up with a porno after hearing his sob story about getting picked on in sex ed for not knowing anything. The scene where they view the movie is priceless, particularly the nauseated reactions of Bill and Sam. I appreciate the show taking the time to point out that not all teenage boys are sex-crazed maniacs. Mr. Fredericks is marvelous in this one. At first we’re mad at him for singling out Sam in health class and teasing him, but he redeems himself by imparting his wisdom to the very confused student with the Star Trek notebook paper. There are many references to a dirty joke that was a standby when I was in middle school. We never hear it in its entirety, but we get an idea of its raciness from Mr. Weir’s hilarious reaction when Sam tells it. Lindsay tries to help Daniel with his upcoming math test and ends up in way over her head. Daniel causes a whole heap of problems in this episode, and when we see the pathetic way he attempts to stay in the clear after cheating on a test, it’s hard to really pity him – and yet hard not to... Curiously, there seem to be no consequences to the events of this episode.

6. I'm With the Band – The garage band. Another quintessential high school experience. Nick cares more about his drums that just about anything in the world, but the other members of his band are just interested in goofing around and having fun. Lindsay, in an effort to support Nick’s creative endeavors, inadvertently breaks up the band. Seeds of romance bloom between her and Nick, though he is more enthusiastic about the prospect that she is. Mr. Fredericks is once again a source of frustration to Sam as he announces that all students must shower after gym. Self-conscious Sam refuses to comply until a few encouraging words from his parents and some unforeseen circumstances force him to confront his embarrassment. I’m reminded of M*A*S*H here, both the episode in which Hawkeye and B. J. eschew the showers in an attempt to get Winchester to stop playing his French horn and the episode in which Hawkeye walks to breakfast naked on a dare. This is a very funny episode, especially on the geek side.

7. Carded And Discarded – People get really possessive when a new student joins the class. I remember what it was like. We all clamored to be that person’s new best friend. It was all-out war until he or she settled in with the victorious party. Here, the newcomer is Maureen Sampson (Kayla Ewell), a beautiful, spunky transplant from Florida. The geeks hardly dare dream that she will glance their way, but fate is aligned in their favor when they find her sitting at their lunch table and she asks them to show her around the school. Sam gives Cindy the brush-off here, which is disappointing, and the three wind up drawing names to see who gets to date Maureen until it becomes clear their combined forces are required if they are to have any hope of preventing her from being swept away by the cheerleaders. She’s such a nice, down-to-earth girl, it really seems as though she should end up a regular part of the geek crowd. But such is life. We only see her in two more episodes. Eli, meanwhile, makes his second and final appearance. I sympathize with Mr. Weir, who laments the fact that Sam and Lindsay never seem to want to spend time at home with their parents. I wanted to see Sam and Lindsay break down and play Pit with him and their mom, but no such luck. It’s hard to see family time diminished with the onset of teenagerhood. Mr. Rosso shines in this episode, making himself cheerfully obnoxious more often than usual. Lindsay receives a very generous gift from an aunt for her college fund and decides to squander it on fake ID’s for her friends. Daniel declares that he’s not into astrology. There are two very amusing scenes with equally dubious card dealers, but the funniest moment occurs when they get into the club and finally hear the band that they went through all this trouble to see.

8. Girlfriends And Boyfriends – Nick and Lindsay are now officially dating, but Lindsay’s not entirely comfortable with it, and she’s nervous about Nick’s intentions when he invites her to hang out at his house with his parents gone. Millie advises Lindsay with the age-old adage: “Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?” Daniel is disturbingly overenthusiastic about Lindsay dating Nick. Nick sings, not for the first or last time. A strange twist of fate pairs Bill with Cindy in science class, and Sam’s jealousy threatens to overwhelm him. He, meanwhile, is paired with Gordon, much to his aggravation – until Gordon gives him some helpful hints on how to win Cindy’s affections. The geeks quote Airplane!, which hardly comes as a surprise. We discover that Cindy likes cheeseburgers and the Muppets – and that Bill is perhaps overly hung up on people “cutting the cheese.” We also learn something else about Cindy, a less than welcome revelation accompanying her declaration that Sam is easy to talk to – “just like my sister.”

9. We've Got Spirit – Okay, McKinley High School seriously has the scariest mascot ever… We finally get to see an actual game, and it’s about time with all of the cheerleaders coming to school in full regalia practically every day. Unsurprisingly, the freaks couldn’t care less and rather resent all the rah rah shenanigans, but by the end they manage to find as much school spirit as even the most avid sports fans. For the geeks, the big game is the perfect opportunity for Sam to get closer to Cindy, though Neal’s sense of comedy is offended by the lost opportunity to have an audience rolling in the aisles. Though it brings him in closer proximity to Cindy, who seems genuinely pleased to have him on board, being a mascot is not all fun and games for Sam, thanks to the constant nagging by head cheerleader Vicki Appleby (Joanna Garcia). Factor in a monstrously heavy Viking head and the unwanted chemistry between Cindy and team captain Todd Schellinger ((Riley Smith), and you have a recipe for disaster. Things aren’t so good on Lindsay’s front either. The episode opens on her and Nick with Dust in the Wind playing. That can’t be a good omen. Nick is head over heels for her, but she’s feeling smothered and is contemplating breaking up, a move which Daniel and Kim both vocally oppose. Mrs. Weir gets a little too involved in her daughter’s affairs, with funny and sad results. All in all, something of a downer.

10. The Diary – This show is a bit of an anomaly. It really doesn’t advance the storyline at all. There’s no mention of Cindy and only a couple scenes that hint at what Lindsay and Nick’s relationship will be like from now on. This episode almost seems another attempt at Kim Kelly is My Friend. It’s a much more sedate introduction to Kim’s mother (Ann Dowd) than the other episode. We learn that Kim really cares what Lindsay and even Lindsay’s parents think of her. She sees them as a golden family, and she hates to think that they think of her as a “bad banana.” Daniel defends Lindsay’s parents, which ticks Kim off even more but shows he actually has some respect for authority after all. This episode is very sympathetic to Kim, and her desire to prove herself upstanding carries over into the next installment. The geeks once again have trouble in gym class. Bill is frustrated because he always gets picked last for teams. Boy, can I relate. But it really bothers him because he’s convinced he could be good if given the chance. In frustration, he decides to prank call Mr. Fredericks. It’s interesting to see how the coach deals with these intrusions into his personal life. I find it amusing that he manages to remember Bill’s semi-coherent rant word for word, and his line-up of voices to catch the culprit is most entertaining. Watch for Neil gleefully imitating Shatner. What’s really telling, though, is that once he realizes what’s behind the complaint, Mr. Fredericks’ irritation melts away, leaving only sympathy for Bill’s plight. You would think the residual effects of this would have some impact later on when Bill finds himself forced to see his coach far more often than he would like. Oh well. I think Mr. Fredericks is awesome. The titular object is Lindsay’s, but it affords an opportunity for Mr. and Mrs. Weir to reevaluate their interaction with one another when they read it and receive some unwanted insights into their own behavior. Mr. Weir plays with his food; Mrs. Weir berates him for not clearing the table. Kim declares, upon her return to the Weir household, “Your parents are swingers!” The moral: Read your teen’s diary. It will spice up your marriage.

11. Looks And Books – Lindsay gets into a car accident when Daniel and the gang guilt her into stealing her parents’ car for the evening. Does she even have her license? She doesn’t drive in any other episode, and she certainly is a crummy driver here. At any rate, she’s so fed up with her new friends getting her into trouble all the time that she decides to go back to her old crowd. She looks lovely and demure in full Millie regalia, and it seems that the sweet square is about to return. Unfortunately, hanging around with the good crowd brings out the worst in her. She becomes fiercely competitive, to the extent that her main interest in the Mathletes is in trouncing Shelly Weaver (Alex Breckenridge), the obnoxious star team member. She doesn’t want to participate if she can’t be the most important person. Lindsay is very aggravating in this episode after an initial spurt of good sense. On the plus side, we get to hear her tell a really lame math joke. This is one of three episodes in which Millie has a lead role, and all three portray her sympathetically. She’s so sweet here, and it’s sad to see her get her hopes up that maybe things will be the way they used to be between her and Lindsay, knowing that Lindsay is fundamentally different now. Kim continues to be really irritated at the notion that Lindsay is too good for her. She and Daniel both are motivated to become better people. Sam, faced with the dreadful reality of Cindy dating Todd, decides to feather his hair. When that fails to impress her, he and Bill go shopping and come out with a powder blue Parisian night suit, which can’t be a good thing. Mr. Rosso has a heart-to-heart with Sam for a change. Lindsay realizes she can’t pull off her old image anymore, and Sam decides that it isn’t worth changing his appearance to impress Cindy, especially since it doesn’t seem to be working.

12. The Garage Door – Taciturn Ken finally shows some interest in something when he bandies insults with band geek Amy Andrews (Jessica Campbell). It’s sweet to see him acting so shy and awkward, genuinely worried about whether or not the first girl he’s ever had a crush on will reciprocate. Nick still can’t accept that Lindsay is over him, and Lindsay can’t seem to shake him. Both get some not so helpful advice from Daniel and Kim, respectively, on how to act around each other. We’re treated to a laser light show, and it’s quite different than we expect. By the way, Laserdomes seem pretty cool. Wish Erie had one. Then again, I can’t honestly ever see myself going… This episode is really about the geeks, though, and Sam’s awful realization that Neal’s congenial, funny, super-cool dad (Sam McMurray) is apparently having an affair. Though he initially accuses Sam and Bill of lying out of jealousy, Neal finds some evidence to support Sam’s theory and rallies his two buddies in a quest to find his dad out. Incidentally, if you know something about your best friend’s dad that he’d rather you didn’t, and he knows you know, it’s awfully unfortunate when said dad happens to be your dentist. The geeks are gaga over Atari in this episode. How far we’ve come since those days. Yes, I played Atari. I admit I was rather impressed myself. There’s a very poignant scene between Sam and his parents in which Sam comes to appreciate just how lucky he is to have such stability in his family life. It’s a bittersweet episode with two distinct threads, both of which will be picked up later.

13. Chokin' And Tokin' – We see just how dependent Nick is on the marijuana of which we always see the effects. Lindsay hopes a pot shortage will help him kick the habit, while seeing Nick’s state prompts Daniel to swear off pot himself, prompting an amusing object lesson with Mr. Rosso. Having nothing but disgust for Nick’s addiction, Lindsay finally decides to try the wacky tobacky once just to see what all the fuss is about. Viewers are duly warned: Never babysit while stoned. It’s Millie to the rescue here, and it’s sweet and inspiring the way she nurses Lindsay through her drug-induced paranoia. “You’re on the pot!” she scolds initially, but concern for her old friend overrides the instinct to chastise her. Later, she reassures Lindsay, “You are not this dog’s dream!” Millie’s affectionate interaction with this dog, heretofore unbeknownst to her, foreshadows her plight in the next episode. Lindsay, meanwhile, finally appreciates what a good friend Millie is, though it isn’t clear whether she’ll remember this revelation. On the geek front, Bill’s fabled peanut allergy rears its ugly head after he mentions it in class and Alan decides to call his bluff by sneaking peanuts into Bill’s sandwich at lunch. This is an unfathomably stupid thing to do, and it’s scary to think how easily something like that could be managed. One would hope a student would have enough sense not to try it. Sam and Neal are both acting a bit like jerks before Bill’s accident, but his life-threatening situation puts things into perspective and they contemplate how devastating it would be to lose their best friend, however geeky he is. The whole trouble started because he was so gaga over his teacher; the odd part is that she seems to be gaga over him too, but this is the last time we see her. We get some nice insight into what motivates Alan here, and Bill displays genuine class in the face of such mistreatment. Too bad it doesn’t carry over into the next episode.

14. Dead Dogs And Gym Teachers – One of my favorite episodes. There’s so much memorable stuff here. Mr. Weir listens with mounting alarm to an album by The Who; after reluctantly giving Lindsay permission to attend their concert, he warns Lindsay to keep the boys away from her “accordion.” Nick displays as much prowess with the guitar as he has with the drum. His songwriting attempts are similarly noteworthy. Get this man a Grammy! Seriously, though, he may be pathetic and not overly talented, but I think his song is actually halfway decent and would be very sweet under other circumstances. Neal declares M*A*S*H unfunny and Sam makes an uncharitable comment about Radar’s fingers; after considerable stewing, I graciously forgive them. Ken does something unexpected that proves the depth of his friendship with Nick. Bill faces a personal crisis when he learns his mom is dating his least favorite teacher – Mr. Fredericks. Now, I understand that Bill has had some bad experiences in gym class, but Mr. Fredericks is ultimately as understanding a teacher as anyone could hope for. I wonder if Bill’s reaction would have been as strong no matter who his mom brought home. I suspect his anger stems mostly from the intrusion in his routine and the idea that his mother’s affections are now divided. And of course, it does make for some awkward situations at school. I feel sorry for Bill, especially because of how suddenly his mom springs this on him and how quickly his teacher becomes a regular part of his home life. But I also feel sorry for Mr. Fredericks. Bill seems utterly unwilling to give him a chance even though his teacher is obviously trying very hard, albeit clumsily, to reach out the boy who could one day be his stepson. The fact that they have virtually nothing in common certainly doesn’t help matters any. At least Sam sticks up for Mr. Fredericks in the face of Bill’s bad-mouthing. As well he should. Alan also sticks up for Bill in gym class. Sadly, this is the last appearance of both Alan and Mr. Fredericks. It’s also curtains for Millie, but at least she gets a dramatic exit. After Kim, with Lindsay in the passenger seat, accidentally hits and kills Millie’s dog Goliath – not realizing it until Millie tearfully recounts the aftermath of the incident the next day – she is wracked with guilt. This is by far the sweetest we’ve ever seen Kim, and while there’s an extent to which she’s simply trying to assuage her guilt for her role in Goliath’s death without fessing up to her involvement, she’s mostly sincere and genuinely sympathetic to Millie’s situation, especially since she once experienced the death of a beloved dog herself. Just as grief over her grandmother sent Lindsay spiraling into a tailspin, so Millie finds herself losing a grip on her grades and wanting to act out for the first time in her life. As strange as it is to see Lindsay in a sweater and skirt, it’s downright jarring to observe Millie in a t-shirt and ripped jeans. We never know just how far Lindsay will delve into the lifestyle of the freaks, but it’s a pretty safe bet from the get-go that Millie won’t stay there long.

15. Noshing And Moshing – When somebody decides to take up ventriloquism, can trouble ever be far behind? Dummies seem to bring out the worst in people. What a ventriloquist wouldn’t dare say himself, he’ll put into the mouth of his dummy and absolve himself of the blame. Naturally, when Neal decides to take up this venture following his discovery of his dad’s infidelity, it leads to problems. Neal keeps everything shut up, but his “piece,” as he insists his friends call it, tells things the way they are. His anxiety over whether to tell his mother what’s been going on is compounded when his brother Barry (David Krumholtz) comes home for a visit from college and advises him to keep his mouth shut and preserve the status quo. Barry seems like a nice enough guy with strong echoes of Benjamin in The Graduate, at least in terms of his frustrations with being hassled by his parents’ friends over what major he’s going to declare. Evidently there was the potential for a relationship between him and Lindsay before he went to college, and both are more than happy to renew that possibility upon his return, which is even more cause for angst in Neal, whose adoration of Lindsay has been a subtle but recurring theme throughout the series. Lindsay is detached from the freak gang in this episode, but the alternate strain goes on without her, focusing mainly on Daniel. We see just enough of his home life to get the sense that it’s considerably less than ideal. In trying to be a good son, he inadvertently leaves Kim in a bind, resulting in an argument that leads to their break-up. On the rebound, Daniel sets his eyes on a punk girl he once had a crush on who dropped out of school the year before. Hoping to impress her, he drags Nick and Ken to an rage-filled party after going to great lengths to alter his appearance, most notably his hair. Daniel is unusually vulnerable in this episode. It’s interesting to see him feeling so out of his element and realizing how much he depends on Kim for support, even if she does often drive him crazy.

16. Smooching And Mooching – On the geek side, this is perhaps the happiest episode of all. Events that took fifteen episodes to set up are finally set into motion. These last three are strange because they came after the word that the series was cancelled. Things probably would have progressed differently had there been another season, or even the possibility of another season. But now was the time to try to tie everything up, and that meant Sam finally getting together with Cindy. They’re both adorable in this episode, fumbling delicately toward that idyllic first date. Neal takes a backseat here, but Bill shares the spotlight with a surprising person. A triumph for the geeks overall. Life is tough for Nick, whose hard-core Army dad (Kevin Tighe) confiscates his prized drum set. Incensed, he moves out but quickly wears out his welcome at Daniel’s house, and Kim’s and Ken’s are out of the question. Whose doorstep should he grace, then, but Lindsay’s? Polite as always, he comments on how good dinner smells and offers his analysis of what’s cooking: “Meat?” Lindsay is surprised and somewhat miffed to see her dad embrace Nick with open arms, spending quality time with him and treating him more gently than he seems to treat her. Some good father-daughter moments here, not to mention a charming scene of Nick dancing with Mrs. Weir.

17. The Little Things – The big ballyhoo over this episode is the shocking development in the Ken storyline, but it ultimately is a very small part of the whole, and it’s handled so tastefully as to scarcely merit a raised eyebrow. Ken’s still head over heels for his now-girlfriend Amy, but he’s thrown for a loop when she informs him that she was born with both male and female parts. Incidentally, we get an interesting bit of insight into Ken’s life when he reveals that he was raised by a nanny. At any rate, Amy’s revelation sends Ken into a crisis, and confiding in Daniel and Nick doesn’t help matters any, though his own insecurity is at fault. Both friends, especially Daniel, act honorably after being told this strange secret, but Ken begins to see ridicule and uncertainty everywhere, which leads him to act in such a way as to jeopardize his first romantic relationship. His scene with Sam in the bathroom is sweet and simple, just the ticket to give him some perspective. But now that Sam’s long-time dream has become a reality, he finds that it’s not quite what he’d imagined it would be, and this is a source of grave disappointment, not only for him but for audiences. Cindy Sanders got shafted. Yes, there’s an extent to which it is reasonable to assume a girl might act differently around a guy once they are going out. But they’ve only been dating for a few days, presumably. They still ought to be in the Honeymoon period. And she certainly shouldn’t do a 180 on him. Cindy is sweet and considerate throughout the whole series. She’s a worthy object of Sam’s affections. I get that they wanted to show how we build up fantasies around people and sometimes they’re not true, and they wanted to demonstrate Sam being true to himself when someone he idolizes wants him to change, but the alterations we see in Cindy’s character are much too abrupt. It’s a rush job that leaves the final episode clear for Sam to come full circle. Understandable, but still disappointing. And Sam’s timing at the end could hardly be worse. On a side note, my brother finds it unlikely that someone could love the Muppets and hate The Jerk. Plot hole? I think that’s stretching it. But I certainly love both. Coldest line Cindy utters: (after Sam offers to buy her popcorn halfway through The Jerk) “Will popcorn make this movie funnier?” Lindsay goes head-to-head with George Bush, though we don’t actually get to see him. We do see Ben Stiller, as a secret service agent with a career crisis, but the cameo is too little too late. Mr. Rosso is impressive once again in this episode, and he finally manages to win Lindsay’s respect. His unwavering faith that Lindsay is the right person to open the questions following the vice president’s address to the student body stirs her out of apathy and provokes some deep thought that seems crushed when her question is rejected and a worthless new one assigned to her. Her parents’ urging to use the platform as an ad for Mr. Weir’s store doesn’t make matters any better. But upon learning first-hand how dedicated Mr. Rosso truly is to reasonable, intelligent discourse between politicians and students, she manages to find the right words. Perhaps all that guidance helped a bit after all. As the credits roll, I imagine him brushing the hair out of his eyes and remarking to himself, not for the first or last time, that he has the best job in the world.

18. Discos And Dragons – This is a strange last episode in that all sorts of new elements are introduced. Suddenly Nick has a new girlfriend, Sara (Lizzy Caplan). We’ve seen her before, but only briefly, and they can’t have been dating long but act as though they’ve been together forever. Of course, that’s the way Nick does things. He’s obsessive, and once he’s in, he’s in for keeps. Still, he seems a little too intent on showing just how willing he is to let Sara run his life, and ultimately it seems she’s Faramir to his Eowyn; “Well, if I can’t have Lindsay, I’ll settle for this other girl who has a crush on me.” How flattering. I don’t see this relationship working out, and I suspect Nick’s love affair with disco will be similarly short-lived. Kim and Daniel scarcely see each other in this episode, and when they do, they bicker. It seems they’re on the outs at the end, but are we to assume they make it up as they always do? I imagine. We get to see Lindsay’s weirdo no-neck English teacher (Ron Marasco) one more time. He’s way too excited about the fact that Lindsay has been chosen to participate in an academic summit, which should indicate to us that she’s not going to be so enthused. Mr. Rosso tries to encourage her to take advantage of the opportunity but unintentionally provides her with the perfect alternative when he lends her a Grateful Dead album for inspiration. This, too, is strange because Lindsay suddenly falls in love with a band and meets these heretofore unseen characters, and all at once they are a major force in her life. Let’s have some consistency! But they wanted the characters in different places, so that’s what we get. By far the most satisfying thread for me is the geeks’. We get to see their own little paradise in school, their anti-gym: audio-visual. Contemplating the dim futures of the jocks and watching Monty Python? Not a bad deal. Still, Sam is growing discontented with his geeky identity, and when his friends despair at the addition of Daniel to their merry group – a consequence from Mr. Rosso of attempting to set off a fire alarm – he defends him and tries to welcome him in. To general shock, Daniel accepts their invitation to join them for a game of Dungeons and Dragons one evening. Even more surprising: he’s actually good at it. As Sam and the gang contemplate, does this mean Daniel is getting geekier or they’re getting cooler? Ultimately, it is symbolic of the metamorphosis each character undergoes throughout the series. Changing and yet staying the same, awakening to the potentialities of decency and meanness in each of us. Trying to figure out who they really are, and never really arriving at a definitive conclusion but always striving for that elusive sense of self-actualization. For Daniel as for the rest of us, that journey is only beginning.

Freaks and Geeks is a truly remarkable show, and while I mourn the episodes that could have been, I acknowledge that a poignancy and immediacy has taken the place of a long run. There was no time for stale storylines. Every episode matters. So many of the major issues high schoolers must face are skillfully broached in this series, it is ideal for families to watch together in order to spark important discussions. As my family can attest, it can be enjoyed equally across the board. While there is a larger, much more expensive set containing two extra disks full of special features, each episode here features deleted scenes. While some vary little from what we’ve already seen, several are utterly absent from the episode and lend considerable insight, or at least provide a few more laughs. One or two commentary tracks grace each episode as well, from the usual cast and directors to parents of the actors and even fans. This is a classy set through and through. Give yourself a chance to fall in love with the show and relive the joys and the tribulations of a tumultuous time in most people’s lives. Or if you’re just coming up on those years, take it as a warning and a word of good luck. You have quite a ride ahead of you.

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD