Work in Progress

This blog is definitely a work in progress (and so is the show at this point).

This post covers episodes two and three of Freaks and Geeks, and yes, I am aware that it is way, way, way, way, way too long. I'll work on brevity in future posts, and I would't be offended if you only read the first or second part of this post; in fact, I'd be relieved if you spent your time looking at other blogs instead of reading the entirety of this 1000+ word post.

However, there are a lot of lessons to be learned here, and a lot of great music, as well as some funny quotes. Enjoy!

(I definitely suggest watching the show before reading the post. It's great TV and it's better than reading a summary!)
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Episode 2: Beers and Weirs
LESSONS TO BE LEARNED
Being cool isn't the same as being happy.
Lindsay learns things the hard way in this episode when she throws a party against the advice of mostly everyone she knows. Though everyone at the party has a great time and everyone thinks she's really cool for throwing the party, she isn't happy. She learns that being considered cool isn't going to make her feel any better, and that she would probably be happier if she had just done what she wanted to do. Basically, do what makes you happy without considering the opinions of others and you'll be better off for it.

You're never on your own, even if it feels like you're totally alone.
Lindsay feels twice betrayed after Daniel gets with Kim and Nick tries to undress her. She feels like she has nobody and is totally alone. However, Neil becomes an unexpected white knight to her. The point is that you never know how much people care about you, and you can know that there's always someone rooting for you.


SONGS FROM THIS EPISODE
There are a lot of songs in this episode because of Lindsay's party.

Santana "No One to Depend On" (1971) This song plays when Bill begins to drink from the keg, and its laid-back tempo provides a sensation of temptation. The continued use of klaves and bongos gives it an exotic feel, which contributes to the feeling of temptation and curiosity that Bill feels, leading him to drink the beer.

Janis Jopin "Maybe" (1969) This downtempo jazz-rock mix plays after Lindsay finds Daniel in her bed with Kim. This is one of the only songs in the episode whose lyrics pertain to the episode. Lindsay thinks that Daniel 'maybe' likes her, but the tonal quality of the song suggests otherwise; Joplin's 'maybe' never becomes a 'definitely,' and Lindsay feels that Daniel will probably never become a definite romantic interest for her because of his connections with Kim.

KISS "Do You Love Me?" (1976) This song plays after Nick tries to take off Lindsay's bra. Its hectic feel along with everything going wrong for Lindsay gives us a listen inside her head. The lyrics of this song: "Do you love me?" mock Lindsay's thoughts about Daniel and Nick.

Just party songs that don't provide any additional meaning to the episode:
Van Halen "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" (1978)
"Jesus Is Just Alright With Me" performed by Millie Ketner and Nick Andopolis
Rick Derringer "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo" (1970)
Deep Purple "Hush" (1968)

BEST QUOTES
This episode had more noteworthy quotes than I could reasonably write down here, but some of the really good ones are as follows:

"Wow. That designated driver's pretty hot; I'd like to get her drunk." -Daniel Desario

"You did a really nice job decorating here...you know if anyone has any cocaine?" -Harris

"[in liquor store] Do you think they sell Yoohoo here?" -Bill Haverchuck

"Last year, I was elected school treasurer. I didn't even run!" -Neil Schweiber

"[is offered beer] No thank you. I prefer to get high on life." -Millie Ketner
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Episode 3: Tricks and Treats
LESSONS TO BE LEARNED
You either grow up and accept responsibilities along with dignity, or stay young and forfeit both; there's no in-between.
In this Halloween episode, Sam and his friends face the tough decision of going trick-or-treating now that they're in high school. Sam's mom encourages them to go, saying they're still kids, while everyone else says they're "adults now." Their teacher even makes them read half of Crime and Punishment by Monday! When faced with this, Sam reacts by saying that they're all still just kids and suggests they go trick-or-treating. The point is that you can't say you're an adult and take advantage of the privileges of being adult without accepting the responsibilities of being an adult.

There's no such thing as a victim-less crime.
When Lindsay and the gang are driving around and 'raising hell,' kicking in pumpkins and smashing mailboxes, it's easy and fun for Lindsay because she either knows and doesn't care about the victim (in the case of Mr. Rosso) or she doesn't know and doesn't care about the victim, making the crimes seem victim-less to her. However, when the eggs come out and they choose a random sidewalk kid to target, Lindsay ends up egging her own brother and regretting it immensely. What Lindsay should have learned, and what we should learn, is to always consider that the recipients of our actions have feelings, and that our actions always have consequences.

SONGS FROM THIS EPISODE
Cheap Trick "Gonna Raise Hell" (1979) This song is interesting because it is the first song to be played two separate times in one episode. It plays when the boys are getting ready to trick-or-treat and when Lindsay and the gang are in the car planning their property damage cruise. Its double-use in this episode offers an interesting juxtaposition of the freaks' interpretation of 'raising hell' versus the geeks' idea of hell-raising.

April Wine "Roller" (1978) This song plays while Lindsay and the gang 'roll' around suburbia looking for something to do, and it doesn't have any purpose other than it's a good song for cruising.

Ted Nugent "Free-for-All" (1976) This jam plays while Lindsay and the gang are smashing mailboxes, which is a true 'free-for-all.' The meaning of the song is very literal here.

BEST QUOTES
"[talking about a Crime and Punishment] I guarantee you it's not gonna be cool. Look how small the printing is!" -Sam Weir

"We haven't even french kissed yet. Tommy says that if you do before you've been going out for six months, you go to hell." -Millie Ketner

"Word on the street is they're putting a poo in fun-sized candy wrappers and handing that out." -Harris

"If I were the bionic woman, what would I wear?" -Bill Haverchuck