Analysis of Freaks and Geeks ep.2 (Beers and Weirs)

Welcome to my analysis of every episode of Freaks and Geeks. Like I mentioned in an earlier blog post, One Great Scene is dead but I'll be analyzing entire episodes instead. There are definitely some scenes that I would love to analyze in future but mostly for the sake of comparison. You'll see what I mean eventually. Let's jump right into this episode though.

This episode is the true beginning. Of course, the pilot came before this but this episode feels more like a chapter 1 when the pilot felt like a prologue. This is the first episode to contain a title motif and also the first episode to show the sprouting buds of relationships that will emerge later on. I scanned through the first episode for a hint of foreshadowing and got nothing. It sets things up well enough but if you want foreshadowing, episode 2 is where to look. Episode 1 doesn't allude to much of anything, really. I found that episode 2 alludes to future events in many different ways, both subtle and on the nose. Lindsay and Kim's friendship is alluded to at the end, Nick's feelings for Lindsay is alluded to, Sam's feelings towards Lindsay is alluded to. Damn, everyone loves Lindsay, don't they, well can't say I disagree. This episode is a turning point and while I do think that the first episode is dated and pales in comparison to an episode as great as this one, it does a good job of placing us in Lindsay's shoes so a turning point such as this isn't as jarring. From the first episode, it is easy to get the idea that Lindsay is hanging with the wrong crowd and throughout the show, she'll realize that she's better than the rest of the burnouts and find better friends but in episode 2, it is evident that none of these characters are perfect and they all need to grow together, not apart. This episode marks the first time that the burnouts really felt like a friend group, even though they made Lindsay's evening hell but this whole situation is the final push they needed to accept Lindsay as one of them. 

Lindsay is dead in the center between two groups. Her mathlete friends and her new burnout friends. Later in the episode she vocalises this and her frustration with this position because no matter what she does, one of the groups will look down on her for it. She still tries to maintain both of these relationships though, in the scene directly after the opening, she greets Millie from the mathletes and also greets Nick from the burnouts. The first episode did a good job of showing us Lindsay's relationship to each of these groups separate from each other but this episode witnesses the clear tension that would arise from the two groups encountering one another and puts the two of them together. Millie and the burnouts directly interact with each other in this episode and it makes Lindsay feel trapped in an uncomfortable situation where she is performing for two audiences who want the opposite of what the other wants and Lindsay doesn’t know what she wants. This conflict and mental tussle is both stressful and comedic. 

Half of the episode serves as a build up towards the fated encounter. This is also an overlap between the freaks and the geeks. Lindsay and the burnouts directly interact with the geeks which makes sense since Sam is her brother but the two of their plotlines are so intertwined with another that it can't be overlooked. 

The party at the end half of this episode should be cliché. How many times have we seen an episode where the teen character throws a party when the parents are out and things get out of hand. This episode is refreshing though, it doesn't feel cliché at all. I think it’s because it chooses to show the life of high schoolers completely unabashedly without shying away from any given topic. It doesn't represent its characters as good or bad, they simply just are. Because of all that was mentioned, this party was interesting, funny and refreshing. I was laughing constantly at every point throughout the episode.

I guess, we shall conclude. This episode is the real starting point, chapter 1 as it shows the budding of the relationships that these characters will have with one another. It creates tension by pushing two opposing forces into each other and Lindsay is in the center of it all which creates a refreshing and funny episode. 

Thank you all for reading this one. I didn't go as in depth as I wanted to. For the better call saul stuff, I actually took notes before hand. Anyway, see ya and have a good one.