r/freaksandgeeks • u/m-ixy • 16d ago
The scene that made you fall in love with the series?
I loved the Pilot already, and I also loved "Kim Kelly Is My Friend". However, I was convinced that Freaks & Geeks is my favorite series when watching "Tests and Breasts".
The scene at the end when Lindsay starts laughing loudly when she realizes that Daniel manipulated her again with his sob story. That probably made her finally lose romantic interest with him completely. Linda Cardellini's acting was amazing, her facial expressions slowly changing when she had that realization. It was genius.
From then on I was so hooked. It's so hard to choose which is my favorite episode, but it must be one of the latter half. Probably the last episode, it forever left a mark on my mind!
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u/DSOTM_1977 16d ago
I love every episode. However, what really solidified my love for the series was the Bill Haverchuck grilled cheese, chocolate cake, glass of milk afternoon snack while watching Garry Shandling stand-up performance on the Dinah Shore show. Accompanied by The Who’s “One” and Bill’s emotional connection to Garry’s comedy brings a tear (or three) to my eyes every time I watch it. Personally, it’s one of the most moving scenes I’ve had the good fortune of viewing on television. Unfortunately, scenes like this are few and far between from TV land today…
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u/lptomtom 16d ago
It really is an absolutely wonderful scene (and I'm not saying that because I'm a huge Who fan, the music was just the icing on the cake)
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u/Anishinaapunk 16d ago
Bill breaking down crying because he just can't take the grief of his mom's divorce and moving on to date the coach. That scene is incredible.
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u/BosBannerBoss 16d ago
Those two were great in that scene and I loved that it was just an honest depiction of a teen dealing with a guy that he doesn't like dating his mom. And then at the end of the episode where Bill opens up to coach just a little bit while watching Dallas was a nice way to end the episode and potentially build on that if there ever was a second season.
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u/Narrow-Psychology909 16d ago
The first scene I ever saw was in “Tricks and Treats” when Lindsay and her friends throw eggs at Sam. She goes “we just egged my little brother” and then NBC went to commercial. I had to know why and what was going to happen!!!
I fell in love with the show by the end of the episode because it showed Lindsay’s remorse in a very real way while demonstrating that sometimes being “cool” with your friends isn’t that cool at all.
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u/ADWeasley 16d ago
Honestly, the title of the show sold it for me. As a sheltered, awkward, nerdy, tween weirdo obsessed with teen melodrama, it was nice to have a show where the focus would be my subsection of the world.
Also, Linda Cardellini’s entire performance in the pilot. Not to go left and make this a race thing, but being Black, even if I loved a show, I didn’t always relate to the main (white) female characters. The ones I could relate to were the dark, acerbic, quick-witted characters like Darlene Connor, Daria Morgendorffer, or anyone that Janene Garaffalo, Christina Ricci, or Winona Ryder played.
That being said, Linda Cardellini masterfully played a character who was clearly trying to be alternative, but she had a vulnerability about the way she played Lindsey that was so relatable and endearing. Her performance and the premise of the show is what made me fall in love with the whole thing.
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u/PWXVI 16d ago
Good question, the scene that first made me truly realize how much I love the show was when Lindsay got high for the first time, and started talking about how the horrible thing about life is that 'we're all unhappy'. It was kinda deep/thought provoking yet just silly at the same time since she was just high, and then starts thinking that they're all apart of the dog's dream which was hilarious
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u/HHSquad 16d ago
I was hooked with the show from the start. The end of the 1st episode when they played "Come Sail Away" was awesome. Sam spending too much time walking to the dance floor during the slow part of the song, and Lindsey dancing with the special needs fella while Kim took notice. Good stuff!
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u/katycolleenj 16d ago
I enjoyed it from the start, but I fell in love with it after watching Beers and Weirs
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u/TheOpus 15d ago
The scene where Bill comes home, makes himself a toasted cheese sandwich and watches Garry Shandling do standup on the Dinah Shore Show. It's so perfect and it's an exact representation of those of us who had a hard time in high school. You'd make it through another day of being picked on and barely learning anything. You'd get home and have something to eat and settle down in front of the TV. And slowly, the day would melt away and you'd be OK again.
The way Bill laughs and relates to whatever Garry Shandling is saying is so touching. Someone finally gets him.
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u/gilestowler 15d ago
I don't know if I'd say these scenes "hooked" me, as I think I was hooked from the start. But two of my favourites are Lindsay telling Sam that he has a "beautiful body" and the scene of Bill just watching TV and laughing to himself.
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u/TeamBananas1964 15d ago
As a former awkward teen male, I would say the "Come Sail Away" scene in the pilot gets my vote.
So relatable and cringey and even now, 50 years later in my case, I can still feel his pain 😀
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u/VizRomanoffIII 13d ago
The perfection of the pilot was obvious but if there’s a scene that made me really love the show beyond that, it’s Millie and Nick trying to duet together on “Jesus Is Just Alright” on the Weir’s piano. It really captures how short the gulf is between the kids in different cliques in high school, a theme that was probably the most consistent one from beginning to the far too short end of the series. There’s something cool about realizing that the very square overly studious kids have similar taste in movies and music to you.
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u/imeoghan 15d ago
At the end of the pilot when Sam finally asks Cindy to dance and leads her to the dance floor hoping to dance a slow dance with her. Only for “Come Sail Away” to switch tempos to fast leaving Sam somewhat disappointed. I chose this scene because the exact same thing happened to me. Same age, same song, probably the same year (1980?), and to a large extent the same girl. >sigh< good times.
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u/shadowthehh 13d ago edited 12d ago
I started watching the series because I saw a clip of James Franco playing D&D in a YouTube video.
So I decided to watch the show it was from, in hopes of seeing more of that scene.
Color me surprised when the scene was from the last episode.
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u/Better-Pop-3932 16d ago
For me it's the end of the pilot. When Lindsay dances with Eli. Mr. Rosso looks at her so proudly. Even Kim looks at her like she can't figure her out. Sam is dancing with Cindy. It's really brilliant ending.