Freaks and Geeks: The Complete Series

On a different note, I have to commend whoever designed the packaging for this set: many times when you buy a DVD set with 4 or more discs, the packaging folds out for you to access the discs. With 4 discs it can be awkward, but with, say, 7 discs, it's quite cumbersome. This set is different -- each disk is on its own "page" so to speak, so that getting the disc you want to watch is as simple as opening a book and turning to the right spot. It's also a lot more durable than the "fold out" style packaging.

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For some (myself included), High School was a dreadfully painful experience. And now, with the help of Freaks and Geeks, you can relive those awful High School experiences. This, to some reviewers on this posting, is a bad thing. But that's precisely the charm of this series. Finally, someone has gone out and depicted High School realistically. Our experiences are universal. Sometimes they're hilarious, often times they're unbelievably painful. But, they're always engaging. This series wasn't just about sitting back, shutting off your cerebral faculties and yukking it up for an hour. This show was about falling in love with characters you could understand, and following them through the all of their relatable experiences, good or bad.

I have explored and watched every available extra in this collection and I strongly recommend it to everyone who's lived or is currently living an average High School experience. If you were unconditionally popular, then skip this DVD collection, you won't understand it. You'll dislike or misjudge all of the characters and their motivations, just as you presumably did in High School. But, for everyone else, buy it as soon as is humanly possible.

Buy it firstly for the relatability of the show. But, if that isn't enough for you, buy it for the characters and the plotting. Storylines featured in this show are some of the most original, touching and realistic ever depicted on television or in film. Personal highlights include "Carded and Discarded" (The geeks befriend a new female student who's gradually being sucked into the popular crowd), "The Diary" (Mr. and Mrs. Weir read Lindsay's diary only to learn more about themselves more than their daughter).

And if that weren't enough, the entire cast was impeccably put together. I could watch the entire series without ever paying attention to anything but the acting, and I'd still be endlessly entertained. James franco's naturalism ("Tests and Breasts" is, in my opinion, his best episode), Martin Starr's assuredly brilliant readings (see him in "Dead Dogs and Gym Teachers"). Jason Segel's awkward adorability, the list goes on.

And the music... I can't wait for the soundtrack.

This is a show that did everything right. And yet, it was cancelled. Do yourself a favor and buy it on DVD. Then, once you've watched it all, show it to everyone you know.

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Freaks and Geeks presents the first truly accurate depiction of teenagers as I remember them from my own high school experience. The show is basically a complete 18 episode miniseries that chronicles one year (1980-81) at a Michigan high school. The perfect balance of comedy and serious moments gives a sense of watching real life rather than a TV show. Although the show has special relevance for my generation (I graduated in 1982), anyone who watches this show will see aspects of people they knew in high school. The actors and writers deserve a lot of credit for creating complex, nuanced characters. Anyone who remembers feeling awkward around the opposite sex, being made fun of by other kids, or feeling like an outcast can relate to the characters in this show. The show's message is that no matter how people are labeled, they remain individuals who can still surprise you. I never thought I would find myself sympathizing with the "Freak" crowd (which I pretty much avoided in high school), but this show demonstrates that everyone can be potentially sympathetic once you get to know them and find out what their life is really like.

I became hooked on Freaks and Geeks in the first 5 minutes of the original airing of the pilot episode; its cancellation a mere 6 months later was a stunning blow, but not a big surprise. The show was simply too honest for most viewers in its portrayal of teenagers as most often clueless and never knowing the right things to say or do (even the smart ones). Most teenagers would rather see themselves as ultra-hip, sexy, mature and spouting post-graduate level dialogue as portrayed in popular fantasies such as Dawson's Creek and 90210. As for adults, many prefer not to relive their high school years, and some may have been turned off by the show's title, especially if they never thought of themselves as either a "Freak" or a "Geek".

It's one of the very few shows I've seen that has perfect casting; the only other show that immediately comes to mind is Northern Exposure. Both shows have a diverse cast of quirky yet appealing and believable characters such that every new episode seemed like a reunion with old friends. Freaks and Geeks also contains a coming-of-age story and nostalgia for the past (the soundtrack filled with 70's rock hits is great) that is reminiscent of The Wonder Years. Unlike the Wonder Years (which was a good show in its early years), Freaks and Geeks never became formulaic or predictable.

Although the entire cast is terrific, my favorite characters are Nick Andopolis (played by Jason Segel) and Bill Haverchuck(played by Martin Starr). Nick is a stoner freak with potential (if he could just get his act together), and Bill is a kind-hearted geek who takes the daily humiliations of high school in stride with a little help from his friends. This description does not do justice to the nuanced performances that make these characters so memorable. They manage to be both hilarious and poignant at the same time, and you constantly find yourself rooting for them and all the other characters throughout their trials and tribulations.

Fortunately, the producers saw the cancellation coming. They prepared a perfect final episode that brings a nice sense of closure to the series, leaving many characters changed considerably from where they started at the beginning of the school year. I could go on, but I can't think of anything else to say that others haven't said already. If you like quality television, buy this DVD!

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