[TV] Freaks & Geeks: First moment of genius.

Episode 2 showed how easy it is to introduce doom and social embarrassment into a TV show: Serve a keg of non-alcoholic beer at a Freak party. It also had the series’ first moment of plotting genius, involving Lindsey getting spaded by two guys she doesn’t like, straight after each other.

Ep. 3 was more conventional. The Turning Points for its A-plot (Lindsey trying to be a rebel) were very clear. Still, it deepened my appreciation for a lot of the characters: Bill (“I’ll drink anything”) Haverchuck, Mum & Dad and the terrifyingly beautiful Kim Kelly.

However, Ep 2 felt better because all of the action was driven by strong and clearly portrayed character motivations. Ep 3 used at least one coincidence (the person that Lindsey eggs) to advance the plot. Also, Freaks & Geeks' continuity may be a bit lacking - the consequences of Neil's ridiculously clumsy pass in Ep 2 isn't very clearly dealt with, not even in the subtext of Linda Cardellini's performance.