[TV] Freaks & Geeks: a flaw?

Episode 5 mined sex education, pornography, academic cheating and tear-jerking sob-stories for comedy. It also highlighted the producers’ philosophy of keeping in all the moments where their great actors look dorky. The sight of the gorgeous Linda Cardellini spraying snot and saliva all over herself as she can’t help laughing at Danny’s sob-story might possibly be my series highlight so far.

The show continues to prove itself as great on well-motivated characters within episodes but it lacks all but the vaguest of continuity between episodes. Despite Danny having sex in their kitchen last ep, the Weirs acted as if they were meeting him for the first time this ep. Despite thinking their daughter’s fallen in with a bad crowd, they act surprised when she’s accused of cheating.

Compare and contrast this with Everwood where you know that even the tiniest of hints about changes in characters’ situations will eventually be followed up with amazingly fresh storylines.