Freaks & Geeks: Highlights, Pt. 2

By Janie Gaither
September 24th, 2008

Do you know what time it is cult fans? Yes, it’s the second installment of prized highlights from the defunct but not forgotten television masterpiece, Freaks & Geeks. It makes me wonder if the show’s creator, Paul Feig, realized just how similar his series was to an actual high school student looking for acceptance through friendships in the scary world of secondary education. Even though it was cancelled after one season, Freaks & Geeks found a legion of followers who connected to it and still appreciate it what little output there is.

It’s been quite a challenge for me to narrow down my focus for this barrage of song placement choices. With such a great soundtrack, it’s been a thorny journey, but a fun-filled nostalgic adventure nonetheless.

“Tricks and Treats Episode” – “Gonna Raise Hell” by Cheap Trick

Halloween is typically a fun time for all. For a teenager, it’s the perfect holiday to spend time with your friends, and in some cases, raise a little hell. Well, Lindsey Weir definitely wreaks havoc with her new freak friends by stomping pumpkins, smashing mailboxes with a baseball bat and throwing eggs. Unfortunately, she nails her little brother, Sam (who decided to dress up for Halloween with his friends), with eggs. This track is actually featured twice in the episode. The freaks play it and sing the chorus as they drive around in a borrowed caddy. Below is my favorite clip, where the song plays as Sam and his friends dress up for trick or treating:

Episode: “Looks & Books”

The central theme around this episode could be perceived as the need to fit in and the steps taken to accomplish that goal. The following videos are my favorite song samples from the Sam Weir portion of the show. As mentioned in my Highlights Part 1, Sam has a crush on Cindy Sanders. The saga of Cindy and Sam continues in this episode when Sam decides he needs to change his appearance to get her attention. I’m not too proud to admit that I changed my hair back in high school to grab the attention of a guy in my class. Like Sam, it was a bad move to alter my look for someone else…and like Sam, it not only didn’t work, but it ended up being a major embarrassment.