Optic Nerve: Freaks and Geeks Episode Guide

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Freaks and Geeks: Episode Guide

(Pilot) Episode 1: Freaks and Geeks Original air date: 9/25/99 NBC

Lindsay Weir is a high school student in a small Michigan town in 1980. When she starts hanging with a group of burn-outs known as the "freaks," everyone who knew and loved the shy, brainy Lindsay has a conniption. Meanwhile, Lindsay's brother Sam, a freshman "geek," gets picked on by a bully named Alan who crushes his lunch, then pummels him in dodgeball. Sam's friends Neal and Bill agree to help him kick Alan's butt. They end up in a ridiculous fist-fight while Sam is asking his dream girl Cindy to the homecoming dance. In a compassionate gesture, Lindsay asks a retarded kid to the dance. When her good deed backfires, Lindsay's angst over the unfairness of high school can only be cured by a healthy dose of Styx's "Come Sail Away" and the unlikely sight of her brother dancing with a girl.

Episode 2: Beers and Weirs Original air date: 10/2/99 NBC

When Mom and Dad go out of town, Lindsay throws a keg party to impress her new freak friends, particularly Daniel, who just broke up with his girlfriend, Kim. An anti-drinking assembly convinces Sam that his sister is in danger of becoming a statistic. To save her, Sam, Neal and Bill replace the keg at Lindsay1s party with non-alcoholic beer. The party turns raucous anyway. Some older, scarier freaks show up. Millie plays a rockin' tune on the piano. Lindsay finds Daniel and Kim making out on her bed, then turns to Nick for comfort, only to find him trying to undo her bra strap. But it's a great night for Neal when he consoles Lindsay and gets a peck on the cheek in return. And the only one who'll have a hangover is Bill, who guzzles the real beer while everyone else just thinks they're "so wasted!"

Episode 3: Tricks and Treats 10/30/99 NBC

Lindsay agrees to uphold a family tradition by staying home to hand out candy with her mom on Halloween night. She later changes her mind and decides to go out with her friends, leaving Jean disappointed and hurt. Sam decides that he is too old to go trick-or-treating. Angered when his stuffy English teacher hands out a major reading assignment for Halloween weekend, he reverses his decision because he wants to stay a kid for a little while. Sam, Bill (dressed as Jaime Sommers of The Bionic Woman), Neal and Harris run into Alan and his buddies, who steal all of their candy. Lindsay and friends go on a vandalism spree that ends abruptly when she accidentally pelts Sam with eggs. Jean also has a miserable evening; the parents throw all of her homemade cookies onto the lawn because they fear she is trying to poison the neighborhood children. A guilt-ridden Lindsay tries to make things up to her mom by donning a costume and handing out candy for the remainder of the evening..

Episode 4: Kim Kelly is My Friend 9/5/00 Fox Family

Sam inadvertently runs afoul of Kim's bitchy friend Karen, who writes "geek" on his locker with lipstick. After he removes the message, she writes "pygmy geek" in permanent marker. Mr. Kowchevski sees Sam trying to cover the graffiti and orders him to complete an anti-vandalism essay. Neal finds Sam's plight very amusing. They argue over which of them is the bigger geek, and Sam ends up pounding Neal. Nick tries to convince Kim to be nicer to Lindsay. Kim suddenly acts very friendly toward Lindsay, reasoning that they should make an effort to get along if they are going to hang out with the same group. Sam is disgusted by Lindsay's friendship with Kim, whom he considers a "psycho." Kim invites Lindsay to dinner, explaining that she needs to introduce a nice friend to her parents so they will stop hassling her to sell her car. She reveals that she has been using sleepovers at Lindsay's house and weekend trips to the Weirs' fictional cabin as her alibi when she stays out with Daniel. Kim's mother quickly exposes her lies and starts screaming at her. She concludes that Kim should not have a car because she uses it to "whore around town." Kim's mother and stepfather physically attack her and try to take her car keys. Lindsay and Kim flee for the car, which Kim's parents attempt to flip over while the girls are inside of it. They escape, only to find Daniel fooling around with Karen in the park. Kim tries to run them over, and then breaks down in tears. She explains that she acts tough to keep other girls away from Daniel because she fears losing him. Although her demeanor frightens them, the Weirs allow Kim to stay over for dinner. Daniel shows up and insists that he did not sleep with Karen, as he only cares about Kim. Lindsay's parents are pleased to see the couple make up, until they start a make-out session in the middle of the kitchen. The next day, Karen arrives at school to find that Kim has painted "slut" on her locker in giant letters. Kim threatens to beat up Karen, thereby becoming Sam's new hero.

Episode 5: Tests and Breasts 11/6/99 NBC

When the geeks are humiliated in sex ed class and puzzled by the punchline of a dirty joke, they realize that they're painfully behind in their knowledge of sex. They decide to watch a dirty movie to further their education. But the porno turns out to be more than they can handle? And may kill their interest in sex forever? until Sam gets the real scoop from the unlikeliest of sources: Mr. Fredricks. Meanwhile, Lindsay offers to tutor Daniel, who1s flunking math. But he convinces her to help him cheat instead, using a combination of good looks, charm and crying like a baby to manipulate her. Lindsay must deal with the guilt of lying to her parents and the well-meaning Mr. Rosso, whose liberal (i.e. hippie) approach to teaching never ceases to piss off the hilariously smug Mr. Kowchevski.

Episode 6: I'm With the Band 11/13/99 NBC

Nick's father threatens to force him to join the Army unless he can maintain a C+ grade average. Lindsay encourages him to pursue a music career, then discovers that the band he has organized with the other freaks is really, really horrible. She suggests that they spend more time rehearsing; Nick agrees, but Daniel feels that rock and roll should be spontaneous (probably because he is too lazy to make an effort at anything). The other band members accuse Nick of being a tyrant and decide to quit, and everyone blames Lindsay. Lindsay urges Nick to try out for drummer of a local band; but, as the audition proves, his enthusiasm for drumming does not necessarily mean he has any talent. As he laments his seemingly dreary future, Lindsay consoles him with a kiss. Nick is excited, while Lindsay seems ambivalent the next day. Bill, Neal and Sam are mortified when a new district policy requires them to shower after gym class. Bill and Neal decide to endure the taunts of the bullies and go through with it, while Sam goes to great lengths to avoid his fate. When he finally decides to shower, a confrontation with Alan leaves him in the hallway without clothes or a towel...as the end-of-class bell rings.

Next page: Episode Guide Continued.

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by neil

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