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Freaks and Geeks at 25

The Times observes that 1999 saw the birth of both "The Sopranos" and "Law and Order: SVU." It also points out that the true star of 99's graduating class was "Freaks and Geeks."


Although "Freaks and Geeks" ended early, it influenced TV through shows that can be seen as tonal "spin-offs": "Girls," "Somebody Somewhere," "Louie." (The critic doesn't mention "Better Things," but I would add "Better Things.")

Correctly, the "Times" notes that F&G is *not* a show about losing, but about persevering *after* loss. If you're going to tell a story without a major gimmick, then you really need a well-defined point of view, and F&G has this. Several tiny moments show us who we are. We are all creatures who put on a brave face despite various aches and pains. Here are a few memorable scenes from F&G:

*A mother plans to hand out Halloween candy with her adolescent daughter, but slowly realizes she has been "dumped." (The daughter found a more desirable invitation.)
*A girl believes that she has a new friend--but discovers she has been conscripted to "act the friend role" so a set of skeptical parents can form false, comforting conclusions about the social life of their *own* child.
*A boy learns that his single mother is dating the one high-school teacher he thoroughly, unambiguously hates. And there is just nothing to do about this arrangement.

Watching F&G, I feel I'm watching scenes from my own life--and this is therapeutic. Also, I wonder if the show had an impact on Jason Katims, especially as he laid out his plans for "Friday Night Lights" and "Parenthood."

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