MovieChat Forums > Freaks and Geeks (1999) Discussion > What's the saddest part of the show for ...

What's the saddest part of the show for you?

posted 13 years ago by RdVirus777
115 replies | jump to latest

As funny as this show was, it was also really sad at times. The saddest part of the show for me was when Sam finds out Cindy is not the girl of his dreams after all. While I watched the show for the first time there were sad moments however, I always said to myself, don't worry Sam and Cindy will fall in love But once they're in that theater you know things are starting to go south. This show showed how things don't always work out in the end and I loved the show for that but sadly, that's probably why most people didn't watch the show.

We all go a little mad sometimes - Norman Bates

[–] PaintingTheRoses 12 years ago

There are so many moments in the show that are sad or more serious in tone, but I don't think I felt more awful than when Sam got egged by the Freaks on Halloween and had to walk all the way home a complete mess out of pride. I truly felt terrible for him.

"Ask me again."
ALMOST FAMOUS

[–] antonio8885 11 years ago

Not really sad but the most touching scene was in the Pilot when Sam walked into the school dance looking for Cindy while "Come Sail Away" by Styx blares through the gym. I was totally Sam! John Francis Daley is such a great actor, a pure natural as he perfectly captured Sam's insecurities, confusion, hope & innocence as a new Freshman...his subtle, underrated performance contrasting with the hysteria & histrionics of everyone else! Best scene of the stunning first episode!

[–] pcqgod 11 years ago

At the end of the "Choking and Toking" episode, when Millie says she knows that Lindsay won't be her friend anymore come the next day.

Which time tunnel did you come through?

[–] SuperNostalgicBrother 11 years ago

That part kind of reminds me of near the end of Breakfast Club when Brian wonders if they were to meet again as friends on Monday.

www.facebook.com/schosebone1

twitter.com/JML101582

[–] nirvana184 11 years ago

Alan breaking down in Bill's hospital room. You hate the bully so much throughout the show and this is where he showed his true colors. You feel bad for hating him up to this point. Also, Neal first finding out his dad is having an affair was very sad. Sam Levine did a great job in that episode.

"I have trained myself to sleep with my eyes open. God I'm tired."

[–] jefgg 11 years ago

It was sad when Neal admitted his crush on Lindsay.

[–] freebird1987 11 years ago

When it got cancelled.

[–] brabbeldas83 11 years ago

Absolutely. Also, it's been a couple of years, but I particularly remember feeling so sorry for Nick all the time. But there are lots more, and the fact that so many different parts are mentioned in this thread says a lot about the quality of the show. I really feel like rewatching now.

[–] MrsHaverchuck 11 years ago

for me it's when Bill spins out at the go-kart race and throws his helmet and yells at Coach Fredricks about how he always has to win at everything and storms off to cry in Fredricks' car. It goes so quickly from everyone having an awesome time, to Bill being really hurt. (and The Who makes it so good too!)

[–] FooserX 11 years ago

Agreed - the whole plot with Bill and seeing his mom date the gym teacher is really sad. It was brutal watching him eat breakfast, and seeing Coach come out of his mom's room wearing a T shirt and underwear.

But they redeemed that sadness by Bill teaching the Coach about "Dallas" in the end.

The dinner with Kim's parents and Lindsay was pretty out of control too. Super intense when they all started fighting for the car. Not sad, but pretty intense.

I haven't seen the last 2 episodes yet, but right now, I think another super sad part is Niel finally opening up the garage door and seeing his Dad's vette inside - finally seeing the affair. Then doing his ventriloquist act insulting his dad over and over in front of everyone. Then telling his mom about it was also tough.

I also loved the part where Daniel goes to Kim's house after his punk rock night...and the way she hugs him and all his faults, and he finds comfort in her her unconditional love. It was sad but in a good way.

[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] bsharporflat 11 years ago

I don't know if we really knew how good Nick was at his drums. Yes, he failed at an audition, but that was his first one.

I'm not saying that he could have been great, but to write him off at that point as a drummer (or in general) is extremely premature

As a professional musician, I can assure you that Nick was not very good at drumming for his age.

His problem was lack of any real training. He learned only by playing along with records and the problem with that is that when you mess up, the recorded drummer is right there to carry you over the mistakes and they don't get corrected. If you have to self-learn using the "play-along" method, your best bet is the MMO (Music Minus One) program, where the recording has your instrument left out, for you to fill in.

If Nick had been more serious about drumming as a profession, he could/should have been taking professional lessons or at least played in the school band. You really need to be a musician to be a drummer. It takes more than just owning drums and a desire to bang on them.

[–] ElxDiablo 9 years ago

For a 16 year old who'd had no actual lessons (not even informal ones that cover how to hold the sticks and get a tight sound, etc), he had a great deal of potential.

He wasn't a terrible drummer (I've seen people who literally cannot coordinate their limbs to play a simple beat, and probably never will), but rather a very sloppy one who needed a great deal of development.

I think that was aptly shown in the episode where Harold Weir was paying for drum lessons in return for him working at his store. Had Nick continued down that path, he could easily have become a very good drummer...even if he never became the drumming-god he would envision whilst playing along to records.

Just imagine what his drumming would have been like if his own father had encouraged him in the same way, and set out realistic goals for him to pursue to become a better drummer!

Heck, his father should have been suggesting he joined the marching band instead of giving demoralizing talks about how he wanted to be an astronaut, but you don't see any moon rocks anywhere.

Say instead of lording his grades over him and threatening to send him to the army, he could have easily said: "I'll happily pay for drum lessons so long as you sit down at the kitchen table and do your course work/revision during these hours...Oh, and come to me if you're struggling with something so I can help, instead of finding out later on your report card."

You know...Be a parent.

It's true that Nick was a dreamer, but he was also in a situation where living in a kind of "dream-land" was preferable to the reality of a drill-Sargent father, and the looming threat of being shipped off into the theater of some pointless, psychologically-scarring war.

He was not made for combat. He's terrified of the thought of it, and of the type of people that actually think it's a great vocation. Didn't he call them "psychopaths"? No wonder his head is in the clouds. I wouldn't be too keen on reality either if I were in his shoes.

Your critique of his drumming is fair...and you're correct in saying that he went about things ass-backwards by acquiring equipment and just hitting them repeatedly expecting to become good...but that ignores the psychology and family dynamics of his situation.

He wasn't encouraged, he wasn't guided...and everything in his home-life pushed him further and further into a world of escapism.

We saw this when he drummed to his records (with headphones on so he couldn't hear himself, or anything else), and later when he was stoned 24/7.

His story is kinda sad. I wish they could have made more seasons, because Nick's story was far from over.

[–] daverindone 8 years ago

I was just watching that one on Neflix before work and you gave a lot of great points. One thing I never really noticed is the look on Nick's face when they cut from Rush to Joan Jett and he's still plugging away with a fevered desperation. He was clearly in some kind of bliss when jamming "along" with his favorites and it was jarring to see how he was hearing himself play juxtaposed to what was really being heard. Plus he had this massive drum kit and that sly jab near the end of his failed audition brings the point that no matter how great your equipment is, you'd never get anywhere without basic talent.

[–] stevde2 10 years ago

Nick was terrible at the drums. He was a dreamer and the show made that clear way before the audition. That stupid 30 piece set or whatever number it was clearly meant to depict this guy is just living in a little fantasy world of his own. He had no skills and no motivation to become a real musician by doing what it takes to be one. Anyone by the time they are in high school and wants to get into music yet hasn't the background either steps aside or starts taking lessons before embarrassing themselves in front of an audience. Worst here was how Nick embarrassed himself by clearing making himself known as a poser to a real band. That was certainly very hard to watch.

[–] DOPE-cinema 11 years ago

I don't know why it was "sad" -- well, I don't know if that's how I'd describe it but it made me feel some type of way.

When Bill gets home and he makes himself something to eat and watches TV.

"You're entitled to your wrong opinion. That's fine."

[–] kleary1 11 years ago

This is a great thread, so many great examples and I'll admit to getting verklempt at a bunch of these scenes.

Bill eating his sandwich and laughing his head off was such a great scene (LOVE that character). It makes it so much more understandable about his fear of having Coach Fredricks in his life. Will he ever be able to just be himself anymore, totally unselfconsciously laughing with his mouth full of grilled cheese sandwich? (BTW, saw Tom Wilson at a comedy club recently and he was very cool and funny.)

I also didn't think Daniel was necessarily stupid. This was before learning disabilities were understood. He has his "you think I like being stupid" schtick that he uses to get out of being punished for cheating, but I think this really is how he feels. He is genuinely admiring of Lindsay's smarts and that cool bluster seems like a coverup for how lost he really is. I mean he's 18 and they are supposed to be juniors--and he is embarrassed and panicked about it.

Nick is a very touching character--Jason Segal really excelled in this series (I thought he and Busy Philips were the breakout actors in this series)--but Daniel is also a very sad character.