MovieChat Forums > Freaks and Geeks (1999) Discussion > Final episode-setting the record straigh...

Final episode-setting the record straight

posted 9 years ago by CrusinForBurgers
10 replies | jump to latest

I read an old thread about Kim and Lindsey going off to follow The Dead for a couple of weeks. Some outrageous conclusions were drawn about what was expected of them. It's been said that they would probably be expected to have sex. This is borderline rape, and is far removed from what the scene was about. I'm a 48 year old deadhead, so take it from me.

First of all, The Grateful Dead scene was about love, sharing, and most of all the music. Going to see The Dead was like going to church. It was very spiritual. In 1980, this was more so the scene than the late 80s after the band gained popularity. Their first ever radio hit prompted yuppies to jump on board just to see what it was about. Sure, there was always some guys that went because they wanted the drugs and thought it was a great opportunity to get lucky, but in Kim's and Lindsey's case, they tagged along with true deadheads. Not only that, but it was only two of them and they appeared to be a couple. Money wouldn't have been an issue because ticjets were cheap and if they needed food people share. Hell, one of the great things about the scene, was you could get lucky and score "a miracle". That's a free ticket from a kind soul who expected nothing in return but good vibes at the show.

Secondly, and it takes a deadhead to recognize this, Lindsey was home. You can see it as she was dancing in her bedroom to American Beauty. She didn't know it just yet but The Dead family was her family. All throughout the series she struggled with a belonging. She didn't belong at home with clueless parents. She didn't belong with the mathletes. Finally, she didn't belong with the freaks. In fact, none of the freaks really belonged there, and the final episodes showed all of them finding their place. Ken belonged with Amy. Daniel really did have fun with the geeks. And Nick was cleaning himself up with Sarah. The only one who remained lost was Kim, but she may find TGD to be to her liking. It was definitely home for Lindsey. I smiled so much while I watched her dance, and nearly cried of happiness for her when she got on board the VW van.

[–] Quicksilver1900 9 years ago

Being a GD fan could never be the focus of Lindsay's life. She was apparently intellectually gifted and needed to find a way of supporting herself once her education was completed, to whatever level - high school, university, graduate school. She would have neither the means nor even the desire to spend her whole life following the GD around like the Deadheads did.

So it made little sense for her to sabotage her opportunities by abandoning the academic summit to run off with Kim. The conference would have been important for admission to a prestigious university. Also she did herself no favours by betraying her parents' trust as she did. Not only would she have hurt and disappointed them, she would have had to live with the consequences - a severely curtailed life once she returned. A better choice would have been to continue to enjoy the Dead in the privacy of her bedroom, and stay on track for the future.

But in terms of her choices over the last year, running off with Kim made perfect sense. Everything she had done - hooking up with the freaks, befriending Kim, dating Nick, abandoning the Mathletes - was an act of self-sabotage (due, I think to serious depression). Both Millie and Jeff saw this clearly and called her out on it.

"I am always happy to engage in POLITE discourse."

[–] catjoescreed 8 years ago

So it made little sense for her to sabotage her opportunities by abandoning the academic summit to run off with Kim.

Kids, however, don't always make good choices, even the smart kids. I was very like Lindsay at that age. I went to a school for kids with genius-level IQs, but in tenth grade I rebelled and embraced hippie life. I dropped out of high school, getting a GED, and I was a stoner and a beach bum into my late twenties when I finally straightened out, returned to college, and got my life in order. I know other kids from my cohort - kids with genius-level IQs - who became custodians and orchard workers, and still others who didn't become anything at all.

Being a straight-A student and meeting parental and teacher expectations for twelve years can be exhausting. Even if intellectually it's not difficult, emotionally it can make for a lot of resentment and frustration. Running off to summer with the Dead made perfect sense for Lindsay.

[–] vinay-shekhar 8 years ago

After reading your answer, my whole perspective about Lindsay changed. I noticed all the stuff you noticed but didn't put 1 and 1 together. I think you might be right about the act of self sabotage.

[–] Quicksilver1900 8 years ago

☺

[–] rainbow26 9 years ago

I disagree with the freaks finding their place. I can see Ken and Daniel, but Nick was basically forcing his feelings for Lindsay onto Sarah and eventually I think it would have fallen apart. Nick's journey was far from over.

[–] mv5 9 years ago

Nick has a major serial killer vibe in my opinion

[–] wooody 9 years ago

I can see where you are coming from. Yet, ironically, he is arguably the sweetest of all the freaks.

[–] Catnip86 9 years ago

And a lot of times, serial killers are the ones least suspected.

[–] freefall_wthout_a_parachute 9 years ago

i loved nick (and jason segal, period.) he was sweet and i wish it would not have been cancelled so i could possibly see him and lyndsey try for real.

[–] 9 years ago

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