Freaks and Geeks Episode 7
"Carded and Discarded"
Original airdate: Jan. 10, 2000
Writer: Judd Apatow, Paul Feig
Director: Judd Apatow
Cast: Linda Cardellini, John Francis Daley, James Franco, Samm Levine, Seth Rogen, Jason Segal, Martin Starr, Busy Philipps, Becky Ann Baker, Joe Flaherty
When we first meet Maureen Sampson, whose presence is consistently soundtracked by Billy Joel, the teacher in the geeks' science class is telling them all about survival of the fittest. And throughout "Carded and Discarded," the geeks are desperate to prove themselves the fittest, to win Maureen's love and affection as the people around them threaten to take her from them. It's a caveman mentality, one they feel is necessitated given their years of ostracization. And yet, Maureen's presence — this new person in their orbit — only serves to highlight the ways that the geeks' history have cut them off from a part of this world they aren't necessarily barred from.
The geeks are lucky enough to become Maureen's first friends at her new school. She sits at their lunchroom table accidentally, and suddenly they're talking to this girl, one who should be intimidating to them given all their previous experiences. But they're not only talking to her, but talking about something they wouldn't expect to talk to a girl about — the horrible injuries and mutilations their shop teachers have received. They have a new friend; they also all have a new crush, and so they draw for who gets the honor of pursuing her.
The idea that her liking them as friends won't translate to seeing all of them as potential romantic partners never crosses their minds, a perception of women that falls somewhere between youthful obliviousness and nerd chauvinism. When Bill brings up that Sam likes Cindy, Sam says, "I do! But Maureen talks to us. She's less scary." On some level, of course, ease in communication is a sign of a potential connection that extends beyond just being pals. But also, that sort of ease signals a good platonic friendship just as often, and it's not a good habit to immediately jump ship on crushes for something easier.
Meanwhile, the freaks are desperate for the freedom that comes with adulthood.
After Mr. Rosso serenades them with an acoustic performance of Alice Cooper's "I'm Eighteen" ("You guys, Mr. Rosso's really good at the guitar!" Nick exclaims. "Some of those chords are hard!"), their discussion of how old people think they're so smart leads to the topic of bars, and then fake IDs — of which only Kim has one. With everyone wanting to see a local band called Feedback play at a bar, Lindsay decides to use the money her grandparents sent her for her college fund to get everyone hooked up. And after many awkward and intimidating interactions with Millie's dirtbag cousin, they have their phony IDs and go to the bar (though the bouncer who lets them in sees through them easily, only allowing them inside because the bar is just doing that terribly).
Only, when Feedback hits the stage, their lead singer turns out to be none other than Mr. Rosso. The band is solid — not great, but an exceptional bar band. Mr. Rosso is cool in this environment in a way his students couldn't have fathomed. Or at least until he spots them in the audience, and requests that the server take back their beers and replace them with pop.
The geeks' comfort around Maureen quickly gives way to fear; fear that their time with Maureen is numbered, and that their cool, pretty new friend will leave them as soon as she finds cooler friends — pod people, as Neal describes them. They invite her to get all-you-can-eat ribs at a local restaurant and they show her a good time, desperately hoping that this will salvage the connection they've made with her.
It doesn't quite work; meaning, Maureen isn't theirs. She never could have been. She's too likable and social a person to only have three friends. She's the sort of goodhearted kid who can bring together the geeks and the jocks. But that can only happen if one is willing to extend themselves across the aisle, which Sam, Bill, and Neal aren't. So Maureen sits at the popular table, which is interpreted by the geeks as them losing her.
But Maureen is simply a kind and sociable girl, able to balance numerous types of friends, and she tells Sam, Bill, and Neal that they can sit at the other table if they want to, that they aren't bound to sitting at their table forever. In other words, the area they've designated for themselves and boxed themselves in isn't where they have to stay until the end of time. They can branch out, sit at different tables, make new friends. They're not able to. Not at this point. But the invitation is open, if they ever want to accept it.
I'm not gonna mince words: I hate the way the geeks behave in this episode. The territorial way they treat their first female friend, the way they cruelly use their disabled peer Eli in a plot to keep Maureen away from the popular cheerleader Vicki Appleby. But it's honestly admirable the way Freaks and Geeks goes out of its way to show the lowest points of characters we're supposed to love. Nobody is entirely who you hope they are in this world. The girl who's mean to you turns out to have an abusive home life, the square aging hippie guidance counselor turns out to be a member of the hottest band in town, and the girl you're friends with is able to balance her popular friends and her nerd friends. This world, for better or worse, is deeply human.
Grade: A-
