TTH 5/25/26
Freaks and Geeks Rewatch - We’ve Got Spirit
This one is episode #9, which means we’re already halfway through the show’s run, and this week marked a turning point for each of the Weir siblings. Lindsay has finally come to grips with the reality that she needs to get away from Nick before things get too serious, and Sam is at last grasping the revelation that Cindy is out of his league. This week also includes a rare freaks subplot which doesn’t involve either Weir as well as early career guest starring roles from a pair of young actors who would soon be more recognizable.
All of this week’s action surrounds the buildup to Friday night’s big game. The McKinley basketball team is set to play their chief rival Lincoln; a victory would mean that they reach the regionals for the first time in years. But first, we begin with the cold open in Nick’s basement. He is stoned out of his mind, which is already irritating Lindsay. Then, she thumbs through an old photo album where she eventually finds a photo of Nick with a former girlfriend in which he has cut her face out of the picture. That raises a red flag.
The post-credits scene takes place in the cafeteria, where a mini pep rally is being held. Coach Fredricks tells the student body that attendance at the game is mandatory; needless to say the freaks table is not having it. As for the geeks, Neal is offended by the lack of imagination shown by the school mascot, the Norseman. All he does is dance; there isn’t enough comedy involved in his routine. The scene ends with the mascot dancing on top of a cafeteria table, which collapses under his weight. Oops.
Lindsay pulls Kim aside to ask about Nick’s old girlfriend while also mentioning that she needs to break up with him. Kim warns her that this will be a huge mistake; Nick does not take heartbreak very well. That was dramatized by a scene in which a hooded Nick appears outside Lindsay’s bedroom window as she is sleeping. This is the first time that Nick’s exuberance devolves into full blown creepiness.
In the meantime, the entire town is caught up in McKinley fever, even Harold. As he tells his kids, he has to be at the game. He’s a local big shot, in addition to being a business owner. He’s in the Rotary Club! He’s about to be asked to run for the school board! He may as well have screamed that he drives a Dodge Stratus!
Sam is still trying to emotionally deal with Cindy’s attraction to Todd, the star of the basketball team. His hopes were briefly raised when Cindy confides in Sam that she no longer has a crush on Todd. Those hopes were just as quickly dashed when she clarifies that it is not a crush, it is a full blown obsession. Sam needs to find a way to get between Cindy and Todd, but he might have a path to do so.
The mascot’s fall has resulted in a concussion and a broken arm, so a replacement will need to be found. If Sam is the mascot, he will have an opportunity to spend a lot of time with Cindy, who you may recall is a cheerleader, during practice time. Neal, who fancies himself as a comedian, intended to sign up for the audition, but Sam talks him out of by reciting the bro code.
Neal and Bill are watching the audition, during which Neal once again mentions how bad the old Norseman is. The camera moves to reveal that Herbert, the previous mascot, was sitting behind them, and he was portrayed by a (very) young Shia LaBeouf. Sam gets the job; he will now be spending even more quality time with Cindy.
While all of this is going on, Lindsay confides in Jean that she is ready to break up with Nick. Jean is very comforting towards her daughter, but she shows her true feelings when she speaks with Harold. The Weir parents don’t like Nick, don’t want their daughter to see him, and are glad that this phase of her life is coming to an end. Jean was happy, however, that she was there for her daughter in her time of need. As she told Harold, she finally felt like a mother.
Jean’s motherly advice was that she needed to end things as quickly as possible to make it less painful. At first, Lindsay calls Nick on the phone, but when he picks up she can’t bring herself to do it, so she tells her mother that she needs to do it in person instead. On a humorous note, when Lindsay calls (she hangs up before saying a word so Nick never heard the voice on the other end of the line) he’s convinced that it is actually Ken messing with him and he remains on the line well after Lindsay had hung up, not realizing there was no one else there.
Daniel, Ken, and Kim continue to display a lack of school spirit until a group of students from Lincoln drive by - in a red convertible so you know they are d-bags - and toss water balloons at our freaks. Or, as Ken says, “this had better be water.” Later on, they see the same vehicle driving by and hop in Daniel’s car to chase them down. They find the car parked on the road and spray paint “u suk” on the door. The owner catches them in the act, and he is portrayed by Matt Czuchry. Damn, he always had a punchable face. The freaks put up a front of bravado, that is until a half dozen more Lincoln students emerge. Terribly outnumbered, Ken says that they need to take off, but Kim orders Daniel to kick their asses before they can escape.
Sam’s first practice telegraphs a few plot points which will crop up later. We’ve seen head cheerleader Vicki (JoAnna Garcia) in a few earlier episodes but this is the first time that her character was prominent, and she is revealed as a hard driving, borderline tyrannical coach. She pushes the cheerleaders hard, and has little patience for Sam, not giving him any lenience for his lack of experience. Sam is not wearing the mascot costume during practice; the giant head is still being repaired after Herbert’s fall. That fact will soon prove to be critical. Herbert also gives Sam important advice before they work on the human pyramid. He warns Sam that when he climbs on top not to pull on any of the girls’ hair or bra straps. Doing so would result in a reflex action which would cause them to shift and risk a collapse of the pyramid. Sam heeds that advice and he successfully climbs to the top of the pyramid; Cindy looks at him with pride.
When Sam is finally presented with the repaired mascot head, he discovers the worst parts of wearing the costume. The head is large and heavy; the routines that he had rehearsed are much more difficult with the added weight. The head also restricts his field of vision. The show uses point of view shots as seen through the small eye holes. One of those shots was Sam’s discovery of Cindy and Todd kissing. Later on, he lashes out at Cindy, telling her that Todd is a big jerk.
Finally, it’s game day and time for all of the plots to converge. This would be Lindsay’s chance to break up with Nick in person, but she once again chickens out. Not that Jean is aware of this; when she sees Nick she attempts to reassure him, telling him that this is all for the best. Lindsay is livid, and goes on to have a typical teenage moment, screaming at her mother for ruining everything.
Sam is still down in the dumps, and while he is in the locker room he hears the sounds of someone vomiting in the bathroom. Todd then steps out, and confesses to Sam that he always has a bad case of nerves before a game. That moment of vulnerability leads Sam to understand that Todd isn’t such a bad guy after all. At the same time, he decides that he can’t go on as the mascot. Neal seizes the opportunity to take over the role.
Harold is chatting up the mayor and other town elders in the school hallway, where the freaks happen to come by and act friendly towards Mr. Weir. It’s clear that the Lincoln students did a number on them; they have black eyes and cut lips, even Kim. Harold pretends that he doesn’t know them as he tries to shoo them away. It wouldn’t look good if he knows people like that, after all.
Neal’s debut as mascot does not go well at all. He didn’t rehearse, so he doesn’t know any of the routines. Instead, he freelances, resorting to prop comedy and also breaking mascot rule #1: he constantly spoke out loud. Of course, everyone still believes that it is Sam in the costume and they are ready to kill him. Most crucially, Neal was unaware of Herbert’s pyramid instructions, so when he climbs to the top, he accidentally pulls on the bra strap of one of the cheerleaders, resulting in a collapse. It as at this point where the mascot head falls off, revealing to all that it was Neal this whole time.
Everything ends well. The fight with the Lincoln students results in Daniel, Ken, and Kim rooting for McKinley as loudly as anyone else in the stands. Nick falls on the sword and breaks up with Lindsay, after which Lindsay leans on Jean’s shoulder with tears in her eyes. Todd hits the game winning free throws to send McKinley into the regionals. Sam apologies to Cindy and admits to her that Todd is a good guy. And the cheerleaders gang up on Neal, where they beat him into a pulp for ruining everything.
The big question is, will Nick be all right? The last time we see him, he is sobbing in his car as The Who’s The Song Is Over plays on the car radio. We shall see.
Looking At Some Numbers
As we reach the next set of numbers in our quest to name the greatest Met who has worn each uniform number, one of them has been retired. Despite that honor, is he the correct choice for that particular number? Let’s find out.
23 - There are not many inspiring choices for this number. Mike Baxter made the catch which preserved Johan Santana’s no-hitter, but one game won’t do it. The number was worn by a lot of Marlon Anderson and Julio Franco types. The honor goes to Doug Flynn. He couldn’t hit worth a lick, but he was a Gold Glove second baseman. The runner-up is David Peterson, who could potentially take over the top spot if he gets himself back on track.
24 - This number was retired for Willie Mays, fulfilling a promise which was made to him by then-owner Joan Payson when the Mets traded for him. But let’s be honest, by the time he was a Met he was nothing close to what he once was. Same deal with Rickey Henderson. Heck, I would almost say that Robinson Canó had a more productive career than either of the two. So, I will award it to a member of the 1969 team. Art Shamsky, the honor is yours. Out of respect I will make Mays the runner-up.
25 - For a few years there, it seemed like this number automatically went to the starting center fielder; both Don Hahn and Del Unser wore 25. I will always have a lot of affection for Willie Montañez and his lengthy home run trot. The correct answer should be Bobby Bonilla - it’s easy to forget that he made the All-Star Game twice as a Met. But, fan connection counts for something. Even before Bonilla Day jokes became a thing, he antagonized fans. I will award it to man whom Gary Cohen called Perpetual Pedro, quintessential LOOGY Pedro Feliciano. As a consolation prize, Bonilla is the runner-up, beating out Frank Thomas.
26 - It would be premature to give this to Nolan McLean, but he is off to a good start. And how can I not at least acknowledge Vinegar Bend Mizell, who wore this number in 1962. Remember what I said about fan connection? Well, I am going to contradict what I said only 1 paragraph ago. Dave Kingman might have been a miserable cuss, but the possibility of a tape measure home run was often the only reason to tune into a game if neither Seaver nor Koosman were pitching that day. Terry Leach, who almost saved the team’s bacon in 1987, is the runner-up.
Thank You, Dave
Some of my favorite David Letterman is angry David Letterman, which is why I was pleased to see that he was one of Stephen Colbert’s final guests. He was PISSED about everything going on at CBS, and because not only does he have f*** you money, but his career is also not beholden to any corporate overlords, he has no reason to hold back. The Colbert cancellation hits him personally, because in addition Letterman creating the CBS late night infrastructure as we know it, he was also responsible for the restoration of the Ed Sullivan Theater, which had fallen into disrepair.
Letterman and Colbert made a great team; you could tell that Colbert took great pleasure in Letterman’s freedom to say what he wished he could say publicly but held his tongue because he did not want to burn too many bridges on his way out. The bit that they were working on was spoiled before the telecast, because photos had shown the two standing on the theater roof preparing to toss stuff over the side. It was still a hoot to see.
One of the highlights from Letterman’s younger, anarchic days was the recurring segment in which he threw objects from the top of a 5 story tower in Westchester. He did it less frequently once he moved to CBS, but he and Colbert brought it back one final time. They began by disposing of the guest couch and Colbert’s desk chair, making sure to point out they were destroying CBS property. That the ground target was the CBS logo was the cherry on top. The stunt was punctuated by the always welcome sight gag of a watermelon toss, and Letterman said goodbye by throwing some choice words in the direction of CBS.
On a related note, it is sadly fitting that the end of CBS late night as we know it proceeded the end of CBS News Radio by 2 days. CBS News, which had been in existence since 1927, is now a part of history. The same history which the network was often a major part of. Yet another institution which has been dissolved for no good reason. Inexcusable.
A Somber Racing Weekend
All of the drivers at Indianapolis and Charlotte drove with heavy hearts yesterday following the shocking death of Kyle Busch. (In case you missed it, the Busch family revealed the cause of death as severe pneumonia which developed into sepsis.) The darkness was both figurative and literal, with the threat of rain hovering over both locations. Indy had two relatively brief rain delays, but the full 500 miles were completed and the finish was thrilling.
The rain threat resulted in a wide range of strategies, as the possibility of a shortened race encouraged some teams to gamble on the timing of their pit stops. In the end, the drivers who had been running fastest were in fact running up front as the race reached its climax, and Felix Rosenqvist built enough momentum around the final turn to surpass David Malukas to win in the closest finish in Indy history. Rosenqvist, who became the third Swedish native to win the 500 (Kenny Brack and Marcus Ericsson are the others) had been the dominant driver throughout the entire month, so he he is a very deserving champ. That said, you gotta feel for Malukas. If the race were the Indy 499.8, he would have been the winner. His emotions were so raw when he was interviewed at the conclusion.
Katherine Legge’s attempt to complete the Indy/Charlotte double was anticlimactic. To be fair, she was running for small teams in both races, so she was never a threat to contend. In her case a “victory” would be to finish on the lead lap, and her best shot of doing so would have been in Indianapolis. (Charlotte is 600 miles and 400 laps, so it is easy for a slower car to fall off the pace.) Unfortunately for her, she got caught up in an accident at Indy and her day ended very early. If there was a silver lining, an early departure gave her more time to get to Charlotte. At Charlotte she finished several laps behind the leaders, but the attempt was admirable. Legge is now one of only 6 people to have raced both Indianapolis and Charlotte on the same day.
They were able to complete the race at Indianapolis; but the weather was not as cooperative in Charlotte. A late evening downpour forced NASCAR to call the race 27 laps short of completion. In this case a weather related gamble worked out; in what would prove to be the final pit stop Daniel Suárez only took 2 new tires so that he could gain track position. He was able to successfully hold off the drivers who took a full set of 4 long enough that he was still in the lead when the rain came.
He Was Internationally Known
The early development of hip-hop played out a lot like the early development of rock & roll did. One of those parallels can be seen in the career arcs of the earliest artists who made breakthroughs. Several of them had their one landmark hit record, did not have anything else which resonated to the same extent, but maintained a long lasting career as a highly respected elder statesman. Rob Base was one such example.
It Takes Two wasn’t as big of a hit in its time as many might think it was; radio stations steered clear of hip-hop in those early days, but it was a club staple and it remains a certified classic to this day. Base, and his musical partner, the late DJ E-Z Rock, only released 2 albums in their career, but the infectious It Takes Two ensures that they will always have a permanent page in the hip-hop history books. Base died of cancer late last week. He was 59.
50 Years Ago - Donny & Marie
I recently wrote about the old Captain & Tennille variety show, pointing out that the main problem with that show is that neither of the two stars had the ideal skill set to front a variety show. That was not an issue with Donny & Marie Osmond; both came into this show with years of show business experience despite the fact that they were still teenagers when the show premiered. That’s not to say that either were exceptionally skilled dancers or comedic performers, but they handled things well enough to earn passing grades.
This show followed the classic variety show format so closely that it was practically grown in a lab. Each episode began with banter between the hosts, and it included the standard “female co-host hurls light insults towards her male co-host” template. Even better, the fact that in this case it was a kid sister throwing shade towards her older brother made Marie look like the smart alecky sister one would often see in a sitcom. (As an aside, Donny & Marie had a series of hit singles in which they covered classic love songs from the late 50’s/early 60’s. As a reminder, they are siblings. Eww.) There were broad comedy skits, a team of ice skaters on hand to provide variety, and each episode would end with a big production number consisting of a medley of popular songs constructed around a theme of the week.
The comedy bits didn’t ask them to do much more than they were capable of; Paul Lynde and Ruth Buzzi were in the house to do whatever heavy comedy lifting was required. There was a recurring skit in which Donny would portray a dimwitted Canadian Mountie opposite Marie’s damsel in distress, but the writing and acting wasn’t anything heavier than what one would see in a high school play.
The best remembered segment in the show was the mid-show medley, in which Marie told America that she was a little bit country, and Donny was a little bit rock & roll. The siblings would then perform a verse or two of hits both classic and contemporary. I have to admit that there are plenty of famous songs that I very likely heard for the first time via Donny or Marie, and not from the legitimate versions.
The Donny & Marie show ran for 4 seasons in total. It was initially a Sid & Marty Krofft production, although they stepped away fairly early. As a result, the show became less bonkers over time. I could be overlooking something, but Donny & Marie might be the final successful prime time variety series. Those that came later lasted one or two seasons at best. Variety is a format best suited to the old 3 channel universe. When more viewing options became available, the trying to be all things to all people strategy which variety shows took just couldn’t cut it anymore. Therefore, even though this was not a great show, or even a good one, by any objective standards, it still has a place in TV history. Let’s end this in the same way that Donny & Marie would close each episode. If you’re old enough to remember, the tune is probably already in your head. “May tomorrow be a perfect day!”
Closing Laughs
On a personal note, this is my last newsletter as a fiftysomething. Tomorrow is my birthday, and I am going to be (checks the math, oh dear God) 60! Don’t worry, you don’t gotta get me nothin’. Unless you want to, of course. Anyhoo, here’s hoping that all of you are having a relaxing holiday weekend. See you all again on Wednesday.
