5 Favorite Moments From “Freaks and Geeks”

This week, Freaks and Geeks celebrated its 25th anniversary. Yes, it really has been 25 years since we first got a glimpse into the world of McKinley High. Crazy!

For a lot of people, the show is a reflection of how we all felt during high school. The 1999 NBC series - which only lasted for 18 episodes - has built up a stellar cult following over the years. On top of that, the show’s cast and creatives - including stars Seth Rogen, James Franco, Jason Segel, Busy Philipps, Linda Cardellini, John Francis Daly, Samm Levine, Martin Starr, executive producer Judd Apatow, and creator Paul Feig - have gone on to have incredible careers within the industry. It all started, however, with this small little NBC show.

In honor of the show’s 25th anniversary this week, we figured we’d take a look back at five of our favorite moments from the show. These are moments that are both funny and also tender, for the most part. That’s because it’s that blend that really sums up what was so great about this show.

While Bill Haverchuck (played by Starr) had many moments to shine amongst the geeks, this is perhaps our favorite. It’s a simple but sweet scene where he goes home to find his mom is still at work, leaving him to fend for himself. It’s the simplicity of this routine, where he cooks himself a grilled cheese, sits on the floor, and watches Garry Shandling that really hits us hard. The sentiment is felt by any kid who found themselves in a similar situation after school, and trying to find the joy wherever you can.

Joe Flaherty was already a legend amongst comedy and TV fans for his work on SCTV. But as Mr. Weir, he managed to relate to an all-new generation. While stern at times, there was a genuine heart behind it all. But his introduction from the pilot stands out as his greatest moment on the show. Here, he’s rattling off stories about people he knew that died, as a way of using scare tactics in the most hilarious ways. “Dad, are any of your friends alive?” “The smart ones.”

Despite only being 17, Seth Rogen seemed already fully formed as a performer. He had the iconic look and voice, and as we see here, he also demonstrated his first bit of acting chops. Despite being sardonic and a wiseass throughout the show, this first moment of vulnerability gives us a clear look at Rogen’s future, as we watch him observing his crush Amy on the field during band practice. While a more dramatic scene followed in later episodes, it’s this first scene that showed us what he could be capable of as an actor, not just a comedic voice.

Jason Segel’s character Nick becomes smitten with Lindsey (Cardellini). So much so that he sits down to write her a song. The song reflects his boundary issues that are present throughout the show, and his tendency to become clingy in relationships, as he tries to use this song as a way to get her back. The song is super cringey, and leads to Miller doing him a “favor” by smashing his guitar before he can play it for her. This is definitely a precursor to what we later got to see Segel do with his Dracula musical. 

In what is our favorite moment of the show, it’s actually the series finale. (So spoiler alert). In it, we see Lindsey and her family go to the bus station, where she’s about to go spend a few weeks competing against the smartest students in the state. After a sweet moment with her family, she gets on the bus, only to get off it a town over to go follow the Grateful Dead for the summer. It is a clear showcase of the character moving into her own, and following her own path, not the path that everyone wants for her. It’s the perfect ending to a perfect show.