All in all, Freaks and Geeks was a show that was often working hard to constantly move its characters forward. However, going through the DVD set one will run into an episode such as “Kim Kelly is My Friend,” a stand-alone episode if there ever was one. It never aired during the show’s initial run, and as such watching it by itself is… odd. Many events happen that won’t be acknowledged later, and while it tells us quite a bit about Kim Kelly as a character it provides nothing that isn't provided in later, better episodes. Freaks and Geeks is a show that’s often (intentionally) cringe-worthy, and it’s better for it, but “Kim Kelly is My Friend” provides plenty of cringes without ever creating a feeling that you’re watching something vital.
Again, most of my complaints come from the fact that later episodes would ignore it, and as such it’s all a bit inconsequential. The series finale “Discos and Dragons” aired initially on July 8, 2000. “Kim Kelly is My Friend” wouldn’t air until September, and on Fox Family. All this said, “Kim Kelly” is not a BAD episode of Freaks and Geeks, but the continuity errors are a distraction for me.
Lindsay, despite her ongoing evolution into freakdom, is unable to become good friends with Kim Kelly, who continues to treat Lindsay poorly. After some coaxing from Nick, Kim decides to try and become friends with Lindsay. What follows is one of the most uncomfortable episodes the series ever produced, which is saying something.
Meanwhile, Sam is being bullied by a young Rashida Jones, and these scenes of bullying are as disturbing as I’ve ever seen. Jones, who would go on to play some of the calmest and most normal characters on shows such as The Office and Parks and Recreation, is absolutely brutal to Sam, defacing his locker and checking for hair in his armpits. It’s obvious the geek characters are doomed to be bullied, but “Kim Kelly is My Friend” takes it to terrifying levels.
One thing I can’t take away from “Kim Kelly is My Friend” is Busy Philipps as the eponymous character. Kim is not a “mean girl” simply because she likes it, but because of the demons she faces elsewhere, including at home. Her mother is a horrible person to her, so Kim returns the favor. Being a despicable person is all she knows, and Philipps conveys this incredibly well.
Freaks and Geeks is a great show because it chronicles the horrors of high school and growing up without flinching, and while "Kim Kelly" does this well enough it just doesn't hold the same overall weight for me. It comes together well in the end, however, with an absolutely chaotic sequence in the Weir household that cumulates with Daniel and Kim all but attempting to procreate in the kitchen. Unfortunately, since the episode never aired on NBC, the scene is more or less erased from the memories of the characters in future episodes. As such “Kim Kelly” tends to fall by the wayside, and I don’t have too much more to say about it. It’s not wholly ineffective, but it doesn’t move anything forward and it doesn’t address the same large themes that the show takes on at its best. “Kim Kelly is My Friend” might be my least favorite episode of Freaks and Geeks, but when you think about it that’s not at all a knock on the series. If an episode like this is as weak as it gets, you’ve made something pretty great.
However, as I look around the Internet it seems many TV critics/writers are incredibly fond of “Kim Kelly is My Friend.” So what do I know?
You don't think this episode moved anything forward? It always seemed to me like an absolutely essential turning point in Lindsey and Kim's relationship. Their growing camaraderie in later episodes would come out of nowhere without an episode like this to set it in motion.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I'm not sure what continuity errors you're talking about - later episodes will in fact directly reference this one, such as when Lindsay next mentions Nick to Jean ("Nick? Is he the one who ate all my fruit roll-ups?") or Lindsay's insistence in "The Diary" that Kim's mother is crazy and her word shouldn't be trusted. Admittedly, Karen Scarfolli is never referred to again - maybe that's where your complaint lies?