Smooching and Mooching (Freaks and Geeks)

In just 18 short episodes, Freaks and Geeks got through more plot than the average television show does in two-plus seasons; particularly in the arena of romantic relationships. As we never got a second season of Freaks and Geeks, we may sometimes forget just how audacious the show was when it comes to moving past the status quo. It’s hard to see it as a season of television so much as a single 18-part story. Yet in these 18 parts, the two central romantic relationships (Lindsay/Nick and Sam/Cindy) not only meet their beginning, but also their horrible, brutal end. The series—in a bold move—suggests that these relationships could never, ever work. Freaks and Geeks was a show about the fact we don’t live in a happy television dream world, and that extends to high school crushes. In most cases, the dream girl/guy you’re after isn’t all they seem to be.

In the case of Cindy Sanders—Sam’s crush since episode one—it will soon be revealed that she’s actually a terrible, manipulative person. However, “Smooching and Mooching” doesn’t go into the agony of it all quite yet. Right now, Sam must confront the awesome (yet terrifying) fact that the girl he likes is also interested in pursuing a relationship. Surely an infinite paradise of romance awaits him, right? Right? Wrong. For Sam Weir, a relationship with Cindy Sanders turns out to be far less fulfilling than he planned. Or hoped.

When “Smooching and Mooching” begins, we drop in on Sam Weir and his friends having the geekiest film criticism conversation of all time (apparently Caddyshack is “uneven” to Sam). It isn’t long before Cindy comes over to inform Sam of her newfound freedom, as she has just broken up with her jock boyfriend Todd. Sam does his best to hide his obvious elation—John Francis Daley is excellent at keeping all emotion below the apprehensive surface—but Cindy is far less subtle. Before Sam can get his feet on the ground, Cindy says she is going to give him a telephone call (saying she needs “someone to talk to”) and plants a nice peck on Sam’s cheek. As Neal so eloquently puts it: “Oh my God. It’s happening.” No doubt the Freaks and Geeks audience felt the same way.

Cindy, the go-getter of the duo, decides to get to Sam the only way she knows how: through her ex-lab partner Bill. After revealing all of her feelings to him, the ball is now entirely in Sam’s court. All he has to do is ask her to a specific party, and he’ll—for all intensive purposes—be in. The problem is that the party in question turns out to be the most awkward get-together imaginable, as it’s a make-out party. The awkwardness is compounded when Neal and Bill decide to tag along. When the party comes around, the spin-the-bottle gods are not so cooperative. Cindy keeps kissing the show’s resident background freak Sean, and Neal’s bottle keeps landing on Bill. Eventually, when Sam gets his time alone with Cindy, things seem a bit more ominous than expected. Let’s put it this way: Sam will likely not be wearing the pants in this relationship. This isn’t thoroughly explored in “Smooching and Mooching,” but it’s implied. All we know right now is that Sam finally has his dream girl, but is it an ideal situation? (More to come in the next episode.)

Meanwhile, Nick and his father have never seen eye-to-eye. While Nick wants to follow his dream of being a drummer—no matter how bad he actually is—his father begins to tighten the leash. One day, Nick discovers that his father has sold the entirety of his drum set. Being the level-headed teenager that he is, he decides to seize the opportunity and run away for good. He doesn’t really have an ultimate plan for himself; all he knows is that he wants to drum while studying as little as possible. This way of life has led him to being a) a bad student, and b) not a very good drummer. Only when he takes refuge in the Weir household does he begin to find some direction.

If there’s one thing we know about Nick at this point in the show, it’s that he still has feelings for Lindsay. While he sees this stay at her house as a chance to grow closer, he soon realizes that she has no real intention of getting back together. In this episode he begins to realize this, if not wholly accept it. The cold strictness of his father has caused him to rebel rather than cooperate, but the familial aura of the Weir household becomes something of a wake-up call. While his own father dismisses him (“End of conversation!”), Mr. Weir tries to get through to him. He turns him on to full-fledged drum lessons, Buddy Rich, and encourages him to become a better student. Up until this point, we’ve seen Mr. Weir as little more than a disciplinarian, but “Smooching and Mooching” softens him up ever so slightly. Lindsay is equally confused by his newfound kindness, but he explains to her that he’s only doing what he feels is right for Nick. Despite the fact an outsider has entered the house, “Smooching and Mooching” provides some of the best Weir family moments in the series. A short scene between Lindsay and Sam—during which they discuss the Cindy conundrum—is particularly poignant.

The final few episodes of Freaks and Geeks are all about moving characters on to new places. None would succeed as well as the finale “Discos and Dragons,” but “Smooching and Mooching” puts in motion two storylines that have been teased since the series’ beginning: 1) Will Sam and Cindy ever get together, and 2) will Nick be able to move on from Lindsay? The answers, respectively, are yes and no. However, leave it to a show like Freaks and Geeks to never make it quite so simple. A lesser show would take the Sam/Cindy and Nick/Lindsay couples and send their relationship in the direction of television couples like Jim and Pam. Yet in this universe, these romances are likely the worst thing that could possibly happen.