Every Episode Of Freaks And Geeks Ranked

The award-winning 1999 cult classic "Freaks and Geeks," created by Paul Feig and produced by Judd Apatow, only lasted a season, but more than 20 years later, we still view this magnificent, short-lived endeavor as one of the most authentic takes on the coming-of-age genre. Part of that authenticity comes from a talented cast of actors who actually look age-appropriate and part of it comes from the impeccable music choices. What's really stunning about this character-driven teen dramedy, though, is that it's much more concerned with representing "the sad, hilarious unfairness of teen life" and exploring "emotional truth" than anything else (via Vanity Fair). The show's not hyper-fixated on teaching its audience lessons—though lessons do come—and it's not interested in unrealistic plots.

The heart of the show's enduring legacy is its focus on character development as the students of McKinley High navigate the complexities of adolescence. Its acute attention to the hilariously awkward parts of growing up and to its early '80s setting make us laugh, while its dedication to slow-building character growth makes us think and feel.  

Judd Apatow has claimed that "everything [he's] done...is revenge for the people who canceled "Freaks and Geeks" (via Variety), and we completely understand why. To celebrate this brief but glorious gem, we've used IMDb ratings to compile a list of every episode, ranked from good to best.

"Girlfriends and Boyfriends" is another entry that has a commendable rating of over an 8 on IMDb but is still considered the series' second-worst episode on the site's ranked list. Here, everyone reacts to the newly established relationship between Lindsay and fellow Freak Nick (Jason Segel of "How I Met Your Mother"). Her parents are a little stunned and concerned after discovering she's dating the teen who ate all of Jean's fruit roll-ups, Daniel (James Franco) spends his study hall trying to convince Lindsay that his friend's a stud, and former best friend Millie (portrayed by an earnest Sarah Hagan, who goes on to play potential slayer Amanda in the final season of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer") worries about Lindsay potentially going "all the way" because that's what Freaks do. Even McKinley's hippie guidance counselor, Jeff Rosso (Dave Allen), reaches out, making an awkward confession about mistakes from his sexual past while attempting to offer dating advice. The real issue, though, is that Lindsay's just not that into Nick. In fact, she finds his clinginess and desire to cuddle overwhelming. As a reluctant Lindsay frets over her new relationship, Sam struggles to deal with Bill (Martin Starr) and Cindy Sanders (Natasha Melnick), his own crush, becoming lab partners.

Critically Touched's Jeremy Grayson identifies the episode's theme as "unrequited love." The two central storylines feature Lindsay and Sam on opposite ends of this common teen trope, with Sam pining over a potentially out-of-reach cheerleader and Lindsay contending with unwanted attention from the lovesick Nick. It's certainly not the show's strongest endeavor, but it's still a painfully authentic one.

The A.V. Club's Emily St. James is "struck by...the way...["I'm With the Band"] brings all of the male characters to these moments of vulnerability, then shows how they navigate terrain they're not as readily equipped to deal with as their female counterparts might be." Currently hovering around an 8.5 on IMDb, this "Freaks and Geeks" episode even features creator Paul Feig himself, who plays the guitarist in the band Nick auditions for.

Here, we glimpse Nick's home life, witnessing his father's annoyance over his son's passion for drumming, and learning that, if Nick doesn't maintain a C+ average in school, he must join the Army like his brothers before him. Supportive of his musical dreams, Lindsay encourages Nick to take on more of a leadership role within the Freaks' band, telling him he needs to get the others to practice more. Unfortunately, the result of Nick taking this advice is disastrous. Attempting to make it up to him, Lindsay finds her friend an audition to join another band that's conveniently looking for a drummer, but the result of that endeavor could well be disastrous too. While the Freaks quarrel, and while Daniel offers Lindsay some harsh words of his own regarding Nick's life, the Geeks struggle with a new gym class policy: Everyone has to shower after class. Upon learning this new rule, a horrified and determined Sam attempts to avoid the locker room showers at all costs.

"Beers and Weirs," rated a little over an 8.5 on IMDb, features a plot device we've seen in plenty of other high school narratives. In this one, the Weir parents go out of town for the weekend. Lindsay, prompted by the Freaks, decides to throw a party, complete with a keg. Before the party, though, the students must sit through a "scared straight" assembly, and Sam is, indeed, scared straight. When his attempts to talk to his sister about all the potentially fatal, alcohol-related dangers fail, the Geeks decide to use some of Neal's (Samm Levine) bar mitzvah money to switch the keg with one full of non-alcoholic beer. As we'd expect of a house party filled with unsupervised (but not actually drunk!) teenagers, chaos still ensues. Neal pines over Lindsay, Ken (Seth Rogen) dominates at Quarters, and Millie crashes the party, determined to have some good, sober fun. Meanwhile, a sour Bill—who just wants to watch "Dallas"—hides in Sam's room with the real keg.

The A.V. Club's Emily St. James claims that "while 'Beers and Weirs' isn't the series' best episode, it's notable for...sticking to what the series does best: slow-building character arcs that stretch across the season." This entry offers a fairly basic premise, but as with other "Freaks and Geeks" installments, the plot isn't the point. It's the characters, with all the nuances of their identity struggles, who matter here.

In "The Diary," also currently rated over an 8.5 on IMDb, Kim and Lindsay have some fun hitchhiking. Horrified at their daughter's actions, the Weir parents insist on having Kim's mother over for dinner so they can let her know what a bad influence her child is. When the woman reveals that she figures out what's going on in her rebellious daughter's life by reading Kim's diary, Harold and Jean take heed, expecting to find their daughter's diary full of confessions about drugs, alcohol, and sex. Instead, they find out what Lindsay thinks of their own monotonous lifestyle. As they contend with their newfound knowledge, Lindsay, having upset Kim by not standing up for her, has to find a way to repair that unstable bond. Meanwhile, Bill, sick of getting picked last in gym class during the baseball unit, begins prank calling Mr. Fredricks ("Back to the Future" alum Thomas F. Wilson). Problem is, as his frustration over the jock favoritism grows, his calls get increasingly vicious.

Critically Touched's Jeremy Grayson claims "there is an indelible charm to this episode," and The A.V. Club's Emily St. James believes that "this is one of the few times we really get to see Jean and Harold as something other than 'Lindsay and Sam's parents,' and Jean, in particular, is heartrending." We'd just add that what's unique about this particular storyline is that it's largely the adults who are learning lessons and questioning their own established identities here.

The A.V. Club's Emily St. James identifies "The heart of ["Noshing and Moshing"] as "the twin stories of Neal and Daniel," two boys "trying out new things in an attempt to deal with uncertainties in their personal lives." Boasting a strong rating of over an 8.5 on IMDb, this story sees Neal struggling with the discovery the Geeks made in "The Garage Door" that his dad is cheating on his mom. In an attempt to cope, he starts carrying his ventriloquist dummy, Monty, everywhere, and his grades plummet. For his parents, and for Mr. Rosso, Neal's academic and behavioral nosedive is startling and concerning, but to him, Monty is his only outlet. 

Meanwhile, Daniel grapples with his own difficult home life. After his tardiness—caused by him picking up painkillers for his father—results in a blowout fight between him and Kim, Daniel tries to reinvent himself as a punk, even greasing his hair with raw egg. After a harsh night, though, he realizes he may not be cut out for that lifestyle—but Ken might be. 

In the more lighthearted storylines, which help balance out the heavier, intently character-focused narratives of Daniel and Neal, the Weirs fret over having to make an appearance at the Schweibers' annual party, and Lindsay, who hadn't planned on going, changes her mind when Neal's older brother, Barry (played by "Numb3rs" star David Krumholtz), comes home from college for the event.

In "Dead Dogs," we witness Kim and Lindsay running over Millie's dog, Goliath, with Kim's car. The girls then spend the bulk of the narrative trying to make it up to the other girl without confessing the terrible truth. As a guilty Kim tries to bond with Millie over dead dogs, even sharing her own story about when her parents put hers to sleep, Lindsay tries to convince her dad to let her attend an upcoming The Who concert, and Millie spirals. Bill also gets time to shine here when his mom — to her son's absolute horror — starts dating his gym teacher, Mr. Fredricks. After Mr. Fredricks' genuine attempts at bonding fail and he expresses his frustrations, Bill finally starts to consider giving the guy an inch. In addition, Nick writes Lindsay a song about his feelings for her, but Ken goes to drastic lengths to prevent his friend from embarrassing himself.

Reddit user u/mooseguyman considers this series "the best portrayal of the American teenage experience since 'The Breakfast Club,' citing this exact episode, which is currently rated well over an 8.5 on IMDb, as one of the narratives that solidified the fact that the show "doesn't demonize any of its characters." Rather, "they all become human," including, as we see here, the high school gym teacher the Geeks so often consider an antagonist despite some evidence to the contrary sprinkled throughout the show.

"Looks and Books" follows the Freaks as they "borrow" the Weir Station Wagon to pick up amps for a concert, a disastrous decision resulting in a fender bender that finds Lindsay grounded indefinitely and forbidden from hanging out with the Freaks. After a conversation with former bestie Millie, our protagonist decides to rejoin the Mathletes, improve her image in her parents' eyes, and work on securing her academic future. But the choice comes with a steep price for Millie and another Mathlete, forcing Lindsay to question whether this can really be her life again. Meanwhile, Neal convinces Sam he must dress to impress if he wants girls like Cindy to notice him. Trouble is, Sam's personal choices—like wearing a Parisian night suit—just lead to some cringeworthy moments and more bullying. In addition, the Freaks, inspired by Lindsay's rage, contemplate their own futures.

"Looks and Books," currently hovering just under an impressive rating of 9 on IMDb, explores the different layers of these characters' identities, featuring not just the tension between who these characters are pretending to be and who they truly want to be, but also the raw revelation that "people are more complicated than most high school shows allow them to be" (via The A.V. Club).

In "The Little Things," McKinley is set to welcome Vice President George Bush for a special Q&A with the student body, but the adults are more excited about the upcoming visit than the teens. Mr. Rosso's also thrilled to announce to Lindsay that she gets to ask the first question of the night. Initially reluctant, Lindsay has fun brainstorming potential questions with Kim, but the effort seems all for naught when the VP's staff rejects the question she submits and tasks her with presenting one they've prepared. When Mr. Rosso is barred from the event due to his past activism, Lindsay must choose how to proceed — and what question to ask. Meanwhile, as the relationship between Cindy and Sam blossoms, he discovers he doesn't really like her. In fact, they have drastically different interests, with Cindy hating the Steve Martin classic "The Jerk" and Sam physically uncomfortable with receiving a hickey.

The person doing the most soul-searching in this narrative, though, and ultimately exhibiting the most character growth, is Ken Miller. After girlfriend Amy entrusts him with a secret—that she was born intersex—a confused Ken ponders his sexuality and what this means for their developing relationship.

With its theme of honesty, a PopOptiq review claims this entry, currently hovering around a rating of 9 on IMDb, is "one of the best episodes of the series, navigating a difficult plot and nailing the landing in one of the show's rare happy moments." 

According to IMDb's sorted list, "Smooching and Mooching" is top-tier "Freaks and Geeks." Here, we see a devastated Nick leaving home after his father sells his hard-earned, 32-piece drum set due to a less-than-stellar report card in which Nick did not, per a previous agreement, maintain a C+ average. Problem is, Nick doesn't really have anywhere to go. To Lindsay's shell-shocked surprise, her parents invite Nick to stay with them. After some words of encouragement from Harold, Nick starts to get his act together, accepting a part-time job and using the money to pay for drumming lessons.

As Nick enjoys his time with Harold and Jean, a nervous Sam takes crush-turned-new-girlfriend Cindy to a make-out party. There, Neal finds disappointment, Sam finds discomfort, and Bill and Vicki (played by "Sweet Magnolias" star JoAnna Garcia Swisher), who are paired up for a session of Seven Minutes in Heaven, find themselves bonding—and making out.

Critically Touched's Jeremy Grayson calls this episode "surprisingly heartfelt—and even more surprisingly simplistic," which, in our opinion, helps the entry stay focused on the characters. Ultimately, what makes this episode the best the series has to offer is the narrative, which perfectly encapsulates everything this teen dramedy is meant to be: a relatable, acutely character-oriented coming-of-age tale full of raw, poignant, and humorous moments.