Previously on Freaks and Geeks: Pilot, Beers and Weirs, Tricks and Treats, Kim Kelly is My Friend, Tests and Breasts, I'm with the Band, Carded and Discarded, Girlfriends and Boyfriends, We've Got Spirit, The Diary, Looks and Books, The Garage Door, Chokin' and Tokin', Dead Dogs and Gym Teachers.
Noshing and Moshing was written by Paul Feig and J. Elvis Weinstein and was directed by Jake Kasdan.
Plot Summary: Neal wrestles with the dilemma of whether to tell his mother about his father's affair. Lindsay is given detention after coming to the aid of a girl being attacked by a boy. Daniel deals with pressures at home and with Kim. He escapes from his problems through punk music.
This is a fun episode. You finally get to see how Neal deals with the discovery of his father's wandering ways. We also catch a glimpse of Daniel's home life and it isn't so pretty. If you look at the characters of Neal and Daniel you wouldn't think they have much in common however as the story develops you see that they have quite a bit in common and their storylines work so well in the same episode. Why did they have to cancel this brilliant show?
We caught bits and pieces of Daniel's life throughout the series however this episode gives us the biggest glimpse. In one scene we find out the Daniel's father is an invalid but his ailment is never mentioned. His mother tries to talk Daniel out of going to school so that he can go get his father's medicine. Lately I have been experiencing what Daniel went through. He says that he has too many tardies and asks if he should drop out of school and get a minimum wage job to which his mother says that it would be a help. When Daniel finally gets to school he gets chewed out by Kim but Daniel is too proud to explain his family situation so he barks back at her. We finally see all the pressure that is put on this high school junior who has already been held back twice in his academic career.
We see Daniel go into his hole of a bedroom and blast some Black Flag. The punk music fits him to a tee however you would think he would be jumping around and screaming with the music. Not Daniel, he is cowering and balled up as if he is trying to disappear. You really feel for the guy.
With his new found punk persona, he asks out another punk girl in a pretty funny scene. That remind me of a time I asked out a goth girl. Here I was in a suit and tie after coming from a day at the old salt mines and she all gothed up. Well it was awkward but I learned she wasn't my material.
When Daniel goes back to Kim...well the Dean Martin was playing and I had tears. I cried because of this episode. Love, sometimes I think it is overrated yet it can be so beautifully displayed on TV. It's been so long since I experienced that so I have forgotten.
We also learn that Neal is channeling all his frustration into an asipring career as a ventriloquist. I love how Bill gets freaked out by the dummy. Oh and has a dentist ever invited you over to his house ofr a patients' party? I didn't think so. We also get to meet Neal's older brother Barry who is attending the University of Wisconsin. We also find out how Barry benefitted from his father's adultery. Remember how Neal received an Atari? Well Barry got a car from his dad. I also felt bad for Neal when he saw his brother kissing Lindsay, the girl who Neal has had a crush on since the first episode. Neal had some good jokes during his act but you could jsut feel his pain. It was also a treat to see the Weirs parents drunk.
Things to Watch For: Bill's dance...nuff said! The music he dances to was composed by Paul Feig.
Look for the guest roles from Ron Lester(Billy Bob from Varsity Blues) and David Krumholtz. Krumholtz has been a favorite actor and this role was one of his tranistions into taking adult roles. Before this he mostly played geeky kid roles. After this role he popped up on ER and played a schizophrenic that killed a doctor in the emergency room. Currently he is a sexy geek on Numb3rs. Roger Ebert had a theory that a nerd will be a nerd forever, but a geek is often someone who just has to wait a few years until the world catches up with them.
Barry's story of being a geek and turning in cool was a major theme of the short-lived Judd Apatow series "Undeclared". If you haven't seen it, look for it. You will see many of the actors from Freaks and Geeks in that series.
Did Mrs. Schweiber really know her hsuband was cheating?
Trivia: During the opening title sequence to the episode "Noshing and Moshing" while Daniel, Ken and Nick are in the liquor store, the cooler behind them contains flavors of Gatorade Frost that were not introduced until 1998. The show is set in 1980.
The album Daniel buys and listens to with headphones on (“Damaged” by Black Flag) was not released until December 1981, the show takes place in late 1980.
In the original version of the episode, the song played during the final scene was "Only Love Will Break Your Heart" by Neil Young.
Music: "Space Funk" by Paul Feig; "Rise Above" by Black Flag; "Your Phone is Off the Hook But You're Not" by X; "You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You" by Dean Martin; "Lime Green," "Happy Street" and "Punk Rock 201," performed by Diesel Boy
Quotes:
Daniel: You're supposed to go inside, take care of him, and I'm supposed to go to school! It's called Wednesday.
Daniel: What, so it's my fault that you left your stuff in my car?
Kim: No, it's your fault that you're the most unreliable person ever.
Daniel: Well, you're certainly reliable, you're always a BITCH!
Mr. Kowchevski: Why don't you go pick on someone your own size. There's a bus in the parking lot.
Jenna Zank: You know what punkers don't do? Call themselves punkers.
Here's the episode, enjoy! After this one, only three episodes remain.
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