Summary

• Freaks & Geeks ends with the friend group splintered, leaving a bittersweet conclusion. (89 characters)
• James Franco's real-life actions make Daniel's character creepier in retrospect. (86 characters)
• Nick's obsession with Lindsay and Kim's tragic home life are problematic elements. (80 characters)

the Freaks & Geeks cast have gone on to great success elsewhere.

That doesn't necessarily blunt the disappointing fact that the criminally underrated series will never get a full resolution. It's also a show that, like many other classics of its era, hasn't aged well in some very specific ways. Some of Freaks & Geeks' best characters feel harsher and more relevant than ever when looked at through a modern perspective, while elements of certain characters have become more problematic in retrospect. Here are the biggest ways Freaks & Geeks has aged harshly in the twenty-five years that ed since it debuted.

10 Freaks & Geeks Ends With The Titular Friend Group Splintered

The Central Cast Ends The Show Going In Different Directions

Freaks & Geeks has some harsh elements when looking back at the show's content and cancelation, especially because it means the show's quietly bittersweet ending means the show concludes with the titular Freaks splintering apart. While the show is largely focused on the two titular friend groups (with the connecting tissue being the sibling relationship between newly minted freak Lindsay and comically uncool geek Sam), the final episode of the series come with the apparent dissolution of the Freaks as a group.

The drama between Daniel, Nick, Lindsay, and Kim pushes them apart, leading to a final episode where only Lindsay and Kim seem to remain firmly tied to one another. While it's a fitting ending for how friendships develop, change, and end in adolescence, it does give a somber touch to finale that, according to an interview series creator Paul Feig gave to Vanity Fair, would have only become more pronounced if the show had continued.

9 Allegations About James Franco Make Daniel Creepier

How The Real Life James Franco Ruins Daniel

Played by James Franco, Daniel was the smooth-talking charmer among the Freaks. He was a frequent flirt with Kim and Lindsay, and used his good looks to strong effect through the show. However, this aspect of the character becomes a little more questionable in recent years, as Franco has since been accused of taking advantage of students who attended The Art of Elysium school while he was a teacher.

Franco later itted he had sex with students during his tenure there, and ultimately paid $2 million in sexual misconduct settlements to resolve the ensuing lawsuits. These accusations paint previous Franco characters like Daniel in a far harsher light, as his surface-level charm and manipulative habits to get other students to forgive his transgressions and constant flirtations looks far worse in light of Franco's real-world actions.

8 Nick's Obsession With Lindsay Didn't Age Well

Nick's Love Life Makes Him Unsympathetic

Played by Jason Segal, Nick's crush on Lindsay became a defining characteristic for his role in the show. Even in-universe, it's treated as a frustrating turn when he becomes increasingly obsessed with her, threatening their friendship in episodes like "Girlfriends and Boyfriends" while underscoring his own personal hang-ups. Although Nick eventually moves past Lindsay, his aggressive attempts to flirt with her and spark a romance look particularly problematic from modern perspectives.

What makes matters worse is that Nick and Lindsay don't necessarily resolve their issues. Instead, their break-up eventually prompts Nick to just shift to a different romance that quickly alienates him from the other of the Freaks. Nick's dogged search for love might have been meant to make him endearing, but it ultimately leads him to come across as desperate and even aggressive at times.

7 Kim's Home Life Is Seriously Tragic

Cookie & Arlo Are Straight Horrifying

Initially introduced as a harsh character within the Freaks, Kim was steadily revealed to have far more depth than Lindsay or audiences gave her credit for. It turns out much of her attitude is a result of her homelife, which was revealed in the surprisingly somber "Kim Kelly Is My Friend." Played by Ann Dowd and Jack Conley, Kim's mother Cookie and step-father Arlo are shown to be verbally abusive towards her. Cookie has a quick temper and repeatedly screams at her.

Meanwhile, Arlo is a threatening figure who is implied to be a physically abusive as well. When Lindsay and Kim flee the pair during after a failed dinner, Arlo smashes the hood of the car and screams after them. It's such a harrowing portrayal of domestic home abuse that NBC infamously refused to originally air the episode. In retrospect, it's a horrifying slice of life episode that remains one of the harshest moments in the entire series.

6 Kim's Brother Chip Was The Victim Of Police Brutality

Chip Has A Really Tragic Backstory

One of the saddest aspects of Kim's backstory and home-life has actually become more relevant, and in a genuinely tragic way. Kim's brother Chip is introduced as sleeping all day on the couch, with little motivation or agency. Their mother has a clear preference for him over Kim, something that weighs heavily on her during the course of the show. However, the reason for Chip's status is that he was accosted by the police while partying with friends.

Chip was beaten by the police and seemingly left with permanent brain damage as a result, explaining why he has so little clear personality or actions in the show. It paints Cookie's attitude towards him in a far sadder light, and reinforces the traumas that Kim has suffered. With police brutality a far more overt topic in the modern day, the treatment of Chip and the lingering effects of his run-in with the police feels far darker and resonant than it did when the show premiered.

5 Ken And Amy's Romance Has Some Unfortunate Implications

Ken & Amy's Relationship Is Well-Meaning But Doesn't Age Well

Ken is one of the more understated of the Freaks, and he actually ends the show in a relatively place thanks to his romance with Amy. However, a subplot in their relationship is the complication caused by Ken's discovery that Amy was born intersex. This prompts him to consider breaking up with her, as it causes Ken to question his sexuality.

While the storyline ultimately has a happy ending where Ken comes to his senses and continues to pursue a romance with her, Ken's hesitation and confusion reads far less sympathetically than it did when the show debuted. Evolving views on gender and sexuality paint Ken's reaction to Amy's gender as far more frustratingly reactory than was likely intended. While the romance still ends on a nice note and the moral of the story is that Ken's romance with Amy shouldn't be impacted by gender, it doesn't work as well from a modern perspective.

4 Alan Has One Of The Show's Most Unexpectedly Saddest Storylines

How Freaks & Geeks Gives A Bully A Three-Dimensional Arc

Played by Chauncey Leopardi, Alan is introduced as a bully who specifically targets Sam and the rest of the Geeks. However, the season steadily reveals that Alan is a lonely and isolated teenager with no friends. Despite having the same kind of geeky ions for sci-fi and comics that Sam and his friends have, Alan treats them terribly throughout the season. His "prank" against Bill in 'Chokin' and Tokin'" almost gets Bill killed, prompting a genuinely heartbreaking moment where Alan confesses to Bill about his own insecurities and regrets.

It's a surprisingly three-dimension exploration of the bully archetype that takes on an even sadder element when Bill tries to extend a friendship to Alan that is ultimately shot down. Alan is one of the best examples of Freaks & Geeks exploring the true tragic wealth of experiences felt in adolescence, but feels like a particularly tragic showcase of the bully archetype that ends on a somber note of self-isolation and rejected friendship.

3 Harold's Backstory Sounds Harrowing

Within the context of Freaks & Geeks, Harold comes across largely as a well-meaning but buttoned-up father. However, all of the comical sternness is implied to be covering up a more troubled past than Lindsay or Sam realize. Harold implies in "Smoothcing and Mooching" that his father was far more controlling and "hard" than he is. This gives his sympathies towards Nick over his troubled relationship with his own aggressive Dad much sadder.

He's established as a veteran of the Korean War, referencing his time being pinned down in a foxhole during "Tricks and Treats." Considering Nick's father insisted he the army, it's possible Harold went through a similar experience and enlisted to appease a harsh father. This all hints that his harsher experiences have shaped him in a way that others can't necessarily relate to, and makes his stern but loving attempts to be a better father than the one he had all the more meaningful.

2 William McKinley High School Has Terrible Teachers

The Freaks And Geeks Don't Get Many Good Mentors

It's a common gag in shows about high school to use the falculty and their flaws as a source of comedy. However, the realistic elements of Freaks & Geeks make the foibles of the William McKinley teaching staff feel harsher than many of the show's peers. While there are some staff portrayed largely in a positive light (such as Mr. Fleck, Jeff Rosso, and Miss Foote), their good intentions occasionally caused unitended drama for the students.

Coach Ben Fredirkcs is aggressive during class and infuriates the Geeks, masking a genuinely sweet side that is steadily hinted atthroughout the season. Frank Kowchevski applies his experience as a Marine to his teaching style, which results in at-risk students like Daniel don't recieve the they need to prosper. Mr. Casper is a smug and frustrating teacher who openly mocks his students. While some teachers like Coach Fredircks and Mr. Kowchevski were given depth and personalities that hinted at their true humanity, many of the show's falculty failed as educators.

1 The Show Will Never Get A Proper Conclusion

Freaks & Geeks Will Never Get The Ending It Deserves

One of the harshest truths about Freaks & Geeks is that the series will never get a proper conclusion. Due to conflicts between the creatives behind the series and the executives at NBC, Freaks & Geeks only lasted one season. Any prospective follow-up became quickly difficult, as many of the stars, writers, and directors on the show became stars in their own right.

Even explanations of future season storylines for Freaks & Geeks can't remedy the fact that audiences who fell in love with the core cast of characters will never get full closure for their arcs and developments. Freaks & Geeks has been hailed as one of the best shows ever, and rightfully so — as the acting and writing on display remains impressive twenty-five years later. However, revisiting the series today is just a somber reminder that sometimes, great shows like Freaks & Geeks just can't catch a break.