[7.7/10] Another very enjoyable episode, each delving into the romantic lives of the Weir kids.
Once again, Sam’s feels like the more traditional story. There’s a sitcom-esque setup to the way he gets paired with the class pariah (which is saying something since Sam and his cohort constitute the “Geek” contingent of the show’s title), while his friend gets paired up with Sam’s crush, Cindy. The way Bill razzes Sam about it is funny, and Sam’s efforts to work around his unexpected firewall from Cindy via yearbook (which Mr. Weir amusing and inadvertently throws a wrench into) are adorable.
It seems like he’s won the day when Bill reports that Cindy called Sam “the nicest boy in school” and Sam thinks he’s in when she asks him to go grab a burger with her after class. But his hopes are dashed when she blushes and makes goo-goo eyes at a taller, grown-up, and presumably older boy who turns out to be her crush. Cindy even goes so far as to give Sam the kiss of death, calling him “like a sister.” It’s a bit of a sad story, but one that feels true to the romantic lives of kind, if geeky, young lads.
Still, while it too is traditional, the nicer part of the story is that Sam getting paired up with Gordon, the heavy-set and smelly kid in his science class, turns out to be an eye-opening experience. Gordon not only perceives Sam’s romantic situation, but gives him useful advice on it, and in return, Sam endeavors to include rather than ostracize Gordon, who has a “se la vie” attitude about his odor (which turns out to be a genetic condition). It’s a sweet little story about broadening horizons that cuts the sad part of Sam’s deal with Cindy.
Lindsay is having romantic issues of her own. There is, as has become the norm for the show, some really well-observed teen material here, where Lindsay both wants to seem cool about adult things like sex, and brushes off warnings from parents, teachers, and other authority figures about it, but privately she’s very nervous about the prospect of what being alone with Nick will entail and whether she’s ready for it.
I love the episode’s reversal there though, where in the end, Lindsay realizes that the only thing scarier than sex is love. Nick’s puppydog expressions of affection are adorable, but Lindsay’s face reveals the horrifying realization that Nick is way more into this than she is. It is sweet and relatable and kind of sad all at the same time.
But the best part of the episode is something we don’t get enough of -- Lindsay and Sam together. The way the brother and sister commiserate about their problems, manage to make each other laugh and feel better about their respective situations has a warmth and a realness to it, that draws the two stories and the two siblings closer together.
Overall, a very nice episode that again tackles the realities of teen life and teen romance in a funny and true way.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2018-02-01T23:49:36Z
[7.7/10] Another very enjoyable episode, each delving into the romantic lives of the Weir kids.
Once again, Sam’s feels like the more traditional story. There’s a sitcom-esque setup to the way he gets paired with the class pariah (which is saying something since Sam and his cohort constitute the “Geek” contingent of the show’s title), while his friend gets paired up with Sam’s crush, Cindy. The way Bill razzes Sam about it is funny, and Sam’s efforts to work around his unexpected firewall from Cindy via yearbook (which Mr. Weir amusing and inadvertently throws a wrench into) are adorable.
It seems like he’s won the day when Bill reports that Cindy called Sam “the nicest boy in school” and Sam thinks he’s in when she asks him to go grab a burger with her after class. But his hopes are dashed when she blushes and makes goo-goo eyes at a taller, grown-up, and presumably older boy who turns out to be her crush. Cindy even goes so far as to give Sam the kiss of death, calling him “like a sister.” It’s a bit of a sad story, but one that feels true to the romantic lives of kind, if geeky, young lads.
Still, while it too is traditional, the nicer part of the story is that Sam getting paired up with Gordon, the heavy-set and smelly kid in his science class, turns out to be an eye-opening experience. Gordon not only perceives Sam’s romantic situation, but gives him useful advice on it, and in return, Sam endeavors to include rather than ostracize Gordon, who has a “se la vie” attitude about his odor (which turns out to be a genetic condition). It’s a sweet little story about broadening horizons that cuts the sad part of Sam’s deal with Cindy.
Lindsay is having romantic issues of her own. There is, as has become the norm for the show, some really well-observed teen material here, where Lindsay both wants to seem cool about adult things like sex, and brushes off warnings from parents, teachers, and other authority figures about it, but privately she’s very nervous about the prospect of what being alone with Nick will entail and whether she’s ready for it.
I love the episode’s reversal there though, where in the end, Lindsay realizes that the only thing scarier than sex is love. Nick’s puppydog expressions of affection are adorable, but Lindsay’s face reveals the horrifying realization that Nick is way more into this than she is. It is sweet and relatable and kind of sad all at the same time.
But the best part of the episode is something we don’t get enough of -- Lindsay and Sam together. The way the brother and sister commiserate about their problems, manage to make each other laugh and feel better about their respective situations has a warmth and a realness to it, that draws the two stories and the two siblings closer together.
Overall, a very nice episode that again tackles the realities of teen life and teen romance in a funny and true way.