This Is The End: Just The Beginning

In 1999, television changed forever when Paul Feig proved that a one-hour TV show could be both funny and sentimental. At 15, I suddenly found myself enthralled in the fictional lives of a bunch of outcasts struggling to survive high school. Along with producer Judd Apatow, Feig introduced us to a group of young actors who would go on to star in some of the biggest box office blockbusters of the last decade. At the time, they were simply a group of unknown, barely out of high-school kids getting their first break on a little show called Freaks and Geeks.

My devotion to this critically acclaimed, yet quickly canceled television show was instant and long lasting. Following its debut and way-too-soon finale, I spent hours telling anyone who would listen about the beauty that was Freak and Geeks. I made t-shirts promoting my infatuation that were covered in random one-liners and found a way to work quotes from the show into everyday conversations. My friends balked at the idea that I would rather spend the evening watching a heavyset, mutton-chopped stoner go to a laser light show than see Joshua Jackson take his shirt off on Dawson’s Creek.

They just didn’t understand what the draw was. Even now I have trouble verbalizing what made me fall in love with the quirky show. Back then, all I knew was that Jason Segal was more than a funny looking guy and there was something interesting behind the pretty face of James Franco.

Two years after its cancellation, I found refuge in Undeclared, a college comedy that would serve as the first of many collaborations between Judd Apatow and the Freaks and Geeks cast. Slightly more slapstick than its predecessor, Undeclared employed many of its cast members to as writers. Sadly, smart writing, hilarious visual effects, and the casting of Jay Baruchel and Charlie Hunnam could not save this hysterical show from meeting a quick end.

Two cancellations did not stop this group of actors from attempting to make lightening strike a third, fourth, and even fifth time. Today, both shows are often listed amongst the greatest comedies ever on television. Luckily for avid fans of the shows, their cancellations were not the end of the road. Over a decade later, cast and crew from both shows continue to work together to create television shows and movies that are funny and unlike anything else out there.

For proof of this, look no further than Seth Rogen’s directorial debut, This is the End, an apocalyptic adventure starring Rogen and Baruchel, who along with several of their former costars play exaggerated versions of themselves as they face the end of days. To the untrained eye, this film may seem like a mere vanity project, an opportunity for a group of friends to hang out and make a paycheck at the same time. Based off of a short made by the two actors 6 years ago however, This is the End, is actually a big pay off for fans of the duos decade and a half of work.

While the film focuses on many actors recently added to the group’s entourage, (Danny McBride and Craig Robinson), it also pays homage to the unsung sidekicks that the devoted have come to know and love. Though their screen time is limited, it’s a delight to see David Krumholtz and Martin Starr amongst the Guest list at James Franco’s mansion party which also includes cameo appearances from Mindy Kaling, Michael Cera, and Kevin Hart. The cast clearly has a good sense of humor, each actor taking a swing at their own ego throughout the movie. 

A mix of pure raunchiness and nods to the group’s personal history, make this a film for everyone simply seeking a laugh. Though not a full-fledged reunion, This is the End, sets to remind audiences where these guys came from. Perhaps the most heartwarming moment of the movie comes from James Franco who before exiting a room pats Seth Rogen on the shoulder exclaiming, “freaks for life!”

For life indeed, James Franco. When I first tuned into Freaks and Geeks all those many years ago, I never expected that I’d be sitting in a theater watching these actors in a full-length movie let alone a parody of their own lives. Sitting on the side lines not-so-silently cheering on each of their successes, it’s nice to see everyone triumph in their own way. This is the end is hopefully only beginning of the fun this group of comedians will have together. Even though the window of opportunity to provide audiences with new episodes of Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared has long been shut, I am particularly excited to welcome in this new era of comedy at the hands of a bunch of previously “unknowns.”