The stink of exercise vs. the stench of failure. 'I'm With the Band' exemplifies the show's ability to find humor in the rigors of high school, and tragedy in one of its lighter characters. It's easy to relate to Sam's struggles with (and staunch opposition to) showering in public because we've all had to go through it. It's unsavory, yet necessary. And it's here that the comical sense of humor flourishes.
But Nick's a completely different story. Up until now, he's just been the goofy pothead, finding his heaven behind the drum kit. But here we learn more about his living situation with a drill sergeant father (an ideally maddening Kevin Tighe), the need to achieve success as a musician, and what happens when he can't maintain that C+ average. It's either make it big or join the army, just like his psychopathic brothers. Which is why seeing him bomb during a band audition is monumentally painful. It's witnessing a kid coming to terms with his doomed existence.
Apatow directs this with just the right touches, and more importantly, the emotional catharsis that's needed for both struggles. For Sam, it's gaining a brief taste of fame after a frantic streak through the halls. For Nick, it's having someone (Lindsay, in this case) there who just wants to raise him up and help him survive this. Right here, you can tell there is a tremendous array of talent behind this show.
9/10
But Nick's a completely different story. Up until now, he's just been the goofy pothead, finding his heaven behind the drum kit. But here we learn more about his living situation with a drill sergeant father (an ideally maddening Kevin Tighe), the need to achieve success as a musician, and what happens when he can't maintain that C+ average. It's either make it big or join the army, just like his psychopathic brothers. Which is why seeing him bomb during a band audition is monumentally painful. It's witnessing a kid coming to terms with his doomed existence.
Apatow directs this with just the right touches, and more importantly, the emotional catharsis that's needed for both struggles. For Sam, it's gaining a brief taste of fame after a frantic streak through the halls. For Nick, it's having someone (Lindsay, in this case) there who just wants to raise him up and help him survive this. Right here, you can tell there is a tremendous array of talent behind this show.
9/10