This weekend, deciding to forego the typical college weekend and rot my liver, I opted to borrow the entire series of Undeclared on DVD from a friend of mine. It was an awesome idea. For those who haven’t seen or even heard of Undeclared, it is defiantly a hidden gem among the Television world. After Judd Apatow’s short-lived high school dramedy, Freaks and Geeks, he moved on to parody and examine the trials, tribulations and shenanigans that happen in the first year of college, taking place in the early 2000’s. While I found Freaks and Geeks hilarious and loved the soundtrack (it takes place in the 80’s so The Who, and Led Zeppelin were two musical staples thought the series) I couldn’t find myself connecting with the characters as much as I did when I watched Undeclared. Just like the characters, Apatow’s story and dialogue writing begins to mature and become more real. From the first episode, I could identify with so many of the character’s problems and trails as they began their first semester at college. Meting the roommates, one-night stands, first loves, living on your own, drinking copious amounts of alcohol out of random apparati found around a dorm room, and feeling totally lost were all touched on in just the first episode alone. The show is also carried by much of its cast: Jay Baruchel, who plays the main character: Shy, soft-spoken Eric, is a relative unknown, having only a small memorable note in Apatow’s blockbuster hit, Knocked Up, and some other small movie/television parts. Stoner Superstar Seth Rogan once again reprises his roll of the simple yet loveable slacker, Ron, and Jason Segal guest starts in the series as the obsessive back-home boyfriend, Eric. The office’s Jenna Fischer even makes an appearnce in a later episode as one of Steve’s roommates one-night stands. Any fan of Apatow’s movies, and his crew of loveable stoners will appreciate this short-lived masterpiece about moving on top the next chapter in life, that is college.-Hershel Fried
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