Ryan j Budke

I just finished watching Undeclared again on DVD from Netflix. For those that missed it, and considering it barely lasted half a season on Fox back in 2001/02 I’m going to assume that’s everyone, it was Judd Apatow’s television series that followed up his equally brilliant Freaks & Geeks, and followed a group of friends through their freshmen year of college. I find myself laughing at the experiences and situations, but definitely from a with them instead of at them mentality. Everyone knew someone with the girlfriend or boyfriend that they had in high school that didn’t last two weeks in college. Or the slacker who never went to classes. Or the mysterious roommate that you didn’t even realize you had.

I’m happy I watched both Undeclared and Freaks & Geeks for the first time AFTER I had become a fan of Jason Segel from How I Met Your Mother, because I don’t think I would have been able to look at him the same on that show. He’s very good at playing the slightly creepy, and too needy boyfriend on both. Hopefully that should make him a natural in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, the new film by Apatow’s crew where he plays *drumroll* a slightly obsessive ex-boyfriend. See? Full circle.