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Characters

Brian Krakow

Brian Krakow Brian Krakow is the smart kid. Every school has one, the resident school genius and future valedictorian, the only person who seems to do every assignment, even the obvious busy-work ones that don't count towards anything. Brian is currently a sophomore at Liberty High and is already taking calculus and triple minoring. He does lots of extracurriculars: he's the yearbook photographer, he plays flute and sax in he school band, and he tutors Jordan Catalano in English.
He's intelligent and suprisingly perceptive, but even more surprising is his complete ineptness when it comes to relationships in general. But that's typical, isn't it? It seems like the smart kid is never very skilled at social interaction. Brian is a social outcast by his own actions, his shyness and his fear of rejection, as opposed to someone like his friend Rickie who is branded a social outcast by others.
Brian is especially unskilled at dealing with romantic situations, or a lack thereof. He was given the chance to have a romantic relationship with Delia, but his selfish stupidity completely blew that chance. Watching this disaster play out is horribly painful. Unlike Delia who comes to hate Brian because she does not fully understand the situation, the viewer, cognizant of the entire situation, can only pity Brian. Another prime example of Brian's romantic ineptness comes when he and Rayanne are forced to spend the night together after he got them stuck in the school basement (he got distracted looking at Rayanne's legs). Having to remain in close proximity with Rayanne for the night appears to make Brian even more nervous than he usually is around her.
And of course, the main example of Brian's romantic hopelessness: he has an enormous crush on Angela but does nothing about it except show up at her house frequently with a lame excuse. He's entralled with her to the point where he is willing to ghost-write a letter to her. But then, when she finds out that it was him, denies his feelings for her. For his New Year's resolution, he resolved to stop obsessing over her.

Other


Brian's mother, Berniece Krakow, is a behavioral psychologist. His father, Bob Krakow, is a Freudian psychiatrist. (Which means that they, like, never agree on anything.) He has an older sister who is married and lives in Denver.
Brian has known the Chases' since he was 5.
He's left-handed.
He's Jewish.

Quotes



"Oh, look at me, I'm way cool. I'm off with my way cool friends to sniff floor wax."

Rickie: "Kyle was probably her Popular Jock phase. Now she's probably moving into her Awkward But Sensitive Guy phase."
Brian: "So, you're saying I'm, like, someone's phase?"
Rickie: "Hey. I wish I was."

Brian: Look.. ..it was just, she needed me, I mean, not me, but somebody, anybody, and I just happened to be there, and we just, so, we just like hung out, or whatever, I mean it could have been anyone.
Angela: No, that's not true, it doesn't work with just anyone, I mean some people.. .. I mean I think she needed you.
Brian: Why?
Angela: 'Cause of certain ways, that you are..
Brian: What, did you, like give this thought? or something?
Angela: Brian! go inflate your tire.

"My mother's a behavioral psychologist, and my father's a Freudian psychiatrist, which basically means they fundamentally disagree on, like, everything."

"At Angela's house, they probably, like, laugh and eat unbalanced meals and talk about things that don't have deep symbolic meanings. They're probably this, like, normal family."

"I became yearbook photographer because I liked the idea that I could sort of watch life without having to be part of it. But when you're yearbook photographer, you're, like, never in the picture."

"What's always amazed me is fishermen. How they wait there forever. When something finally tugs on their line they, like, don't panic. The strange this is, even though I've established verbal communication with Delia Fisher, I still think about Angela constantly. Why am I like this? I truly sicken myself. I just have to stop being her little puppet. I ove to never again show up at Angela's door with some lame excuse."

(on wallpaper): "In my room, one seam's a little off and I stare at it constantly. It's, like, destroying me."

"Apparently Delia Fischer smiles at everyone. She probably comes from one of those small towns where everyone's friendly and smiles at you for no reason. I hate that type of town."

(after Delia touches his hand): "Finally, an erection from actual physical contact."

(on Angela): "Her hair smelled incredible. Her hair smelled like this orange grove we passed when I was eight on my way to see my grandmother. But I guess that's just, like, her shampoo or whatever."

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“I cannot bring myself to eat a well-balanced meal in front of my mother.”

Angela Chase, Episode 1: "My So-Called Life (Pilot)"