"My future’s on the line every Friday night,"said Smash (Gaius Charles, pictured) to Matt (Zach Gilford) in this week’s episode, andso is the future of this series, I’ll bet. Our Lights got dimmer with last week’s premiere over on ABC of Women’s Murder Club, which sent Friday Night Lights plunging lower inthe ratings. What is America’s problem, that so many of our citizens refuse toembrace this show?
Well, after this week, I’m starting tothink there’s a pretty simple reason: The show is just too downbeat for toomany TV viewers who want to start their weekend with a smile. The very stuffthat you and I admire about the series — its romantic anguish, its bleak view ofsmall-town Texas, its portrait of a strained marriage — are what lead manyviewers to shudder and say something like, "I get enough of that at home!"
Nonetheless, this week’s Lights moved a lotta subplots along.Foremost: the opening shot of Landry (Jesse Plemons) and Tyra (AdriannePalicki) in bed! Who’da thought it, a season ago? More to the point, are youbuying it? I love both these characters; I know the plot has led Tyra tobelieve in Landry’s purity and kindness, but… I just can’t get past the ideathat, in that small-town culture I just mentioned, these two interesting butoh-so-different, peer-pressured young humans simply would not be hooking up.
But even less believable: The scene inwhich Matt’s tender nerves and muscles are massaged by Carlotta the live-incaregiver. Come on, Lights folks — thiswas like a bad Dawson’s Creek development.
That’s it, however: I’m notregistering any further complaints. There was a lot here to really enjoy. Theway Chris Mulkey’s new, brutally tough coach compelled a hungover Tim Riggins(Taylor Kitsch) to collapse under the hot sun during drill-time; the way thecoach’s reference to Jason Streebt (Scott Porter) as the "team mascot"compelled Jason to quit the team — great stuff. And I loved the scene of Lylaattending services at her big, tacky church; that is exactly the kind ofover-sized house of worship her character would find her faith in, and I’m notbeing sarcastic or condescending.
Also excellent is the way Julie (AimeeTeegarden) is acting-out in rebelling against her mom (Connie Britton) andalmost-absent father (Kyle Chandler). And also wonderful: the new, unfoldingpartnership between Chandler’s Eric Taylor and Brad Leland’s Buddy Garrity toget Coach Taylor his old high-school job back.
And as always, there are those tiny,perfect touches that make Friday NightLights great: that millisecond shot of baby Gracie holding one of KyleChandler’s fingers with her tiny hand. And the use of (unless my country earswere mistaken) Jimmie Dale Gilmore on the soundtrack singing the great FaronYoung hit "Pick Me Up on Your Way Down." If ever Friday Night Lights needed a theme song for its struggle to stay onthe air and in our hearts, that song title sums it up.
So I ask you: Is anything to be doneto boost the show’s prominence in pop culture? How are you feeling about Landryand Tyra? About Julie telling her mom to go to hell? About the inevitability ofCoach Taylor returning to the Panthers?
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For some reason, I tend to be one of those tv viewers who wants to watch the shows that are inevitably going to be canceled, leading me to abandonment and rage (usually ABC is the network)- The Nine, Sports Night, Once and Again, Freaks and Geeks… the list goes on. With every one of these shows I couldn’t understand why more people weren’t watching. FNL seems a little different, though. I agree that this show is almost too good/authentic/layered for network television. This season it seems like the writers/producers are trying to add details to make the show more appealing to mainstream viewers (soaping up the opening credits, adding some titillating plot points) while continuing to produce a seriously rich and engaging story. It’s obviously a hard line to walk, and I hope this appeal to the masses works out, because I’ll stick with this show to the very end, which I hope is at least at a natural stopping point for the storyline.
People don’t watch because it is boring. I loved the first season, now I forget when it is on. This season it is predictable and the characters have become one dimensional (except Tami Taylor. What a shame, it was a great show.
The more you are trying to propel this show into mainstream consciousness, the more crappy it will become. This week was the lowest point, with Magical Latina, Coach Arch Evil, plot contrivances in every single storyline, and characters screaming out their feelings in moments of needless conflict. Cancel the damn thing already. For what it offers right now, we have Grey’s Anatomy.
Hell, I’ll blame NBC. I think too many people are used to not watching that network they forget it exists.
But I truly enjoy this show. Yes they are hyping it up a bit with death, sex and miracle surgeries…but the heart of the show remains. Seeing the characters unravel tonight was tough to watch. But wasn’t Lyla already a regular church-goer? I’m waiting for Landry to win (or lose) a game for Dillon.
And I expect Women’s Murder Club to drop after two lame wanna-be Gray’s Anatomy at a police station-type plots. Maybe there is hope for FNL.
I love this show. I feel like NBC needs to do one of those one hour recap of season one episodes so that new veiwers understand what is going on.
I love this show! The problem is- NBC is not putting any advertising money behind it- I never see promos for it, meanwhile if I see another add for the unwatchable dreck of Phenomenon, I will lose my mind. On FNL, Julie is realistic but driving me crazy- the family is in this situation in no small part because she wouldn’t leave Dillon. Very realistic attitude from her nonetheless. The Matt/Carlotta sit is Bad, but I love Landry/Tyra-totally into it, but Ken’s right. Unless he becomes popular through football, the most that would happen is dl hoookups, not bf/gf. Regardless, I’m hoping it works out (without becoming a prison romance, considering the preveiws). Can’t wait till next week-hope there’s many more to come.
Can I just say for the record … I am SORRY! I was one of those people that did not give this show a chance. BUT I saw it last night and liked it. Sooo I will dvr it and see where it takes me.
I always had a feeling that this season ws going to be tough for FNL.First, after watching the first season again, you knew there would have to be a real dark side to this year (they can’t win state every year). Quit frankly, it would have been great if they just would have tried to to cover the second half of the school year after Dillion won state, with Coach Taylor dealing with being away from his family during bowl season, constantly traveling to help recruit for TMU, and watch how being away from home hurt them. How did Riggins revert to his drunken ways? What happened to Waverly? Being able to watch the Garrity family deal with the divorce.
Seriously, there are so many plot holes this season it reminds me of 24. If Street was a senior last year and Riggins and him were best friends, why is Tim still in school (did he flunk)? In a show where every character was nuanced, why is the new coach drawn in such a dark light? If Matt hooks up with the nurse, Im done
I’m still not buying Landry/Tyra either. At all.
Julie is out of control, but the portrayal is fearlessly realistic and Aimee Teegarden is really terrific in this part.
I absolutely hate the Carlotta situation. FNL is so much better than that.
Lyla’s attempt to save Tim is intriguing, but I really wish she had just gone to SMU where she belongs.
First off, I love this show. Season 1 was amazing. And this season is going to be interesting. I’m ready to enjoy it with an open mind.
What I don’t understand is the huge amount of negativity. Yes, FNL is a great show and yes, it isn’t perfect – what show ever is? I’m surprised at the fickleness of viewers who supposedly ‘love’ the show. There’s a fine line between critical and nitpicking. Everyone’s so quick to judge and basically write off this season and we are only 3 episodes in.
As for the person who complained about the ‘plot holes,’ I completely disagree. This show does not pander, it doesn’t explain everything and respects the viewers intelligence. We can draw fairly obvious conclusions as to what happened to the characters during those missing 8 months. While I agree there was a lot of interesting stories to be explored at the end of the football season, it makes sense to move forward to the breaking point of most of the characters for dramatic purposes.
wow guys, negative much?
i think, while the show isn’t quite back up to the level of season 1, it’s getting there. you have to admit the vast improvements in each episode since episode 1 of this season. i trust the writers enough to think that the folks at nbc are forcing them to do something flashy and that they’ll make it work. they write the most believable, complex, realistic characters on tv, whether you agree with the storylines their involved in or not.
i agree that the tyra-landry sleeping together thing was a little unbelievable, just because it’s high school and we all know it doesn’t happen like that. i doubt that carlotta and matt would ever hook up, and if they did it would probably be like a riggins-jackie thing. i think carlotta was just mothering him a little bit.
it’s completely believable that riggins and jason would be best friends even though one is older. tim also could have been held back in grade school or something. one thing: did lyla graduate last year?
FNL has been and continues to be one of the best written, best acted shows on television. I really do not think it is “negative” or a downer. Anyone who sat thru the entire season of Grey’s last year knows what I am talking about!! My only hope isthat if it is canceled…it gets (and the fans) a proper ending. Also, Kyle and Connie are pretty brilliant in every scene they have together!!
I grew up in a small town very much like the one portrayed in FNL (smaller, actually, 550 people) and it was and continues to be the most realistic depiction of small town life I’ve ever seen. I can buy the Tyra/Landry thing because I’ve seen stuff like that, where the slutty fake girl starts going out with the random genuine guy because he’s the only one that’ll give her a chance anymore.
The only storyline I’m nervous about is Carlotta and Matt. Their relationship better not get any more physical than that massage.
No one is watching it because it sucks and misses the mark on Texas High School football, just as bad as the movie.
The Carlotta thing and the murder plot twist makes me envision some NBC exec screaming to make it more soapy. I’m not sure this show can survive network television in its original format. HBO desperately needs a new good show — maybe they could pick it up? I would trust the outfit that gives us The Wire to not screw this up.
I love FNL. I think the subplots this season get more compelling every week.
I think FLN is wonderful!! I just think maybe people not from Texas dont really get it.But give it a chance.The stories are so real. I think Tami is wonderful,so glad she slapped Julie she so deserved it!!Cant wait to see Coach Taylor back where he belongs.Tyra/Landry could happen but w/ their past I think they are in for trouble.Hate Matt & the nurse hope it does not happen.Love Lylas turn around it does happen to girls w/ heartbreak, IlOVED her church. Please people WATCH WATCH WATCH its worth your time!!!
Last night’s episode was great! Im really liking where this season is heading, yes that includes everything that involves Landry and Tyra. It’s a bit darker than last years, but I still enjoy it never the less. The show hasnt let me down yet.
Where is the real TV Watch?
This mini-watch was just terrible. Awesome show. If ET is interested in promoting it, please find a writer who appreciates it.
Yes. I’m an idiot. I mean EW of course.
Well, I finally decided to watch it last Friday, because of course of your authority, Ken Tucker, Mr. Big Honcho of EW slumming on PopWatch. Now that the camera isn’t fetishistically drifting off or shaking, I managed to watch without Dramamine. It’s anthropologically interesting on several levels: a) as a look at small-town Texas; b) as what kind of look at small-town Texas is embraced by big-city national TV critics; and c) as a glimpse into the mind, ambitions, and obsessions, of Peter Berg.
Women’s Murder Club,” 6.5/12, moved ABC to the front of the pack at 9 p.m. CBS stayed in second with “Moonlight,” 5.1/9, while “Friday Night Lights,” 3.7/7, took third for NBC. “Smackdown!” kept The CW in fourth, and “American Band” improved a little to 2.3/4.
I can’t believe that crapfest “Woman’s Murder Club” is beating this show.(I recorded it to judge for myself). Then again, I never understood the appeal of “Sex in the City”. As an educated, adult woman,FNL is a breath of fresh air. NBC, have you considered Mondays at 10 (EST) as a timeslot for this show? With Monday Night Football a memory, this show is “taylor” made as a week starter, not a week ender. The competition-ANOTHER CSI, and Bachlor are stale & dated. Stick something “chick” oriented (Medium?) (in the Friday slot), to battle “Women’s..” Unlike “Studio 60″, FNL lives up to the hype. As an aside-I think Landry’s father asking Tyra why she’d hook up w/Landry, summed up his appeal is a realistic manner
I had great hopes for this show but the I can see now it’s not gonna make it. It has become way to soap opera like. Their is no humor at all now that Landry has hooked up with Tyra. A show that tends to be this dark needs comic relief from time to time and that’s what Landry’s character provided. This show needs a major overhaul to survive but I don’t think NBC is a network that will invest the time or money to make this show worth watching. The really sad thing is FNL in it’s current time slot has no overwhelming competition and it still can’t win the audience over. Enjoy it while it lasts because I don’t believe it will be around much longer.
FNL is on television at the same time that people are actually out watching their friday night football. nbc has banished it to a night and timeslot that it may never recover from. i wanna have faith in the writers enough to not sell out to executives, but there are some troubling things going on that make me think otherwise. (landry should have injured the guy, the nurse IS a nurse, but please dont make it a hookup.) the new coach may be compelling, but we wouldnt know because he gets no “behind the scenes” time like taylor did. streebt is an idiot if he thinks he will walk again. is riggins being neutered?
FNL is the best show on commercial tv right now and NBC needs to be more behind it. The people that say it should not be on Friday nights are right – to many people are out actually at high school football games. The acting and writing are terrific (though I agree that the first episode was not up to last seasons level but the newer ones are getting back there). I wish NBC would put this on a better night (Tuesdays at 8/7 central where it would have no real competition would be better unless they cancel or move one of the ones on Monday now). Connie Britton and Kyle Chandler are great and I hope something happens to get this show more viewers so we don’t lose it. This show, CSI and Lost are commercial TV at it’s finest.
I was a little worried about FNL going all “soap opera” like but I thought this week’s episode was a nice return to form. I’m glad Smash had more lines in the show this week. Also love Buddy Garrity’s character. It is hard to believe Tyra would go for a guy like Landry but you have to kinda root for him that it works out.
FNL has certainly had a bumpy couple of first episodes, but this latest one really got it back on track. I have faith in the writers that the Tyra/Landry storyline will not be as awful as it has been so far. I also think the Saracen/Carlotta won’t turn out as we expected it, because that would just be TOO cliched for FNL, and we’ve already had a semi-cliche with the murder storyline. Can’t wait for Coach Taylor to come back, then we’ll start seeing some really good stories.
Oh, and Ken Tucker, PLEASE PLEASE do a regular TV Watch for this show? It’s clear you love it, and FNL– and all its fans, including newly-earned ones like myself– needs all the support it can get!