So the last Friday Night Lights for a while — forever? — sure left us hanging. Is there any way Smash (Gaius Charles) is going to reconcile himself to what he considers a college unworthy of his talents? (Maybe.) Were the writers really planning to follow through on Jason (Scott Porter) becoming a daddy to the baby of that rather-lacking-in-charm one-night-stand waitress? (Maybe — and if those same writers had planned to get Jason off the hook by having her miscarry three episodes later, I would be… troubled, if not downright annoyed.)
But the stuff that was pure gold this week included the characters who’ve been rock-solid all season anyway: Coach Eric and Tami Taylor (Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton, pictured), and the cool-as-a-long-haired-cucumber Tim Riggins (Taylor Kitsch). As much as I’ve hated the introduction of Lyla’s religious love, Chris (really, Matt Czuchry doesn’t act — he just scrunches his eyes and shakes his head to convey any emotion the script dictates), the contrast to Kitsch’s Riggins has been highly satisfying. I loved the way Tim handled his new (yes, yes, highly improbable) gig as host of a sports call-in show on the religious radio network. The line of the night was when that girl called in and, mingling religiosity with lust, compared Tim’s hair to Jesus’, and Tim simply drawled, "You have been cut off, thank you for calling, that was ridiculous."
And the series can’t go wrong by putting Eric and Tami at odds, this time over the return to Dillon, Texas, of Tami’s high-school sweetheart, a very successful lout who irritated Eric to the point of some rather sitcom-y fisticuffs that were, nevertheless, pretty enjoyable.
This week, in his online Gluttoncolumn, my man Dalton Ross comes down hard on the show — it’sfrequently the measure of a true, ardent fan that, knowing how good theshow could be, he refuses to let the creators off the hook for thisseason of water-dumped bodies and unlikely romances. I respect Dalton’sposition and his righteous annoyance.
That said, call me cynical, but I have no doubt (based on nothing more than, um, cynicism) that NBC took a meeting with the FNLbrain-trust after the first season ended and said something like,"Look, you wanna come back for a second go-round? Okay, you gotta putthe hot teens front and center, we need more sex and we need a murder.Oh, and at some point, have Matt Saracen call his teacher a bitch."
I think the key to FNL‘s wobbly quality this season comesback to the man who made a guest appearance this week — Peter Berg, whoplayed Tami’s obnoxious ex-boyfriend, Moe. Berg, who directed the FNL feature film and this series’ extraordinary pilot, is no day-to-day hands-on creator the way, say, Judd Apatow was with Undeclared(to pick another great-first-season ratings flop). I would hazard aguess that Berg — who went off to do things such as direct the JamieFoxx feature The Kingdom — was distracted, and was only one of many producers on FNL,so the decision-making and any possible caving-in to network pressurewas probably a group effort. That could explain the feeling ofcompromise that has mucked up a show that continues to excel in itsacting — which, let’s face it, is what pulled us through some of theless-than-believable plotlines. Which is a long way of saying that,among others in the cast, Jesse Plemons as Landry deserves an Emmy.
According to this week’s EW, if the writers’ strike is settled soon, five or six new episodes of FNL could get produced before season’s end. Should that prove to be the case, can we all implore Friday Night Lightsto get back to its real-as-dirt roots, and do its cast justice byending its season nobly, honestly, and with complexity? Because,y’know, clear eyes and full hearts can’t lose. They also might not get renewed for another season, either, so why not go out as quality champs?
i think even the the most committed FNL fans can admit that this season did go a little ‘hollywood’ – and that probably was the result of pressure from the ‘powers’ w/in NBC but still…i’m not ready to let go! there are still those breathtaking, heart stopping moments of true life..the subtle glimpses of what seems to be real people reacting as humans to everyday situations..and let’s not forget close-ups of tim riggins – smoldering…i LOVE these characters and i LOVE this show. it can’t end with such a whimper…i’m mailing out a bottle of clear eyes today to silverman with a note imploring him to come to his senses and stop concentrating on reality and game shows…show of hands for who’s gonna watch ‘my dad is beter than your dad’??? oh puhleeze…it’s pathetic…
i loved this episode from beginning to end. especially the scenes with coach re tami’s old boyfriend and the scenes with riggins and lyla and her boyfriend. love that riggins is doing “whatever” it takes to be with lyla. this can’t be the last show ever – i really can’t say goodbye to these characters.
Eric and Tami are the most realistic and likable married couple on TV. FNL deserves to be on TV for that reason alone.
Did anyone else get the vibe that Eric and Tami got pregnant young (just like Street)? They talked about high school being 15-16 years ago, and Julie is 16, and then they way Coach talked to Street sounded like it was coming from a real place. Has then been talked about before and I just missed it?
Even though season 2 of FNL has not lived up to the standard set by the spectacular first season, this is still the best show on TV. If it truly does get cancelled after this season, I hope we’ll have the chance to see 4 or 5 post-strike episodes this summer or fall. At least the true fans will be rewarded with some closure. Alternatively, I would love to see another network pick up FNL, as has been recently rumored. And if none of those things happen, will somebody please give Taylor Kitsch his own radio show?
At the very least NBC should have a few episodes to tie some things up. There are few better scenes than why Landry and Matt rag on each other. Plemons, Palicki and Chandler all deserve Emmy’s.
What is at the heart of this show is Coach Taylor’s father figuring into the lives of the three fatherless main players, Saracin, Smash and Riggins. By example he educates them in truth, honesty and responsibility. Oh, and on being extraordinarily goodlooking…
I agree that the Riggins and Eric/Tammy/Moe plotline were the most entertaining parts of the show. I wonder why networks think that mking a show have more soap opera moments will attract more viewers. I don’t think that smart shows like FNL will ever appeal to a huge audience, but will only be truly appreciated after it is gone. At this point, I’m just hoping that NBC will allow the show to finish its season.
I’ve never been willing to write to the powers that be to champion a show and beg that it not be cancelled. I implore them – give this show time to gather its audience! I will buy the first season DVDs and lend them to friends and beg them to give it a chance.
I thought the fight was a little silly. Is it possible the waitress would give the baby to Jason and he would be a single dad? And I want to see more of Buddy – I want more of everybody!
I like this show much more than the movie – mostly since they got to win the state championship the first season as opposed the losing in the movie. But why couldn’t NBC figure out that Friday was the worst night to show it, since in the fall Friday night is when most of the audience for a show about high school football is actually at a football game!
This show does have its uneven moments, but the ones it gets right are spectacular. Scenes like the one where Coach tries to “wake up” Saracen with a cold shower only to hear that QB1 feels like an abandoned pariah are gut wrenching and real. We need shows that feed our heart and not just our appetites for TV junk food. NBC, if you are listening, please save yourself by saving this show.
Don’t take away my favorite show!!
This was one of the best episodes of the season! I enjoyed every second of it!
I loved this episode. It was the most reminiscent of Season 1. We got to see all of the characters (except Buddy) whether they had a main storyline or not. Between Riggins, Landry and Coach Taylor I was rolling on the floor. This show definitely has the recipe on mixing drama + comedy, hence the best dramedy ever. Like I said before I would follow Friday Night Lights to the moon! So to the powers that be, if you don’t want it, give it to somebody else.
FNL Fan-4-Life
*To Lady Tiger*,
On the season 1 DVD deleted scenes, Tami made the comment that they had been together for 22 years, and this is when Julie was 15 I think. I’m not sure, but I get the impression that they probably got married during or after college.
If this series was canceled during the improbable murder plot, I probably would have shrugged it off, bought the first season DVDs, and treated the second as if it didn’t exist. But the past couple weeks reminded me of why I love the show in the first place. The subtlety, the way Eric holds his tongue but you can see him thinking (or jealous), the humor they inject, the way they never need to explicitly state the purposes behind Tim’s sudden love of the Lord. If NBC were to cancel it now, I would be genuinely upset. And if they do and the whole cast is not nominated for every available award out there, it would be a travesty.
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