Friday Night Lights: May The Best Man Win

It was impossible for me to watch the most recent Friday Night Lights without feeling dread that it could be the last one ever. This episode wasn't meant to be a finale, season or series; it was just episode number 15 of 22, tying up a few stories and starting others — others that were meant to be finished later and now might never be.

I know I'm sounding doomsday, and to be fair, there's some vaguely encouraging news about the possibility of FNL moving to another network. There are also several campaigns underway to save the show; stay tuned for more on those later.

While it was in no way structured as a finale, this episode had a few things that would make it a fitting end. Most of the core characters had major moments — and none more than Jason Street, whose one-night stand with the waitress who told Pee Girl to take a hike might have ended with a miracle baby. This wasn't supposed to happen, physically, so no, he didn't "wrap that puppy." Why would he? Pregnancy was out of the question. Except apparently it's not, and Jason's left with a thoroughly unexpected child that he's in no way equipped to raise and a girl whom he's known for just a few hours. Obviously, all of this is a lot for Erin to take in; it's not really a fair thing to have put on her, but it's on her anyway. I loved that Jason went to Coach for advice; that brought the show back to its heart.

Speaking of Coach, he was mostly the comic sidestory, dredging up old jealousies when Tami's old boyfriend came to town. Nobody gives a meaningful "oh, honey" eyeroll quite like Connie Britton, and this episode was full of them as she chided Eric to put old feelings aside. Of course, nothing brings up old feelings quite like Jack Daniels. While I don't know that I buy Eric getting in a fight at a fancy restaurant, I don't doubt the powers of whiskey. And, best of all, that story gave me the scene of Eric in bed, bloody and bruised, while a highly annoyed Tami encouraged Julie to yell at her hung-over father a little louder.

From the funny to the heartbreaking: Was there anything sadder than that shot of Smash crying beneath the college letters hanging on his wall? I still have trouble believing that every school would turn its back on Smash because of one fight, but I do believe that when he said no to Alabama, USC, and the other big guns, they'd go out and recruit someone else — and not be exactly sympathetic to his plight when he came back begging. Whitmore is different. Whitmore believes in Smash. It's not what he dreamed, but it's still a way in.

Some other thoughts:

Riggins isn't going to last long at that Christian radio station, what with advising that hitting people is OK sometimes, but it was a great look at how far he'll go for Lyla. And no matter how into Matt Lyla is right now, and how his family lets her be the smart, proper, preppy girl she's fully capable of being, there's no denying that a part of her still wants to be dangerous and edgy; I mean, how fast did that sweater come off?

Matt's baffled reaction to Landry and Tyra is exactly how I imagine a best friend would respond to the sight of his nerdy buddy walking hand-in-hand with the hottest girl in school — the fact that they killed a dude together aside.

How appropriate that the final words of the series could be "give it a chance." Also, I read way too much into Mama Smash's one-door-closes, another-opens speech. Please, oh please, let there be another door for FNL.

Firday Night Lights: Leave No One Behind

I haven't exactly been shy about the fact that Friday Night Lights occasionally makes me cry, but the waterworks reached a new level after watching this episode. Part of that was the episode itself, but part of it was the context: This was the next-to-last episode the show finished before the writer's strike started, and even though the strike ended, there's no telling if the show will go back into production. Although I did hear rumours about NBC was talking to other cable networks so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. As a result, this episode felt very much like the end to me. I certainly needed a tissue and a hug?

This was exactly the kind of episode I talk about when I tell people why FNL is great. It's wasn't about football; I still didn't even see a game. But every moment tied back to what I know about the Panthers, this collection of lives all tied together by the pursuit of a championship ring.

Take Matt. The show's first season did such a wonderful job of showing the weight Matt has to carry every day as a star quarterback, an only son, and a caretaker. That mostly went away this season — until this episode. I think I finally understand why Matt wanted to be with Carlotta: She shielded him from some of that responsibility. And yet, as he said in that wonderful, wonderful scene when Coach literally threw him in a cold shower: Everyone leaves him eventually. Coach left, his dad left, his girlfriend left, even the ever-loyal Landry's been otherwise occupied.

Matt was probably bound to crack eventually, and picking Tim "stole from a meth dealer" Riggins as a role model was the most dramatic way to do so. I loved all the little things this episode taught me about Riggins, too: that he stalks Lyla at lunch every day, that he always takes off Wednesdays, that he's made friends with enough bartenders and bouncers that he has a whole range of illicit activities at his fingertips. And yet, he pines after a born-again Christian. Oh, the contradictions of Tim Riggins.

Smash's downward spiral continued, too, with TMU revoking his scholarship because of his "questionable character." As a point of fact, someone of Smash's stature probably isn't done playing football; tons of pro players have way spottier backgrounds than his. But I can believe that in that moment, he thought he was done. It was hard to watch him take the TMU memorabilia down from his walls, and harder still to watch his speech to his team and his silent, lonely breakdown in the locker room later.

As for the rest of the cast:

Julie finally had a reason for her brattiness, getting stood up at the DMV while her mom celebrated victory with the Bad News Bears of volleyball. Good thing Tami came up with a quick fix — and how sad was it watching her hold Gracie while Julie drove away? She's had a lot of letting go to do lately.

Landry's the man! He has the affections of Jean, the tiny little cutie who bonds with him over Mystery Science Theater, and then he has Tyra, the knockout beauty. There was a moment there, when Landry said Jean wasn't embarrassed by him, that I thought he might actually say no to Tyra. Instead, he's left behind the perfect girl (for him) for the perfect girl (fantasy edition).

Speaking of Landry, how great was he saying he didn't want Matt to become an "at-risk youth," followed by Matt's hungover "Ohmigod, stop talking"?

In some ways, I'm afraid to watch the next FNL; what if it's the last one I ever see?

Friday Night Lights: Humble Pie

This messy season of Friday Night Lights continued with an installment that had some pretty big events continue in the lives of many of the main characters. But I have to begin with Jason Street, who actually, gasp, had a good storyline and plenty of screen time this week!! Yes, I know, it's amazing.

Badly needing money for car repairs, Jason was offered a job as a dealer by Buddy, who between Jason and Santiago, has become quite the one-man job provider for these characters. The scene in which Jason was first introduced to his coworkers was rather ridiculous and felt utterly false – yes, there might be some worry and resentment about losing sales to the Panther quarterback turned sympathetic wheelchair kid, but that everyone would be so open about it and not one of them would greet Jason? That was just silly and unbelievable.

But the rest of this storyline was handled much better, as Jason had to figure out his new job and how to handle it. This show has always done so well in the little moments, represented here as Jason gets some words of advice from Buddy and politely responds "yes sir", in just the manner it's obvious Jason has behaved his whole life. Yes, I guessed Jason would prove himself by selling a car to the guy who keeps coming in and not buying, but it was still a well done sequence… even if it was followed by some really corny product placement replay at an ad break later.

Lyla's romance with Chris is fairly boring, but Tim's proclamations of love also seem too forced and unmotivated. Lyla ultimately told Chris she was over Tim, though I'll have to see if that's the truth. However, she did decide to help Tim out by bringing him $3000 to repay his old drug dealing landlord, who'd already beaten up Tim, demanding his money. How Lyla got this money herself is a question it doesn't seem I'll get an answer too, which is a bit frustrating. Thankfully though the writers didn't belabor this drug dealer story too long, as Tim and Billy had a scary situation repaying what they stole, but seemed to have gotten away unscathed. After Landrygate, this show doesn't need another extended crime story.

True, Smash's current storyline has some legal ties, but it's not played in the extreme manner those others are. Here, he agreed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor and make a public apology to the boy he hit. Except when that boy kept pushing Smash in interviews of his own, Smash let his true feelings known to a reporter, ruining his deal and finding himself suspended for the final three games of the regular season. Smash asked Eric how they are supposed to get to State in this situation, and my guess is the answer is… they won't.

After some time on the sidelines, Tyra had a lot of screen time here, with one subplot that made her quite unlikable mixed with one engaging one. In the first, Tyra was truly mean and nasty to Landry's cute new friend, Jean, in a petty and jealous way that makes her very hard to connect with. Sure, I get Tyra has feelings for Landry, despite not being able to commit to him, but come on, leave the poor little funky Freshman gal alone a bit!

Much more fun was the storyline that had Tami taking over as coach of Dillon's volleyball team, which was a task made all the more difficult by the fact that the team absolutely stank. But the five foot eleven inch Tyra was Tami's saving grace, as she got the reluctant girl to join the team, and in a very funny running joke, fuel a killer spike by aiming at either Tim or imagining Tim. When the volleyball team won a game, it was a really sweet moment, as Julie rolled her eyes at the fact that the team was still one and seven, while Eric pointed out that be that as it may, Tami was one and one.

Friday Night Lights: Who Do You Think You Are?

This episode of Friday Night Lights wasn't the most subtle episode of the show, with its twin themes of separation and prejudice leaving their mark on almost every story line. But amid the occasional heavy-handed nonsense, there were some interesting developments for Smash, Tami, and even Matt (finally).

Sometimes I think FNL just let its cast grow too big; even I'm having trouble remembering the last time we saw some of these people. Take Lyla: After a several-episode absence, she popped up as the new co-host of a Christian teen radio show that Tim Riggins prank-calls while he's hanging out with Jason Street. (Yes, I said Jason Street. I can cancel that missing persons' alert now.) While the radio show — and the associated makeout session with the boy formerly known as Logan from Gilmore Girls — came out of virtually nowhere, a few things about it worked.

For one, I like seeing Lyla getting more comfortable with expressing her faith. For another: That moment with Tim Riggins walking in with drugstore flowers just as Lyla and her co-host started kissing was fantastic. I'd nearly forgotten Tim was still carrying a torch for her, and while he might have tossed the flowers aside, I don't think he's going to give up on Lyla so easily.

Onto Smash: As skeptical as I am of the idea that his mom and Noelle's parents would throw a dinner party to announce that a black guy and a white girl shouldn't date, this was an intriguing story. Dillon's a place where players of all colors share space on the field relatively easily, but I've also seen how tenuous that racial truce is, and I'd believe an interracial relationship could still raise some eyebrows. I wish I could have seen a little more of that eyebrow-raising before this episode's big blowout, though — not to mention some more of Smash and Noelle actually dating, rather than her acting as his football adviser.

Tami got a big dose of separation anxiety when she realized that leaving Gracie with Shelly and with strangers at day care were two very different things. I loved the way Coach and Tami ended up having essentially the reverse of the conversation they had about TMU in last season's finale: In that episode, he said he wouldn't take the job because he didn't want to hurt the family, and she insisted she had to follow his dream; this time, she said she was ready to give up her job, and he refused to let that happen. Their scene on the couch, with Coach assuring Tami that Gracie could always come to her for counseling, was one of my favorites.

Some other thoughts:

So, Carlotta's gone. I guess I'm glad it's over, but why did it even happen?

Santiago's story with Buddy's grandpa's watch and his juvie friends was about as telegraphed as anything gets on FNL — I mean, Buddy practically said aloud that one of Santiago's friends would steal the watch. Also, between this and the watch Landry lost, this show has quite a fascination with heirloom watches.

Speaking of Landry, we finally got a scene of him and Matt hanging out! What's a little murder between friends?

Guess that drug dealer had better things to do this week than come after Riggins.

Friday Night Lights: Jumping The Gun

Friday Night Lights just can't seem to have its characters stop breaking the law this season, can it? Granted, the criminal twist in "Jumping the Gun" seemed more believable than a lot of the Landry/Tyra murder plot, but still, I'm a little surprised. That plot was just a minor part of of this packed episode, though, which featured Smash having to make a decision about a college and Coaches Taylor and Dickes facing off in a major game.

I'm beginning to think that Tim Riggins is one of the most frustrating (but wonderful) characters ever written for TV. It would have been easy for him to rat Julie out and try to keep his sweet living situation at the Taylors'; instead, he kept her drunken evening his secret and went about trying to go home — where, naturally, Billy has left everything in shambles. For all his drinking and womanizing, Tim is the most responsible member of the Riggins family, and he seems to genuinely want to be good. So why, oh why, would he steal a pile of money from the biggest drug dealer in Dillon? Taking the cash does fit with what we know about Riggins; well-intentioned as he may be, he's also lazy. But what good does an easy mortgage payment do when you're too dead to enjoy it?

Smash's recruiting plot line has delivered some of this season's finest moments — Cabo in my pants, anyone? — but it hasn't always rung completely true. I was glad to see Noelle reappear in this episode as Smash's pseudo-adviser, and Mama Smash's wary reaction to Noelle's supposed expertise was perfectly played. But why am I just now learning that it's been Smash's dream to play for TMU?

Meanwhile, as enjoyable as it was to have Tami's sister around for a while, I'm glad Shelly's moving on. This starts an interesting new chapter for Tami: What will she do with baby Grace now that her built-in babysitter is gone?

Some other thoughts:

Subtlety has always been a hallmark of FNL, so I'm annoyed at how the Coach Dickes situation ended. I loved him continuing to be a dick(es) by calling his players "girls" and generally being the opposite of Coach Taylor in every way. I even believe he was capable of tackling an opposing player mid-game just to show his own team how it's done. But for the explanation to be that his wife is dying and he doesn't "have a game plan for that?" Groan.

Julie Taylor has been a brat for much of this season, but I'm glad she grew up enough to tell Coach what Riggins was really doing hovering over her bed. Coach's"Damn, Julie," and his little heart-to-heart before Tami got home, were classic.

Also great: Tim offering Jackie his dad's address so she could complete "the Riggins trifecta." I wouldn't have guessed Tim knew the word "trifecta," but hey.

Friday Night Lights: There Goes The Neighborhood

Wow, did I go on a rant during the first commercial break of this episode of Friday Night Lights. First a murder plot, now a horribly fake CGI tornado? What was this show coming to?

But this time, I needn't have worried. Yes, the tornado was pretty awful — but it set up a story that put football front and center at last. The rest of the episode outweighed the cheesiness of the setup.

I think I love Friday Night Lights best when Eric Taylor gets to be Coach Taylor, and he was all Coach in this episode. Having a rival at his school was a test of character, and no matter how much Coach told his guys to respect their rivals, things were bound to get messy. (Literally messy, in this case, with shaving cream and food fights and even pee-soaked towels — ew.) Coach tried to set an example, to put his rival in his place while still being civil — but every so often, even Eric Taylor needs to throw someone up against a wall and tell him what's what. Did anyone else literally pump their fist at the TV?

Speaking of close quarters: Riggins living in the Taylors' garage was probably too perfect a setup to last for long, but I love the way it shook up the family and picked on Shelly and Tami's insecurities. Riggins brought their issues to the forefront — Shelly ogling him, Tami accusing her of flirting, Shelly calling Tami on treating her like a child, and so on. Tami telling Shelly it's no wonder she's single is probably the most hurtful thing she could have said; likewise, Shelly spitting back that Gracie's doctor says hello got to the heart of Tami's fears about work and family.

And Julie's part in it was no less brilliant. I'm a little surprised Julie and Riggins ended up at the same party, but hey. How tragic that Riggins stepped up in a big way, slapping Julie's drunken suitor down, just before getting caught hovering over Julie in what appeared to be a compromising situation. Granted, when you're putting Coach's 16-year-old daughter to bed, no amount of "it's not what it looks like" can save you. But Riggins was anything but provocative there; he was downright brotherly.

The tornado's aftermath swept up Tyra and Landry, too — and while I liked their storyline, it also bugged me. Landry has always thought he's tougher than he is, so I wasn't surprised to see him taking on Tyra's suitor. I also wasn't surprised to find Tyra struggling to figure out Landry's place in her life right now; she no longer needs him, and it's true that normally, a guy like him wouldn't be seen with a girl like her. My problem: The murder is practically a non issue now. How would there be gossip about Landry and Tyra being together without any chatter about how, oh, you know, Landry killed a guy, possibly for her? Nothing in this episode seemed like it needed the murder plot to set it up.

Some other thoughts:

Buddy Garrity: Worst salesman ever? His "I love you" pitch to Pam was an honest try, but I think he's going to have to accept that he lost his wife to some tofu-eating hippie.

Best line of the night: Either Lois's "What does he smell like?" or Coach's "I want lasagna."

So Matt and Carlotta are still together. Yawn.

Friday Night Lights: Confession

Friday Night Lights is one of the few, fortunate shows that has several more episodes stored up to get through the Hollywood writers' strike. Nonetheless, Friday night's episode felt like the end of a chapter. On the one hand, I'm glad to see some of these stories end; on the other, it felt like a little too much, too fast.

I have to start with Landry, because his confession anchored the episode. Landry has always been at the moral heart of the show, and so it makes sense that once he'd admitted what he'd done, he'd want to be punished. As usual, Jesse Plemons sold every one of his scenes; I shudder to think how bad this story could have been with a less-capable actor. But the whole thing — from the confession itself, to telling Tyra what he'd done, to the decision not to press charges — felt way too neat to me. A cop's son — a Dillon Panther, no less! — confesses to murder, and the whole town isn't buzzing? That's tough to believe. Even tougher: that the police don't care that Landry dumped the body, nor that his father destroyed evidence. True, I would have hated to see Landry go to jail, but why take the show so far from its heart for a story with no consequences?

Speaking of the show's heart: we FNL fans like to crow that the show's not just about football, but I must say, the football parts of this season make no sense. Have the Panthers played a single game yet where they haven't been behind? And wouldn't Dillon be expecting more from its defending state champions?


I am still liking Santiago's development, however — even if his whole force-a-fumble, be-the-hero story was pretty much the landy plot from episode five. He's so tough, but he's terrified; he's the kind of kid who's always given up, and now he's surrounded by people (Coach, Buddy) who won't let him. His scenes from the football game really got me into his head, as he got rattled again and again before learning how to respond.


My favorite subplot of the whole night, though, was Jason's blind date with the pee girl. Jason finally gets the nerve to date while in a wheelchair and ends up with a girl who gets turned on by golden showers? Some luck. I loved the waitress getting the full wrath of Ms. Kinky while Jason cowered behind the kitchen doors. One glaring inconsistency, though: His parents freak when he spends one night with a girl, but they don't care when he sneaks off to Mexico?


Some other thoughts:

Riggins' meth-making roommate creeped me out in this episode, and I'm hoping Riggins is out of there for good. The scene with Coach wordlessly handing Riggins a sleeping bag was one of those little moments this show does so well.


Matt and the nurse: still boring. Kinda cute — making mole, aww — but boring.


Tami and Julie ended up in a good place at Gracie's christening, but it sure took a lot of work (and some crafty playing-dad-against-mom antics) to get there. That "a thank-you would be nice" fight was such a classic mother-daughter moment, it gave me chills.

Friday Night Lights: Seeing Other People

NBC's promos for this episode of Friday Night Lights promised this would be the episode where Landry's morals got the best of him, driving him to confess to murder. But in reality, that was the smallest part of this episode, which leaned more on strong moments from the Taylor family and one of the best comedic subplots of the season. The ending left me with plenty to discuss.

One of the things I love most about FNL is the way it can turn tired teen show plot lines into something artful and fresh. An example of that came from Julie and Tami's parallel stories of misunderstood relationships. Julie's behavior around Noah takes me straight back to high school; the suggestion that the two of them could ever have a romantic relationship gives me the squirms, but I love the way the show is playing it so far. Julie might be flirting, but she might also have found a friend and mentor (who just happens to be older, male, and relatively attractive); Noah might see her as just a bright, eager student with untapped potential. And yet, their relationship looks like it could be something more, something utterly inappropriate. That's the side Tami sees; the scene where she ripped into Noah for his perceived indiscretions — and only got angrier with every one of his smarmy responses — was incredible (but couldn't she have just closed the door?). And so was Julie's reaction, full of fury at losing the one person she believes understands her.

And then there's Tami and Glenn — no illegal age difference there, at least, but still a perception that they could be doing something improper. For whatever reason, Coach hasn't seemed to be understanding what Tami's going through as a working mother of a petulant teenager and a needy newborn. I doubt he actually thinks Tami would cheat on him, but he's worried about appearances. Even more than that, he misses his old relationship with Tami, their laughs and light moments. Frankly, so do I; I'd love to see them get back to having fun.

Speaking of fun, practically every moment of the Smash storyline was exactly that. I don't understand where the show is going with Smash's recruiting trips — and shouldn't a player with his skills be visiting schools I've, you know, heard of? — but if it leads to more moments like "So tell me: Was it Cabo in your pants?" then I'm all for it.

Some other thoughts:

As I mentioned, the Landry stuff filled only a small part of the episode. I did think it was fascinating to hear Landry say aloud that the man he killed was a horrible, despicable person — to the man's brother, no less — and interesting how that prompted Landry to reexamine why he was keeping this secret. As for what that actually means, I guess I'll find out in the next episode.

Riggins' apology was one of my favorite moments ever, and I would have loved to see him keep apologizing to every Panther, one by one. Everything about it — from the "firecrotch" nickname to telling a young player how he really brings it on practice days — was quintessentially Riggins.

Matt and Carlotta bore me. There, I said it. I can't even really muster up the strength to be annoyed by their ridiculous pairing.

Seriously, how amazing was Riggins' ferret-keeping, meth-making roommate's binoculars/flask contraption? And where's Riggins going to live now, anyway?

Friday Night Lights: Pantherama

This installment of Friday Night Lights reminded me of two very important things: Smash still exists, and Dillon High students occasionally go to class. Who'd have thought?

The episode was one of the lightest of the season — maybe too light. But it still had some great moments, including the redemption of Buddy Garrity. (Again: Who'd have thought?)

In an episode packed with inappropriate kissing and pantsless football players, I couldn't have predicted that Buddy Garrity would steal the show, but his move to become Santiago's guardian was surprisingly touching. Maybe this is all a football-based ploy, but Santiago's not a great player, so I don't know why Buddy would stick his neck out unless he genuinely felt something for the kid. Tami's concern over Santiago into foster care, Buddy's awkwardness about the size of Santiago's room, and Santiago's appreciation for his first real bed were all winning moments for me.

Not so winning: Matt kissing the sexy nurse. As soon as she put her hands on his hips to teach him how to make his dance spicier — the less I think about that scene, the better — I figured this would be the episode with the smooch. I'm not loving the chirpy cheerleader who only seems to kiss Matt when Julie's around either, but at least she's his age.

Speaking of which: Apparently, it's time for FNL to drag out the ol' "student becomes infatuated with hot teacher" story. It's nice to see Julie's smart side, and writing nasty articles about football for the school paper is a more productive way to rebel than sleeping with the Swede. But does she have to fall for someone a decade older who spews cliches about 10-dollar words?

Meanwhile, Smash finally got a showcase as recruiting season kicked into gear. I enjoy the cocky side of him, but I also like that he has the determination to back up his talk. I'm not sure why Mama was so upset about Smash turning down a school that doesn't even offer athletic scholarships, but the way she asked Coach to keep a closer eye on Smash was fantastic: "I'm not asking you to be this boy's daddy. I'm just here to remind you that he doesn't have one."

Some other thoughts:

I really thought Lyla graduated, but apparently she's still in school, as she and Tyra got put in charge of entertainment for Pantherama. The sexy side of Tyra was in full effect, and Lyla's cheerleading skills came in handy for choreographing the, er, "dance." The shocked look on Tami's face when the players stripped down to their boxers — save for Landry, who kept his tank top on — cracked me up.

That story also delivered two of my favorite moments: Matt's awkward solo dance practice, and Tami's "Oh honey, you are not using Jesus Christ our Lord as an excuse to get out of helping your counselor, are you?"

If that hadn't been my favorite line of the night, this would have been: "Quote: 'Athletic director and Panther football coach Eric Taylor had no comment.' She asked me through the bathroom door. What am I supposed to do? I was busy."

I'm not sure about Tim moving in with this ferret guy, but Tyra pouring orange juice on Tim's face made that whole plot worth it.

Friday Night Lights: How Did I Get Here?

This episode of Friday Night Lights was a particularly intricate one, with stories weaving in and out of each other throughout the hour. For the second week in a row, I think the show was up to the high standard of season one — and yes, that even includes the murder story. It's still not the road I would have taken for the show, but this episode brought some intriguing fallout. It also brought Tami's sister, a new Dillon cheerleader, and a militant soccer coach into the mix.

I'll start with the one part of the episode that really stands alone: The murder/cover-up plot. I'm still troubled that the story seems distant from the rest of the show, but at the same time, I'm finding myself riveted by it. Landry and his father fascinate me, and not just because they look eerily like actual father and son. The writers have set them up as two completely different people, aliens trying to understand each other's lives. But when Landry is in trouble, his father will do whatever it takes to bail him out, even if that puts his future as a cop in jeopardy. And boy, will that car fire put his future as a cop in jeopardy. How could it not be traced back to him? If that car is found, it will still have its license plates and identification numbers, no?

Tami, meanwhile, is back at work, and that's bringing a lot of changes — the arrival of her sister, for one. Shelly is like Tami if she'd chosen differently at every step, and despite how much Tami loves her family, there's a part of her that wishes she had Shelly's freedom. It's so wonderful to see Tami interacting with anyone these days (I've even come to savor the Glenn scenes), and I think Shelly's stay is going to be a fun.

Both Jason and Riggins took big steps in this episode — Riggins toward football, Jason away from it. How odd was it, by the way, that nobody seemed terribly concerned that the two had skipped the country? Coach cared, I suppose, insofar as he kicked Riggins off the team; do I think he'll be gone for long? I love every episode of this show where the guys end up messing around on the football field, and this one was no exception; it's sweet to see Riggins trying to help Lyla's ex-con, but it's even sweeter to see the guys playing ball like the kids they are. Jason, meanwhile, is doing some serious growing up, turning 19 and moving beyond the football career he wishes he had. Watching football highlights at his party was just painful. I'm a little surprised he's ditching the Panthers altogether, but he does seem committed to changing.

Some other thoughts:

• Interesting resolution to Coach's skimpy salary: He's now the athletic director. I loved his clenched-teeth "I am going to kill Buddy" after his first encounter with Bobbi Roberts.


• Raise your hand if you're relieved Matt was making out with not-the-nurse! *raises hand*


• The "Green is Universal"-mandated lines in this episode were hilarious. "Oh, it's an environmentally friendly bag!"


• Riggins and his brother playing with Tami's breast pump? Priceless!


• It's so quaint and wonderful that people solve problems on this show by having dinner.


• Either there's a major airport a lot closer to Dillon than I realized, or the jumbo jet in the last scene is about to crash.

Friday Night Lights: Let's Get It On

Hey, now that's more like it! In my view, the latest episode of Friday Night Lights was easily the best of the season so far, dispatching one controversial plotline, making new headway with another, and — most of all — getting inside the lives and heads of these characters I've come to love.

Coach Taylor is home, and he's back with the Panthers, and he's ... totally not getting any. Any other series would make the "new dad wants sex, but new mom just wants to sleep" plot line cheesy or gross, but FNL managed to make it sweet, touching, and totally hilarious. I loved Tami kicking Eric out of the bedroom, Mac asking Coach if he was "back in the saddle," the tulips and the candles. And most of all, I loved Tami doing exactly what her husband advised, leaving the baby for the night, going out with her friends, getting tipsy — and then not only denying him, but letting him know she was on to him. That's the Tami and Eric relationship I've been missing, hectoring each other endlessly but loving each other beneath it all.

Speaking of not giving in: Matt showed a little backbone, refusing to cave when Julie came crawling back. I'm glad he knows he knows he deserves better. Also, Landry's "No. No. No. No. No." as they sat in the cafeteria was one of the most authentic Landry lines I've heard in a while.

And it was just one of many great moments in this episode for Landry. Despite still being "that Lance kid," he got to play in his first football game — and he got to be the hero, albeit by getting creamed in the end zone. He gave the locker room speech that — while veering into cliche — still united the team. He finally thought he'd made his dad proud. And just when it was all going great for him, boom — Tyra dumps him in the harshest possible way. While I don't think I'll ever be 100 percent OK with the murder plot, the payoff has been so, so much better than I expected.

Some other thoughts:

I'm still not convinced Coach's struggles with the team are over. Matt and Smash supposedly kissed and made up, but it was only to get themselves back in the game; Matt's line about Coach using the team as a stepping stone to college ball showed that he, at least, still feels deserted and hurt.

Goodbye, experimental surgery plot! That could have given a whole new meaning to "jump the shark" (... in Jason's spine), but instead, the story played out with grace. Even Jason tumbling into the water — a moment I dreaded from the moment I saw the promo — was surprisingly restrained. (His motivations, though, still confuse me: I thought he was trying to swim away from Tim and Lyla so he could get the surgery.) And I'm hoping that's the end of the rumored "threesome" I've seen so much hinting about; Lyla's "I gotta go pray" cracked me up.

In case you, like me, want to immediately go download the song that played at the end of the episode, it's "If I Could" by Blue Merle. The one from the scene where Jason tumbles off the boat is "To Build a Home" by Cinematic Orchestra.

Do you think Landry would be more upset if he knew why Tyra really dumped him? Is Matt's rejection of Julie just setting him up for a love story with the nurse? (Please, no.) And do you think FNL is, er, back in the saddle?

Friday Night Lights: Bad Ideas

Friday Nights Lights sure is shaking things up this season. With Coach Taylor in Austin, Tami dealing with a new baby, Julie going after the Swede, and of course that crazy plot twist with Landry and Tyra, Dillon is looking a lot different right now.

If I had to pick a theme for this episode, it would be: "What have we just done?" Tami is verging on losing it, Matt is dealing with Grandma's new nurse, and Landry is trying to figure out how to live with himself after killing a guy and dumping his body in the river.

Doesn't that last bit sound a little ridiculous? Even though the Tyra/Landry story was only a small portion of "Bad Things," it's the story line that looms over everything else right now. This murder was intended to bring Tyra and Landry together, and that's what we saw this week: Landry's declaration of love; Tyra's surrender to the person who did something courageous (albeit stupid) on her behalf. It's an interesting place to take the two of them, and they're acting the heck out of it, but really — was this the only way to get them there?

More interesting to me is the way the Taylor family has been shaken up. Tami's really on the edge right now, and she knows that she put herself there. Glenn, the replacement counselor, is probably the last person in the world who should be comforting her, but at least he's in town. (Also: Tami doesn't have any girlfriends?) Julie, meanwhile, is inches away from a full-on teenage girl freefall, dumping her nice-guy boyfriend and rushing headlong toward The Swede — who, by the way, is way too old to be flirting with high schoolers at the gas station.

Matt finally got the help he'd been demanding for Grandma in the form of Carlotta, a live-in nurse who's already managed to unearth his stash of nudie magazines. Things are definitely going to be changing around the Saracen house — no more junk food, way less TV, and this new person telling Matt how things should be done. I seriously hope the two of them don't sleep together.

A few other thoughts:

• Do I really want Jason searching for a miracle cure?
• Buddy Garrity sure has fallen from grace, huh? Not that long ago, he was the guy with the ear of the state champion football coach; now, he's being told he's unwholesome and unnecessary. How perfect that his reaction to being snubbed would be to get drunk and tell stories about his glory days as a Panther.
• There's so much else going on with Landry right now that this seems like a minor quibble, but: I find it hard to believe that he'd make the varsity squad of a state champion football team. That said, I did love Landry meeting his "sort-of" rally girl, who seems just as awkward and out-of-place as he does.
• I'm having trouble getting invested in Coach's TMU storylines, but it was great to see flashes of his brilliance in the way he dealt with Antoine — and I loved how the suggestion that he was "one hell of a high school coach" came off as equal parts compliment and insult.

Friday Night Lights: Last Days of Summer

Oh, Friday Night Lights, it's good to have you back. This episode had a lot of what makes "FNL" so brilliant — but it also had one major moment that took the show down a new, and pretty controversial, path.

The show picks up roughly nine months after State, and a lot has changed in Dillon. For one thing, all the high schoolers seem to be wearing a lot less clothing. For another, Coach is off in Austin at TMU, while the Panthers struggle with a new coach and Tami prepares for life with a new baby.

That baby makes its appearance pretty early on, when Tami goes into labor while visiting Julie at the pool. On the one hand, I thought it was a bit much to have Tami's water break at the pool while Julie was lifeguarding; on the other hand, is there anything that could be more hugely humiliating? As part of her coping, Julie embarks on some serious sabotage of her relationship with Matt, flirting with some older lifeguard nicknamed The Swede.

Lyla, meanwhile, has become born again. There's no explanation, just a scene of her being baptized in a river. But if it leads to more moments like the one at her family dinner where she prays for everyone to have "the strength to remember that mothers of three should not be wearing skinny jeans," I'm cool with that.

The biggest moment in the episode belonged to Landry and Tyra — and it's got to be the most divisive thing the show has ever done. The man who tried to rape Tyra comes back and attacks her again in a convenience store parking lot; Landry goes after him with a pipe, whacking him across the back of the head and killing him. The two then load his body into Tyra's truck and appear to dump it in the river. It sounds very I Know What You Did Last Summer.

But I was taken by how moving and restrained it was. (Frankly, I preferred it to the scene where Buddy attacked Pam's new boyfriend in the dealership parking lot.) Tyra and Landry are terrified; Landry has set himself up to be Tyra's knight in shining armor; they have a chance not to live in fear anymore. Now, dumping the body is a different matter, and I'm worried about how "FNL" is going to play out the consequences of that decision. Obviously the two of them are in shock, but I still think it's a leap for them to find the river and throw the guy in it.

A few other thoughts:

• The relationship between Matt and Landry is still one of my favorite parts of the show; Landry's "What Would Riggins Do?" deserves its own bumper sticker.
• I'm not getting much from the new Panthers coach yet, probably because I figure that Coach Taylor will be back soon enough. Still, I was surprised at just how much he berated the players — and I sort of loved the way he threw Buddy Garrity out of practice.
• My favorite act of rebellion from Julie: "I'm not wearing shoes, dad."
• The scene with Coach giving all the Panthers their championship rings? Tears.

Friday Night Lights: State (Season Finale)

Can it really be? I've been through twenty-two episodes of Friday Night Lights already? Maybe it's just my reluctance to have the show end, but it seems like this season went by awfully fast. Last week I guessed that the team would win the game, Eric would stay in Dillon, and that the show would get a second season. I got answers for all three. The show will be returning!

Throughout much of the season I made a point of noting that this isn't a show about football. Most of the Panther games I got to see were given very short bits of episodes, and were usually not the focus of the episode. This episode altered that balance and gave a lot more time to the game. Understandably so, this was the state championship. It's something that these characters have been working toward for the entire season, so a big payoff was fitting.

Something that struck me about the episode was how much it echoed back to that first episode I saw back in October. The more subtle thing that brought this up was the end of the episode. That scene of Eric driving to the school while listening to sports radio was very reminiscent of how I first met him. Right down to the fact that what he was hearing wasn't the most flattering of broadcasts. Along with that was the story of the game.

Like that first game when Street got hurt, you could make the complaint that they didn't need to build up the big Hollywood ending the way they did. I'd even say that this game needed it less than the first one. At this point in the series, anyone watching is probably a fan of the show. And because of that, they have invested in the characters. They don't need an improbable comeback to sell them on anything. A back and forth game where they struggle to contain Voodoo but keep themselves in the game would have been fine. It's certainly not a huge complaint, but something that stands out as being unnecessary.

That said, the game footage was again very good. As was everything leading up to the game. I liked the wonder of it all as the team got a look at their locker room and stepped onto the Texas Stadium field for the first time. I even enjoyed the return of Voodoo. He's just so menacing. That little nugget where he offered Smash a spot with the Mustangs is something that could be revisited in season two. I don't think that Smash would leave Dillon, but there is still a story to be told there.

This was quite an episode for Eric as well. I really liked the scene where the reporter asked him about the job at TMU. Ever since he took the gig I've been waiting for that bomb to drop. The fact that it came on the eve of the big game made it that much more dramatic. He handled it well, and I thought he made a good case for why he was leaving to both the gathered boosters, and personally to Saracen.

After the game, when Eric poured out all of his feelings on everything to Tami, I was completely sold. Eric will be back at Dillon next year, coaching the team, new baby bouncing around the house. I was caught off guard by Tami's answer to all of that. "No, you've got to go to Austin." Apparently I have yet to learn the same lesson that Eric is missing, Tami Taylor usually knows best. She was right all along. It will be interesting to see how they handle the Austin/Dillon separation in season two.

There were a couple other good scenes for Tami tonight as well. Her meeting with Mrs. Williams at Planned Parenthood was a nice bit of continuity. And she might have had the line of the night with her explanation for missing the booster event, saying she couldn't handle "the Buddy Garrity of it all." The scene where she told Eric about the baby was also very sweet.

Away from football, Landry's state football adventure was fun to watch. Watching his reaction to Tyra inviting him to the game was almost as much fun as watching the crazy series of events that destroyed his big plans. The soundtrack for the trip changing from some sexy Crucifictorious to Lady Marmalade captures the essence of the whole thing. In a strange and twisted way though, it was some nice progress to the Landry/Tyra story, and sets itself up for the possibility of season two.

Tyra had a nice resolution with Lyla as well. It took some good christian intervention from Landry to get the ball rolling, but it goes to show how much the two of them are changing as the story goes along. They're both at a point now where moving on and rethinking things is an option, so it was nice to see them both embrace that idea.

And finally, Jason Street. Considering that his injury is what kicked off this adventure, it was nice to see it play out the way it did. He's back in control, his confidence is back, and he has something he loves to focus on and work at. I don't know if we are supposed to take that last scene as some kind of hint that he will be the head coach next season or not. But the Panthers did just win the state title with a first year coach. And I'm guessing that the word of Eric Taylor has some sway now. I could see him endorsing Street as his replacement with Mac and the rest of the staff staying on. Of course, that could lead to some drama, hopefully a whole seasons worth.

So, that does it for the first season of Friday Night Lights. I be back here in the fall to kick off a second run. I like this show even more now than I did when it started. Over the course of the season it became my favorite new show of the year, and without getting out the calculator to figure exact positioning, I'd say it's in my top 5 for all of TV right now. This was a nice way to wrap things up. I couldn't be happier about the way this season played out. With the Panthers winning, the Taylor's plans squared away, and all of our other characters ready to move on, I'll be anxious to see what the next season brings.

Friday Night Lights: Best Laid Plans

One of the things I praise this show for is how well acted it is. Yet I think this episode might have set a new high mark.

I'm talking specifically about the argument Eric and Tami had over her proposal that she and Julie stay in Dillon while Eric goes to Austin. It's great writing to start with, and performed amazingly by Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton.

Over the course of this TV season I have learned a lot about their relationship. They are one of the great television couples, but part of what makes them so great is their imperfections. I get the chance to see the happy, madly in love Taylors, but I also get to see the struggling, fighting Taylors. My favorite part was Eric's admission, "I'm not mature, I can't handle that." They are endlessly fascinating to me.

As long as I'm throwing around accolades for great acting, I should toss some at the fellow who plays Landry. This is not the Landry that I first met early in the season. His line to Saracen, "I'm just here for the comic relief for the star quarterback?" was interesting. That could have very easily been the arc of the Landry character, and it probably would have been just fine. Every now and again he'd pop up and say something witty, then step aside. This was so much better. Confiding in Saracen, his talk with Tami, being crushed by Tyra's misplaced anger, right on through their final conversation at the roast. It was all very good.

I liked how they left it too. Landry was a little harsh, but it was a big step for him. The easy thing would have been to fall right back into that puppy dog role and be glad for the attention from Tyra. Instead, he laid out all of his feelings and gave her something to think about. I thought that based on her look as he left, he got the message across.

Speaking of the roast, I liked the tension underneath what was outwardly a very happy-go-lucky time. With all of the disapproving looks from Saracen, and the fight that resumed between Eric and Tami, it seemed like there was a chance that the whole thing would just go off the rails and turn into a skewering of Eric as everyone asked, "Why are you leaving us?"

Tami's too good for that though, and I thought her speech was great. Sure, she was funny and charming, and Eric certainly does have, as Buddy put it, "a good one." The great part of the scene for me though, was that she was standing there in front of all those people, but really just making her case to Eric.

Eric's decision and how the Taylor family is going to deal with it did dominate the episode, but there were some smaller bits of the story worth noting. Buddy and Pam getting a divorce wasn't much of a surprise. I did like the way she corrected him though. "You're gonna see them every other weekend."

There wasn't a lot of screen time given to what is going on between Smash and Waverly, but I do really like that part of the story. They really have done a nice job of growing Smash's character. Much like Landry, he could have easily been relegated to the background, but the show is better for the time they have spent developing him.

I'm not sure if that was the end of Street and Lyla or not. It could be, but it just seems like that one still has some legs. It's not going to be pretty, and I've long since given up on any kind of hearts and flowers reconciliation. Not done yet though.

Either way, I have really enjoyed all of the scenes with Street and Susie, so I'm ok with Lyla moving on. Coach Street was fun to see too. I liked how he fell right into step with Eric when they started talking to Saracen. And hey, if Eric is getting a job in Austin, doesn't Susie live in Austin? Things are lining up for Street.

It's probably time to drop the Tim and just go back to talking about Riggins. It seems that Jackie finally wised up and realized that getting involved with a high school kid that has his own truckload of baggage isn't the best thing for her or her little boy. I'm not surprised, but I thought that would come some time after the mysterious husband/father showed up to flesh out Jackie's backstory.

So here I sit. One episode to go in what has been a great first season. I've got some big questions looming with that last episode. Will the Panthers win it all? Will Eric stay in Dillon after Tami told him she's not going to Austin? And most importantly, will I get a second season? My guesses, yes to all.

Friday Night Lights: Mud Bowl

Excuse me for a moment . . . WOOOOO HOOOOO! The Panthers are going to State!!!!
Ok, with that out of my system, it's time to catch up with our ever-deepening cast of characters.

I'm sure most high schools don't have toxic trains within five miles of the school or stadium. But hey, just like the silly business about playing the state semifinals in a pasture (no coach in his right mind would do that), I can overlook some over-dramatization because I love the people and the stories on this show. I'm anticipating a depression soon when the season ends.

Speaking of Coach Taylor, his response could not have been better when he sees that giant ad for sleazy car dealer, Buddy Garrity, on the side of the stadium. As the old saying goes, he looked like he "had just bit a lemon." No wonder he skips out on playing at a really, really shiny new stadium, and no wonder he's thinking hard about that college job (after all, there's no commercialization in college sports, right?).

Saracen's best friend Landry has been one of my favorite characters all season, and it was good to see him more this week. He had a great line when he told Tyra (with whom he is completely smitten) that he started a math club at school, "but no one showed up to the meetings." And then he was great in the final scenes, after she had been attacked in the parking lot. Admit it, you knew this guy in high school, if you weren't actually him.

Cheerleader girlfriend, Lyla, for all her faults, may have snapped quarterback Jason Street out of his funk (a quick splash of water never hurts). It even got him to finally speak out about the lawsuit; the scene at the settlement conference was a little fuzzy, but apparently he was able to end the whole thing. Now if he can graduate and get through four years of college, he can get a job at Dillon High, teaching PE and coaching JV soccer and the quarterbacks.

Dennis the Menace "Bo" seems to be thrilled at the thought of mopey buddy, Tim Riggins, having sleepovers at his house; next thing you know, he'll be talking about "Uncle Tim Riggins of the Dillon Panthers" all the time.

As silly as playing the state semifinals in a pasture was, the football scenes turned out to be pretty dramatic, including yet another winning score on the last play of the game. And in a bit more dramatic license, the Panthers' opponents in the state finals in Texas Stadium will be West Cambia, current home of spurned quarterback VooDoo Tatum. Somebody else is headed for double-secret probation, we suspect.

Highlight:
Saracen takes so much grief from people, it's fun to hear him dish it out occasionally, as when he gets on the love-struck Landry about his "study date" with Tyra: "It's gonna be a huge night. I mean, you're gonna square a lot of numbers, maybe figure out a quadratic equation or something . . . it's adorable, what you're doing."

Friday Night Lights: Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch- Changes

The amount of sheer joy this show gives me is ridiculous. I grin and squeel and get sucker-punched by situations that are all too real. Honestly, if you're not watching FNL, you're missing out. NBC.com has all the episodes on their sorta sub-par media player. They're also available on itunes. And for the last time, naysayers, this show is not about football. It features football, but it's about so much more.

Top 10 Awesome Moments of Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes:

10. The awkward grand gesture that was Tyra's mother dragging her into the Father Daughter Dance to prove that she's not a sabotaging harpy.

9. Buddy’s Dr. Phil-inspired scrapbook.

8. Riggins teaching 9 year-old Beau how to fight and reminding him that eye gouging and groin kicks are totally within the limits of a school yard brawl.

7. Buddy's spot-on local car commercial.

6. The Taylor family bantering over Eric's "award-winning"/"very mediocre" chili. Extra points for being able to see just how much Tyra wished her family could hold a candle to Julie's.

5. "Appreciate your service, Sergeant Riggins."

4. Riggins getting in a 10 year-old bully’s face and threatening to punch a hole in his chest and rip out his heart if he ever bothers Beau again.

3. Lyla smashing the crap out of several cars and the front window of her dad's dealership upon learning of his habitual infidelity.

2. Beau's mom giving into the lazy charm of Riggins. “Beau can never know.” I’ll say, the minute he finds out, he’ll start in with “I can’t believe Tim Riggins is gonna be my new dad!”

1. Smash, Riggs, Matt and Street on the field, having the boy-bonding session to end all boy-bonding sessions. And ending it with a Brokeback joke and a promise of renewed friendship between Tim and Jason. Sigh.

Friday Night Lights: Extended Family

Gee, there was actually a football game in Dillon this week. Not that I need it to keep my attention, but the five-point victory over the Royal Rock Dragons advances the Panthers to the state semifinals.

No, the football definitely has become secondary to one of the best shows on TV, which every week seems to give its characters more depth and introduces even more interesting story lines. Oh brother, I'm starting to sound like a TV critic.

The arrival of Buddy "Sleazy Car Dealer" Garrity at Coach Taylor's house might just have produced the best line of the season from Coach Taylor's wife, Tami, as they arrive at home after the game: "What is that thing that's sitting on our front porch? It's moving!" And then, "Make him go away." Gee, like that's going to happen. Light a stick of dynamite under the recliner, and keep him away from the note pads, where he discovers that Coach Taylor is talking to the athletic director from TMU.

The job offer from TMU leaves Coach Taylor in a bind -- he's going to need a new rumpled coaching wardrobe.

Mopey Tim Riggins has a new neighbor, the 21st century equivalent of Dennis the Menace -- a towheaded, never-shuts-up kid, but with just one overworked and extremely young parent. All this new Dennis the Menace needs is a paintball gun (instead of a slingshot) in his back pocket and a large dog. Tim, as the Mr. Wilson of the new millennium, gets the pain-in-the-neck little brother her never had.

Have to admit, I didn't see the reason for the long-term disappearance of the Preacher's Daughter, Waverly, coming. Supposedly, she had been on a mission to Africa, but it turns out she's been on meds for a "mood disorder" that seems pretty manic/depressive. Can Smash, who just recently quit is own "meds," deal with it?

Elsewhere, Jason and Lyla renew their love, even if all the Murderball types and their friends make her nervous and force her to use the word "fiancee" about 16 times. Ugh. About all that exchange produced was the information that Dillon is 200 miles from Austin.

The whole episode with Tyra's mom and her sliced-up derriere, in the end (no pun intended), just confirms my opinion of Tami Taylor. She cleans up the house and, at the same time, her relationship with Tyra. Now she needs to work on the relationship between Buddy and Pam Garrity -- and his overly amorous relationship with football. Head on a stake indeed. I'd pay to see that.

Friday Night Lights: I Think We Should Have Sex

Well, they certainly are hitting all the hot buttons. The big sex episode is nothing new for a drama that deals with high school kids. Even though I knew going in that we would be traveling a familiar path, I was looking forward to it for the simple reason that we would get to see Tami Taylor's reaction.

The scene where she confronts Julie about having seen Saracen buying condoms was the highlight for me. It was a nice setup to the discussion she had with Eric later. With no real idea of what she was supposed to do, she just jumped right in. "I saw Matt Saracen buying condoms today." There's an icebreaker.

The interaction between Tami and Eric as they tried to deal with all of it was also very good. "Well they're sure as hell not mine, so what would our 15 year old daughter be doing with these?" Eric was wound up so tight. Her resolution at the end to just have faith in Julie doing the right thing, and Eric coming around to her side was a nice scene. It all wrapped up nicely with the covert little, "Thanks for the talk." line too.

Away from the parents, there was some good stuff too. Julie's reaction to the whole thing was a little odd, approaching the whole affair as some sort of odd science project. Her little scene with Tyra was interesting. After the big blowup where Eric and Tami explained that Tyra was a bad influence, there she is telling Julie that she doesn't have to do this.

Saracen reacted just as one would expect having seen the previous 16 episodes. A big ol' bag of unsure of himself nerves. I liked the way it ended, with him giving Julie the out. She seemed so relieved.

I think we have probably seen the last of Walt Riggins. The story has run its course and there really isn't a lot to be added. It did serve its purpose though, giving us a good understanding of why Tim is the way he is.

This might have been my favorite part of Street's story so far. Hearing him tell Susan the story of how the accident happened, and how he has been dealing with it, showed some good growth for Street. Herc continues to be a good influence and it looks like the rugby team may be just what he needs.

And then there is Buddy Garrity. We all saw that one coming. Heck, I think people that don't watch the show saw it coming. The altercation at the church is certainly going to play in to future episodes. I think the best part of the story was Eric's reaction. Before Buddy could even get the words out Eric was just as uncomfortable as everyone watching. And he shared the viewers sentiment when he told Buddy, "You're a stupid man."

Overall, another really good episode.

Friday Night Lights: Black Eyes & Broken Hearts

They’re in the playoffs baby! But they are off to a rather rocky if not riotous start. The racial tension still lingering from the previous episodes has spread like a cancer to the other team making Smash’s life just a notch harder.

Smash spends the majority of the episode feeling responsible for the fate of the players that have walked after Mac’s racist rants. It doesn’t help that the self-righteous Waverly won’t let him back down and just play. It took Mama Smash to slap the possibility of rising above and making a stand by playing and being the bigger man for Smash to swallow his pride and lead the rest of the team back to the field just in time for the playoffs.

The Panthers were back in action once Smash and the rest of the team hit the field and though he was willing to ignore Mac, he found it damn hard to ignore the opposition that refused to let the racist hype die. A near riot ensues and I’m proud to say that Smash did not throw the first punch, Riggins did!

The game’s called and the Panthers win as they were ahead before the fight broke out, but Coach Taylor’s not allowing them the chance to celebrate. While on the bus ride back to Dillon they are pulled over by the police who are claiming that witnesses say Smash threw the first punch and they’re arresting him. After a tense standoff, Mac steps in and demands a search warrant to enter the bus. Mac made the only move he could to ease the tensions on the team and it was touching.

By the end of the episode I felt like Texas was the scariest place on Earth. The whole football obsession and small town mentality is frightening enough, then you add in vigilante justice and racism by local yokel cops and there’s not a chance in hell I’d set foot in that place.

There was plenty of Landry (plus a cameo by his Crucifixion shirt) and his metro sexual know how. Matt and Julie finally made up. Tyra, Julie, Matt, and Landry were busted for being underage in a strip joint. Street left Dillon with Herc to follow his dream of quad rugby in Austin. And there was very little Lyla Garrity.

We were given one of the best Coach Taylor/Tami Taylor scene since the under table argument last fall. The whole “let me talk to the guidance counselor; let me talk to my wife; is there anyone else I can talk to” scene was amazing!

Oh, I almost forgot. Mac’s resignation was hard to watch. Though he was wrong and he is possibly a racist bigot, it broke my heart (and Coach Taylor’s) to see him give up something he’s given 20 years of his blood, sweat, and tears to for the good of the team.