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Friday Night Lights Rundown: Episode Four, "Hello, Goodbye"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 12:30:47 PST

On this week's Friday Night Lights, Smash prepares for his Texas A&M tryout while still doubting that college is in his future. Tami and Coach continue to be the awesomest couple of all time while advising each other on matters of quarterbacks and jumbotrons. And bad news rides into town on a bucking bronco, sweeping Tyra up in its wake. Ready to talk about one of my favorite FNL episodes of all time? Just

read more. This episode is FNL's farewell to Smash, and I'm so happy he got a story that did right by him. After his elation a couple of weeks back at getting a tryout, he's started to sour on the idea of college as a real possibility - especially once he finds out that the man who OK'd his tryout is a front office guy, not a coach. But what follows once Coach and Smash arrive at A&M is FNL at its finest: Mitch tries to reschedule the tryout, but Coach marches onto the field and tells the head coach that he won't want to be the man who passed on Smash Williams. "He's got more heart and guts than any kid I ever coached," he says, then spins right around and tells Smash that he's always known he could go all the way. What happens next is that Smash totally owns that field (or at least that's what it looked like through the veil of my tears). But oh, the heartwrenching moments don't stop there. We see Smash get the phone call that he's in, smiling at his mama, embracing his whole family. We see him thanking Coach, who yells at him not to skip any classes. And we see the guys one more time on the Panthers' field, Riggins cracking a beer, Smash going in for a score. Meanwhile, after Tami's little dig last week that she couldn't wait to meet the principal's husband, we finally do - but not before a hearty dose of the Coach's wife. Eric's torn up about what to do at quarterback and pours it all out to Tami over "a scotch-flavored drink." Then Tami - who's already failed to chat up a board member - gets the same treatment, as Eric reassures her that of course the jumbotron battle was worth fighting. In the end, television's most perfect marriage leads to two awesome compromises: Eric will use both Matt and JD, and Tami dedicates the jumbotron while volunteering Buddy's services for the annual PTA auction. Over in the Department of Bad Decisions, we have Tyra, who ditches poor wisdom-tooth-less Landry in favor of hanging out with Cash, the rodeo star with his "cowboy candy." And maybe it would have been better if she'd just been honest with Landry, but instead they have a massive, public blowout, where he points out that nothing's changed since they broke up ("you still hold my hand") and she finally snaps, "I'm choosing him!" Cash, with his pickup truck and his cowboy hat and all the things Landry thinks are beneath him - that's what she wants right now, for better or worse. In other news:

Shelby tries acting like part of Matt's family, which Matt points out in no uncertain terms that she's not. But she also does seem like she genuinely wants to help.
Drugged and sleepy Landry confessing his love for Tyra made me chuckle - as did his mom hanging up the phone for him.
A little moment that broke my heart: Grandma Saracen wondering who that JD McCoy is that everyone's talking about on TV.
Tami is quite the aggressive power-walker.

Anyone still crying about Smash's goodbye? Angry at Tyra for choosing the easiest path? Ready to see Jason again? Photos courtesy of NBC

Friday Night Lights Rundown: Episode One, "I Knew You When"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 14:15:44 PST

Welcome back, Panther fans! It's so good to see Friday Night Lights back on TV. In this episode, we do a lot of catching up, resetting to the start of another school year and football season - and some things have really changed around Dillon. To chat about Tami's new responsibilities, Coach's new protegee, and Buddy's new pet project,

read more. This episode does a lot of catching up, but I love the way it's handled, through flashbacks and little surprise reveals - like, "Hey! That's Riggins in Lyla's bedroom!" or "Whoa, Smash came back after his suspension only to hurt his knee in the playoffs?" Also new: Tami's position as principal. The more I think about it, the more it makes sense: Tami was already working at the school, and it must be a pretty thankless job - which sounds like just the kind of thing Tami would decide she needs to take on. (Plus, she now has the power to change Julie's schedule.) Coach isn't in a great spot with football right now: The team is struggling through drills, Riggins is being his hard-partying self, and there's a new freshman quarterback on the scene. We barely see JD McCoy, but we see a lot of his father, the man who has the means to buy smoothies for the whole team ("I know what the hell a smoothie is!") and bribe Coach with scotch and cigars. He's moved the whole family to Dillon solely so JD can be with the Panthers; JD is a natural talent, more Street than Saracen. Matt has to work hard; JD just fires the ball for touchdowns. That seems like an interesting showdown to watch as the season moves on. Meanwhile, Smash is working with Coach to rehab his injured knee, but he's also having second thoughts: He's still slow, his body can't do the things it used to do, and he's got his job at the Alamo Freeze to keep him busy. But Coach won't let him go, and who can blame him? As he says during their impromptu racquetball match (the "whitest sport ever"), he needs something good to happen. If the Panthers are in a bad place, Dillon High might be even worse off; they're losing teachers and sweltering in the late-Summer air while the football side of the building has shiny new computers and temperature control that works. And thus Tami wanders into her first major minefield, taking the money Buddy ponies up for a new jumbotron ("have you ever seen two people engaged on a jumbotron?") and deciding she can reallocate it. I generally think that Tami's right and Buddy's wrong, but this could get very bad very quickly. Some other thoughts:

Poor Tyra! She now has all these hopes for college, but the new guidance counselor is just smacking them all down. By the end of the episode, Tyra realizes there might be another way, and I just love that scene of her presenting her UT application and her petition to be student body president; Tyra doesn't take crap from anyone these days.
Mindy's engagement to Billy Riggins probably helped push Tyra to her "no, seriously, I'm getting out of here" position. Is anyone else terrified at the idea of "three or four little Mindys and Billys running around"?
The Taylor family dynamics crack me up. "Mom, I only put 12,000 miles in the car, and they were all to church, so technically they were all Christian miles."
Amazing that Riggins and Lyla are trying to make a go of it. Buddy's not so pleased.
I've made no secrets about being a montage crier, but that "Great Moments in Panthers History" video about had me on the floor.

Your thoughts? Surprised with anything going on in Dillon? Rooting for Tyra? Think Buddy or Tami is in the right on the jumbotron? Man, I love this show. Photos courtesy of NBC

Friday Night Lights Rundown: Episode 15, "May the Best Man Win"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 11:32:37 PST

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. But for now, to talk about what might be the end of FNL (sob), just

read more. 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 we saw Jason going 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. (How appropriate that series creator Peter Berg starred as Mo.) 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 us 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.

If this episode is the final one, how will you deal? The support group starts in the comments below. Photos courtesy of NBC

Friday Night Lights Rundown: Episode 14, "Leave No One Behind"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 15:31:25 PST

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 Friday's 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 writers' strike started, and even if the strike ends soon, there's no telling if the show will go back into production. (It's probably safe to say things don't look good.) As a result, this episode felt very much like the end to me. Did anyone else need a tissue and a hug? We can talk about it if you

read more. This was exactly the kind of episode I talk about when I tell people why FNL is great. It's wasn't about football; we still didn't even see a game. But every moment tied back to what we 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 last night. 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 us 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 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"?

FNL

NBC

Friday Night Lights Rundown: Episode 7, "Pantherama"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 07:30:41 PST

The latest installment of Friday Night Lights reminded us 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?) To read my take, just

read more 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 the racial dynamics of 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.

Your thoughts? Happy for the return of Smash - but sad about the corresponding absence of Street? Wondering why NBC chose to give so much away in the promo for the next episode? Discuss. Source

Friday Night Lights Rundown: Episode 3, "Are You Ready for Friday Night?"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 12:58:40 PDT

Last week, everything was starting to fall apart on Friday Night Lights. But that was nothing compared to this week's episode, which plunged everyone into full-out crises. There were a lot of story lines to cover - with varying amounts of good and "wha?" - but the heart of the show is always the Taylor family, and right now they are in t-r-o-u-b-l-e. To read my thoughts on the episode and share your own, just

read more Julie Taylor has become one cold child, hasn't she? We saw glimpses of her wild side last season, but now she's really off the rails, what with the "your baby is crying" and the post-curfew make-out session with the Swede right in front of her house. She might as well have turned toward the window and given Tami the finger, that's how blatant her rebellion was. In some ways, Tami's slap was a shock, because that's just not how things are done in the Taylor family; in other ways, it's a wonder it didn't happen sooner. As much as the Taylors are struggling, the Panthers aren't doing much better. Smash is back to his season one cockiness, and I can believe that - he's a senior, he wants a scholarship, and the new coach is giving him a chance to be a star. But I still don't buy Matt attacking Smash on the field. Yes, losing Julie and control of the Panthers has left Matt in a world of hurt, but attacking a teammate was uncharacteristically stupid. It seems that what everyone needs is Coach - and his return seems to be in full motiton now, what with Buddy's crafty deal-with-the-devil plot. I still can't believe he gave Coach a morality speech, though - this from a guy who just got falling-down drunk at a rally and is still sleeping in his office because his wife won't let him come home? Still, I'm curious to see what he has up his sleeve. As Coach is on his way back, Riggins and Street are headed to Mexico. Really? Does Jason no longer have parents who could at least suggest that stealing off with his drunkard friend in the middle of the night on a quest for experimental surgery is maybe not the best idea? Some other thoughts:

Maybe Riggins was sincere with his whole "closer to God" spiel, but has Riggins ever appeared to know a god that wasn't, oh, in his pants? Just sayin'.
Favorite lines: Buddy's "I've seen you play with a hangover many times, and you play like a champ," Coach's "I don't want Glenn at the house with his hands in my wife's ice box," Matt's "doing laundry helps people."
While I still hate that it's happening because of a murder/cover-up, I'm kind of loving Landry and Tyra together. But their secret can't stay hidden in their lovenest too much longer, given that the body apparently arrives next week.
The Swede is so gross for making out with a high schooler, but at least he was smart enough to realize that driving away from the house would be kidnapping. And on a similar note, I'm going to issue one more (probably futile) plea for Matt not to hook up with Carlotta.

Your thoughts? Are you ready for Coach Taylor to be home? And is this Mexico thing going to be a disaster, or a big disaster? Source

The Results Are in: Recast "Diff'rent Strokes"

BuzzSugar — Tue, 29 May 2007 16:50:25 PDT

Every Wednesday on BuzzSugar, I post a Recast challenge, where I ask you to choose new actors for a classic TV show or movie. The reader who submits the best cast wins a BuzzSugar t-shirt!

This week, everyone had great ideas for a modern makeover to the 1978 cast of "Diff'rent Strokes." I loved that CaterpillarGirl drew from the "Lost" cast, putting Terry O'Quinn in the role of Mr. Drummond and Malcolm David Kelly (Walt) as Willis. I also loved some of the Mrs. Garrett ideas, from Jinx's Bonnie Hunt to glam sugar and sascha9000's pick of Kathy Bates.

Overall, though, my favorite cast comes from RCLdesigngirl! To see her cast list and a new cast photo,

read more
RCLdesigngirl's cast: Mr. Drummond: Ken Jenkins Kimberly: Sophia Bush Arnold: Jaden Smith Willis: Gaius Charles Mrs. Garret: Phyllis Smith