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Friday Night Lights Rundown: Episode 13, "Tomorrow Blues"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 09:30:55 -0700

This season's final episode of Friday Night Lights is all about the seniors. It's five months after the football season, and college decisions are in, setting many of our Panthers and Panther faithful on new paths. Meanwhile, Coach's contract comes up for renewal, which means he's once again staring down Joe McCoy and his merry band of moneyed followers. To talk about the end of this season - and what it means for seasons four and five - just read more.

Eric Taylor, coach of the East Dillon ~~Giraffes~~ Lions? With no boosters, no money, no JumboTron, no players, no Buddy Garrity, no state ring? Especially knowing that there are two more seasons coming our way, I think it's brilliant. Coach and Buddy have apparently spent the off-season convincing them to come to Dillon High; little did Coach know he was digging himself a hole. Without the assurance that Wade calls all the plays and JD throws all the balls, Joe's not interested in keeping Eric around. And politics has never been Eric's strong suit; it takes Tami's urging for him to even come to the board meeting, and while his defense of his job is heartfelt, any fan of the show could have done better. I love that final image of Coach and Tami looking out on the run-down East Dillon field, full of dreams dashed and potential yet to be explored.

Eric isn't the only character taking on some scary new territory in this episode: Lyla finds a way to Vanderbilt after all, which doesn't shock me, especially once we learn there's a rich uncle involved. Lyla's hesitant at first - she doesn't want to leave Tim - but Tim's decided college isn't for him anyway. He doesn't want to read those big books; he likes the idea of life at Riggins' Rigs, drinking some beers and fixing some cars and taking care of a steer he and Billy bought at auction. I appreciate that it's Billy - who's really been the one pushing for Tim to play college ball from the start - who tells Tim that's ridiculous; like it or not, a Riggins needs to go to college so future generations know there's something more out there.

If there's a moment of true joy in this episode, it's Tyra opening her letter from UT, squealing and crying and throwing herself into Landry's arms. Just before she got that envelope, things were looking bleak; she'd driven all the way to UT with Landry only to find out her chances were even worse than she'd suspected, and it took one of Landry's patented pep talks just to make her believe she's worthy of a chance. And if there's a moment of sorrow, it's Matt going to the assisted living facility and telling Grandma he's taking her home for good. I wanted Matt in Chicago, and even Julie had accepted that he would probably be gone (even if he did reject her attempt at a breakup). But it's a realistic move: the guy who fears everyone leaves him isn't going to leave someone he loves.

Some other thoughts:

I smiled when Buddy said Smash was doing good things over at A&M. Glad to know he's doing well over there.
I guess the show's partnership with Chevy means Julie never gets that Celica.
I loved seeing Mindy's wedding, complete with the dress with wings that shows a tasteful amount of crack.
Buddy dancing with Tyra's mom at the wedding was a nice touch.

So! Season four! Eric coaching the Bad News Bears of Texas high school football, Matt sticking around, Julie and Landry as seniors . . . I have a feeling we have some good things coming our way. What about you?

Photos courtesy of NBC

Friday Night Lights Rundown: Episode 11, "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 09:30:20 -0700

On this week's Friday Night Lights, the Panthers face their toughest football challenge of the season. That puts even more pressure on JD, who's continuing to defy his father by seeing (or at least texting) Madison. Meanwhile, Lyla remains in her funk over her magical disappearing college money, and Matt's forced to take a hard look at how much he can really do as his grandma's caretaker. There's so much to talk about when you read more.

Way to kill a buzz, Joe McCoy. The Panthers are going to State, and yet there's no victory lap. There's just Joe and JD, screaming and shoving each other in the Applebee's parking lot. JD isn't following orders: He's still seeing Madison (who's even showing up at practices now), and - maybe even worse - he's going against Joe's game strategy. The game wasn't pretty, but he got the team to State; what more could Joe want? A lot, actually: To Joe, that was a travesty and a sign of how JD is going off the rails. And when JD fights back with a "screw you," he finds himself up against the back of the car, his father slapping him - presumably for the first time, given Katie's horrified reaction when Tami tries to comfort her. But that doesn't mean there hasn't been all kinds of psychological abuse going on in the McCoy house. Nothing JD does is ever good enough, and now he doesn't want to see his father again.

There's a little of that going around: Lyla's still on the run from her dad, drinking herself into a good-girl version of a stupor with the Rigginses . When she finally does go home, she finds her acceptance letter from Vanderbilt, the school that Buddy's Landing Strip antics might prevent her from attending. How amazing is it to see Riggins be the good guy? He could take advantage of having his hot girlfriend drunk and in his bed 24/7, but instead, he takes her to church and convinces her that college isn't off the table - and oh yeah, by the way, he loves her. He loves her! Matt, too, finds himself wishing away a parent: Grandma falls out of the car on Shelby's watch, and when the doctor suggests again that Matt consider assisted living, Matt turns it on his mom: Isn't it just like her to shirk responsibility? But oh, Matt's finally realizing he's in over his head. The scene with the slippers gave me chills; this is more than he knows how to handle.

Tyra, meanwhile, runs smack up against her vision of her future at Mindy's "classy" tea shower. She's gotten her SAT scores back, and they're better but not enough better. Even Landry can't even manage to seem overjoyed, but he does tell her that he's proud of her for not coasting by on her beauty. And yet, we see Tyra wondering why she's not just coasting on her beauty. I wouldn't have expected Angela Collette to be the parent in this episode who steps up, but there we have it: She says Tyra has surprised her from day one, and if she just keeps working, eventually she'll surprise herself, too.

Some other thoughts:

I have a feeling this whole redistricting debate is setting up some interesting stuff for the potential fourth and fifth seasons - a new cross-town rival, the loss of a ton of Panther players, the gain of several new prospects. And there's also Coach's lie to Tami about the boosters redrawing the district border. Lying to Tami never ends well.
Something I never thought I'd see: Billy Riggins wearing lingerie.
I have to chuckle at some of JD's George Michael Bluth-ish comments, like telling Madison it's pretty warm on the field when she comments on how hot he looks at practice. He doesn't have much of a personality, but he's never been allowed to.

Are you excited for the upcoming trip to State? Or do you, too, feel a sort of ominous cloud hanging over the Panthers' season?

Photos courtesy of NBC

Friday Night Lights Rundown: Episode 9, "Game of the Week"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 16:30:38 -0700

On this week's Friday Night Lights, the Panthers move into the playoffs and face the pressures of winning or having the season end right then. Lyla does some bonding with an unlikely character, and Matt's grandma and mom continue their standoff. And things really come to a head with Tyra and Cash, culminating in a late-night trip to Dallas. Ready to talk about it? Just read more.

Time and again, FNL has argued that the Panthers are the only thing bringing Dillon together. We see that happen on a small scale in this episode, and it's my favorite moment of the whole hour: Grandma Saracen and Shelby dropping their territorial feud the second they hear Matt's going to play. Now granted, I'm not convinced that Grandma would skip a game - much less a playoff game on national television - even if Matt did say he'd just be on the bench. But it doesn't matter, because it's a fine scene as they rush around gathering up their coats, babbling about how they'll get tickets, and finally treating each other with some civility. No, they still don't like each other, but they do love Matt, and for a few moments, that's enough.

Another story of love in this episode comes courtesy of the Riggins boys, or rather, courtesy of their disgruntled women. Billy's apparently done some unspecified jerky things, leading Mindy to call off their wedding. Meanwhile, Tim's being hotly pursued by a college recruiter who's in town and wants to talk. Lyla loads him up with research, but Tim's not interested in her college blather. And when Lyla realizes she's not being taken seriously, she dumps him by the side of the road. That leads to one of my favorite FNL moments ever: Mindy Collette and Lyla Garrity getting drunk and dancing to Mama Collette's "all men suck" music mix and talking about how they're going to form a no-Riggins force-field. For whatever reason, though, they both end up back with their respective Rigginses by the end of the episode - after both men have finally learned to apologize. So Tim's going to college? I can't imagine he has the grades for it, but I'm sure he's not the first football player to get in despite subpar scores. Love him telling Lyla she was right while she stands there intoxicating him with her morning-after-bender breath.

Meanwhile, we all knew things with Tyra and Cash would get ugly, eventually, and, sure enough, Tyra finds out that Cash is in a bunch of debt. She sees the darker side of him, storming around and leaving her alone in that seedy bar while he goes out - supposedly - for money. Tyra's a strong girl, so things must have been really freaky for her to be terrified. She's had enough daring cowboy adventure; on the phone with Landry, we can hear the relief in her voice. And I'm glad Tami comes to get her, even if it means spoiling her birthday celebration; Coach would have done the same for one of his players.

Some other thoughts:

I love how determined Tami was to continue enjoying her birthday spoils, going so far as to take the champagne with her in the car.
I wish we could have seen more of Landry Clarke: Scholar-Athlete.
Speaking of Landry, how perfect is the look on his face when he realizes Tyra's now used her sick aunt excuse on Julie?
All of these characters have burdens to bear, but Matt's is huge even by those standards. I hope he finds some path to college, even if it means staying near Dillon to keep caring for Grandma.
Favorite part of Tami's delight at Coach's surprise: the look of sheer joy on her face when she found the hotel robes.

Are you amazed that Riggins is college bound? Happy that the Panthers are continuing their playoff march? Rooting for Tyra and Landry to get back together now that her cowboy days are over?

Photos courtesy of NBC

Minka Kelly, Jason Dohring Join the CW's Body Politic

BuzzSugar — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 12:30:41 -0700

Ooh, now here's a pilot pairing I like: Minka Kelly and Jason Dohring have been hired for the CW's Body Politic, a show about DC political life through the eyes of young up-and-comers.

Kelly will play Hope, who moves to DC from Michigan after her mother's death and joins the staff of the newly appointed attorney general (Tim Matheson) - who just happens to also be her long-lost father. Dohring's coming aboard to play a reporter with The Washington Post.

Never fear, Friday Night Lights fans: Since Lyla's a senior this year anyway, Kelly's casting doesn't mean anything about that show's chances for renewal. Dohring was supposed to be in another DC-set pilot - HBO's The Washingtonienne - so I'm not sure what's going on there, but I like the idea of him sharing a screen with Kelly.

What say you? Could this casting make you interested in the show? And is anyone else getting kind of a Sammy's Hill-ish vibe from the description so far?

Source

Friday Night Lights Rundown: Episode Two, "Tami Knows Best"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 09:30:25 -0800

On this week's Friday Night Lights, Tami and Tyra both make some questionable leadership decisions, Lyla tries to make Riggins seem legit, and Matt takes some big steps to help his grandma. And that's really just the beginning, so to talk about this episode, just read more.

First of all: Lyla and Tim, sitting in a . . . bed, k-i-s-s-i-n-g - until Billy tells them Tim's gotten a letter of interest from a college. Lyla immediately springs into action, leaving shirtless Riggs behind (I know!) to type up a response. The two of them are as different as can be, but it's maybe over the college issue that their paths diverge the most. So it's a shame that, just when Riggins is starting to realize that maybe college can happen, Buddy shoots him down, thus a.) proving Buddy's point and b.) embarrassing him in front of Joe McCoy. Riggins actually took their dinner date seriously; he's even got questions prepared (Lyla: "I didn't know you Googled!"). But one nasty comment from Buddy, and he's back to his inarticulate, underachieving self, making a mess of his opportunity and ordering raw pigeon.

Matt, meanwhile, is back in his familiar position of being part adult, part child: Grandma isn't taking her pills, but Matt can't legally be in charge of her because she's legally in charge of him. The list of options is entirely bad (put Grandma in a home, etc.), but Matt has to choose one. So he borrows Landry's car and drives off to find his mom for the first time in years. It's amazing to watch the two of them together; the look of utter disgust on Matt's face when his mom asks where his dad is gave me chills. But she signs the papers, and so Matt's now an emancipated minor, though it's not a free pass to smoke and rent cars like Julie joked; it's just another big responsibility for him to take on.

Tyra and Tami are basically bad decision central this week, as Tami naively talks to a reporter about the jumbotron and Tyra bares her belly to win class president ("Nobody here is getting laid if you let Jenny here have our prom in the gym"). Both moves backfire: Tami gets a nasty article in the paper, and Tyra loses Tami's respect. Of the two, it seems like Tami's got a bigger hole to climb out of: She's got Buddy on her case, calling meetings and muttering about how sorry he is that it's come to this. I do think Tami's going about this all wrong, but does she deserve to face the wrath of Buddy?

Some other thoughts:

If anyone ever doubted that Coach Eric Taylor is a miracle worker, witness this: He manages to get the entire team - including Tim Riggins - to practice on a Saturday night, all for the sake of Smash. And it looks like it's going to pay off: Smash feels like a Panther again, and now he's got a real shot at college ball. (That look on Eric's face when he closes the door and the Williams family breaks down into ecstatic screams? Yeah, tears.)
I love the use of "jumbotron" as a unit of measure, as in Eric's "There's a difference between teeny-tiny and jumbotron."
Also, Landry's suggested slogan for Tyra's campaign: "Vote Tyra and Get Action."
I'm glad the writers didn't make Lyla freak out over Tim watching TV pantsless with Tyra. We all know Riggins better than that by now.

Is there any way for Tami to win a battle of wills against Buddy Garrity? Could Tim actually end up in college? How much is your heart breaking for Matt? Discuss!

Photos courtesy of NBC

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

BuzzSugar — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 14:15:44 -0800

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 -0800

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 13, "Humble Pie"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 10:37:54 -0800

"Humble Pie" is an interesting title for this week's Friday Night Lights, because nobody ended up acting all that humble. Sure, Smash tried, but the kid can never swallow his pride for very long. In the end, it was more about watching the characters channel their anger into various things - some good (Tyra, Jason), and some not so good (Smash, naturally). For more on the episode, just read more.

The fallout from Smash's movie theater brouhaha is interesting, if not entirely unexpected. Stories of a black kid punching a white kid in a movie theater were sure to get out, and having the kid press charges added the dimension of media coverage. Smash did, at first, really try to eat his "humble pie" with his televised apology, but when he realized how his sister had been dragged into his mess, he couldn't stay quiet. Maybe he could have figured out a way to deal with that muckraking reporter better, but in the moment, he said the worst thing he possibly could have: that the kid didn't deserve his apology. Smash seemed concerned that his three-game suspension means the team won't get back to State, but haven't we seen them lose a lot this season? Can they even make the playoffs?

Meanwhile, Jason Street has been found, recruited by Buddy Garrity to sell cars. I like the way that Buddy, having lost control of his actual family, seems to be adopting "sons" left and right. It was nice to see Jason be good at something again, and good to see his confidence shaken without him giving up. He had to deal with being the new guy, and with being in a wheelchair - which everyone thought would get him sympathy sales - and with getting rejected by a customer who didn't want to buy, but he got through it. Even when he's barely on the show, it's hard not to root for him.

One of my favorite moments of the episode was Tami's flash of realization when Tyra reached up to put the chips away - she's tall! she can play volleyball! - and Tyra (a master of manipulation herself) understanding right away that Tami just wanted her to be a spiker. I'm not sure I buy that one halfway-good player could turn the entire volleyball team around, but hey, it's Dillon. I do like it when Tyra channels her anger productively, and slamming a volleyball at Riggins' head is definitely productive.

Some other thoughts:

Speaking of Riggins, I'm not sure I buy how his story wrapped up this week - even though I'm hopeful it means there will never be a ferret owner's gun pointed at his pretty little head again. How does Lyla have $3,000?

Lyla, by the way, may not love Riggins the way he loves her, but I do think she has feelings for him of one kind or another. And Chris is so, so vanilla - mini-golf and ice cream, seriously?
It was good to see Landry back to being Landry with Jean in the picture ("cool hair, huh?"), and I squealed at the mention of Crucifictorious. The last thing this show needs is another character, but Jean could become an interesting foil to Tyra.
I know Smash is a star while Landry is barely second-string, but all the media attention around Smash's fairly minor altercation made me wonder again why there was never any fuss about a Dillon Panther possibly killing a dude.

Your thoughts? What will Riggins try next to win Lyla over? How excited are you to finally see Matt Saracen again? And how much more trouble can Smash get into?

Photos courtesy of NBC

Friday Night Lights Rundown: Episode 12, "Who Do You Think You Are?"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 08:30:39 -0800

This week's 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). Want to read my thoughts and add your own? Just read more.

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. We 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 we've also seen how tenuous that racial truce is, and I'd believe an interracial relationship could still raise some eyebrows. I wish we 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.

Your thoughts? Was this episode too predictable, or was the payoff worth it? And why didn't Riggins just go live with Herc and Street in the first place?

Photos courtesy of NBC

Friday Night Lights Rundown: Episode 7, "Pantherama"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 07:30:41 -0800

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.

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