Tag Archives: friday night lights

Friday Night Lights Season 1, Episodes 11-16 Review

6 Feb

Nevermind

EPISODE 11, “Nevermind”

Matt Saracen: Here’s a kid with a father who, by physically distancing himself from his family, emotionally distances himself from their problems. It’s something I’ve seen before, and I understand the situation Matt’s in. He’s shouldering all these responsibilities, having to be the man of the house when in reality, he’s missing an essential part of childhood…having a father. He’s also smart enough to see what’s going on here, and although a small part ofhim will always want to forgive his dad–this ties in interestingly with Jason’s feelings about Lyla in this episode–he’s been pushed to the edge.

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Friday Night Lights Season 1, Episodes 8-10 Review

6 Feb

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EPISODE 8, CROSSING THE LINE

The episode does a nice job of bringing Billy and Tim’s relationship to the forefront, shading in some more backstory and giving us a brawl at the end. What this is is a relationship that’s been simultaneously torn apart and strengthened by their parents, and Tim has been able to avoid coping with the reality of his parents leaving; it’s really emblematic of his character, the guy who avoids his problems and isn’t exactly appreciative of everything he does have. The entire episode consists of Billy and Tim trying to convince themselves that they have a beef with the other person, and it’s tough to watch the brawl. However, we also get a nice moment at the end, showing us that even amidst all the problems and the conflict, the two will be there for each other.

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Friday Night Lights Season 1, Episodes 3-7 Review

10 Dec

L_FridayNightLights_S1_ep3-1A loss in a town like Dillon is pretty much the worst thing that’s ever happened to mankind, isn’t it? After the Panthers drop the second game of the season, Dillon becomes a living Hell, one in which people have the audacity to insult a teenage girl due to the fact that, what, her father ruined their livelihoods or something? There’s a sense of entitlement that permeates the town, whether it be after this game, during the Reyes situation, or when Lucas Mize shows up expecting adoration and a job, and it makes me inclined to slug some of these people. While I can see the motivations behind many of them, it doesn’t excuse their actions.

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Friday Night Lights “Eyes Wide Open” Review (1×02)

22 Nov

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“My eyes were wide open, sir. My eyes were wide open.”

The fallout of the Jason Street injury isn’t a pretty sight; although the community can pray together, our characters deal with it in different ways. For example, Lyla’s relentless optimism arises from the seemingly perfect nature of her former situation: she was dating QB1, and she had her whole life mapped out. She was ready to fly around with Jason Street, NFL star, and slide down rainbows while the sun danced in the sky. Now, though, she’s holding on to a sliver of those crushed dreams; she believes she’s doing the right thing (and she does have a bit of point. You can’t wallow in self pity, or you won’t get anywhere, and it’s nice seeing her be the first one to really support him. However, wishful thinking can also be detrimental). Yet, she doesn’t understand that maybe the right thing for Jason isn’t what she’s doing.

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Friday Night Lights “Pilot” Review (1×01)

19 Nov

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“Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.”

So begins the story of the Dillon Panthers. It’s week one of the new football season, and the atmosphere is buzzing with excitement. There’s a new coach in town and a quarterback phenom, both ready to anchor a team expected to win the State Championship. There’s a coach’s wife, a hard-working second string quarterback, a loud-mouthed running back, and a slacker fullback. There’s a bunch of characters that can’t really be defined in one word like I’ve done above, because all of them are unique in their own way. Yes, that sounds cheesy, but it’s true; what the pilot does so well is establish each of their relationships, each of their mindsets, and each of their places in Dillon.

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Friday Night Lights “Tomorrow Blues” Review (3×13)

12 Nov

627-25High school is a transition phase; people have to decide what the first step in their futures should be, and it’s therefore understandable that the process would be ripe with indecision. This episode is just as much about second-guessing as it is about moving forward.

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Friday Night Lights “Underdogs” Review (3×12)

3 Nov

627-19“Gentlemen, you are champions.”

Back in the pilot, Coach gave an episode-ending speech that contained the words “We will all fall”. It’s a simple and honest sentence, but it contains the weight of every Dillon Panther that falls in this championship game. It’s devastating and reassuring all at once, and it applies perfectly here. Yet, for every person that falls, there’s another to take its place: that same person. Matt, Lyla, Tim, and Tyra are all heading off to college, but each is both leaving something behind and taking something from Dillon.

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Friday Night Lights “A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall” Review (3×11)

31 Oct

627-19Just a few quick thoughts coming up…

-The best part of this episode is easily the Matt-Shelby-Lorraine storyline. It’s not something we haven’t seen before, but it works because a) it’s realistically not something that will go away, and b) all three actors are brilliant. It’s devastating watching Matt lose control of the one thing that’s remained constant for most of his life: his ability to take care of his grandma. I also have to compliment Kim Dickens here for making Shelby likeable; she’s excellent here portraying a woman who not only has to be there for her family, but also has to be willing to take the verbal abuse from Matt. She deserves it, and she knows it.

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Friday Night Lights “The Giving Tree” Review (3×10)

26 Oct

FNL01“Money comes and goes. These kids of ours? That’s a one time deal.”

Every parent deals with his or her kids differently. Yet, it doesn’t work out all the time; sometimes you screw up so badly that it mars that relationship forever. Take Buddy Garrity, for example. Sure, no parent is obligated to pay their kid’s college fund, but when your kid is promised one and has worked with the assumption of a future, to throw it all away is an incredibly dickish move. It’s sad seeing how far Buddy has fallen; he’s lost so much, and all he has left is Panther football. It’s also disappointing, seeing as the shit that’s befallen him recently helped augment his appreciation for Lyla; he’s a guy that wants to get his way, and here’s an example of him trying to solve everything in one fell swoop. It’s reckless and selfish, and I feel for Lyla. Kelly and Leland are both fantastic at illustrating the dynamics of that relationship.

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Friday Night Lights “Game of the Week” Review (3×09)

22 Oct

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When the spotlight is on you and the pressure is mounting, sometimes that’s when everything becomes clear; all you can focus on is that one game, that one relationship, that one future, that one family. And so it goes in Dillon.

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