Friday Night Lights "Thanksgiving": Deep-Fried Turkey

The fourth season of Friday Night Lights has come to an end, and even with a few flaws in the finale, it solidifies itself as the best network television drama we saw all year.

Is it so bad that we kind of knew how it was going to end for the Lions? I mean, you know you're getting turkey for Thanksgiving, but since we spent the season getting deep-fried like Buddy's turkey, the result tasted so much better. From the outset ("East of Dillon"), it seemed inevitable that Coach Taylor would mold this underdog of a team together to enact revenge on the McCoys and those Panthers who had forsaken him. It was an unlikely win, to say the least, but we had to crawl over broken glass to get here, so the victory, however improbable, had to happen -- we earned it. And LanceLandry had to make that 7246 yard field goal -- it was the whole reason Eric inexplicably turned him into a kicker (we'll just call that Checkov's foot).

This was an ambitious season, to say the least, with the writers finding a balance between introducing all the new characters, a new setting, giving proper goodbyes to some characters while giving face time to the beloved characters -- all done in a compressed 13-episode season. It's understandable, then, that many stories were introduced and left incomplete (Matt's pantsless svengali artist, Big Mary's return to football, Stan's gay bar revelation, etc.), and many back stories left to our imagination (Vince and Jess, Luke's parents, Jess' father). The great Jesse Plemons was underused as Landry, but was redeemed with the game winner. Similarly, the Tim and Becky relationship was missing something, but when Tim hands her the snow globe for safekeeping, all is forgotten.

Speaking of Tim, his selfless act of taking it all on his shoulders may feel a bit convenient for Taylor Kitsch availability issues with season five*, but all the scenes with Billy as a father helped make this plausible. Tim doesn't want to see his nephew grow up with out a father like Billy and him. The scene of them saying goodbye is all the more heartbreaking looking back on Billy's heartfelt toast at the Taylors for Thanksgiving. Seeing Tim toss his #33 to Billy reminded me there was a nice symmetry with the opening episode, where Becky asks "Didn't you used to be Tim Riggins?" When the cops arrived last week ("Laboring"), they greeted him with "Aren't you Tim Riggins?" to which he replied, "Used to be." The football hero is gone, only the brooding man child remains.

*It's worth pointing out, that season five -- and the series, for all intents and purposes -- just recently wrapped production.

One inevitable turn that didn't feel earned, though, was Tami Taylor's transition from West Dillon principal to East Dillon guidance counselor. We pointed out the season three finale parallel last week, with Tami in Coach's shoes this time, and it played out mostly as expected. But even forgetting the large pay cut she faces, how unlikely is it that a school district would agree to making her a guidance counselor for the very school she's being accused of giving bad guidance? We all knew she'd have to end up at East Dillon somehow, like everybody else we care about, but this felt awfully forced. If anything, she should be forced -- more like releived -- from Panther land for cheering so loudly for her husband's Lions. (Who can blame her, though, right Slammin' Sammy?)

So as we say goodbye to another season, complete with a fitting The Wire-like montage to a Steve Earle tune ("Goodbye"), it's worth thinking about the next, and last, season. All the team should be back, except Landry (unless they shave another year off him), so might we expect a return to the state championships for Coach? We don't yet know the fates of Landry and Julie, but they'll surely get their goodbye arcs. The good news is that Adrianne Palicki (Tyra), Taylor Kitsch (Tim), Zach Gilford (Matt) and Scott Porter (Jason) will all make appearances, helping to bring the series full circle. Something to look forward to, even as we lament the end of the series.

Even though you knew the bullet points were coming, I hope they feel earned:

• There was a nice bit of music symmetry with Vince's run for a touchdown being backed by Obits' "Talking To The Dog", a song which we heard when we first meet Vince running away from the police.
• I feel like we'd already said goodbye to Matt, so it was surprising to get another chance. Part of this goodbye, though, was on Julie's terms (point of deflowering or not).
• Jesse Plemons did a great job riding the many emotions that Landry went through: Pride (the Crucifictorious demo -- which we need to hear), heart break, anger, elation and anticipation (Chicago here we come).
• Michael B. Jordan (Vince) did so much with what little time he had on screen. "I don't think I'm the one who can give it to you." And yet give he does.
• Gracie Belle did finally get herself some pants.

Playlist: Friday Night Lights - Episode 4.13
1. "Remember Me As A Time Of Day" - Explosions In The Sky [download]: Coach Taylor gives speech
2. "Sway" - Heartless Bastards [download]: Thanksgiving day practice
3. "Glittering Blackness" - Explosions In The Sky [download]: Pre-game montage
4. "Lonely, Lonely" - Taking Back Sunday [download]: Game starts, McCoy throws TD
5. "Talking To The Dog" - Obits [download]: Vince runs in for score
6. "Just Got Paid" - Mastodon [download]: Panthers come back
7. "It Ain't Gonna Save Me" - Jay Reatard [download]: Lions respond
8. "Evil Eye" - Fu Manchu [download]: Beginning of second half
9. "Sea Of Japan" - Earl Greyhound [download]: Luke gets into the game
10. "Make It Take It" - Amanda Blank [download]: Luke is out of the game
11. "Goin' Home" - Dan Auerbach [download]: Slammin' Sammy talks about the game on the radio
12. "Goodbye" - Steve Earle [download]: Final montage starting with Tim ending with Matt

Previously; "Laboring" (Episode 4.12)

Friday Night Lights "Laboring": Push

While Friday Night Lights has never been gumdrops and rainbows, this season has particularly proven to be an agonizing experience, and with the penultimate episode, "Laboring," it sure doesn't get any easier. It's not long into this episode before we're all torn up like the patchwork football field that the East Dillon Lions call home.

If there was a theme going no here (besides hopelessness), it might the painful process of of being born, getting pushed out into a new harsh reality. The Lions find themselves getting unfairly pushed out to play on West Dillon's field. Tami might get pushed out of a job by angry pro-life parents. Vince, still under Kenard's thumb, is being pushed to commit murder, in retaliation for Calvin. And, as direct reference to the title, Mindy's pushing out another Riggins boy (class of 2028!), a situation that is bringing a new reality for Billy, that of fatherhood.

Like a flower sprouting up in the concrete, the scenes with the Riggins boys were the light in this dark episode. Tim's not only now an uncle, but he also gets to see his brother demonstrate the potential to be the kind of father they never had. Tim recognizes this and offers to help out by going to the garage, where we get to see him drop the brooding and enjoy some momentary happiness. But since FNL discovered The Wire, it's inevitable that the momentary joy is shattered by the fuzz. The gig is up, and with Taylor Kitsch's scheduling conflicts for next season, the prospect of prison time is more than likely.

Speaking of David Simon-like despair, it's fitting that The Wire vet Michael B. Davis really shines in his scenes as Vince here. His resignment to Landry ("you're a good dude") of Jess almost felt like a suicide note, and if it weren't for Jess calling him on it, you get the feeling Vince might have gone through with Kenard's plan. But he doesn't, and the anguished cry after Kenard drives off (leaving a pistol-whip and admonishment as parting gifts) was gut-wrenching to say the least. Jess is there waiting to greet him, a moment cross-cut by Landry waiting for Jess. Guess who else is getting pushed out? Sorry LandryLance. Vince obviously isn't out of the woods yet, for as Kenard reminds him again, "I got you."

Finally, we turn to the Taylors, who usually serve as our guiding light in an FNL storm. Seeing them look so beaten, sitting there on the sofa, had to be as disheartening for Julie as it was for us. Like Eric in last season's finale, Tami has to make her case to the board to keep her job. Continuing in the the season three parallel, if Tami loses her job, can you imagine them offering her a job at East Dillon? Eric's been beaten down all season long -- that phone didn't stand a chance. The series has always played the underdog, both in story and as an NBC property, but with Luke out and the game being moved to the Panthers' home, the deck is really stacked against our new team, and against everyone we rooting for. By this point, we're hoping at least one of these stories ends up with a 'W.' I think we've been through enough labor pains to get at least some little bundle of joy at the end, right?

Speaking of endings, here are the bullet points:

• Is it just me, or is Coach calling Landry "Lance" starting to losing its luster.
• This is the second time we've seen someone rocking out to Montrose' "Rock Candy" in a garage. The pantsless svengali artist Richard was working to it when we first met him.

• Elsewhere in music, the ominous "How Will You Meet Your End?" is the fourth song appearance from A.A. Bondy. Besides the usual lean on Texas' Explosions in the Sky, other repeat artists this week include Dan Auerbach, Heartless Bastards and Trevor Dandy, whose "Is There Any Love" seems to have been playing on repeat at Ray's BBQ all season long.

Playlist: Friday Night Lights - Episode 4.11
1. "Home" - Explosions In The Sky: The Panthers complain about the state of the Lions field
2. "Real Good" - Tiny Masters Of Today [download]: Billy calls Tim with news of Mindy going into labor
3. "How Will You Meet Your End?" - A. A. Bondy [download]: Tami turns off the radio
4. "I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked" - Ida Maria [download]: Billy storms back into Mindy's hospital room.
5. "Be So Happy" - Heartless Bastards [download]: Eric listens to the radio; Panthers discover the toothpicks on the field
6. "Is There Any Love" - Trevor Dandy Jess loans Landry her iPod with special playlist; Kenard plans retaliation with Vince
7. "Rock Candy" - Montrose [download]: The police come for Tim
8. "When The Night Comes" - Dan Auerbach [download]: Vince talks to Jess; Landry waits for Jess; Billy and Tim at the police station; Tami talks to Eric about statement

Previously: "Injury List" (Episode 4.11)

Friday Night Lights "Injury List": Paying the Piper

With only three episodes left in a short season, "Injury List" had to juggle a lot of subplots, bringing many previous conflicts to a not so pleasant head. While the episode was as powerful at times as last week's "I Can't," it strained under the weight of too many story lines, a few of which I can't clame to be my favorite.

One of the first unpleasant repercussions came in the form of Luke, who's bruised hip rooster finally came to roost, taking a possible victory away from the Lions in the process. Seeing him walk through Carroll Park looking for hillbilly heroin with his wallet out was both ridiculous and yet so very Luke (right?). Sadly, this also benches him for the big game against the Dillon Panthers, a match that's been building since season four's premiere.

Luke's other indirect repercussion involves Becky's abortion, and his very religious mother getting involved. Poor Tami, even after following protocol she still finds herself in the cross hairs, of a woman looking to avenge the loss of what could've been. Becky, eager for the attention, must have fed Luke's mom exactly what was needed to bring the meddling to a boil. FNL has been careful not to paint anyone involved with this hot button issue in too villainous a light (well, aside from that one fire-breathing school board member), which they easily could've done with Luke's mom.

An even more unwelcome repercussion befalls Vince, who had fallen back into thuggery with Calvin to help pay for his mother's rehab. It hadn't been very long since we finally figured out Calvin Brown's name, and he's already a casualty. R.I.P. CB - we'll miss your gold necklace and bug-eyed stare. Calvin's death makes Vince vulnerable, bringing to a head another subplot -- that of the Landry-Jess-Vince triangle. Between Vince's tears and the combo of stroganoff and Obama talk at the Clarke residence, Jess appears to be edging back to team Vince. Funny looking Landry isn't done yet, though, rest assured. Twinkle toes still has some fight left in him. It might be time to write a Jess-centric Crucifictorious song.

Another repercussion sort of came out of left-field, with Tim the land baron and his landlord sitch. First came the ill-gotten gains deposit on his dream land, and, given the theme of the episode, you had to assume something bad was going to come of it. But, instead the paying of the piper came in the form of Cheryl's misreading of Tim's big brother-like attachment to Becky. That Tim spurned Cheryl prior only made it easier for her to over react.

The final shoe to drop was one that's been brewing since "Wait," when Matt up and left us all without saying goodbye. Julie had been a wreck until Habitat for Hunkity showed up, so Matt's timing is impeccable as usual. Julie's anger is understandable, but did she forget that it was her college applications and whining about being his Dillon anchor that spurred him out of town in the first place?

I'm writing this while my kids watch Ghostbusters 2 (forgot there was such a thing) in a mini-theater while on vacation out of state, so forgive the lack of digging this week. There's still some coins loose in the sofa cushion, though, so on to bullet points:

• "Dear Lord, please let me get some more drugs before Friday."
• Buddy Garrity as radio host is an unexpected joy
• When Coach chose to drink another beer because he couldn't face being at home, it was hard to watch, especially when crosscut with Tami waiting on the porch with troubling news.
  

Friday Night Lights - Episode 4.11
1. "Say What You Want" - White Denim [download]: Lions practice
2. "Hard Times" - The Parlor Mob [download]: Luke keeps getting hit in the game.

Previously: "I Can't" (Episode 4.10)

Friday Night Lights "I Can't": Third Party Perspective

First off, congratulations Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton for finally breaking through with their first Emmy nominations! FNL did receive nods for best casting and writing ("The Son"), but both the series (Drama) and Zach Gilford (Guest Actor) were locked out of the party.

After last week's The Wire-Lite, it's great to see Friday Night Lights deliver their second most powerful hour of the season ("I Can't), following only the tearjerker (and Emmy nominated!) "The Son." And it's here, in the tenth episode, that the actors playing characters introduced this season finally get a chance to deliver the emotional goods: Madison Burge (Becky) and Michael B. Jordan (Vince) did indeed deliver.

Whatever your stance on the abortion issue, you have to admit FNL has balls in going through with breaking the network television taboo*, and it's probably worth pointing out that when "I Can't" originally aired on DirecTV back on January 20th, that just happened to be two days before the anniversary of the Roe vs Wade decision. Not only did they hit all the right emotional notes this week, but there was also lots of thematic ties keeping it together, and as you've probably figured out by now, I'm a sucker for those themes.

*As pointed out last week, the last significant character to go through with an abortion on prime time network television was Maude in 1972. Again, I'll put this question out there: Is this the reason for Madison Burge's name being left out of this season's opening credits?

The most obvious theme at work this week was the title, "I can't," which served as a beginning to key emotional speeches that ultimately led to significant choices being made.

"I can't take care of a baby. I can't" - Becky

Becky delivers this emotional white flag to Tami after exploring her options and seeing no other way to go than for her to abort the child. Her phone call with Luke (Matt Lauria) at the end was just heartbreaking.

"I can't do this by myself" - Vince
Like Matt before him, East Dillon's QB1 has had to grow up too fast, playing caretaker to his mother, but in this scene (played incredibly by Michael B. Jordan), Vince shows the little boy is still there, wanting to be taken care of himself. Vince's desperation for his moms to get well forces a gun back in his hand, and when we hear "I got you" from his benefactor, the double meaning is not lost on us.

"I can't do this anymore" - Tim
The chop-shop days of Riggins Rigs appear to finally be behind us, but is it too late? Will that skeleton stay buried? Will Billy come up with another hair-brained scheme to dispose of the stripped cars? ("Let's tie a bunch of helium balloons to it and fly it out of here" Billy's a fan of Up, don't you know.)

Another subtle theme that emerged early on this week was the offering of a third party perspective to each storyline's problem at hand. Eric received unsolicited counsel from Big Mary on coaching Vince. Big Mary sees himself in Vince, much in the way that Cheryl and Tami see a little of themselves in Becky. Speaking of Becky, she finds herself receiving counsel from two mothers (Tami and Becky's mother Cheryl) that became parents earlier than they had planned, but have little else in common.

Julie also receives a sort of counsel from her Habitat for Getting Over Matt supervisor Ryan, who shows her what it might be like to skip college and travel the world, and I think it's that aspect of her story that serves a bigger purpose here, that of giving Tami (and us) an uncomfortable glimpse at two opposing futures for Julie. Tami has a nightmare about her being pregnant, but in reality, Julie's flirting with the opposite -- an untethered existence. While both possibilities frighten Tami (and Eric, for that matter -- just not as a hypothetical at 3 AM), you know that she'd be supportive of either path, whether chosen or happened upon.

And now I return to digging a hole that will never be big enough (commence bullet points):

• Loved that Tami gave Coach a taste of his own "a walk will do you good" medicine, sending him on his mini walk of shame back to his car after a few too many.
• Dinner with Ryan "It must be weird everyone out there in the rain. Playing football... it's raining." "Yeah, it can get pretty weird."
• First Academic Smackdown and now Pop Warner football has had the Lions square off against the Panthers. It's all just helping us build anticipation for the real Lion/Panther battle in the finale.
• And one final note: I'm on vacation for a week with limited internet access, so it's likely that I'll miss getting to next week's episode.

Friday Night Lights - Episode 4.10
1. "Slow Dance" - Explosions In The Sky: Tim is told he can't bring any more stripped car skeletons to the wreckers.
2. "Love Is So Mean" - Richard Cook: Coach Taylor talks to Vince about various plays.
3. "Percussion Gun" - White Rabbits [download]: Practice; Vernon stops by to observe.
4. "Remembrance Day" - Frally feat. Teddy Thompson [download]: Becky looks at a picture of her mom & herself, then drops by the Taylor household to talk with Tami.

Previously: "The Lights in Carroll Park" (Episode 4.09)

Friday Night Lights "The Lights Of Carrol Park"

FNL has never been one to shy away from conflict, but being on a network (we can still call NBC that, right?) is always a challenge with some hot button issues. "The Lights in Carroll Park" tackles several all at once, as if The Wire's David Simon has taken over the series. Has FNL been showjacked?

There are clues everywhere you look that The Wire is present. We already got Wallace (Michael B. Jordan as Vince). Then there's Stan getting caught at the gay bar ala Captain Rawls, and when you think about it Principal Levi Burnwell is one "sheeeeeeeit" from becoming a Clay Davis. Heck, the Lions even played McNulty a few weeks back, and they played like they were drunk on Protestant whiskey. So, imagine my lack of surprise to see D'Angelo Barksdale (Larry Gilliard Jr., here as Eldred) slumming it in the back corners of East Dillon? Unfortunately, there was no real D'Angelo and Wallace reunion, but just having them in the same park set off all kinds of The Wire geek-induced goose bumps.

And it wouldn't be a David Simon-like joint without tackling big issues in a subtle way. First up was race, with Coach Taylor again trying to lend a hand without coming off too much like a white knight. Coach is more like The White Shadow, albeit one who seems even more lost in the side of town he now calls home. Carroll Park was a mystery to Coach, and since it turns out to be a place where even the good ones like Tinker are hanging out, having bullets flying about is bad for business (football business, that is). The simple task of getting the lights turned on in the park becomes a cause that the Energizer Buddy runs with, and thanks to a cooler head like Virgil "Big Merri" Merriweather, it becomes a community rally point. Ex-con Eldred serves as a liason for Coach, but by the end of the mostly friendly game, Eric's already connecting with a few of the non-Lions.

The game between the Lions and 'the street' could've ended up going south, but it all worked out nicely, which seemed to be this week's theme. Take Glenn's apology to Coach for "mouth-raping" Tami. Watching Eric's multi-faceted reaction to the bumbling retelling of that fateful Karaoke party gone wrong, you sense that this could go sour real quick. But no, Eric merely (and maniacally) laughs it off. The thought of Glenn being a threat had to be amusing, even to a deeply competitive man like Coach.

Other potential conflicts that got hugged out included Vince's meeting with Coach and subsequent job working for a man that doesn't like him. Then we had Julie and her Habitat for Humanity venture. Still down from Matt, she dreaded it, but a hunky supervisor made it all go down perhaps too well (cue mouth-rape!). Then there was Tami having to tell Joe McCoy that his son J.D. was in detention for being a McDick. Joe is understanding, thanks to their impending divorce. What? Is Janine Taylor off the show now? It wouldn't surprise me if the Conservative Republican asked to leave FNL after hearing the other major storyline this week: Abortion.

Turns out young Becky is preggers with Luke's baby, as apparently Luke didn't pony up for the 'protective glaze' for their visit to the car wash back when everybody was wearing black ("The Son"). Becky is understandably torn up and is afraid to talk to anyone, but Luke is awfully understanding, and father proxy Tim gives her a big bear of a hug when she tells him. Becky is fiercely determined not to follow in her mother's footsteps, and that points to an abortion, much to the chagrin of Luke, and likely NBC. Abortion is something that network television rarely, if ever, delves in*. Bring it up as an option, sure, but they always have the baby (even FNL -- see Jason Street's baby mama from Season 2). If they do continue to that expected destination, it will be interesting to see if there's any blowback from it*, even with FNL's low ratings.

*I believe the last primetime network television series to have a major character actually go through with an abortion was Maude way back in 1972. Maybe that explains why Madison Burge hasn't been included in the opening credits?

There's a lot more to discuss, to be sure, but I'm "due for a rinse" so we'll leave it to the bullets:

• "Do you realize by proxy now I have kissed Glenn?" The great Glenn "mouth-rape" of Tami Taylor from "In the Bag" has now paid off in full, thanks to the humor it provided this week.
• The Jess-Landry-Vince love triangle continues on. Loved the Vince chest tap after Landry challenged him to hit him. His love for the team won out over silly jealousy.
• Speaking of Landry and Vince, how about that toss that Jesse Plemons pulled out. Too bad Matt's Grandma wasn't there to see him not throw like a girl. He's still funny looking, though.

Playlist: Friday Night Lights - Episode 4.09
1. "Too Young To Burn" - Sonny and The Sunsets [download]: Julie talks with her Habitat For Humanity supervisor
2. "Is There Any Love" - Trevor Dandy: Buddy brings Vernon in on Carrol Park Project
3. "I Begin To Weep" by 24-Carat Black [download]: Jess instructs Vince on cleaning toilets
4. "Easy" - Get Cool ft Scrap: Vince's friends stop by Ray's Bar-B.
5. "Crime Wave" - 50 Cent [download]: Arrivals for Carroll Park game
6. "Booty Doo" - Northern League & Ming+FS: Vince gets sacked
7. "Take Your Shirt Off" - T-Pain [download]: Both teams score on long passes

Previously: "Toilet Bowl" (Episode 4.08)

Friday Night Lights "Toilet Bowl": Location, Location, Location

Now that we're well past the halfway point for this fourth season, it's not only time for the Lions to finally notch a 'W' -- as Coach T correctly points out -- but also for stories that lead to the finale (and beyond*) to begin to come into focus. To that end, we see our heroes auditioning for the near (and not so near) future.

*When the two season renewal came in last year, it gave the writers the benefit of plotting out not just this season, but also the next (and probably final) season.

Everybody seems to be auditioning in our theme of the week. We have Buddy trying out for most valuable booster role (result: El Fuego!); and we see Tim in a monkey suit looking for land (his dream acreage) and then a job (at Applebee's Sears -- result: kind of shaky). Or Regina auditioning for the role of functioning mom by making supper for the girl she knows her son likes (result: literally shaky*). Poor Jess appears to be part of some sort of cattle call here as she's also got Landry and Vince auditioning for a role as boyfriend, and they both know the best way to her heart is through her little brothers. (Vince may lead the league in sunflower seed passing yards, but it's Landry who gets the win with his toy swords.)

*I'm not entirely sure what we're supposed to make of Regina's attempt here, but you get the feeling she's not going to be able to hold it together much longer.

And that brings us to Tami accompanying Julie for her Boston College interview, fulfilling the college road trip requirement for groundbreaking dramas (thankfully, Tami didn't have to go all Sopranos and kill a witness ... just a Chaucer reference). Besides the audition, another theme comes into focus here -- that of context. Chaucer uses it to gutter up his *language, which an apt reference for an episode called "Toilet Bowl." It's fitting that Julie's outfits make her look like a realtor (her words), as context is all about "location, location, location" and now the actuality of her leaving home is staring her in the face, she finds herself missing Dillon already. The prospect of far away colleges, a future that helped push Matt away, seem a tad less likely now. I guess that's another way to keep Aimee Teagarden around more next season.

I can't help but think that the man who popularized vernacular English would've had a blast writing a Texas drawl, y'all.

You know who else dealt with real estate's three magic words? That's right, Skeeter ... er, Tim. His context was dialed in as someone in desperate need of money, much like his bro-bro, which is why it's at least believable that Riggins' Rigs would drag their business through the mud. (Thanks to the evil second season, shouldn't we be a bit wary of FNL meddling in crime?) Between the fight he picked last week with Becky's dad and the drugs he helps Luke secure, Tim's already lost his footing on this slippery slope. And speaking of Luke, his context is similar, in that he wants to secure his football future, but instead of money, it's pain he needs to manage. This all looks like it will end badly.

You know what didn't end badly? This episode, thanks in part to the backing of show favorite A.A. Bondy ("Killed Myself When I Was Young", a title that's perhaps too close to the truth for what Luke is doing to his body). The final scenes showed the Lions winning the battle of the worst and getting dirty in the process which was brilliantly crosscut to the Riggins brothers, themselves getting metaphorically dirty to win some desperately needed cash (in the worst way). Context! (For extra credit, compare and contrast this grimy crosscut with a similar sequence in season two's "Mud Bowl.")

And with all that, we have barely any bullet points left in the chamber.

• While I love the Delta Spirit song "Trashcan," wouldn't it have been cooler to have a Boston band backing the opening scenes in Bean Town? (Dropkick Murphys are too obvious, thanks to Scorsese. I'm thinking more like Mission of Burma, Lemonheads, Pixies.)
• For the love of God, WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE GET GRACIE BELL SOME PANTS!
• I don't know about you, but I would love to see more of Tim's beer can interview with Skeeter.
• We have a Crucifictorious sighting! I hope we eventually get to hear more of their demo, as they sound like they've come a long ways since they abandoned that whole Christian metal angle last season.

Playlist: Friday Night Lights - Episode 4.08
1. "Primitive (The Way I Treat You)" - Ambulance Ltd [download]: Buddy listens to the radio while driving through Dillon
2. "Trashcan" - Delta Spirit [download]: Julie and Tami in Boston
3. "From West Texas" - Explosions In The Sky: Tim notices Luke in pain at practice
4. "I'm Not Afraid Of Love" - Sharon Clark and The Product Of Time: Vince & his mom run into Jesse & the kids at the grocery store
5. "Is There Any Love" - Trevor Dandy: Eric has dinner with the alumni at BBQ Pit
6. "An Ugly Fact Of Life" - Explosions In The Sky: Tim shows Becky the acreage; Becky tries to kiss Tim again
7. "Let Me See It" - Get Cool ft Petey Pablo: Game starts
8. "Get It Hot" - 50 Cent [download]: Lions take the lead into half-time
9. "The Light" - Nightstalker [download]: Visiting team takes the lead
10. "Killed Myself When I Was Young" - A. A. Bondy [download]: Luke scores game winning touchdown

Previously: "In the Bag" (Episode 4.07)

Friday Night Lights "In the Bag": Fill the Void

In the wake of last week's goodbyes ("Stay"), "In the Bag" focuses on the characters left behind, specifically on how they cope with their loss. That, and poking fun at Twilight.

"Sometimes, when one person is missing, the whole world seems depopulated."
Lamartine (French poet)

One-man wrecking crew Matt has really done a number on Julie here. Not only is our Thomas Wolfe wanderer out of the picture, but he's left no word save for Grandma and Shelby, and just ask feckless Becky how finishing 2nd runner-up feels. After a few good nights of crying, Julie begins the desperate business of filling up the emptiness she's feeling with whatever she can find, and that leads us to our theme for this week's episode: filling a void.

Besides Julie, we have Landry, Tim and, by episode's end, Becky all finding a way to fill the vacuum left behind thanks to a loved one's departure. On the football side of things, Coach finally fills the empty position of quarterback by naming Vince QB. Heck, even Billy's financial situation is a hole that needs filling, both by some (now) classic FNL fully-clothed stripper dancing and the "business opportunity*" that Vince's Friend of Bad Influence hints at near the end.

*What business could a car thief have with an auto repair shop? Mmmm ... my hope that Tim wouldn't get dragged into some chop shop work went out the window with the last scene of #33 looking longingly over some real estate that he has no funds for. Run while you can, Skeeter!

Getting back to Julie and her empty void-filling, we should be glad she drags fellow Matt victim Landry into her Academic Smackdown endeavor, as it conveniently counts one Jess M-E-R-R-I-W-E-A-T-H-E-R as a member, and she's a perfect fit for the Tyra hole Landry's no longer leaving vacant. Aimee Teagarden, who's whiny portrayal of Julie has been a weakness in the past for FNL, shows how much she's grown as an actress with her scenes of denial ("It's not about Matt!") and acceptance (falling apart to Tami backstage). That she can make that final scene work with both a telegraphed literary reference (Thomas Wolfe) and the schmaltzy "Fire" by Augustana playing in the background makes it all the more impressive.

The satellite story of Tim and Becks took a another turn with Tim trying to take on a big brother role by stepping in to protect her against a villain he recognizes all to well: the deadbeat dad. Protecting Becky may backfire, though, as she's still keen on him filling the role of boyfriend, not big bro (or, for the again vacant father). And we get introduced to Skeeter the whining dog, who gets thematic double duty, first filling the void as proxy for trucker dad, then for Tim, who's feeling a bit lonely after Lyla's departure.

So much more, but let's just leave it to the bullet points:

• Not sure what point the karaoke kiss storyline has except to show how great Tami is under pressure. Connie Britton's facial reaction to Glenn's "I mouth-raped you"? Priceless.
• "Get the food!" Glad to see priorities are in order for Billy -- burgers first, then baby.
• While it's true that Julie was reading Melville when we first met her, it's not too unlikely to think she'd rip through some Twilight post-breakup. Matt left her high and dry like Edward ... maybe there's a Jacob to fill the void?
• "Does anybody need to read Stephen Crane anymore?" Yes. Come to think of it, Crane's The Red Badge of Courage might serve as a nice metaphor for a certain group of football players struggling to turn their season around.
• This is the second time we've (barely) heard an Obits song this season. Someone is obviously a fan.

Playlist: Friday Night Lights - Episode 4.07
1. "Talking To The Dog" - Obits [download]: Mindy has contractions in drive-thru w/ Tim & Billy
2. "Something Bigger, Something Better" - Amanda Blank [download]: Tim & Billy get idea for Landing Strip
3. "Car Wash" (Rose Royce) [download]: Tami & Glenn watch teachers singing karoake
4. "Don't You (Forget About Me)" (Simple Minds) [download]: Glen does karaoke
5. "Girls' Night Out" - Jessica Erin [download]: Glenn tries to kiss Tami while waiting on a cab
6. "Fire" by Augustana [download]: Julie listens to Matt's CD mix
7. "Top Of The World" - Pussycat Dolls [download]: Mindy's baby shower / fundraiser.
8. "Outta Control" - Baby Bash featuring Pitbull [download]: Billly is offered a 'business opportunity'.
9. "Patron Tequila" - Paradiso Girls [download]: Becky shows up at the Riggins' Rigs party & Tim tells her the truth about her father.

Previously: "Stay" (Episode 4.06)

Friday Night Lights "Stay": The Good in Goodbye

After the emotional drubbing we took last week with "The Son," "Stay" might seems like a bit of a let down. But any time you say goodbye to two main characters, as we did this week, you'd be hard pressed to call the episode uneventful.

The cruel hard fact of portraying high schoolers in a small town like Dillon is, if you want to be realistic, inevitably most characters will have to leave. Last season's goodbyes to Street and Smash were earned over the course of a few episodes, and this season we've had the same brewing subplot for good old #7, as a storyline in these first six episodes. Why is it then that his inevitable exodus still felt abrupt? Grandma Lorraine doesn't even get the benefit of a "see ya," Best guess here is Matt felt he wouldn't be able to handle the ensuing tears and assumed he might chicken out. Better to make a clean break and smooth over things later. That he did it to Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice It's Alright" sure made it easier to for us to swallow, though.

We kind of already said goodbye to Lyla at the end of last season, but her 'lost weekend' with Tim served as a nice epilogue. And any chance to see Derek Jeter's main squeeze riding a mechanical bull is fine by me. Minka Kelly always seemed more eye candy than dramatic force in the series, but her chemistry with Taylor Kitsch is hard to deny in their scenes together.

Besides Matt and Lyla, the theme of inevitable goodbye even bubbled up with Julie. By taking off to Austin* against Tami's wishes, she unwittingly forces her parents to confront the fact that she will be leaving the next soon -- a thought that simultaneously makes Tami panic and puts Connie Britton's acting chops on display. Her final sobbing acceptance of the truth was something, making her "let's just beat her ass when she gets home" line pretty damn funny.

*The Austin Music festival appears to be a fictionalized hybrid of SXSW (location) and the Austin City Limits Festival (time of year).

Other themes tying the episode together included one of unrequited love. Julie loves Matt, Tim lusts after Lyla, Becky longs for Tim, Luke kind of likes Becky, Landry wants to like Jess but can't forget Tyra (like the writers have so far), Vince is into Jess and Vernon's foot has eyes for Vince's ass. Teen love is so hard! The other odd theme sprinkled throughout was one of verbal diarrhea. Crazy Stan guaranteeing victory led to all sorts of big mouth fun with media day. Landry's ill-advised rambling included our first acknowledgement that there is a character named Tyra, and ended with a face slap. Julie let slip that she didn't want the responsibility of keeping Matt in town (and we all know how that ended). Becky's always rambling, so it was funny to hear Tim finally just tell her to shut up.

The music did a lot of work this episode, between A.A. Bondy's "To the Morning" (then you'll return where you'll be shining"), Patsy Cline's "Crazy" ("Crazy for thinking that my love could hold you") and of course Dylan, there was a lot of lyrical subtext at play. Plus we got to see some Heartless Bastards at Emo's, so I can cross that off my bucket list.

And that leaves us with the bullet points:

• "When your dad dies, you should most likely probably go to a music festival. Preferably in Austin." Where can I get a copy of this book on grief?
• Tami to Gracie after leaving another desperate voice mail message on Julie's phone: "You are my favorite daughter."
• Not sure where they're going with Crazy Stan, but his take down of J.D. McDick in the Sears home entertainment section sure felt satisfying.
• Matt will be back later in the season, but we've seen the last of Richard the pantsless artist. That storyline ended up being kind of waste of time, no?

Playlist: Friday Night Lights - Episode 4.06
1. "Soft Shock" - Yeah Yeah Yeahs [download]: Julie offers to go with Matt to music festival
2. "To The Morning" - A. A. Bondy [download]: Tim and Lyla on the bed, Becky interrupts
3. "Let Me Fall" - Peter Case [download]: Vince visits Jess at the BBQ joint
4. "Crazy" - Patsy Cline [download]: Matt and Julie have an argument; Tim and Lyla come to an understanding
5. "Sway" - Heartless Bastards [download]: Matt and Julie at Heartless Bastards show
6. "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" - Bob Dylan [download]: Becky tries to console Tim, Matt leaves Dillon

Previously: "A Sort of Homecoming" (Episode 4.05)

Post simultaneously published on Film.com

Friday Night Lights "The Son": Also Rises

If you haven't been watching Friday Night Lights, then you likely missed out on what was possibly the most powerful hour of network television this year. It was a challenging showcase for actor Zach Gilford, who rose to the occasion and hit it out of the park. The pessimist in me thinks we might as well start writing a Biggest Emmy Snub article right now, even though Gilford won't be overlooked until next month.

Wonderfully set up at the end of last week's episode ("A Sort of Homecoming"), "The Son" is all about the aftermath for Matt upon learning of his father's death. Gilford's Matt takes us through the five stages of grief pretty dramatically, topped off by the added challenge of conflicted feelings. Mourning a loved one is hard, but one could argue that mourning a loved one who was difficult to love is even harder (and I say this from experience). Everybody has expectations of how you're supposed to feel, and you never feel you're able to meet them. That's what makes the reception at the house so painful to watch -- and so real. Of course, it wasn't painful to see Matt close the door on the villainous McCoys bearing gifts -- that was much needed catharsis.

But it wasn't until after a few beers with Landry and the Riggins brothers on the football field* that Matt finally breaks free of this paralysis, letting it be known how he really feels, which is just the beginning of Gilford's Emmy reel. This leads to Tim's brilliant idea of breaking into the funeral home to look in the casket. Matt's reaction at seeing what was inside was subtle, yet shocking, while later at the Taylor's dinner table (in the scene immediately following), Matt's breakdown had to melt even the iciest of hearts.

*This scene on the football field was not only reminiscent of early FNL, but also of the fifty-yard line post-party scene from the film Dazed & Confused, minus the marijuana.

Matt's interaction here with the Taylors also helped remind me of how FNL might be even more about absent parents than football. Between Matt, Tim, Smash (who gets a mention, playing for Texas A&M), and this season's crop with Vince and Becky, there are plenty of parental holes to fill. While it may serve as a plot device to help involve the Taylors in more stories as parents by proxy, it's easy to overlook when these scenes come out so true to life. When Eric offers to walk Matt home, it struck just the right note. Because as we've found out, Coach knows a thing or two about the value of a good walk home (Vince, Luke and Tim can all attest to that).

In the end, Matt calls an audible for his eulogy, remembering a silly moment involving his dad from when he was six. It was a bit clumsy and not a very funny story at all, which made it feel all the more real. Great Northern's somber "Driveway" backs the scene beautifully, building as Matt takes off his coat and works out his daddy/abandonment issues with a shovel. Loved the subtle flash on the bloodied handle and the final shot of dirt burying the episode (video below):


There was a lot else that happened, which we'll take out with these magic bullet points.

• It felt odd to open this episode with game action, but having Vince and Luke ignore coach in favor of their own play (wildcat formation) both let us know the alpha males are now simpatico, and set up a theme of ripping up the playbook (Matt's method of mourning, Luke's relationship with J.D. McDick, Becky's switch from Tim to Luke).
• Somebody call Donald Trump -- beauty pageants need more vibraphone solos!
• Luke appears primed to take the shirtless torch from Tim Riggins.
• Sorry Lance Landry -- in the battle between "twinkle toes" and "golden foot," alliteration wins out.

Playlist: Friday Night Lights - Episode 4.05
1. "What's The Matter Man" - Rollins Band [download]: Vince & Luke call their own play for a touchdown
2. "Atamakatahizaashi" - Junkface: East Dillon gets the ball back; the Lions get another touchdown.
3. "Popular" - (from Wicked) [download]: Becky sings as talent for Miss Texas pageant
4. "Drivin' My Life Away" - Eddie Rabbitt [download]: Becky runs into Luke at store
5. "Driveway" - Great Northern [download]: Funeral for Matt's father

Previously: A Sort of Homecoming (Episode 1.04)

Friday Night Lights "A Sort of Homecoming": Wingmen

It's a high praise to the writers of Friday Night Lights that even with a practical episode like "A Sort of Homecoming," which is meant to set up next week's tear-jearker ("The Son"), they still managed to make a vital episode in the show's canon.

Part of what makes "A Sort of Homecoming" work, in spite of its perfunctory purpose, is how a couple of interesting themes tie the episode together. First is the odd duck "wingman" theme, where one character is accompanied by another in a surprising way. The alpha-male pissing match carried over from last week ends with Luke joining Vince in a jail cell; Julie provides support for Devon at "a gay place"; and my favorite -- Riggins helps Becky pick out a pageant dress, like some Texas football-themed episode of Project Runway. There were even a couple of throwback wingmen -- Matt inviting himself to go hunting with Riggins (loved the #33 embroidered camouflage hat), and Buddy finally getting on board and joining Coach in creating the beginnings of an East Dillon booster club.

The other fancy bow tying the episodes together was repeats of "the shoe on the other foot" situations. Tami getting agitated while listening to talk radio bad-mouth her on air was an awful lot like the earful Coach would get at times. But while Coach takes his frustrations to the bar, Tami knows chocolate will suffice (someone's been reading too much Men are From Mars, Women are from Venus). Meanwhile, watching Julie fill out her college application forms seemed like a reversal of late last season, when Matt got accepted to The Art Institute of Chicago. Julie seems to have forgotten, though, as she's oblivious as to how her list of schools might make Matt feel. (At least throw in a school near Chicago, babe.) It's just another domino falling towards the impending Matt Saracen (Zach Gilford) exodus.

If Julie's thoughtlessness about their future wasn't enough, the final moments of the episode provide a glimpse of what could be the catalyst for Matt finally getting out, and what a moving scene it was. Backed by Jose Gonzalez' brilliant cover of "Teardrop," a song who's tension is famously used as the theme song to House (in it's original Massive Attack form). We don't get to hear Grandma Lorraine's cry, making the sight of her breaking down even harder to take. (There's more where that came from next week.)

Finally, the scenes with the East Dillon Lions alumni were great, not only for their poignancy at the pep rally (not that drawing "pride" from Lions hasn't been done before), but also for dealing with the racial tension inherent in having the Taylors step in like Phil Drummond in Diffrent Strokes (RIP Gary Coleman). Just like Vince and the $20 bill from "After the Fall," the show is letting us know it's not going to be that kind of story. There has to be participation from the community to make it work, not just the Taylors waving their white magic wand.

Time to bite the bullet points:

• Most will associate this week's title ("A Sort of Homecoming") with the similarly titled song by U2, but Bono himself borrowed the title from Jewish poet Paul Celan, who wrote: "Poetry is a sort of homecoming." The East Dillon Lions 'coming home' is similar to the song, where war refugees come back home and find their war-torn surroundings quite different than how they left it.
• We have our first Crucifictorious reference of the season! Shame on Jess for turning off our favorite Christian-Speed-Metal-turned-Indie-Rock band.
• Riggins reaction to Becky asking "Is that a portrait neckline?" is classic.
• "I've kind of been down that road before. A girl asks me to do something and I say 'yes' then all of a sudden people are calling me a word that I don't like to use." Is that word is 'murderer?' Oh, that's right ... season two never actually happened.
• Seeing Stan at the gay bar was right up there with the WTF reveal of Rawls in The Wire. At least here we get some follow up.

Playlist: Friday Night Lights - Episode 4.04
"Forgotten" - Windsor For The Derby [download]: Tami drives to work listening to talk radio bash her
"White Knuckles" - OK Go [download]: Practice
"Untitled Demo Song" - Crucifictorious! - Landry picks up Jess& friends
"Press It Up" - Sean Paul [download]: Jess switches Landry's stereo to radio; Jess brushes off Vince at party
"When The Devil's Loose" - A.A. Bondy [download]: Coach invites Buddy over for dinner with East Dillon alumni
"Powerful Love" - Chuck and Mac: Coach asks Virgil about hosting pep rally
"Lady Luck" - Richard Swift [download]: Taylors host alumni; Buddy shows up
"3" - Britney Spears [download]: Devon & Julie at 'a gay place.'
"Keep It Hid" - Dan Auerbach [download]: Matt's rifle is confiscated by Tim; Tami loses it after hearing more talk radio
"Teardrop" - Jose Gonzalez [download]: Landry plants on on Jess; Lorraine & Shelby receive some bad news; Matt finds out from Julie

Previously: "In the Skin of a Lion" (Episode 4.03)

Friday Night Lights "In the Skin of a Lion": Losing My Religion

One of the things that Friday Night Lights does better than any series is show the uncomfortable moments between a married couple still very much in love. When Eric and Tami fight, as they did in last week's "After the Fall" and tonight's "In the Skin of a Lion," it's gut-wrenching because it's so real. And, thanks to the fine acting of Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton, we're very much invested in their relationship, so when the Taylors aren't clicking, it's all too easy to lose some faith in love and marriage.

And it's faith that's one of the themes throughout the episode. At first pass, the Julie side story (losing her faith in church and Tami's concern) seemed extraneous, but it kind of ties the subplots together. Buddy continues his crisis of faith with his beloved Panthers, Matt still has a hard time believing in pantsless Richard Sherman's "piece of crap" philosophy; while the players (particularly Luke and Vince) have serious doubts about Coach's motives. When Coach writes the personal check and lies to Tami about it, I think we all kind of lost some faith in Coach. Much like Don Draper in this past season of Mad Men, Coach's lack of sleep is making him a lot more cranky and less communicative. It's easy to be like big Tinker, and want to question him, but as Riggins tells Luke over and over, "Trust in Coach."

And trust we do, even when Landry is told to take over the punting job. Thanks to the short season, we have to do some of the work here to see that Coach knows Landry's smart, so not only should he be able to "figure it out," but he may also apply some physics and math skills to job making better use of his noggin than hitting people with it. Deleted scene I'm imagining: "And while you're at it, Lance, why don't you kick some field goals as well."

In the end, most of the characters experiencing a crisis of faith witness a small enough a victory to prompt at least some conversion. A sincere apology (to Tami), new uniforms (players), an artery bulging screaming to with attentive in-the-ear side bar (for Vince) and a broken play touchdown (Principal "you's the only one who didn't get the joke" Levi) begin to build some trust in Coach. Meanwhile, Matt sees Richard's "beautiful piece of crap" -- an angel, just to hammer in the religious undertones -- and appears to be converted. Unfortunately, this last one is contributing to a totally separate crisis of faith for Julie - faith in their relationship. Add the fact that Zach Gilford (Matt) is only around for a couple more episodes, and the odds of this relationship lasting are as slim as seeing Richard Sherman teach a course in manners.

The title of this week's episode, "In the Skin of a Lion" could be a reference to the 1987 Michael Ondaatje novel, which fittingly deals with outsiders toiling away without acknowledgement in a new environment (see Coach Taylor, Matt and Luke). Most likely, though, it's a reference to the wearing of a lion's skin as metaphor for empowerment via the clothes on your back, like the new uniforms the Lions are surprised with before the game. (Or, as Tim says to Becky, "Go with the pink [dress]. You're a winner with pink.")

And now we finish with a hail of bullet points:

• I know a lot of folks question how Landry would all of a sudden be the field goal kicker, but I have more of a problem with the opposing team. Why would you pass the ball with 30 seconds left when you're up 27-0. I'm sorry, but any team in that situation is either running the ball or taking a knee.
• Having Landry practice punting provided a handy shortcut for coloring in the characters of both Jess and her father Virgil (Steve Harris). His falling out with football is the ultimate crisis of faith and I imagine his 'conversion' to the religion of Coach Taylor will begun soon enough.
• When Becky offers to try on dresses for Tim, his days as a running back came in handy for that quick retreat.
• Everyone should have an Under Armor rep as nice as the one Sam Jaeger is playing here. You might recognize him as Joel from Parenthood (showrunner Jason Katim's other series on the peacock).

Playlist: Friday Night Lights - Episode 4.03
1. "I'll Be In The Sky" - B.o.B. [download]: Lions push car in fundraising event
2. "Rock Candy" - Montrose [download]: Matt talks to Richard in his studio
3. "Million Bucks" - Maino feat Swizz Beatz [download]: Practice
4. "Are The Good Times Really Over For Good" - John Doe and The Sadies [download]: At bar, Eric begs to Buddy to help round up boosters
5. "One Shot" - Rollins Band [download]: Eric sends Landry in to kick field goal, broken play score

Previously: "After the Fall" (Episode 4.02)

Friday Night Lights "After the Fall": Swing Your Sword

If the season premiere of Friday Night Lights was about orienting us to the new digs, then last night's "After the Fall" set fire to all the furniture to start things from scratch.

The theme of starting over was kind of thrown at us from every angle, with the best coming last in the form of the Lions coming back together. Ceremoniously burning their game film and old jerseys to a battle cry of "Let's finish this!" induced a few goosebumps here and there. Elsewhere there were students starting over at a new school (Julie, Luke*, etc.); Matt's portfolio (and approach to art); and Tim changing addresses. Heck, even the Dillon Panthers were going to have to start over thanks to their first game retroactive forfeit.

*One of the casualties of a shortened 13 episode season is we're missing all the back-and-forth that likely went on with Luke and his parents in getting him transferred to East Dillon. Same goes for Julie, as I can't imagine she had the last word on the transfer in last week's episode.

Coach was spurred into action through two unexpected sources. First, oddly enough, featured a cameo from then Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach (since fired and currently locked in a legal battle with the school), who played the random guy at the gas station telling Eric to find his "inner pirate," an approach that Leach had preached to his kids many times before. His kitchen sink approach to the philosophy of coaching is likely at odds with Coach Taylor's no-nonsense approach, but all the talk of swinging his sword seemed to sink in.

The second surprise visit for Coach was Tim Riggins, which put a smile on both faces (note the swelling of Explosions in the Sky's "Inside It All Feels The Same," making for a nice callback to the first couple seasons when the Texas instrumental band was relied upon a lot). Upon hearing that Tim had dropped out of school, Coach barely batted an eyelash. There's lots of work to be done and it's not exactly an unexpected outcome for #33. Let's just hope the coaching gig works out better with Tim than it did with Jason.

If there was a complaint to the episode it's that it wavered a bit from the weight of all the heavy lifting it had to do juggling multiple storylines and introducing more characters into the mix. Like last year with Smash and Jason, in order to get a proper send off we're going to have to just tag along with Matt's journey, even though it feels like another series. Meanwhile, we get brief introductions to Jess Merriwether (M-E-R-R-I-W-E-T-H-E-R, played by the dimply Jurnee Smollett) and daddy Vernon (The Practice's Steve Harris), who both figure to play in racial tension in the series, as "Red" Landry appears to have a weakness for dimples.

Speaking of race relations, there's always a danger when Hollywood tries to tackle the issue by depicting a white knight, like the Taylors, coming in and "fixing" things. The scene with Vince and the $20 bill he throws back at Coach was a great way of telling us that there won't be that kind of story on FNL. If East Dillon and the poorer neighborhoods are going to come out for the better this season, it's going to involve work from all sides, not just Coach Taylor (and Buddy Garrity).

Everybody duck -- here come the bullet points:

• The title, "After the Fall," is probably a reference to the deeply personal Arthur Miller play, which in turn references the biblical story of Adam and Eve's exit from Eden -- both of which have a theme of starting over. Would that make another Dillon as Eden metaphor? And Elia Kazan directed the play, as well as last week's reference in film adaptation form, East of Eden.
• Love that Tami was worried that her actions involving Luke might look like a "Mrs. Coach move." Mrs. Coach struck again this week, though, getting one over on the villainous Joe McCoy.
• The Riggins Brothers get the laughs this week, especially Tim taunting his brother after his complaints about his wife's pregnancy: "Would you pass me that violin please? You're HOGGING it!"
• For reasons both comedic and foreshadow-y, you gotta love the last line of the episode, from Coach: "I just gotta find out a way to get us new uniforms."

Friday Night Lights - Episode 4.02 ("After The Fall")
1. "Freeze Frame" - Northern League [download]: East Dillon High, Vince greeted by white flag on locker
2. "Radio Milk How Can You Stand It" - White Denim [download]: Tim in tow truck
3. "Horizons" - An Horse [download]: Matt drives with Julie
4. "Everybody Plays The Fool" - The Main Ingredient [download]: Landry visits Jess while she's at work
5. "Inside It All Feels The Same" - Explosions In The Sky: Coach Taylor lays out the plan for the team, then looks over the field; Tim stops by to talk with him
6. "Walkin' Blue" - Sonic Youth [download]: Cheryl offers trailer for rent to Tim
7. "What You Hide" - AM [download]: Tim moves in, Eric & Tami talk

Previously: East of Dillon (Episode 4.01)

Friday Night Lights "East of Dillon": Land of Nada

Rejoice! The ultimate underdog drama Friday Night Lights is back for its fourth season. After a setup in last year's finale that all but guaranteed a huge shift for this coming season, "East of Dillon" is a near perfect beginning to the fulfillment of that promise. And while it's still the same series you know and love, there is a lot of differences to this year.

What's up is down, what's blue is now red and Panther football is no longer 'our' team. While the town still clearly favors its Dillon Panthers, nearly all the sympathetic characters have either graduated or are heading East. And while both Buddy and Mrs. Coach/Principal Tammy are still stationed in Patherville, their heart's are already leaning East.

Is there anybody better at playing passive aggressive than Connie Britton's portrayal of Tammy? Whether it's intentionally flubbing the Panther coin toss plans (meant to keep her from her husband's game, we can gather from Buddy's face) or wishing Joe McCoy luck in the coming year ("I hope y'all get everything you deserve this year"), it's all done with the most pleasant smile on her face. So while the gerrymandering that went on at the end of last season may have been focused on keeping the good football players as Panthers, it also appears to have re-districted our living rooms East.

The opening montage (beautifully set to the apropos "Sideways Walking" by Eastern Conference Champions) does wonders to orient ourselves into this new world, because even though Coach Taylor, Matt, Landry and even Buddy all still have the same address, their settings are markedly different. Throw in Tim Riggins' failure at being a college student (Homer's tales of a hero's journey apparently missed their mark) and you have a theme of characters out of their element, or, better put, in exile. The episode title "East of Dillon" is a play on the biblical "*East of Eden," where Cain was exiled (the Land of Nod) after his fratricidal fall from grace. Coach has been exiled to place where he's locked out of his own raccoon-infested field house, Buddy no longer has the ear of Dillon's coach (the golf-cart riding Wade), Matt's just another art student with no direction forced to humiliate himself further by being a Panther Pizza delivery boy. And Riggins? Well, new character and cougar meat offspring Becky sums it up perfectly, asking him "So what's it like being the guy who used to be Tim Riggins?"

*Also see the 1952 John Steinback novel and the ensuing 1955 film adaptation starring James Dean, which take their title from the same Bible passage (Genesis 4:16).

Getting back to the shift in the series: The origin of Friday Night Lights was to follow a Coach in a town too obsessed with its football team. Overzealous boosters, parents, alumni and years of unbending tradition alike were a thorn in our hero's side, and ultimately, in the case of Joe McCoy, lead to his ousting. Now, starting up a team at the newly reborn East Dillon, our Coach's problems here are the opposite. With no tradition and no boosters there's little funding, no experience in shoulder pads, and nobody except Crazy Stan and funny-looking Landry on his side. This side of town doesn't care about football, unless it's Madden NFL, which makes it quite the challenge for our heroes -- and a boon for both the writers of FNL and the viewers alike. Getting to see a Texas football team built from scratch, complete with characters we already know and love, is going to be fun to watch.

But it won't be fun to live, as we're shown by Coach Taylor's scream session after one practice, and then the Lions first game. The scene during halftime was like Saving Private Ryan-lite, with war-torn athletes licking their wounds (no severed limbs, thankfully). It was made all the more poignant through the use of Sufjan Stevens' take on the hymn "Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing," which refers to Ebenezer, the "stone of help," which our Lions desperately need (and bookends nicely with Tinker's battle hymn he hums before the game).

There wasn't much time to introduce new characters, but Michael B. Jordan (Wallace from The Wire) is obviously going to be one to watch. He's our East Dillon version of Matt Saracen, a character from a broken family forced to step up and lead a team (and, like Matt, I expect we'll see much of the battles going forward through his eyes). The other character introduced was the aforementioned Becky (Madison Burge), who obviously has eyes for #33, even though he's already scored a TD with her mom (the barely recognizable Alicia Witt).

One final shot: It's good to see FNL can still be funny, even when everything's upside down, thanks to Landry (Jesse Plemons) and Lorraine (Louanne Stephens):
"You just gotta pull the slot machine and elbow the midget in the face." Landry on learning to throw the football.
"Landry, stop throwing the ball. You look like a girl.... you're just a funny lookin' creature there." - Lorraine.

Playlist: Friday Night Lights - Episode 4.01
1. "Sideways Walking" - Eastern Conference Champions [download]: summer montage, Coach Taylor's new digs, Matt's new job, Landry opens letter
2. "Two-Headed Coin" - Obits [download]: Vince is chased by the police
3. "I Know What I Am" - Band Of Skulls [download]: Football practice.
4. "Cello Song" - The Books featuring Jose Gonzalez [download]: Tim leaves his English class, throws his school stuff out his truck window.
5. "New In Town" - Little Boots [download]: Party; Landry & Devin talk; Julie runs into JD
6. "Shake It Out" - Manchester Orchestra [download]: game starts
7. "Enough Is Not Enough" - Nightstalker [download]: Fumble; the East Dillon team argues about their play.
8. "California Queen" - Wolfmother [download]: Olsen gets hit; South King scores.
9. "Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing" - Sufjan Stevens [download]: Halftime; Tami arrives at the field; Eric forfeits the game.

Previously: Tomorrow Blues (Episode 3.13, Season 3 finale)