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)

Treme "At the Foot of Canal Street": Always for Pleasure

It was an embarrassment of riches, as far as music goes. In fact, if "At the Foot of Canal Street" had a fault, it's that there's perhaps too many cameos and name drops of musicians throughout (beyond a lagniappe). Mentioned, but not heard or seen are Al Hirt, Tommy Tate, Terrence Blanchard, Wynton Marsalis, Christian Scott, Donald Harrison, the Balfa Brothers (I guess we can count Janet Jackson, Beyonce and Bernie Williams) and then there are cameos from Steve Earle with son Justin Townes Earle (pictured below), McCoy Tyner (with the "powerful left hand"), trombonist Glen David Andrews, pianist Joe Krown, John Boutte (who sings the theme song).

Trumpeter Al Hirt was believed to have been hit in the lip by a bit of concrete tossed during the Bacchus parade during Mardi Gras in 1970. Saturday Night Live's long lost 1977 Mardi Gras episode had some fun with it.

Favorite musically oriented line, though, comes from Delmond on doing a New Orleans tour with Donald Harrison: "Portland, Oregon? I played Portland before, nice folks. But you know they clap on the one and three?"

Final line from Antoine ("New Orleans is always for pleasure,") is a nod to the 1977 Les Blank documentary Always For Pleasure, which served as inspiration to creators David Simon and Eric Overmyer.


Playlist: Treme - Episode 1.04
1. "St. James Infirmary" - Antoine (Wendell Pierce) - improvised lyrics
2. "White Christmas" - John Boutte
3. "I Really Want U" - 5th Ward Weebie
4. "Big Chief Battle Axe" - Michael White
5. "Just a Little Overcome" - Ollie & the Nightengales (Tommy Tate on vocals)
6. "I Been Hoodood" - Bo Dollis
7. "Who That Call the Police" - Glen David Andrews
8. "Go to the Mardi Gras" - Glen David Andrews w/ Sonny (Michiel Huisman)
9. "Foot of Canal Street" - John Boutte with Glen David Andrews, Joe Krown and song's co-writer Paul Sanchez on guitar
10. "Gold Watch & Chain" - Harley Watt (Steve Earle), Justin Townes Earle & Annie (Lucia Micarelli)
11. "Mystery Train, Pt II" - Steve Earle & Annie (Lucia Micarelli)
12. "Knock With Me - Rock With Me" - Glen David Andrews, New Birth Brass Band
13. "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most" - David Torkanowsky
14. "Get on Up" - Midihead
"Follow Me" - Aly-Us
15. "Fuck Katrina" - 5th Ward Weebie (YouTube)
16. "Blue Drag" - The Jazz Vipers with Annie (Lucia Micarelli)
17. "Going Back to New Orleans" - Deacon John

Treme explained on NOLA.com

Previously: "Right Place, Wrong Time" (episode 1.03)

Puts the 'b' in subtle

The Wire begins it's fifth and final season picking up about 15 months from where we left it, and like past seasons, the opening is always on the soft side. This year's theme is one of the media and it's contribution to and suffering from the crumbling of the urban city of Baltimore, and creator David Simon likes to use the opening scene of any episode to set up the theme metaphorically. To open, Bunk, Crutchfield, and Landsman use a meal from McDonald's and a copy machine -- itself a revisited gag from the first season of Homicide: Life on the Streets -- to get a suspect to confess to a shooting. These funny, but unethical methods echo nicely how David Simon's Baltimore Sun may be going after their stories.

And 'go after' is probably a good term to use in reference to Simon and the Sun, given his past history and admission that he holds serious grudges with his former bosses John Carroll and William Marimow. Simon even went so far last season to name the despicable lieutenant who briefly took the reigns of Major Crimes the name of Marimow -- of him, Landsmen says hilariously, “he doesn’t cast off talent lightly, he heaves it away with great force.”) This season, they've built a set of the Sun that replicates how Simon remembers it from 1994, and it will be interesting to see if he uses it to tell the intricate story we've come to expect from The Wire, or if revenge will sour the tale. Let's just say for now that last night The Simpsons hit harder earlier in the evening.

Of the newspaper cast entering this season, most welcome is the return to the small screen of Clark Johnson (Homicide: Life on the Streets) who's turn as City Editor Gus Haynes already reads like Season 3's entry of truth teller Lt. Bunny Colvin -- as high a compliment as a character can receive. Johnson has spent most his time lately directing -- he directed the pilot and season one finale of The Wire, along with many episodes of The Shield and Sleeper Cell -- so it's nice to see him back in action again after all this time. Almost like he never left at all.

The theme song this year is an interpretation that Steve Earle recorded over a year ago, in anticipation of this season. Earle, you may recall, plays Walon, Bubbles' gruff-but-wise NA sponsor, and this character gets a bit more airtime this season, as Bubbles tries to stay off the wagon.

Elsewhere, David Simon continues to hint at his next series with several music selections from Louisiana artists, including Ernie K-Doe, Slim Harpo and a track from New Orleans DJ/pianist Davis Rogan. Could Blondie's "The Tide is High" be a veiled New Orleans reference as well?

Playlist: The Wire - Ep501
1. "Way Down in the Hole" - Steve Earle - Theme song for season 5
2. "Eric B Is President - Eric B & Rakim - Marlo's lair, McNulty watches
3. "Not A Criminal" - Chamillionaire - Chris & Michael talk on street
4. "Blind Love" - The Nighthawks - Guy in blue car buys drugs on corner
5. "Because Of You" - Ne-Yo - Michael, Dukie and Bug at home
6. "I'm You're Breadmaker, Baby" - Slim Harpo - McNulty, Kima, Lester in bar
7. "The Tide is High" - Blondie - Herc with Carver and officers in bar
8. "Mother-In-Law" - Ernie K-Doe - McNulty drunk dialing from bar
9. "Do Me That Way" - Davis Rogan - Newspaper staff in bar
HBO scene and track info

More: NY Mag's Vulture got the first punch in corrections for depiction on the series. The funny 'evacuation' correction is actually correct in it's initial use. Expect more corrections to come with journalists' being sensitive to how their institution is covered.

Catching up with The Wire: Season 4

These past few days felt like I was back in school cramming for a test, having to drop 13 hours in just a couple of days. Fitting, though, in that the fourth season of The Wire is all about education. The schools, the corners, the mayor's office -- hell, even a Home Depot knock off educates our fave chick hitter Snoop.

True dat.


The real stars of this fourth season are the eighth graders from Tilghman Middle School, as we get a look at how the No Child Left Behind program leaves so many children behind. The characters Namond, Michael, Randy and Dukie are all at a critical point in their lives where they either will either move on to high school or make their way on 'the corner,' and it's through their eyes -- and the eyes of cops-turned-teachers Prez and Bunny -- that we see how schools have been forced to turn away from reaching kids and instead teaching 'the test.' Co-creator Ed Burns was a detective who moved on to become a teacher, and it's his experience that is mined for this season -- a story that's both eye-opening and heartbreaking.

To emphasize the story, The Wire turned to a collective of 14-year olds (DoMaJe) to perform Tom Waits' "Way Down in the Hole," and it works beautifully, especially juxtaposed against the aged veterans who sing the other season's versions (The Blind Boys of Alabama, Waits, The Neville Brothers, and this coming season's by Steve Earle). All these versions appear on a new soundtrack to be released this coming Tuesday (January 8,) entitled ...and all the pieces matter, Five Years of Music from 'The Wire'. This is also the first season that music from Baltimore started to become more front and center. Dirty Hartz, Mullyman, Diablo and DJ Technics are just a handful of the 'Bodymore Murderland' artists featured in the season, and a second soundtrack highlighting them is also coming out next week, called Beyond Hamsterdam, Baltimore Tracks from The Wire, a reference both to season three and Darkroom Productions' popular Hamsterdam Mixtape.

As the seasons have progressed in The Wire, the breadth and width of the music choices has grown to include Latin and Carnival Funk from New Orleans. The addition of Latin music makes sense due to the influx of Latinos in B'More's population, but the New Orleans tracks (The Meters, The Wild Magnolias, Raymond Winnfield) initially seemed odd. However, if there's a sister city to B'More, it's probably The Big Easy, with it's own brand of urban decay. It also might be serving as a precursor to David Simon's next project which reportedly will take place in New Orleans. Meanwhile, the final episode's montage is set to Paul Weller's take on the voodoo classic "I Walk On Gilded Splinters," a song made famous by New Orleans' Dr. John, and containing the refrain, Here I go, now / 'Til I murder, 'til I'm dead. It suggests a chilling future for young Michael.

Playlist: The Wire - Season 4
Here's a sampling of some of the 75 tracks from the playlist/season (full tracklisting here)
"Way Down in the Hole" - DoMaJe - Season 4 theme song
"Survival Of The Fittest" - Mobb Deep - Ep4.01
"Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)" - Parliament - Ep4.01
"Ring Of Fire" - Johnny Cash - Ep4.02
"Why Didn't You Call Me" - Macy Gray - Ep4.03
"Smoke My Peace Pipe (Smoke It Right)" - The Wild Magnolias - Ep4.04
"Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out" - Deacon John - Ep4.04
"Cissy Strut" - The Meters - Ep4.04
"Another One Bites The Dust" - Clint Eastwood & General Saint - Ep4.05
"Back Stabbers" - The O'Jays - Ep4.05
"Move On Up" - Curtis Mayfield - Ep4.06
"We Are Family" - Sister Sledge - Ep4.06
"Dance My Pain Away" - Rod Lee - Ep4.07
"The Body Of An American" - The Pogues - Ep4.08
"B.O.B." - Outkast - Ep4.08
"I Cover the Waterfront" - Billie Holiday - Ep4.09
"Lord Give Me A Sign" - DMX - Ep4.09
"Got To Get You Off My Mind" - Solomon Burke - Ep4.10
"Carta Del Hijo Preso" - K'luba - Ep4.11
"Hey Pocky A-Way" - The Meters - Ep4.11
"Lean Wit It, Rock Wit It" - Dem Franchize Boyz - Ep4.11
"Things Could Be Better" - Raymond Winnfield - Ep4.12
"I Walk On Gilded Splinters" - Paul Weller - Ep4.13
HBO's Scene and track information

More: As always, the season 4 recap video is good for a refresher, but I think my favorite is a specific Chris and Snoop scene. When they're hired to take out New Yorkers encroaching on East Baltimore corners, they come up with a way of distinguishing their targets from the B'More slingers: Ask them about Baltimore Club music. Seems if you don't have some education on Young Leek's "Jiggle It," then you'd better run. "Where's your Yankee pride now?" asks Snoop later on to a couple corpses.

Previously: Season 1, Season 2, Season 3