Friday Night Fans

Friday Night Lights Rundown: Episode 8, "Seeing Other People"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 10:36:42 -0800

NBC's promos for the most recent episode of Friday Night Lights promised this would be the episode where Landry's morals got the best of him, driving him to confess to murder. But in reality, that was the smallest part of Friday's episode, which leaned more on strong moments from the Taylor family and one of the best comedic subplots of the season. The ending left us with plenty to discuss before next week's episode, so without further ado, let's get to it. Just read more

One of the things I love most about FNL is the way it can turn tired teen show plot lines into something artful and fresh. This week's examples of that came from Julie and Tami's parallel stories of misunderstood relationships. Julie's behavior around Noah takes me straight back to high school; the suggestion that the two of them could ever have a romantic relationship gives me the squirms, but I love the way the show is playing it so far. Julie might be flirting, but she might also have found a friend and mentor (who just happens to be older, male, and relatively attractive); Noah might see her as just a bright, eager student with untapped potential. And yet, their relationship looks like it could be something more, something utterly inappropriate. That's the side Tami sees; the scene where she ripped into Noah for his perceived indiscretions - and only got angrier with every one of his smarmy responses - was incredible (but couldn't she have just closed the door?). And so was Julie's reaction, full of fury at losing the one person she believes understands her.

And then there's Tami and Glenn - no illegal age difference there, at least, but still a perception that they could be doing something improper. For whatever reason, Coach hasn't seemed to be understanding what Tami's going through as a working mother of a petulant teenager and a needy newborn. I doubt he actually thinks Tami would cheat on him, but he's worried about appearances. Even more than that, he misses his old relationship with Tami, their laughs and light moments. Frankly, so do I; I'd love to see them get back to having fun.

Speaking of fun, practically every moment of the Smash storyline was exactly that. I don't understand where the show is going with Smash's recruiting trips - and shouldn't a player with his skills be visiting schools we've, you know, heard of? - but if it leads to more moments like "So tell me: Was it Cabo in your pants?" then I'm all for it.

Some other thoughts:

As I mentioned, the Landry stuff filled only a small part of the episode. I did think it was fascinating to hear Landry say aloud that the man he killed was a horrible, despicable person - to the man's brother, no less - and interesting how that prompted Landry to reexamine why he was keeping this secret. As for what that actually means, I guess we'll find out next week.
Riggins' apology was one of my favorite moments ever, and I would have loved to see him keep apologizing to every Panther, one by one. Everything about it - from the "firecrotch" nickname to telling a young player how he really brings it on practice days - was quintessentially Riggins.
Matt and Carlotta bore me. There, I said it. I can't even really muster up the strength to be annoyed by their ridiculous pairing.

Seriously, how annoying was that promo? How amazing was Riggins' ferret-keeping, meth-making roommate's binoculars/flask contraption? And where's Riggins going to live now, anyway? Discuss.

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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Friday Night Lights Rundown: Episode 4, "Backfire"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 11:25:52 -0700

It seems like everyone's talking about how Friday Night Lights just isn't as good this season, with the murder plot and the Mexico trip and Coach being away. I've had my complaints, too. But I loved the latest episode (with one exception - but I'll get to that in a minute). And the amazing thing was, the story that I liked the most was the one I was prepared to truly hate. To see what I'm talking about, just read more

The story of Riggins and Street in Mexico went from hopeful to hilarious to completely heartbreaking in about five minutes flat. Jason really, deeply believes this risky surgery will make him walk. And Riggins, who just wanted to get some drinks and chicks, is realizing he needs to be the responsible one. Jason's joyful, delusional karaoke revealed his desperation, and Riggins is wise enough - who would have thought? - to know his friend is in trouble.

The other major development this week was the return of Coach Taylor. I don't think the path the writers took was the most interesting option - what if Buddy's plot hadn't worked? - but all in all, it's good to have Coach back. I'm surprised we didn't see more town reaction to the decision (this is a man they were calling Judas not long ago), and I'm wondering if the team will be happy or resentful. But what really shocked me - and this was my major problem with the episode - was that we never saw Coach and Tami talk about the decision. Moments between the two of them are the heart of this show, and that was a huge one to just gloss over.

Oh, and the body's out of the river - but that doesn't seem to spell the end of that story. Interesting detail that the man was wanted for rape in other states; that made it all the more frustrating that Landry and Tyra didn't just call the police in the first place. I admit, I'm loving the way Tyra is driving the cover-up. She comes from a very different place than Landry; I mean, she drove her mom's boyfriend away with a fire poker. How different must her experience with law enforcement be than Landry's, who grew up with a cop for a father?

Some other thoughts:

Julie did a 180 on the subject of the Swede in this episode - and while Tami's speech had a lot to do with it, I think it was more that the Swede completely forgot Julie was coming over. He's the center of her universe; she now knows she barely factors into his.
I'm of two minds on Lyla and the ex-con. On the one hand, I'm worried they're leading her into an annoying and ultimately doomed relationship. On the other hand, I think this story shows how new Lyla's faith still is. She was only baptized a few weeks ago; she hasn't had to answer the hard questions yet.
The scenes of Julie and her parents driving struck me as so real. Who didn't have a huge fight with their parents while also trying to steer a car on the freeway for the first time? It was like driver's ed all over again.

I do wish the show would rein in some of these subplots and get back to the little moments of small-town life that made it such a standout a year ago. (I mean, I can't un-see that promo with Jason falling over the side of the boat.) How are you feeling about the state of FNL?

Photos courtesy of NBC

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

BuzzSugar — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 12:58:40 -0700

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

Julie Taylor has become one cold child, hasn't she? We saw glimpses of her wild side last season, but now she's really off the rails, what with the "your baby is crying" and the post-curfew make-out session with the Swede right in front of her house. She might as well have turned toward the window and given Tami the finger, that's how blatant her rebellion was. In some ways, Tami's slap was a shock, because that's just not how things are done in the Taylor family; in other ways, it's a wonder it didn't happen sooner.

As much as the Taylors are struggling, the Panthers aren't doing much better. Smash is back to his season one cockiness, and I can believe that - he's a senior, he wants a scholarship, and the new coach is giving him a chance to be a star. But I still don't buy Matt attacking Smash on the field. Yes, losing Julie and control of the Panthers has left Matt in a world of hurt, but attacking a teammate was uncharacteristically stupid.

It seems that what everyone needs is Coach - and his return seems to be in full motiton now, what with Buddy's crafty deal-with-the-devil plot. I still can't believe he gave Coach a morality speech, though - this from a guy who just got falling-down drunk at a rally and is still sleeping in his office because his wife won't let him come home? Still, I'm curious to see what he has up his sleeve.

As Coach is on his way back, Riggins and Street are headed to Mexico. Really? Does Jason no longer have parents who could at least suggest that stealing off with his drunkard friend in the middle of the night on a quest for experimental surgery is maybe not the best idea?

Some other thoughts:

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

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

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Friday Night Lights Rundown: Episode 2, "Bad Ideas"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 08:30:05 -0700

Friday Night Lights sure is shaking things up this season. With Coach Taylor in Austin, Tami dealing with a new baby, Julie going after the Swede, and of course that crazy plot twist with Landry and Tyra, Dillon is looking a lot different right now. To talk about this episode, just read more

If I had to pick a theme for this episode, it would be: "What have we just done?" Tami is verging on losing it, Matt is dealing with Grandma's new nurse, and Landry is trying to figure out how to live with himself after killing a guy and dumping his body in the river.

Doesn't that last bit sound a little ridiculous? Even though the Tyra/Landry story was only a small portion of "Bad Things," it's the story line that looms over everything else right now. Executive producer Jason Katims has said that the murder was intended to bring Tyra and Landry together, and that's what we saw this week: Landry's declaration of love; Tyra's surrender to the person who did something courageous (albeit stupid) on her behalf. It's an interesting place to take the two of them, and they're acting the heck out of it, but really - was this the only way to get them there?

More interesting to me is the way the Taylor family has been shaken up. Tami's really on the edge right now, and she knows that she put herself there. Glenn, the replacement counselor, is probably the last person in the world who should be comforting her, but at least he's in town. (Also: Tami doesn't have any girlfriends?) Julie, meanwhile, is inches away from a full-on teenage girl freefall, dumping her nice-guy boyfriend and rushing headlong toward The Swede - who, by the way, is way too old to be flirting with high schoolers at the gas station.

Matt finally got the help he'd been demanding for Grandma in the form of Carlotta, a live-in nurse who's already managed to unearth his stash of nudie magazines. Things are definitely going to be changing around the Saracen house - no more junk food, way less TV, and this new person telling Matt how things should be done. I seriously hope the two of them don't sleep together.

A few other thoughts:

You know who told Street that he might want to consider experimental surgery in Mexico? Murderball star Mark Zupan! Nice cameo, FNL! But do we really want Jason searching for a miracle cure?
Buddy Garrity sure has fallen from grace, huh? Not that long ago, he was the guy with the ear of the state champion football coach; now, he's being told he's unwholesome and unnecessary. How perfect that his reaction to being snubbed would be to get drunk and tell stories about his glory days as a Panther.
There's so much else going on with Landry right now that this seems like a minor quibble, but: I find it hard to believe that he'd make the varsity squad of a state champion football team. That said, I did love Landry meeting his "sort-of" rally girl, who seems just as awkward and out-of-place as he does.
I'm having trouble getting invested in Coach's TMU storylines, but it was great to see flashes of his brilliance in the way he dealt with Antoine - and I loved how the suggestion that he was "one hell of a high school coach" came off as equal parts compliment and insult.

Other thoughts? Theories on where this show is headed? (If it's headed anywhere - the ratings were bleak this week.) And hey, where's Smash?

Photos courtesy of NBC

"Friday Night Lights" Rundown: Episode 1, "Last Days of Summer"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 07:30:00 -0700

Oh, "Friday Night Lights," it's good to have you back. This episode had a lot of what makes "FNL" so brilliant - but it also had one major moment that took the show down a new, and pretty controversial, path. If you're ready to talk about the episode, just read more

We pick up roughly nine months after State, and a lot has changed in Dillon. For one thing, all the high schoolers seem to be wearing a lot less clothing. For another, Coach is off in Austin at TMU, while the Panthers struggle with a new coach and Tami prepares for life with a new baby.

That baby makes its appearance pretty early on, when Tami goes into labor while visiting Julie at the pool. On the one hand, I thought it was a bit much to have Tami's water break at the pool while Julie was lifeguarding; on the other hand, is there anything that could be more hugely humiliating? As part of her coping, Julie embarks on some serious sabotage of her relationship with Matt, flirting with some older lifeguard nicknamed The Swede.

Lyla, meanwhile, has become born again. There's no explanation, just a scene of her being baptized in a river. But if it leads to more moments like the one at her family dinner where she prays for everyone to have "the strength to remember that mothers of three should not be wearing skinny jeans," I'm cool with that.

The biggest moment in the episode belonged to Landry and Tyra - and it's got to be the most divisive thing the show has ever done. The man who tried to rape Tyra comes back and attacks her again in a convenience store parking lot; Landry goes after him with a pipe, whacking him across the back of the head and killing him. The two then load his body into Tyra's truck and appear to dump it in the river. It sounds very I Know What You Did Last Summer, and when this promo spoiled the big twist for me, I was worried that's how it would be.

But when I actually watched the scene, I was taken by how moving and restrained it was. (Frankly, I preferred it to the scene where Buddy attacked Pam's new boyfriend in the dealership parking lot.) Tyra and Landry are terrified; Landry has set himself up to be Tyra's knight in shining armor; they have a chance not to live in fear anymore. Now, dumping the body is a different matter, and I'm worried about how "FNL" is going to play out the consequences of that decision. Obviously the two of them are in shock, but I still think it's a leap for them to find the river and throw the guy in it. All told, I don't think the plot line is a show-ruining development, but I do fear that people who saw "FNL" for the first time this week will decide it's just a dumb teen show because of that twist.

A few other thoughts:

The relationship between Matt and Landry is still one of my favorite parts of the show; Landry's "What Would Riggins Do?" deserves its own bumper sticker.
I'm not getting much from the new Panthers coach yet, probably because I figure that Coach Taylor will be back soon enough. Still, I was surprised at just how much he berated the players - and I sort of loved the way he threw Buddy Garrity out of practice.
My favorite act of rebellion from Julie: "I'm not wearing shoes, dad."
The scene with Coach giving all the Panthers their championship rings? Tears.

What did you think? Are you glad to see the Panthers back? Was the Tyra/Landry story line too over-the-top for you? And what do you think happens next?

Photos courtesy of NBC

Watch the "Friday Night Lights" Premiere Online Now!

BuzzSugar — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 09:30:00 -0700

I was totally bummed when I saw that "Friday Night Lights" wasn't returning till October, so imagine my joy when I learned that I don't have to wait after all: The full episode is streaming right now on Yahoo! TV. The episode is only online till Sunday, so I'll have to decide pretty quickly if I need to watch now or if I can hold out for the official premiere.

Meanwhile, for those of you still on the fence about the show, check out this column from Bill Simmons, a writer for ESPN. Sure, his normal domain is sports and not television, but when someone says "If you like to watch TV, you wouldn't knowingly turn your back on a great show" and then calls the series "the best date show ever," I certainly take notice.

Meanwhile, if you're still looking for pilots online, "Chuck" can be seen on Yahoo! TV, "The Big Bang Theory" is on Yahoo! and on iTunes, and "Life" is on AOL TV. Enjoy!

Photo courtesy of NBC

Host a "Friday Night Lights" House Party!

BuzzSugar — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 11:23:54 -0700

NBC is offering 1,000 fans the chance to host house parties for their friends to support the return of "Friday Night Lights." If you're selected to host one of the parties, you'll get a DVD with a sneak peek of the first episode of season 2, a season 1 DVD with producers' choice episodes, and goodies including rally towels, seat cushions and popcorn! You have to enter by this Friday (Aug. 24) so go here to enter! You have to take a quick survey, but it's all about how much you love a) parties and b) "Friday Night Lights."

Love "Friday Night Lights" - Or Your Money Back

BuzzSugar — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 16:33:35 -0700

I've already done a lot of raving about "Friday Night Lights," but you don't have to take my word for it. If you don't love the first-season DVD, which comes out a week from today, you can get your money back.

Seriously.

If you aren't hooked by the end of the first season, you just have to mail in the DVD with a receipt and a special form, and in six to eight weeks, you'll get a refund from Universal Home Entertainment.

I think that's a pretty bold move for a show that might be depending on strong DVD sales to whip up a fan base for its second season. It definitely shows how confident the producers are in their product, though. And besides, nobody is going to take advantage of this offer, because after just a few episodes, they'll see how perfectly written, beautifully acted and stunningly composed the show is. Right? Right?

via TV Tattle
DVD photo Source

Rosie O'Donnell to Guest on "Friday Night Lights"?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 14:32:29 -0700

Finally, a piece of Rosie O'Donnell news that doesn't make me groan! TV Guide's Michael Ausiello reported this week that "Friday Night Lights" executive producer Jason Katims is hoping to snag Rosie for a multi-episode arc in the upcoming season. Apparently one of the new recurring characters Katims mentioned to me is a female soccer coach angry about all the school's resources going to football, and he told Ausiello he'd love for Rosie to play the part.

One of her representatives confirmed to Playbill that "they are in talks and she loves the show," though nothing is definite. And on her blog today, Rosie responded to a question about whether she would guest-star on the show with "if they ask me yes."

Rosie is controversial to say the least, but I love the idea of her in this role; it makes me think of her character in Beautiful Girls who goes on a classic rant about men, women and objectification. In fact, it's really one of the few things Rosie could do next that wouldn't make me squirm, and it would put her brash, unapologetic attitude to good use. I usually hate stunt casting, but I could get behind this. What do you think?

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