Friday Night Lights is, we all know, the greatest TV drama centered around sports in the history of the medium (I said drama, readers, so don’t start writing in about your [and my] beloved SportsNight, or your inexplicable nostalgia for Robert Wuhl’s Arliss). But that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. In fact, one of the things that makes FNL so engrossing is its willingness to go off in all sorts of directions, some of which pay off magnificently, while others pay off aimlessly. Such is life. And TV.
This week’s episode, “Gut Check,” took a number of off-the-field swerves that may or may not pay off. Didn’t you get the feeling that Tami’s tussle with Epyck over the theft of $20 was the troubled teen’s swan song? And — the inevitable thought as this final season winds down — do you think the producers originally thought they’d do more with this character, giving Tami a young woman to champion, to redeem, but they just didn’t have time to squeeze in an epic Epyck story-line? Even with these misgivings, there’s no denying these school scenes were potent, never more so in the silent gazes of Tami, as Connie Britton proved once more how she’s managed to thrive in a series whose real action has never taken place primarily on the field.
But speaking of the field, how unlikely was it that Luke would go in as quarterback when Coach Eric decided to yank Vince to teach the latter and his increasingly hot-tempered (but not entirely without good reason) dad a lesson? The Vince decision was in keeping with Eric’s sense of propriety, but putting Luke in underscored the idea that (a) we haven’t seen many vividly sketched-in players this season and (b) the show needed to get Luke front and center, so he could not only pull off a save but also increase the flame in his simmering relationship with Becky.
Which brings us to Becky. Working at The Landing Strip? Come on. This girl is smart enough to know that’s bound to end badly. Or, wait a second — she isn’t that smart, is she? This is another sterling FNL trait: Not every main character is smarter (wiser, nobler, more open to revelations) than the subsidiary characters.
Her Landing Strip mentor, Mindy, is pregnant — no shocker there, when your husband smells like nachos, right? Mindy and Billy have wormed their way into my heart; they act as though they’re starring in their own private, sports-and-bar version of Married… With Children.
As far as true love goes, it doesn’t seem to be going that way for Julie and Matt, does it? Their fascinating yet disconnected subplot, with Julie, as usual, trying to avoid life by attempting to create a dream reality, hit some hard realism, most of it in the cement-like expressions she was getting from Matt. I can’t help but feel that, as glad as I am to see Zach Gilford back, he was being used as a plot place-holder, until Julie makes her next life-move, and Gilford could barely contain his antsiness to move on. Of course, we all know that what he moved on to was the hideous, short-lived jungle-soap series Off The Map: I hope you enjoyed your return to FNL more than it looked, Zach!
Twitter: @kentucker
Didn’t Ken Tucker star in Early Edition? I really loved that series and still try and catch reruns. Good luck in your career Ken.
I think you may be right. I was talking about actual stars in space. What are you talking about?
Clearly you mean Kyle Chandler. Yes he did. He was also in Homefront.
Thank you for mentioning Homefront, Mark. I loved that one season big of delight. Kyle Chandler playing a young baseball phenom, and not he’s the wise coach. Kinda full circle I guess. Although I hope he has more circles.
i was so happy to see matt – i love the actor and the character. i also have really enjoyed the incresed billy/mindy time. I enjoy any scene with both eric and tammy together – i hope there are more in the last few episodes.
To teach the latter and his increasingly hot-tempered (but not entirely without good reason) dad a lesson? What good reason did he have? The coach was trying to rebuild team solidarity, and the father was mad because his son wasn’t being treated like the star anymore. Simple as that.
I understand that Tami can’t save everyone, but I think they could have done a better job of ending her storyline. That teacher thinking she had the right to grab and search through Epyck’s purse for a $20 bill was ridiculous. How would she have proven the $20 was hers? I think she should have accepted some responsibility for Tami’s injury, yet Tami said nothing about it. That didn’t feel right to me.
That’s what I thought, too.
The other teacher’s behavior was outrageous and I am disappointed that it was not addressed at all.
You just have to ignore the increasingly aimless and farfetched Julie storyline…BELIEVE me on this.
Agreed!
Also agreed!
Completely disagree. This is pure Julie…always hiding, always eager at first blush, always trying on personalities. She was humiliated at college, so she hid. Typical. She went to Chicago to find herself, like Matt did last season, but that wasn’t honest either. My guess…she next confronts the wife.
Trust me. FARFETCHED. Ridiculous Julie storyline, only fit for the Harlequin romance readers. A total distraction in an otherwise fabulous Final Season!
PLEASE explain how Vince’s dad is has good reason to be upset? He is only upset because he wanted to star son out there. HIS pride was hurt. Also I am shocked that Vince’s mom actually thought about him and gave him good advice. Yeah she praised his daddy like she always do but she told Vince he already knows what to do and what his dad says is not aways the truth. I didn’t care about Vince and his girl break up. He deserved it. I so understand Luke being chosen as quaterback. He was the quaterback to begin with. I so see Becky working in a strip joint. Look at her mother and Mindy. The two women who are mentors in her life are strippers. Her mother isn’t a “stripper” but she’s close. I can so see it. No matter how much Becky hates her mother, she still loves her and I can see herbeing like her. Can’t wait for next week. The way Matt was looking annoyed at Julie is the way I feel about her storyline! How cute was their little girl with Eypck? So cute!!!!
Ken has stuck up for vince’s dad on numerous occasions. It’s clear that he sees that storyline very differently than most of the rest of us.
I was happy to see Tammy not be able to save someone for once and I thought the way Matt dealt with Julie was very realistic. I’m guessing it’s the kick in the pants that finally gets her back on track.
Nope. Wish!
Ken is still playing name and character games. Still playing a game of manipulative media?
I went ahead and bought the last season since it’s already on DVD and trust me, it get’s better. *Minor spoiler…the Julie storyline is pretty much dropped later on so don’t worry about that, the show regains its focus.
I’m a little offended by his continued support of Vince’s dad. I hope its not because he sees him as the ex-con black father just trying to redeem himself? He is a man who lived a hard life and made mistakes but that doesn’t excuse what he is doing to hurt his son (that he abandoned). Even his mother said to stop listening to him.
And he is really giving
Matt NO CREDIT, the actor is showing how torn MATT is to with his new life, his “cement” is a face of hurt, regret and confusion. He is trying to remain stoic in a very volatile situation. If he is such a fan and supporter of the show, he should give the writers and actors a LITTLE more credit.
Matt finally “grew a pair” which was nice to see. Fav moment…Coach comforting Jess. Not only is the Mindy and Becky storlyine a nice surprise this year, but so is the Coach and Jess dynamic. I continue to love this show!
Love, love love this show!! Anyone notice the new facial expressions Vince has had lately – just like his father. The more he listens to him, the more he becomes him. Hope has gotten a wake up call.
Is your phone ringing?
I think the storyline of vince’s dad is spot on. As a coach myself, I can’t count the times I’ve had encounters with angry parents for not playing their kid. And some we’re just as angry as Vince’s dad, if not worse. And coach benching Vince was great, showing no one is bigger than the team. Coach telling Luke to basically suck it up or be known as the one who couldn’t get it done was great too!! I’m going to miss this show!! Someone please pick this show up on another network!!!
As the wife of a high school football coach I couldn’t agree more on all counts!!
My favorite moment by far was when Jess broke up with Vince. The look of shock on his face when she told him it was over was priceless, like he couldn’t believe that she didn’t want to spend her life catering to his every whim and supporting every stupid decision he made. I was also glad that his mom finally gave him some good, solid advice. I was worried she was staying quiet to keep her family intact, but it was good to see her step up and be the parent she needed to be.
I wonder how she would react if she knew Vince used her addiction recovery as an excuse to miss football.
How could Becky actually be working in any bar situation. She is in high school. She is probably only 17. Even if she is 18, I wouldn’t think that is still old enough to serve liquor. Don’t they have any minimum age limits in Texas?
The minimum age to serve Liquor in Texas is 18.
did she actually get hired? B/c it seemed to me she was just subbing in for Mindy. That isn’t the same as being hired, just the girls doing this and apparently mgmt not knowing or looking the other way.
You can be 17 and work in a place like that but you can’t serve liquor unless you are 18. I don’t know if Becky is 18.
Becky’s not 18. She’s probably 16 at the most. I think she was 15 last season when she decided not to have the baby. It’s ludicrous that she’d get hired at that place.
I never understood how Tim Riggins could buy beer!! Everyone in town KNEW he was the football player..yet he walked out of the liquor store many time with a 6-pack..I always figured it was a “Texas” thing..just like Becky working at the Landing Strip..I guess
because riggins was a small town texas football hero, they got away with everything. remember the episode where they spent all night drinking at the strip club? no one thought twice about selling them beer until street was not longer playing football, riggins had to buy it for him.