Friday Night Lights Review S1E5

Due to the MWC postponing their season, we’ve been forced to think outside the box a bit in terms of our content. One of those things we will be bringing out is a weekly series discussing thoughts on arguably the best football TV show ever in Friday Night Lights. If you haven’t seen it, there is no better time to start. If you have seen it, there’s no better time to rewatch it. And if you’re like me, and watch an episode or season every year in preparation for college football, you’re right on track. Regardless of which category you fit into, it’s on Hulu, and you can follow along each week (on a Friday, of course) as a different episode from season one will be discussed, from the heartbreaking cliffhanger of the pilot to the final nail-biting game.

Random thoughts in live-tweet form.

• Lyla starts off her day going for a run... all the way to Tim’s house.
• Coach Taylor meets with Voodoo to try to establish a relationship. Voodoo basically blows him off, saying they have an arranged marriage. He insinuates that he has the power in this situation, meaning that Coach Taylor needs Voodoo more than Voodoo needs him. He slams the door when Coach Taylor asks him to keep it open, which continues his pattern of not listening to Coach Taylor or pretty much anyone.
• Smash tells Matt that he’s improving on the practice field.
• Forgot all about this storyline between Tyra and this business guy.
• Matt and Julie are finally talking. Matt can’t talk to her without embarrassing herself, but Julie doesn’t seem to mind too much.
• Jason is working hard on his rehab. Herc introduces him to Murder Ball/Quad Rugby. He immediately takes a liking to it.
• Lyla struggles to imagine a future without Jason, and she doesn’t seem to have plans of her own, which isn’t ideal for herself.
• Eric and Mac have words. Mac admits to going rogue, saying he has an eye on Eric’s job should he fail, lose more games.
• Tyra opens up to this new guy. Jason and Herc get closer as well. Lyla and Tim spend some quality time in bed.
• Tim tries to take an interest in Lyla’s life, but she seems to want to keep things purely physical to justify or distance what she is doing.
• Tami tries to help Eric out in his big decision about his starting QB. He “can’t” start Matt and “doesn’t want” to start Voodoo. Starting Matt is best for the team, as the team will rally around him. But Voodoo is the clear choice to get things done on the field.
• Tyra’s new guy is leaving earlier than expected, which sucks for her.
• Coach Taylor calls Matt into his office to tell him he’s not starting, despite going all out in practice. Matt mistakingly thinks he is starting and feels devastated but tries to play it off.
• During the pep rally, both Matt and Voodoo noticeably lack pep. Smash seems to have enough for all three of them, though.
• Lyla and Coach Taylor see Jason before the game and bring him his Panther helmet. Then the whole team comes in to see him. Smash delivers some heartfelt words. Jason tries to speak some encouragement into Matt, who looks like a deer in the headlights. Tim comes in last, seeing Jason for the first time. The moment brings them both to the brink of tears as they hold hands but can’t find many words.
• Tyra goes rogue and comes to the hotel before dinner for some extra quality time.
• Let’s get #VoodooMadness trending.
• In a memorable scene and one of Matt’s best quotes in the entire series, he displays his unassuming confidence. Coach Taylor tells Matt to look at the other team; Matt says, “We’ve got them right where we want them.” Mac calls in the play; Matt gives his sly smile and is full of confidence as Coach Taylor tells him to “Git ‘er done.”
• The team is celebrating in the endzone, but Matt goes to see Landry and Julie, Tim goes over to Lyla, and Eric finds his rock, Tami.
• Conner tells Tyra he’s in a pretty serious relationship back home. He gets her breakfast, tells her, “I’ll see you soon” (which is a slap in the face), and leave to catch his flight. Spoiler: he does not see her soon.
• Matt is covered in bruises and scrapes the next morning... and he couldn’t be happier.
• The radio announcers and the rest of the town spend the next morning singing Coach Taylor and Matt’s praises after the big win. For one week, at least, all the pressure is off, and all is right with the world.
• Jason does two bicep curls and couldn’t feel prouder.
• The high note can’t last, though, as Coach Taylor is met in the locker room by Buddy and two other men. They came in to discuss the eligibility of Voodoo. Buddy has no issue throwing Eric under the bus for the player he brought in, saying everything would be fine. If he is deemed ineligible, the big win from the night before won’t count.

Coach Taylor’s speeches.

• Coach Taylor lays into Voodoo in the locker room, screaming in his face and throwing him off the team. Voodoo takes his pads and jersey off and leaves the locker room.
• Coach Taylor to Matt, “go warm it up, son.”

Football observations.

• Voodoo is looking sharp in practice. Mac isn’t rotating Matt in with the first team, showing not many people have confidence in him.
• The Panther offense is stagnant early, and Voodoo is angry on the sidelines instead of rallying the troops.
• Coach Taylor sets up a play, and Voodoo changes it in the huddle, opting to scramble for a TD. It sets up another power struggle between the two.
• Voodoo completely ignores Coach Taylor on the sidelines and decides to call his own plays in the huddle. Coach Taylor can’t believe it. Smash and Riggins seem to agree to not comply with Voodoo. Regardless, he throws a pick-six.
• Matt has played the entire second half, and the Panthers trail by 7 with just over a minute left in the game. They have 84 yards to get to the endzone.
• Matt and Smash chip away play by play, doing a great job taking underneath routes and getting out of bounds.
• With 7 seconds left, Matt has complete command of the huddle. Smash reverses to Riggins, and Matt lays a key block to lead a touchdown run.
• Everyone in the stadium knows the ball is going to Smash, but Matt makes the pitch, and Smash scores on the goal line anyway.

Unanswered questions.

• Why does Coach Taylor keep listening to the sports talk channel?
• Julie makes mention of her parents not signing her driver’s ed form. So how was she going to the grocery store last episode?
• It seems like Mac has been coaching at Dillon for quite some time. Was he always OC, and Eric got the job from the outside over him? Or did Eric promote Mac to OC? If so, was he a career position coach before?

Plot holes.

Quote of the episode.

• “Tell Buddy Garrity... uh, he can shove it.” - Tami Taylor

Clear eyes. Full heart. Can’t Lose. official counter: 9

Texas Forever official counter: 2

Riggins quitting the team official counter: 1