Friday Night Lights Review S1E8

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.

With football back tomorrow, this series will be going on hiatus and picking back up again in the spring.

Random thoughts in live-tweet form.

• Billy tries to be the responsible parental figure in Tim’s life, getting him to eat healthy after a big game.
• Jason confronts Lyla about her and Tim. She gets defensive and states she loves him. They both know they aren’t in a good place in their relationship.
• Smash keeps seeking out steroids and is running out of money quickly. He lies to his mom, saying he needs $1200 for an SAT course.
• Billy comes to practice to talk to Coach Taylor about college opportunities, and they plan a dinner to discuss it.
• Tami is getting a bit more than she prepared for in her student meeting.
• Juli comes into the diner and makes sure her parents don’t go in there. She and Matt have another awkward conversation, saying she’s “considering going out with him.”
• Smash also comes into the diner and asks Matt for a job so he can make more money. Matt puts in a good word for him.
• Lyla goes to see Tim, and she tells him that Jason knows about them.
• Jason wants to play quad rugby, and his doctor lays down some reality for him to caution him as he is still healing.
• Tami sees Lyla on campus and breaks down talking to her about her relationship life.
• Julie breaks the news to her dad that Matt asked her out on a date.
• Smash doesn’t listen to Matt’s training and is too busy flirting with girls and giving food away to work.
• Herc and Jason get in a fight in a hallway about Lyla and his relationship. Herc continues the tough love approach, and they both fall out of their wheelchairs. Jason tells him, “she’s all I got,” and Herc tells him, “just because we are crippled doesn’t mean we have to take the crumbs.” Then they break into laughter, calling for help.
• Billy is feeling the pressure of trying to hold a job and take care of himself and Tim. He’s also nervous about dinner with the Taylors.
• Tami is nervous about Julie going out with Matt because of the stigma of football players. Eric tries to calm her down and talks about Matt’s character.
• Smash gets upset that he won’t get paid for awhile. Keep an eye on this.
• Billy goes into discussing his parents with the Taylors. He and Tim clearly disagree on how they feel about their dad. Tim hasn’t given up on him yet, though he’s been gone six years. Tim appears to sabotage the dinner to change the subject by spilling the drinks.
• Coach Taylor goes to visit Jason, and they run some quad rugby drills. Jason has that competitive streak in his eyes. Coach Taylor tells him to go with his heart concerning his decision.
• Matt catches Smash hovering around the register and the money. Smash opens up his emotions and fears about messing up in the front of the scouts.
• Eric and Julie have a serious discussion about boys while playing ping pong. He tries to lay down the law but gets through to her more, telling her who she is “beautiful, sensitive, sweet, and he doesn’t want to see her get hurt.” Julie responds, “love you too, dad.”
• Billy and Tim get into a fight. Billy talks about how he’s responsible for everything and Tim while their parents get cleared of any blame. The fight turns physical. The boys don’t know how to communicate, and Tim resents him for trying to be his father, but it’s clear Billy wants more for Tim than what he’s doing and more than what Billy is. Tim walks out.
• Jason ends up playing in the quad rugby game. He struggles at first. Even though he’s more athletic than everyone else, he hasn’t played as long and doesn’t play with the physicality everyone else does.
• Once he lets his instincts and athleticism take over, he can hold his own a lot better. Herc couldn’t be happier for him.
• Smash’s mom puts a request into the church to provide the money for Smash’s SAT course. The church raises a lot of money. However, the funds aren’t going to what people think it is, and Smash moves further away from the right side of the line.
• After the game, Jason punches Tim in the face and yells at him, calling him a coward for not fighting him after stealing his girl. He tells Lyla to leave as well.
• Tim comes back to his house, and Billy takes care of him after getting beat up by Jason. Their fight is forgotten, and they eat and drink in silence, but so much is being communicated in the silence.

Coach Taylor’s speeches.

Football observations.

• Smash on ‘roids is looking good in practice. He seems a step above the competition.

Unanswered questions.

Plot holes.

• Tami states that Julie is a sophomore. That would put her the same age at Matt. But this will not be true in Season 4.

Quote of the episode.

“Go with your heart.” - Coach Taylor.

Clear eyes. Full heart. Can’t Lose. official counter: 12

Texas Forever official counter: 3

Riggins quitting the team official counter: 1