Friday Night Lights Review S2E3

During the offseason, we are continuing our 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 Netflix (and Peacock), and you can follow along each week (on a Friday, of course) as a different episode from season two will be discussed, from the opening episodes with a new coach at the helm to the sudden cliffhanger caused by the writer’s strike.

Random thoughts in live-tweet form.

• Tyra ended up spending the night at Landry’s house. She tells him it can’t happen again. His dad sees her sneak out the window. Meanwhile, Tim sees Billy with the single mom neighbor he was with last season.
• The radio show is bashing Eric for taking a college job.
• Matt apologizes to Eric for Julie breaking up with him. Eric didn’t know.
• The doctor tells Tim is he is dehydrated and his body is shutting down. He can’t be released because they can’t get a hold of Billy. Lyla comes to visit him and invites him to church.
• Jason continues to play quad-rugby with his friends and contemplates surgery in Mexico. Herc tells him it’s right on cue for where he’s at and doesn’t want people to take advantage of him.
• Glenn continues to help Tami around the house. They discover Julie didn’t tell either of them about the breakup. Tami tries to bring it up to Julie and she doesn't open up.
• Buddy signs Tim out of the hospital and talks about his displeasure of Coach McGregor and casually states he knows practices are running over by 15 minutes each day.
• Matt and the caregiver are still adjusting to each other.
• Landry’s dad brings up Tyra but Landry doesn’t take the bait. He reminds Landry about the watch, which went missing during the incident.
• Tim confronts Billy about Jackie (the neighbor) and Billy doesn’t react well. In return, Tim storms out of the house and ends up at Lyla’s church.
• Smash isn’t pulling his weight at work either, furthering the divide between he and Matt.
• Tim walks in on Lyla, coming in unannounced to her room. He confesses that he felt something at church and then kisses her. She pushes him away and he realizes he misread the signals as she tells him to leave.
• Meanwhile, it’s 2 AM and Julie is still out with the Swede. Tami sees her outside in the van and runs out to break up the event. Tami drags her out of the van, they yell at each other and she slaps her. Julie says Tami got rid of her when she had Gracie and then Eric left.
• Landry’s dad shows up at Applebee’s and sits in Tyra’s section. He confronts Tyra about her and Landry. He confesses he doesn’t understand how the two of them are together. Tyra expresses all the things she likes about Landry and his dad takes that to heart.
• Eric comes home and he and Tami share their struggles. Tami breakdown and says their family is falling apart.
• Jason goes to visit Tim and tells him he quit the team. Jason tells him he is going to Mexico to have the surgery. Tim offers to go with him.
• Tyra sneaks back into Landry’s house and tells him she wants to be with him.
• Matt comes home bruised and down on everything. The caregiver tends to his injuries and they start to bond.
• Eric goes to see Buddy and tells him he wants back in Dillon. Buddy could not be happier.

Coach Taylor’s speeches.

Football observations.

• Coach McGregor continues to rip on Riggins. Making him do things no one else is doing on the field. Riggins collapses again and is carried off on a stretcher by the paramedics.
• At TMU, Coach Taylor is trying to coach up the quarterbacks. The head coach tells him to cut the player rather than wasting time.
• Smash continues to be the face of the time and his teammates aren’t liking his big attitude. Matt talks to him and Smash brushes him off. He thinks Matt is jealous and Smash admits he’s loving it and is mainly concerned about himself.
• Coach McGregor asks Coach Street to go pump Riggins up before the game and try to talk some sense into him. Tim laughs it all off.
• Buddy calls Coach Taylor and tells him to make time to meet up with him and that it is important, but won’t say what it is.
• Buddy and Coach Taylor meet up. Buddy tells him the team is screwed, there is no leadership and it’s all Coach McGregor’s fault. Buddy says he can make Coach McGregor go away and can give Coach Taylor his job back if decides to. He also says Tami is suffering and Julie isn’t acting like herself and they need Eric to come back. Eric seems to have taken the conversation to heart.
• It’s finally game night and the Panthers get to play. The pre-game is all about Smash.
• The Panthers play without heart.
• Smash is pretty much the only one getting the ball. Mat isn’t playing well.
• Coach Street suggests mixing up the playcalling but he doesn’t listen. Coach McGregor says “he doesn't have time to take advice from the team mascot.”
• Coach Taylor comes to the game to observe.
• Coach McGregor tells Smash the final play of the game and gives him the direct snap. Smash scores the winning touchdown. The Panthers win but only Smash is happy. He makes a comment to Matt and Matt starts a fight with him on the field. Their teammates have to break it up. Their fans stare in disbelief.

Unanswered questions.

• How did a coach from Tennessee ever come to Texas?

Plot holes.

Quote of the episode.

“Praise the game of football! That’s what I want to see! Show me something! Show me something! That’s it! Yeah! You’re in it now!” - Coach McGregor

Clear eyes. Full heart. Can’t Lose. official counter: 18

Texas Forever official counter: 7

Riggins quitting the team official counter: 2

Coach Taylor calling Landry ‘Lance’ official counter: 2

Jason’s job aspirations: quad-rugby player, football coach