Friday Night Lights Review S2E15

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.

• Tim and Billy are at church and run into Lyla. Meanwhile, the Williams family is also there, but Smash’s mind is elsewhere. He is calling all the coaches who offered him, but none are returning his messages.
• The waitress that drove Jason home shows up at his work and lets him know he is pregnant. Jason is shocked.
• Tami runs into an ex-boyfriend and he wants to meet up with her while he’s in town.
• Herc gives Jason a hard time and thinks she is just wanting money. Jason tells him he never thought he could have kids so it is a miracle child. However, she isn’t looking for anything from Jason and just wanted him to know.
• Lyla and her boyfriend walk into the radio studio to find Tim on the air, doing a talk show about sports. He asked Lyla’s boyfriend but he didn’t tell Lyla.
• Tami tells Eric and Julie about Mo, her ex-boyfriend. Eric is already getting testy about him.
• Smash talks to Noelle about how he’s feeling. Noelle tries to encourage him and tell him coaches will want him. The Alabama coach is very short with him and not at all conversing the same way when he was recruiting Smash. He lets Smash know he knows TMU pulled his scholarship and that Alabama has moved on. Smash is speechless.
• Tyra and Landry are walking the halls together holding hands. Tim talks to Lyla at school and is clearly still trying to impress her.
• Jason shows up at her work now. He says they should have the baby and raise it together because it’s a miracle. Erin blows him off.
• An agent or coach or someone is talking to Smash about a tryout for an alternate professional football league. He thinks Smash could do well there.
• Tami and Eric go to Mo’s ribbon cutting for the hospital. They talk briefly and Mo makes a plan to go to the football game and sit next to Tami. Eric isn’t happy and is noticing Tami seems enamored with him.
• Jason confides in Eric about his situation. Eric tells Jason he can’t make the decision for him, but a relationship won’t work without trust and honesty.
• Tim is on the radio and taking questions. He is a natural on the air with his natural charisma. Lyla’s boyfriend calls him out about his intentions and holds his own trading banter with Tim.
• Eric sees Mo holding Gracie and isn’t happy at all.
• Smash and Coach Taylor take the official visit to Whitmore. The coach tells him they were running the “west coast” offense years before others were. He says they are looking for players with speed since they don’t have the size and Smash would be a difference-maker in their system.
• The coach then reveals that he told Coach Taylor 6 years ago that he thought Smash was the complete package, mentally and physically, when he was in 7th grade. Then he watched him each year, going from JV to Varsity after a big game against their rival. Then he told Coach Taylor that Smash is going to be a star, he’s going to make you work too. The coach then admits he figured he didn’t have a shot at Smash, and he won’t be offended if he keeps looking, but the offer is here and they are one big family.
• As the coach is walking away, Smash tells him he would like to make a verbal commitment to play for Whitmore. The coach doesn’t jump for joy or celebrate. Instead, he introduces him to the team and tells them Smash will be joining the family.
• Tami calls Eric that Mo made reservations at a nice Italian to see them.
• Lyla is at her boyfriend’s family dinner. She seems to be having a great time and fits in well.
• At dinner, Mo says the better man did win as he keeps toasting to the night. They try to end the night, but Mo orders another round. Mo and Eric get into a macho content about who can drink more and who should pay for the meal.
• Mo accuses Eric of stealing Tami behind his back and telling Tami he was cheating on her with someone else. Tami said she already knew Mo was cheating on her. Eric and Mo get into a physical fight. Tami storms out without Eric.
• Corrina tells Smash how proud she is of him for going to college on a full scholarship. She tells him it will all work out. Smash doesn’t seem convinced, but is coming around to it.
• Erin and Jason talk again, trying to convince her to give him a chance. He says he’s fully in to being a family together. Eventually, she agrees.

Coach Taylor’s speeches.

Football observations.

• Coach Taylor has the team playing dodgeball in the gym to keep them having fun and staying loose.
• Coach Taylor calls Smash into his office. He tells him to change his plans tomorrow because Smash’s offer at Whitmore is still good. Smash isn’t excited about it, but Coach Taylor tries to explain the importance of a school still standing by him after this incident.
• Riggins and the Panther offense are too much for the opposite. They are up big in the game. Coach Taylor puts the bench in, including Landry. Matt calls a misdirection play for Landry, who scores a touchdown.
• Coach Taylor eases up on the last play of the game, letting the other team score as time expires so they don’t get shut out.

Unanswered questions.

Plot holes.

• There’s not one D1 college that is willing to take a chance on a big-time talent who has a run-in with the law. While it makes sense some schools back off, there are always a few still willing to take a gamble.
• The Alabama coach deciding to speak about integrity and how they honor verbal commitments. We all know every school has run players off after they have verbally committed, or even after they have joined the team.
• Was Eric even coaching Smash 6 years ago?

Quote(s) of the episode.

“Whatever it takes.” - Tim Riggins

Clear eyes. Full heart. Can’t Lose. official counter: 20

Texas Forever official counter: 7

Riggins quitting the team official counter: 3

Coach Taylor calling Landry ‘Lance’ official counter: 7

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