Friday Night Lights Review S3E3

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 Netflix (and Peacock), and you can follow along each week (on a Friday, of course) as a different episode from season three will be discussed, from the opening episodes with an up and coming freshman QB all the way to the big game in the season finale.

Random thoughts in live-tweet form.

• Billy makes a detour while they are driving home. Billy tells Tim that he has a side gig to make extra money and it seems very sketchy.
• Tami is preparing for the big start-of-the-year cookout and she wonders if their house is too small for it.
• Smash answers the phone and found out his mom applied for a new, second job on the weekends to help pay for Smash to go to TAMU if he gets in.
• Tami and Katie McCoy meet in the grocery store and hit it off. She says she wants to get involved in the school by donating money to fund school programs by throwing a fundraiser party.
• Tami tells Eric that Katie McCoy volunteered to take over the team barbeque. Tami is relieved that she doesn’t have to do all the work. Eric is upset that the McCoy’s are taking over another area of the program. He says doesn’t want to be indebted to them and walks out of the room.
• Matt tells Landry he’s trying to fight out the JD hype, who is on the cover of a football magazine (which he never would be in this situation).
• Julie tries to make Matt feel better but he continues to stress out over it. Julie is supportive and tells him he’s adorable when he rants.
• The Alamo Freeze owner (?) asks Smash if he’s ever thought about a future with the company and offers him a job as regional manger and explains all the perks.
• The Riggins’ host a dinner with Tim and Lyla, BIlly and Mindy, Tyra and her mom. It goes as awkwardly as one would expect. Mindy’s wedding vows are quoting Finding Nemo.
• Tim asks Billy what the side hustle is and Billy tells him he’s planning to steal some copper wire outside of town and sell it for a lot of money. The other guy bailed, so Billy asks Tim to be his wing man.
• The Collette’s leave after feeling judged by Lyla. Now everyone is mad at everyone.
• Buddy continues to not like Tim dating Lyla and has no issue telling her. Lyla tells Buddy Tim isn’t who he thinks he is.
• The McCoy’s go all out for the party, getting vallet parking and a band.
• Julie and Matt mock the party and discover a room dedicated to JD’s accomplishments with trophies and medals. JD walks in on them and joins in on the mocking to try to fit in, but Matt and Julie don’t say anything. It’s one of the first moments there is some sympathy for JD.
• Billy and Tim have some close calls but get the copper wire
• Eric is playing pool by himself and is joined by Buddy, Joe McCoy, and the personal coach, Wade Aikman. Buddy asks Eric about the spread offense and he says they aren’t ready to install it. Eric says he doesn’t know Joe’s son and Joe says then get to know him. Eric leaves.
• Tami says she had a great time tonight. Eric didn’t, but they make up.
• Julie is waiting for Matt after the game, who waited until everyone was long gone so he didn’t have to talk about the game. Julie says they don’t have to talk about the game and Matt asks her to go somewhere together.
• Smash gets home and finds his mom asleep in her chair. Smash tells her he’s taking the job and not going to the tryout. His mom doesn’t accept that, saying after all Coach Taylor has done for him, he can’t do that to him, or himself.
• Smash says he has done everything right and it hasn’t been enough. Corrina says he’s going to keep doing right, he’s going to play as God created him to play and he’s going to make the team and they will either get the scholarship or pay for school. She adds she wouldn’t mind seeing him play football again either.
• Tim shows up at the Garrity house looking for Lyla and Buddy answers. Buddy is about to tell him off when Lyla shows up. Tim apologizes and Lyla tells him that everyone is telling her not to be in the relationship and tells Tim not to make a fool out of her.
• Eric and Tami get home to find people put up for sale signs in their front yard, voicing their frustration about the loss (to a team they have NEVER beaten, remember).
• Matt and Julie walk around downtown late at night with no one else around, enjoying being together. In a mirroring moment, Tami and Eric sit together on their bed, committed to being together at the end of a tough day when everyone is against them.

Coach Taylor’s speeches.

Football observations.

• The Panthers go on the field for practice and JD is already out there with his dad and a private coach doing throwing drills. Saracen and Coach Taylor take notice but Coach Taylor tells Saracen “you are my quarterback.”
• Mr McCoy tells Coach Taylor if he wants to switch to the spread offense for the Arnett Mead game, he supports it and JD will be ready.
• Buddy is calling Coach Taylor saying the boosters are worried about the quarterback situation.
• Matt is pressing in practice and not hitting his throws. It is a constant theme when he’s anxious about something. The boosters watch uneasily and even Mac suggests giving JD some reps, saying it’s his job on the line too.
• In the huddle, Saracen takes command saying “if you don’t think we can win this game, get the hell out of my huddle.”
• Saracen is taking an absolute beating but he is locked in. Against one of the best teams in the state nonetheless.
• Arnett Mead is scoring easily with their spread-option offense.
• Saracen is bleeding on the sideline. Coach Taylor comes to him saying they are gonna get the ball back and need a touchdown and asks if he has one more in him. Saracen delivers one of the best lines of the entire series, saying “I always got one more.”
• From the 30, the play breaks down and Saracen scrambles out of the pocket. He breaks a few tackles and dives to the endzone as he gets drilled at the goaline. The ball comes out (even though he broke the plane) and the refs rule a fumble recovered by the defense.
• Saracen is heartbroken in teh endzone. Fans are speechless.

Unanswered questions.

• Why is Tim wearing a Dillon polo to commit a crime?
• Why is it such a big deal that a 15 year old freshman QB isn’t starting on the varsity? There’s nothing wrong with playing JV and getting experience before becoming a multi-year starter.
• Everyone makes a huge deal about Dillon never beating Arnett Mead, even when Jason Street was the QB. They lost on a questionable call at the goal line after Saracen has the game of his life and everyone acts like he was terrible and calls for a QB change. It’s not fair at all to Matt, who was in no way responsible for the loss.

Plot holes.

• JD would not be on the cover of a magazine as a freshman who has barely played.
• Saracen scored on the touchdown. He broke the plane.

Quote of the episode.

“I always got one more.” - Matt Saracen

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,