Friday Night Lights Review S3E13

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.

• The season finale begins 5 months later, showing the baseball team that apparently exists in Dillon.
• The Riggins get ready for the wedding, Buddy and Eric golf. The 3 couples, Tim/Lyla, Matt/Julie, and Landry/Tyra, are all still together.
• Dillon has their senior banquet awards, where it is announced Matt will be going to the Art Institute of Chicago for college. Tim Riggins will go to San Antonio State, while Lyla Garrity is joining Tim at San Antonio State. She was salutatorian. Tyra is still waiting to hear if she was accepted to Texas or some other schools.
• Tami is informed by Paul the superintendent that Eric’s contract is up for negotiations at the school board meeting this year. She is offered the chance to recuse herself but declines. However, she gets the idea that things may not go smoothly.
• Buddy and Eric go on the “not recruiting” trail to talk to players entering high school about going to Dillon High next year rather than a private school like Arnett Mead. Buddy says it’s not recruiting because that would be illegal.
• On a visit, the family informs them their son will be going to Dillon high but is confused on who the head coach of the football team is, because Wade Aikmen came to their house last week with Joe McCoy and they made it sound like they were making all the decisions. Buddy and Eric are stunned.
• Lorraine is packing her clothes for the nursing home, which we learn is about 15 minutes away from the house.
• Tami and Buddy talk to Lyla about reconsidering her college options. Vanderbilt is willing to hold a spot for her for a few days while she thinks it over. She asks about money and Buddy says he will talk to her Uncle Gary and he would be willing to help.
• Tyra is upset about others hearing which colleges they got into while she is still waiting. Landry suggests going to UT to ask them.
• Eric goes to the McCoy’s house to ask him about what he is doing going into kids homes. Joe says he gives a lot of money to the program and “there is no team without his kid”, so he represents the program as much as anyone. Eric asks him straight up if he’s trying to replace him. Joe says he needs Eric’s guarantee that JD starts every game at QB next season as long as he’s healthy and that Wade Aikmen calls the plays for the offense. Eric says he is making threats and Joe says he sees it as an opportunity for Eric. Eric tells him where to put that opportunity and leaves.
• Lyla isn’t honest with Tim about his meeting with Tami. Tyra drives to UT to meet with the admissions counselor. He informs her exactly how many people are on the waitlist (about 1000), which crushes her spirits about getting into college.
• Tami and Eric talk on the bleachers about their future and Eric knows he can’t outspend Joe McCoy but he wants to keep his pride about all he has done for the team. Tami tells him they will regret not fighting for his job.
• Tim and Billy go to the auction to bid on some equipment and end up getting a good deal on a truck. Tim also convinces him to bid on a bull to market their business.
• The Taylors get a car for Julie. She is thrilled but is sad about Matt leaving and she is feeling left behind. Tami tells him things will work out in a good way for her, one way or the other.
• Matt drops his grandma off at the care facility. He gives her the tour and unpacks for her so she gets settled. But Lorraine tells him to go instead and that she will be fine.
• On the way back from UT, Tyra vents about the discussion to Landry and thinking she will be stuck in Dillon forever. Landry snaps on her about feeling sorry for herself and worrying about what everyone thinks about her. He says he believes in her and she needs to do the same.
• Tim tells Billy he hates San Antonio State and they don’t have good bars and he won’t have enough me time with all of his classes. Billy is upset that he has their new repair shop and they aren’t making money yet. Tim tries to encourage him. Billy reveales that Mindy is pregnant so he’s extra worried now. Tim is thrilled for him. Also, the bull can be seen, so they ended up getting it.
• Lyla comes to Buddy at the car dealership to tell him to talk to Uncle Gary, indicating she wants to go to Vanderbilt.
• Tyra gets home to find a letter from UT (which is a bit ironic since it came around the same time she went to go to talk to UT). She got in and Tyra, her mom, sister, and Landry are ecstatic for her.
• At the board meeting, Paul asks Joe if he’s talked to Wade about his interest in being the head coach. Joe says that Wade is ready and willing to step into the role. Paul wants to see if anyone else wants to speak about either Coach Aikmen or Coach Taylor. Eric then steps up to the front and delivers a speech, which is laid out below.
• Then they put the decision to a vote.
• Billy and Mindy get married and everyone is there. Tami arrives late, presumably she got delayed at the school board meeting. She stares sadly at Eric and he knows the outcome wasn’t good. He is upset. Tami explains that Wade got the job, but Eric was offered the head coaching job at East Dillon instead.
• Everyone has a good time at the reception. Buddy and Angela dance, which is perhaps the first time they have interacted since their affair.
• Lyla tells Tim about the conversation with Tami and Buddy yesterday and this tough decision she now has to make. Tim tells her to Vanderbilt instead of joining him at San Antonio State and how much better she is than everything here at Dillon and how he isn’t going to stop her from succeeding.
• Julie tells Matt that she loves him but with him going to college so far away, they should break up. Matt doesn’t want to do that and tells her is will be okay. She then says his grandma would’ve liked the wedding. So Matt goes to get her to take her to the wedding and then they are going back home.
• In a touching moment, Matt says she’s never left him, so he’s not going to leave her. Matt decides not to go to college then.
• Tami tells Eric today sucked but they will always be there for each other.
• As Billy and Mindy are about to leave, Tim tells him that he doesn’t want to go to college if Lyla isn’t going. Billy doesn’t accept it. He tells him that he needs to go get the job done so that his future kid doesn’t have to settle because their Uncle Tim didn’t settle.
• Eric takes Tami to East Dillon’s football field. They walk on to it together. It’s rough looking since it hasn’t been kept up at all and clearly nothing compared to what they are used to at Dillon. We see that East Dillon will is called the Lions. They look at everything together as the episode ends.

Coach Taylor’s speeches.

• I did not want to be here today. Here I am. I love my job. I’m good at it and I’d like to keep it. I love this school. I love the kids, and I feel like I’ve just gotten started here. There are some people here who want to replace me for a man with an awful lot of money and a boy with a good arm. To those people I would say ‘You’re wrong. You are dead wrong.’ Y’all have a good Saturday.

Football observations.

• Coach Taylor concludes spring practices and tells the team they are free until fall camp in August.
• It was announced JD was named Dave Cambell’s high school quarterback of the year. His dad flexes his arm on the sideline.

Unanswered questions.

Plot holes.

Quote of the episode.

“You’re the only one who hasn’t left me, so I’m not going to leave you.” - Matt Saracen

Clear eyes. Full heart. Can’t Lose. official counter: 22

Texas Forever official counter: 9

Riggins quitting the team official counter: 4? (didn’t quit but is ditching practice for a bit)

Coach Taylor calling Landry ‘Lance’ official counter: 9

Jason’s job aspirations: quad-rugby player, football coach, car salesman, flipping houses, sports agent