Friday Night Lights Review S3E10

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.

• Tami is feeling hopeless about everything she has to make up to graduate and get into college after the past few weeks.
• Some fo the guys go to a party at Madison’s house and she keeps looking at JD. He awkwardly goes to talk to her and she offers him some alcohol and flirts with him.
• At the Landing Strip, Buddy is told by someone else that his “sure thing” investment went belly up and he lost his money ($70,000). Buddy loses his temper and attacks the guy while also destroying some things at the club. He is arrested.
• Eric comes to see Buddy and lets him know that he isn’t getting bail. Meanwhile, Buddy tells Eric the team they will be playing plays dirty and will be physical.
• Tami tells Lyla about Buddy’s arrest and invites her to stay at the house if she wants to.
• Matt and Julie are laying in Matt’s bed when Eric goes to pick Julie up. The door is unlocked so he goes in and no one is happy with that interaction. Eric and Julie drive home in silence.
• Lyla is over at the Taylor’s house and Julie offers to talk with her, but Lyla declines. Julie lets Lyla know that Eric walked in on her and Matt.
• Meanwhile, Eric and Tami talk about what Eric saw. Tami is all ears. For once, Eric is the voice of reason for Tami, saying he better know what she’s going to say before she goes to talk to Julie (usually Tami tells this to Eric).
• Lyla and Julie talk and Julie says she worries that now everything has changed and her parents won’t look at her the same way again.
• The next morning, Tami tries to talk to Julie but they both have a hard time having the conversation.
• Buddy pleads not guilty and has his bail set while Lyla watches in the courtroom.
• Madison shows up unannounced at the McCoy’s house to see hi and talk to JD. She is very nice. Katie is happy but Joe isn’t.
• Buddy tells Lyla business has been slow so he tried to make quick money on a shady investment and it is revealed he used Lyla’s college money in order to do it and it’s all gone. Lyla is crushed by this and packs up a bag and walks out.
• Landry helps Tyra study for her SATs. But then he realizes she continues to use him and he continues to let her, so he walks out while referencing the book The Giving Tree.
• Buddy must have been bailed out and at breakfast with Eric, he lets him know that the Landing Strip is suing him for $30,000 for damages to the building and that Lyla is now staying at the Riggins house. Eric reminds him that money comes and goes but their kids are a one-time deal.
• Tami tries for a second time with Julie. Julie tells her mom that he and Matt love each other, they are being safe, and that she has the right to say no and make sure she is being prioritized. They both acknowledge the conversation is hard but like that they can be talking to each other.
• Joe brings up Madison to JC and he reminds him to focus on the playoffs and not about dating. JD worries she won’t wait til the end of the playoffs, but Joe makes him promise to put it on the backburner.
• Tyra brings up her conversation with Landry to Julie and Julie takes Landry’s side. She decides to make things up to Landry by getting his band a gig. She gives a version of an apology to a speechless Landry.
• Matt shows up at the Taylor house to pick Julie up (“to go to the movies and then bring her right back home). Tami invites him in which seems nice until she invites him to wait out back with Eric, which makes it seem like more of a setup.
• Eric tells Matt that women should be respected. And then reminds him that this is his daughter. Eric shows lots of restraint in his demeanor.
• Buddy comes to the Riggin's house to talk to Lyla and asks her to come home. They fight; Buddy tries to blame it on paying money to her mom and Lyla says he is selfish and that’s why everyone hates him. She walks back in the house but Tim stands in the doorway and tells Buddy he needs to go.
• Madison tells JD they can hang out after the game and JD tells her maybe they should lay low. Madison is upset and the guys on the team think he’s making a mistake. Riggins tells him that guys won’t respect him as a leader if he can’t make decisions himself.
• Katie McCoy tells Joe she wishes JD went out after the game on a date, but Joe said he talked to JD about waiting until after the season. Joe purposefully can’t remember Madison’s name.
• However, Katie sees JD sneak out with Madison and Joe catches on too. He’s angry, but she’s proud.
• At the gig, Tyra starts seeing Landry in a new light as he plays.
• Buddy tries to call Lyla to apologize but she won’t answer the phone.

Coach Taylor’s speeches.

Football observations.

• In the locker room, Landry tells Matt he is probably a dead man walking after sleeping with the coach’s daughter.
• Coach Taylor announces that he lost the appeal on getting different refs for the game, so he wants the players to expect missed calls, bad calls, and late hits. He tells them they will not lose their tempers or retaliate.
• The Panthers are taking a beating during the game and the refs predictably turn a blind eye. Tim, after enduring a late him himself, tells the team to suck it up.
• The refs finally figure out how to throw a penalty flag when Coach Taylor completely flips out and gets tossed from the game. Wade Aickman takes over coaching the game.
• Coach Taylor calls Wade to tell him some plays to run but Wade can’t hear. Down by 3, Riggins scores on a screen pass and they win the game. Wade is suddenly the hero for one game.

Unanswered questions.

• Why would one of the longtime established assistant coaches not take over coaching the game?
• Why is Wade answering his cell phone during a game?

Plot holes.

• How can refs be this bad the entire series and not have any accountability?

Quote of the episode.

“Money comes and goes, but kids are a one-time deal.” - Eric

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

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: 7

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