Welcome back to our Friday Night Lights rewatch! It’s been a long time since I’ve joined one of our rewatch projects, and the first time that we’ve had so many writers join in on the fun. You know a show is beloved when practically the entire roster is involved!
As for my FNL credentials, I dipped in and out of the show’s original run. (I definitely watched Season 2 in real time, lololol.) I vaguely remember the general plotlines, but not the finer details. And while I’ve never lived in a small town like Dillon, TX, I do live in a hockey city in Canadian Texas, so I completely understand the vibe.
Last week, Stephanie asked who my favourite character was at this point. Given how sympatico she and I usually are on everything, it should be no surprise that my heart belongs to Matt Saracen! (Although I know how old I’ve gotten since my first watch, because Coach and Mrs. Coach used to be PILFs, and now they’re just plain hot.)
The previous episode ended just after Matt started his first game as QB1. Before we find out what happens next, let’s revisit this season’s drinking game!
The Official FYA Friday Night Lights Season 1 Drinking Game
Drink once every time:
You want to give Matt Saracen a hug
Tami Taylor drinks a glass of white wine
Tami Taylor says “y’all”
Landry Clarke goes off on a tangent
You’re Team Tyra Collette
Buddy Garrity makes you roll your eyes
You think, “It’s JUST football, people.”
The quick camera cuts make you reach for the Dramamine
Drink twice every time:
The Panthers score a touchdown
Tim Riggins makes poor choices
There’s a classic Coach Taylor pep talk
Grandma Saracen says something sassy
Take a shot every time you hear:
“Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose!”
“Texas Forever.”
Finish your drink when:
Hands slap the Panther “P”
Jason’s incident happens
Book club admits they don’t read the book
On to the episode!
1.03 “Wind Sprints”
After Dillon loses a winnable game against the South Milbank Rattlers, a team that they’ve beaten for the past 17 years, the pitchforks are OUT. Matt Saracen gets downgraded to persona non grata; Buddy Garrity leads the charge with Coach Judas (aka Coach Mac) to recruit a new quarterback; and Smash Williams gives a TV interview that undermines Coach Eric Taylor. In response, Eric summons the entire team for some late-night wind sprints, which turns out to be a really effective team building exercise. But that camaraderie might not last long, because star QB Ray Tatom has just enrolled at Dillon High.
Jason Street’s paralysis diagnosis might be official, but Lyla Garrity, progenitor of toxic positivity, is still carrying on business as usual. Jason finally loses his shit on Lyla — on her birthday, no less — which leads to her running into none other than Tim freaking Riggins. Lyla’s anger — at her shattered dreams for the future, at Tim for being a shitty best friend — turns into a makeout session with Tim. The next day, Jason moves out of the hospital and into a rehab facility, with dutiful girlfriend Lyla sending him off.
How many times do I have to take a drink?
47 drinks, 5 shots. (The rules for Eric pep talks, Riggins bad choices, and eye-rolling at Buddy were invoked A LOT.)
Did the Panthers win?
NO. They lost, and it’s a real problem! Grown men desperately hanging onto their glory years are harassing Julie about it, even!
MVP of the Week
This episode was a tough hang for EVERYONE. Maybe Tyra, for kicking both Tim and Smash to the curb?
Honourable mention to Tami for starting her new job, but soured by predecessor allegedly dying by suicide.
Worst Play of the Week
He’s been lurking around the team all along, but Buddy Garrity takes centre stage for the not-entirely-football-legal recruitment of Ray “Voodoo” Tatom. The self-proclaimed number one booster was practically salivating whenever he mentioned the Tatom family’s misfortunes* that created this ‘opportunity’. Granted, Dillon wasn’t alone in sending football bozos on the pilgrimage to the Tatoms’ motel room, but it still feels gross.
* Seriously, there could even be an episode-specific drinking game rule for anytime someone mentioned Hurricane Katrina.
Also in ick: full adult Billy Riggins leering at teenage Lyla.
Best Taylor Couple Moment
Not a great showcase for Dillon’s power couple, but even when they’re butting heads, I love how Tami calls out Eric for taking his frustration out at her.
Tim Riggins’ Finest Moment
Dumped by Tyra, hooking up with Lyla, and STILL avoiding Jason (albeit out of misguided guilt) — Rig is certainly not beating the dirtbag allegations this week! But the shallow moments were PLENTIFUL in the rain, with his tiddies popping out every time Coach Taylor touched him. (Why do you think I made it this week’s image lol)
Most Jordan Catalano-esque moment would go to Tim’s Rally Girl doing his homework with intentional spelling errors for plausibility.
The Taylor Advice of the Week
While I have qualms about dragging a school bus full of teenagers to the middle of nowhere for doing wind sprints in the pouring rain to the point of VOMIT, I can’t deny that Smash starting the “Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose” chant was absolutely ELECTRIC.
In one of her first acts as the Dillon High School guidance counsellor, Tami lets Matt drop the pre-calculus class that conflicted with morning practice, while sneaking in a quick heart-to-heart on how he’s handling everything that life’s throwing at him.
Post-Game Breakdown
- The streak of dialogue that horrifies me continues: this time, Matty with the R-slur at the top of the episode. For the most part, the show has aged well, but YIKES ON BIKES.
- I’m glad the show already dropped the Monday to Friday conceit, which would have been a boring way to structure the episodes. (Although it was handy for determining the passage of time to know when the next game is. By my count, it feels like it should be Tuesday morning by episode end, but the Tatom visit was supposed to be on Thursday afternoon. The likeliest answer is that no one paid as close attention to continuity as I did.)
- The team might be struggling to find its footing, but the show sure didn’t! The characters already feel so lived in, and we’re only on Episode 3.
Join us next week as Mandy C. recaps “Who’s Your Daddy”! Question for our resident newbie (and not-so-newbies to recall y’all’s initial reactions): what’s your favourite and least favourite subplots so far?
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— LOL I don’t think we’d actually talked about our fave characters yet! Love that for us.
— OH, LYLA. (Her relentless positivity is so annoying in it’s intensity.) I’m not gonna lie and say THAT moment didn’t affect me, because they are very attractive together, and it was so dramatic, haha. I totally get why she’s so upset and vulnerable, but damn, BETRAYERS. (Although I’m still more mad at Riggins for just not going to SEE Jason vs getting with his girlfriend.)
— Get wasted over here on this episode!! It’s true though, we knew that Buddy rule was gonna be a KILLER. #sorrynotsorry
— Positive team chanting will always get me, haha.
– That Rally Girl putting spelling errors into Tim’s homework = classic.
– In terms of subplot [unpopular opinion alert!]: I really do like Tim’s processing of Jason’s injury. Yes, he’s a bad friend, but I think this storyline gives Tim’s character a lot more depth; he’s struggling, because he loves Jason but he doesn’t know how to handle being a friend in this new situation.
I’m here to remind us all just how hot Aldis Hodge got as he became an adult. Absolutely loved him in The Invisible Man!