About:
Drinks Taken: 25
Follow the whole rewatch here!
It’s Season two time! What are we getting ourselves into?! I’m only a few episodes into my rewatch ahead of this post and this season is already living up (down?) to its reputation of being…well, just you see for yourself. At the end of the illustrious first season, the Panthers won the state championship (!), Tami told Eric she was pregnant (!), and then also told him it was totally cool if he moved away for a dumb job and left his pregnant wife and child behind, because she’s GOT THIS. (Narrator’s voice: “She, in fact, did not have this.”)
Sarah wondered what I was looking forward to in season two, and I gotta say…I don’t remember much! I guess it’s when Eric finally realizes his college job sucks so Coach McDillhole leaves our screens? Because it’s only been one episode and I am OVER. THIS. Eric’s work situation also informs my least favorite thing about season two: Tami and Eric being boneheads thinking they can live apart WITH A NEWBORN. Sigh.
Before we get into this colossal of an episode, let me remind you of the updated drinking game:
The Official FYA Friday Night Lights Season 2 Drinking Game
Drink once every time:
You want to give Matt Saracen a hug
Tami Taylor drinks a glass of 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
Lyla Garrity is a little (or a LOT) much about the Jesus
You think, “It’s JUST football, people.”
You are not a fan of the romantic relationship you’re seeing on screen
Glen is just SO Glen
Baby Gracie appears in a scene
You are reminded why no one likes Season 2
Drink twice every time:
The Panthers score a touchdown
Tim Riggins makes poor choices
There’s a classic Coach Taylor pep talk
Landry and/or Tyra stress you out
Tami and Julie clash
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”
Landry straight up kills a guy
On to the shenanigans!
2.01 “Last Days of Summer”
It’s summer, and you know what that means: pool montage! Here’s a quick rundown on what everyone has been doing during the suckiest months of the year (I’m from Florida; I get to say that): Tami is constantly embarrassing Julie by showing up at the public pool where she works as a lifeguard, moaning about how nice the water is on her pregnant body. Landry and Tyra spend a lot of time sunbathing in the friend zone. Lyla found religion, Jason found coaching, and Riggins has yet to find the bottom of a keg. Matt and Julie are at a rocky point in their relationship because Julie is feeling the Seven Month Itch (it’s accelerated because they’re teens). Smash is back to being a jerk with no inner life—at least, not in this episode.
Our biggest storylines are for the Taylors, and, sigh…Landry and Tyra. We knew it was coming, but I forgot it was right there in the season opener. (Lucky me!)
Tami gives birth three weeks early, and, luckily, Eric flies home in time for the delivery. It’s clear their “live apart” situation is Not. Going. Well. but we’re still on a “roiling simmer” on this plot pot, so it’s all tension and no resolution. The house is a mess, the baby won’t sleep, Tami is postpartum, Julie is petulant and acting out, sniping at Eric for trying to “be a father” when he’s been gone for eight months, and then Eric gets the call: he’s gotta return to TMU early, like a week and a half ahead of schedule.
I’m sure Julie’s worry that she and Matt will turn out like her parents has to do partly with normal teenage exploration and partly with the stress she’s seeing take its toll on her parents’ long-distance relationship. She’s pulling away from Matt and making goo-goo eyes at fellow lifeguard, “the Swede” (his real name is Anton but no one cares). Her crush on the college-aged musician is so obvious it can be seen from the I.S.S., so she is crushed when the Swede invites her to a dark bar, late at night, to see him play in his band only to realize he has a girlfriend who refers to her as the Swede’s “high-school bud.” I can sympathize with Julie for having a crush; she’s not married to Matt and it’s their first real relationship, but I DO NOT appreciate her lying to him and ditching him at the party to see the Sweaty Swede instead. I know tastes differ and all, but you’re gonna leave cutie-pie MATT SARACEN for THIS:
Both Julie and Meg (the girlfriend) deserve better than this faux-deep, bad music-playing predator (And I say predator because, unfortunately, this is NOT the last we’ve seen of Sweaty Swede and his mind-games).
Landry is concerned with two things: getting on the football team, and how/when he should make his move with Tyra. Tyra, however, is more concerned with the man who attacked her last season, who is now STALKING HER. He tries to run her over in the pool parking lot and later tries to run her off the road. I know ACAB, but CALL THE POLICE. The night of Matt’s football party, Julie’s non-date with Sweaty Swede, and Eric’s last few hours at home, Tyra calls Landry over because she thought she heard something outside, but false alarm; it’s a skunk! Thus proceeds a suuuuper awkward friend-zone moment. I die laughing every time I see Tyra’s face:
Oh god, if only she’d purchased some Ding Dongs earlier in the day!! While Tyra waits outside the mini mart for Landry to get the snacks, she hears a voice behind her ask, “How did you like the movie?” Y’all, the SHIVERS that went down my spine, knowing it wasn’t just the skunk and this asshole has been standing out there watching the awkwardness happen like the rest of us. If Tyra hadn’t called Landry over and was home alone all evening…
As it is, he attacks Tyra and tries to drag her behind the building, but Landry comes out at the right time to help. The guy begins to turn away, still threatening Tyra that “he’ll be back” for her, and so Landry grabs a pipe and hits him twice over the head. This is so rough to watch, ugh. I don’t want this for Landry OR Tyra.
For some reason, instead of, you know, immediately CALLING THE COPS, they try to drive the asshole to the hospital, but he dies. In a great moment, where they say little but a LOT with their eyes, Tyra persuades Landry that the only solution—literally the most insane option—is to dump the body over the bridge into the river.
We end with Coach Taylor, back on the Panther’s football field, presenting the state championship rings to the team as all of our characters—football players and their families in the stands—look over the proceedings with a LOT on their collective minds.
How many times do I have to take a drink?
25
And if you haven’t passed out yet, make sure you leave enough to finish that drink for Landry! WHEW. This episode had it ALL.
Did the Panthers win?
We’re in the final days of summer, so the season has not yet begun! Landry is also trying out for the team so there’s a reason for him to be involved in more storylines, so I think we all win for that.
MVP of the Week
We’re gonna give this one to Gracie for being born and starting zero drama this episode! Welcome to the world, kiddo. It sucks. You’re gonna love it.
Most Abusive Play of the Week
New Panthers coach Bill McGregor is, to be frank, a raging asshole. He’s cut Matt from being captain, he spits abusive vitriol to the TEENAGE football players, AAAND he won’t even let Buddy watch practices! Rude! After a heated exchange between Coach McDillhole and Riggins, he forces Riggins to run the bleachers until he pukes. Jason tries to stand up for his friend in McGregor’s office later, but you can’t reason with the Tennessee Tyrant.
Best Worst Taylor Couple Moment
Sorry, y’all, there’s just not a lot of happy couple moments in this episode. When Eric has to break the news to Tami that he’s not going to be able to stay home for the two full weeks after Grace is born…OOF, this exchange HURTS.
This is the face of a woman who immediately knows she done fucked up months ago when she encouraged her husband to take a job away while expecting a second child, because now she’s left being the sole provider of a newborn with zero physical support:
And this is the face of a man who knows he’s fucking up and has no clue how to fix it:
And I get what Eric is going through, to an extent, because the job is the job and capitalism is going to screw you six ways from Sunday and who cares about your home life, but also, SCREW YOU AND TMU, ERIC, because you agreed to this pregnant lady’s insane plan! To add insult to injury, he walks out of the house when Tami is flabbergasted into silence by his announcement.
Let’s Check In On The Panther’s #1 Fan
Unfortunately for Coach, he walks out of one marital spat and straight into another one. Buddy’s still sleeping in his office during the separation—though what he’s REAL concerned about is that “Tennessee hillbilly” stonewalling him with his team. He literally says the Panthers are the thing he loves most in the world, and what a time for Pam Garrity to show up, lolol, to tells Buddy to stop stalking her and her new health-food store boyfriend.
Buddy follows her outside, sees the Veggie Boy-Toy in the car, and tries to fight him through the car door. Eric has to physically restrain him, and I bet you wish you’d stayed home now, eh, pal?
Tim Riggins’ Finest Worst Moment
Oh, there’s the Lyla Garrity that I remembered and dislike! Lyla has spent her summer with her homie, Jesus, turning into a sanctimonious killjoy. Fresh off her river baptism, she’s committing the sin of putting fliers on people’s car windshields when she runs into a perpetually drunk Riggins, who acts SO gross—see above—he’s forcing me to side with Lyla of all people when she stands up for herself. Riggins, this annoys me. (I’m also annoyed that you look kinda good when saying it, but I still won’t give you this!)
(I did, however, cackle at Lyla’s, ah, liberal interpretation of spirituality when she weaponized “Grace” at the dinner table later with her mom’s new boyfriend: “And, in turn, to give others at the table the strength to remember that a mother of three should not be wearing skinny jeans.”)
The Taylor Advice of the Week
Since Tami is a little busy with the miracle of life, I’ll give this to Coach Taylor for his speech to his older daughter in the car at twelve a.m. when he tells her the Sweaty Swede is “just some guy” and that no one will think any less of her for dropping Matt. Their whole moment in the car is super sweet and even though I’m mad at Julie for hurting Matt (and leaving him open for the most annoying home aide who shall not be named), I do totally get where she’s coming from.
Post-Game Breakdown:
I’ve probably said enough, so here’s some primo quotes had me giggling this heavy episode:
Matt, in response to Landry’s “W.W.R.D” about Julie making eyes at the Swede: “Riggins would not be in this situation, cuz Riggins is the captain of the S.S. Ta-Tas over there!”
Eric, baffled about Julie’s dating life: “What about the Saracen?”
Tami: “She’s dating the Saracen and flirting with the Swede.”
Buddy, about his wife’s new boyfriend: “Do whatever you want, but he is NOT going to turn my children into communists!”
Next week we’re moving ahead with the aptly named episode, “Bad Ideas”; sorry, Mandy W.! My question to you all is: If this accidental homicide never happened, do we think Tyra and Landry would’ve ever dated? Because she HAD to know what he was doing with that arm tickle on the couch. My gut is saying no.
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