About:
Welcome again to the rewatch, y’all! I’m so excited we’re doing this. I binged FNL right after it ended, and I can already tell some plot points of this show are gonna feel like the first time I’m watching, ha! There’s some things, though, I’ve never forgotten, like my love of Matt Saracen or jealousy over Tami Taylor’s amazing hair.
To answer Sarah on if I think my opinion will change on any characters – I was never a big Lyla fan, so I’m interested to see if she still annoys me.
Last week ended as a real downer with Jason in the hospital, and, as this episode is the aftermath of that…well, you’re probably gonna need a Texas-sized glass of chardonnay, so let’s remind ourselves of the drinking rules!
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
If you’re a sap like, me prepare your tissues!
1.02 “Eyes Wide Open”
Jason’s ability to walk is the hot topic of Sunday prayers across Dillon two days after his accident, and despite Lyla’s internet research on miraculous recoveries of spinal injury patients, the news from his doctors isn’t good: he’ll never walk again, but with lots of luck and rehab, he will regain use of his arms.
The same people praying for Jason have barely let those words hit God’s ears before they’re speculating if Matt Saracen has what it takes to fill Jason Street’s QB football jersey. Landry, ever the pal, gives Matt advice from a very uneducated position on how to talk to the press and take advantage of the Rally Girls’ fleeting interest, though Matt only has eyes for Julie Taylor. Coach Eric Taylor plays it cool as he stoically takes in everyone’s “helpful” coaching advice, but he secretly does have doubts about Saracen’s long-term viability, at least until Tami steps in with the pep talk (drink!).
Speaking of Tami, she gets a job as the high school’s guidance counselor. With the things that happen this episode—like Riggins refusing to go see Jason in the hospital; Smash and Tyra having a bored hook-up that gets interrupted by his unamused mama; and, a tension-filled face-off between Riggins and Smash resulting in bottle breaking—hoooo-boy do these teens NEED the sound, sage advice of one Miss Tami Taylor!
Extremely relevant to OUR interests is Tami’s first visit to the book club invite she wasn’t able to wiggle out of from last episode’s car dealership opening. It turns out “book club” is code for “wine club”, because they all break into literal CACKLES when Tami says she liked the book—doesn’t she know no one actually READS the BOOK? (Did you spot a blink-and-you’d-miss-it cameo of Janice in the kitchen?? I have so many questions!)
How many times do I have to take a drink?
15
Did the Panthers win?
It’s a mystery! Tune in next week!
MVP of the Week
It’s gotta be my favorite soft boy turned number one quarterback, Mattie Saracen! Poor guy’s dealing with a lot at home, and now he’s been catapulted to the forefront of every football-hungry Dillon mind. Let’s hope all the football fame, Rally Girl coconut chocolate pies (not a euphemism), and small-town judgments don’t go to his head.
Most Heartwarming Play of the Week
Coach Taylor’s visit to Jason, assuring him he’s always got a spot on the Panthers. While we know Coach does have feelings, he’s played it pretty close to the vest all episode, but he chokes up when he tells Jason he’s a good man, and people like him are why he coaches. This is after Jason—who is lying there in a neck brace but still thinking of his team—earnestly tells Coach that Saracen just needs a little help to be a good QB.
The whole scene got me in the feels, especially when Jason starts crying, and you remember he’s just a scared seventeen-year-old kid whose dreams are over.
Best Taylor Couple Moment
Coach Taylor finally confesses to Tami he “knows” he only got his head coaching job because of Jason Street’s (former) awesomeness, so what does that mean for Eric’s career? Apparently he’s ALSO a doubter about Saracen (RUDE).
Tami wastes no time in being the most supportive wife EVER when she tells him she knows he can mold Saracen into a dream QB with “every cell in her being,” because she’s seen him do it before.
Tim Riggins’ Finest Moment
While I do think Riggins has a certain cachet as a MLD, the greasiness and big, dumb jock stoicism just really annoy me sometimes. I know what “finest” is supposed to mean here, *eyebrow waggle* and depending on how Riggins shows up in my episodes, you’ll get that. But this week he did nothing sexy, especially when he refuses to go see his supposed BEST FRIEND in the FREAKING HOSPITAL.
However, he does silently cry to himself as he watches Jason’s ill-fated hit over and over, proving he does have at least one feeling under that big, dumb jock exterior, so I’m considering THAT his finest episode moment.
The Taylor Pep Talk of the Week
I love after Tami’s words of encouragement, despite it being the middle of the night, Coach Taylor hops in the car and picks up Saracen to train him. Matt’s shame at Coach seeing his “shabby” home made me want to hug him so bad (drink!), and Coach confirming that he can tell Matt didn’t want him there, but he should be proud regardless for being the man of the house while his dad is away at war, SURPRISE SURPRISE, made me teary.
Post-Game Breakdown:
That ending montage to “Devil’s Town” (finish your drink for the P-slap!) still sticks in my brain; definitely added that song to my library after I first watched this episode. I find the little moments we get to see more of the Taylor life outside of the football so interesting and the implications of what they mean—like what did Tami go to college for (or did she?) and why does it seem like she’s rarely had a job? Is it because they’d move so much for Coach Taylor’s job, or because it’s just not “expected” as much in the South?
Join us with your post-game episode thoughts in the comments! Next week Mandy W. will be recapping “Wind Sprints”! Question for Mandy (and all!): Did you already have a contender for your favorite character at this point in the show, and who was it?
Shop Our Friday Night Lights Themed Merch
Gah, that scene in the hospital with Coach and Jason just slays me. Jason’s advice to help Matt, MY HEART!!! And the night practice with Coach and Matt also gets me in the feels.
Haha, TOTALLY agree that the students of Dillon High *desperately* need some Tami Taylor advice!!
Even though I’m obvs a huge fan of Riggins, I gotta admit I’m enjoying your distaste for him. 😉
Riggins definitely needs to EARN my respect right now, because friendship loyalty is one of my non-negotiables and him leaving Jason high and dry is NAGL.
VERY fair point.
– One thing that I know is very small town is just how EVERYBODY is at the diner on Monday lololol, like that’s just THE thing to do.
– I didn’t anticipate that something would happen each ep that would make me SCREAM, and here, it was during Coach’s pep talk to Matt when he says “the cheerleaders with their pretty young shapely legs bouncing up and down”?!?!?!?!?!?
– Very wild that Matt’s still working at the burger place, like you would think that some booster would throw some money around in a non rule-breaking way. (Maybe this becomes a plot point lol but I have forgotten much.)
– OMG I think I immediately blocked out that comment because I was like EWWW, NO, COACH. Guess they had to remind us misogyny is live and well in the South…
– It’s only been a week in the show so probably kinda quick for something like that to happen, but I also just think that even though Dillon is a “nicer” town, they’re all still kinda regular middle-class or not *crazy* well-off. Smash and Riggins (so far) also have pretty low-key / normal homes and aren’t rolling in the dough.
True true, re: the socioeconomics of Dillon. BUT Saracen is QB1, after all!!! (I was also wondering if the burger place was out in the sticks (or further sticks), since the customers did not seem to care that they were being served by THE Matt Saracen.)
I guess Matt is just too unassuming and goofy right now for too many people to probably care. I assume they still think Jason’s gonna make a recovery and come to take back his spot soon, so cares about this guy who Did It one time?
FAIR. And the boosters did seem to have zero confidence in poor sweet Matty lol so there’s probably little motivation to make it rain.