Welcome back to our Friday Night Lights rewatch, y’all! I didn’t catch this show live because it aired in a time where I watched significantly less TV than I do now, but eventually I did catch on and watched it. And it was just the non-sports sports show I needed in my life, y’all. As someone who grew up in small town Texas, I can vouch for the authenticity of just about everything surrounding how Texas football is portrayed here. It’s been a while since I’ve rewatched, and I’m so excited to get back into this and remember plot points that don’t revolve around Tim Riggins.
Last week, Mandy C. asked what kind of retaliation we would have taken against Arnett Mead. For me, I would’ve chosen something far less high stakes and along the lines of toilet papering and/or egging the players’ houses. They’re classics for a reason, after all.
The previous episode ended with Matt practicing throwing a football into the late hours and Tim and Lyla secretly hooking up. 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!
1.05 “Git’er Done”
The big football question of the week that everyone wants to know is: is Coach Taylor going to start Voodoo Tatum or Matt Saracen in Friday’s big game?? In a discussion with Tami about it, he essentially says that Matt could win the game, but Voodoo would win the game. And sure enough, he later tells Matt that while he’s been great in practice, Voodoo is going to start this time.
Tim and Lyla continue to make poor choices about sleeping together. However, Lyla draws the line at actual conversation when Tim tries to do that. Meanwhile, Herc invites Jason to his wheelchair rugby game to show him a possible future, which Jason is totally into and takes as motivation to step up his rehab efforts. Before the big game, Lyla, Coach Taylor, and the rest of the team stop by Jason’s room, including, finally, Tim Riggins. The two best friends have a moment before Riggins leaves to catch up with the rest of the team.
At the game, Voodoo makes it very clear early on he will not be listening to any of Coach Taylor’s calls, it’s his way or the highway. Coach Taylor and Voodoo have an argument about this over halftime that leads to Voodoo being kicked out of the room and Matt starting in his place. Matt leads the team to victory in the final seconds of the game, and everyone is suitably impressed by both Taylor’s and Matt’s game time decisions. The next day at a football-related function, Buddy introduces two members of the district eligibility committee to Coach Taylor, who have news: they’re opening a formal investigation into Voodoo’s eligibility to attend and play for Dillon, and if he’s found ineligible then the last game’s win will be forfeit.
Away from all things football, Tyra meets Connor, a visitor on a work trip to Dillon and played by Patrick J. Adams of now Suits fame, while waitressing, and she rides along for part of his work trip with plans for a proper date the next night before he leaves town. They end up staying in instead of going out, and she wakes up in his hotel the next morning for him to tell her he has to leave for his flight and also hey, he has a serious relationship back home.
How many times do I have to take a drink?
13 and 2 shots, though it’s more if you’re more liberal than I am with the “it’s just football” rule.
Did the Panthers win?
Yes, by one point in the last seven seconds of the game. It was a nailbiter there at the end!
MVP of the Week
I know we’ve awarded this to Matt a couple times, but it’s because he deserves it, y’all. This week he overcame most everyone supporting the new QB over him and still, when he was put in the game, he put in a great performance that led to a great team win (and winning the fans over in the process as well).
Most Questionable Play of the Week
I was very in for seeing Patrick J. Adams guest star in this episode as Connor, and I want Tyra to find happiness. However, I kept wondering if Connor was aware Tyra was in high school because that age difference, whatever it is, cannot be appropriate? I assume he wasn’t, but the thought took me out of the moment with them.
Best Taylor Couple Moment
The moment they had in the kitchen the day after the game (presumably) was very flirty and cute, and as Eric left to go to the post-football event, Tami told him to “tell Buddy Garrity to shove it.” What’s not to love?
Tim Riggins’ Finest Moment
There were many moments where Riggins looked great (see photos above), but plot-wise Riggins finally, finally visited Jason in the hospital and had an emotional moment with him. Next step, Riggins: stop sleeping with his girlfriend.
The Taylor Advice of the Week
This goes to Tami pointing out to Lyla that all of her future plans should not revolve around a boy and that she should think about what she herself sees for college and life after high school because girl, no, follow your own arrow.
Post-Game Breakdown
Obviously things are not sunshine and puppies for Jason between the life-changing accident and his best friend and girlfriend secretly hooking up, but I loved seeing his reaction to the notion that sports could still be part of his life and his determination to start working towards that future. I want better for Tyra, as usual, and hooray for starting QB Matt proving people wrong about what he can accomplish on the football field.
Come back next week for Kandis’s recap of “El Accident.” My question for her—and you, readers—is: what are you most looking forward to about this season?
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Bless Tami Taylor for trying so damn hard to steer the girls of Dillon away from boys and into higher education.
She definitely has her work cut out for her, but she’s definitely the woman for the job.
— My fave Taylor moment was Tami taking the napkins that Eric was drawing plays on, putting them in her bra, saying that he can forage for them later, and him being like 👀
— I also had those same thoughts re: Patrick J. Adams 💀 A part of me did want Tyra to choose violence when he said that he was in a relationship, and for her to counter with her age. This show really treats its teenage girls like they’re full grown women 🙃🙃🙃
— I know we’re not supposed to like him, and on the whole, he’s not a great team player. BUT I did love Voodoo’s speech about their circumstances being an arranged marriage. Mostly because he’s going against all that football reverence lol this is a means to an end (i.e., it’s just football).
— I did think Eric’s cons list against Voodoo was off, like he said that the team wouldn’t play for Voodoo? But there was nothing in practice to indicate that, and they also DID play for him in the game.
— As great as Tami’s advice was to Lyla, my jaw did drop when she started it by saying that everyone says cheerleaders are just T and A and nothing between the ears, like you are talking to a TEENAGE STUDENT??? (Again with the treatment of the girls.)
Love/agree with all these observations/thoughts. The Tyra / businessman plotline is SO WEIRD to me, like, we’ve hardly gotten anything of her inner life or home life so far, and THIS is the first major plotline she gets outside of the Riggins and Lyla stuff? And just no real overt mentions of “this is super inappropriate because she is a TEENAGER” but rather “how dare he lead her on because he’s in a relationship”. Wild, y’all, wild.
Totally agree with Mandy about Tami’s talk with Lyla starting off a little rough as a counselor to a high school student.
Stephanie, you hit the nail on the head about why the Tyra/businessman plot line is the cause of so many lingering questions for me in this episode.