About:
Hey y’all, we’re eight episodes in and I still can’t get over how good this show is. I mean, I knew it was good, thus my participation in this Rewatch, but damn!! The character arcs! The intensity of the games! The moments that get you right in the feels! Friday Night Lights should win state for the sport of emotion, is what I’m saying.
Last week, Meredith recapped “Homecoming,” which had some real highlights (Jason Street coming out on the field, Tim Riggins sobering up and driving the team to victory) and some lows (Smash starting to take drugs to improve his game, nooooo). I will say I’m a little bummed we didn’t get to see any Homecoming Dance attire but fine, I’ll get over it. And to answer Meredith’s question to me re: which Dillon High cafeteria table would I choose to sit at, I’d go with the nerds or the drama kids, though I’m not sure we see many of those on this show. (I mean, Landry is definitely a nerd but besides that.)
Before we get into this week’s episode, a reminder of our v. important drinking game 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
Now on to the episode!
1.08 “Crossing the Line”
The episode opens with the Riggins boys doing some grocery shopping, which is adorable except for the fact that Billy is worried about money. Tyra shows up just in time to buy Tim a Texas Monthly (this seemed off-brand to me until I remembered this is the guy who coined “Texas Forever,” so!), and suddenly, these two are back to being an item. So much so that when Lyla shows up to tell Tim that Jason knows about the two of them (he asked Lyla point blank, she denied it), Tyra appears behind Tim at the door. Well, this is a totally healthy and not at all dysfunctional situation!
Jason is determined to play in the murderball scrimmage, in spite of Nurse Phil’s objections. (I decided to take a drink at this point for Phil, because he’s just trying to do his job and gets nothing but grief for it. Poor guy!) Even Herc isn’t sure he’s ready, but Herc is sure that Lyla cheated with Tim, and he tells Jason that he’s sticking with Lyla because he wants to cling to his old life. “Just because we’re crippled doesn’t mean we have to take the crumbs,” he says, and as much as it hurts Jason to hear, Herc is obviously right. They tussle and both end up on the floor, yelling out for Phil. See?!! Phil is a HERO.
Thanks to Tim’s killer performance in last week’s game, Billy is determined to secure a future for him, and he scores an invite at the Taylor household for dinner to ask Coach for advice. (Tami, when asking Coach what to cook: “Should I slaughter a goat?”) Let me tell you, Julie Taylor sitting uncomfortably across from Tim at the table is perhaps the most realistic moment in the entirety of Season One; like, how would your teen self have handled this smokin’ hot dirtbag being in your house and eating food in surly silence?!! (Dear reader, I would have been mortified.) Billy mentions their dad, who’s clearly a deadbeat, but for some reason Tim defends him, and this tension bleeds into a later scene where the brothers end up physically fighting after Billy tells Tim he doesn’t want him to end up like their dad, and that he’s throwing his talent away. It’s a tough moment, but the cardboard standee of a beer model in their living room is truly chef’s kiss.
Meanwhile, Smash is trying to figure out how to pay for his performance enhancing drugs (I feel like such a nerd calling them that but like, are they just steroids or ?), and after his mom denies him the money “for SAT prep,” he ends up getting a job at the Alamo Freeze thanks to Matt. Smash, of course, doesn’t really work; he just flirts with girls and gives them free ice cream, and he even tries to train Matt on how to flirt—no surprise, it’s awkward as hell (drink for Matt!). After Smash realizes he won’t get a paycheck for another week or two, he tries to steal from the register, but Matt catches him and then calls him out on it, reminding him that he vouched for Smash. I was SO proud of our sweet Saracen in that moment!! Smash seems to realize the error of his ways AND YET, the next Sunday at church, the pastor asks the congregation to donate towards Smash’s education, i.e. SAT prep, i.e. massive lie that he told his mom and dude, I can tell you feel bad but NOT BAD ENOUGH. He takes the money and pays off his dealer, UGH. STOP. No.
My favorite storyline of the episode involves Julie considering going out with Matt on a date. Tami, having just heard from a Rally Girl about a football player wanting her to have a threesome, is terrified, and Coach is so alarmed, he almost drops a bowl on the floor. It’s adorable. After attempting to have a heart to heart with Julie that goes nowhere, Tami insists that Coach give their daughter some “fatherly advice,” so he tells her over a game of ping pong that boys only think about two things: sex and food. He’s extremely confident that the message was received, only for Julie to inform them both that she has decided to go on the date. The look that Tami gives Coach is so iconic, it should be photographed and framed in the Marriage Hall of Fame.
Here you go, Museum. You’re welcome.
As the episode draws to a close, Tim and Lyla attend the Jason’s murderball scrimmage, which is like, such a bad idea?!! (Drink.) It’s a really intense game, but Jason scores (I decided to drink for that too, even though it’s not a Panther touchdown, because y’all, the vibes were getting real bad!) and when Tim approaches him afterwards to congratulate him, Jason punches him in the face! I’m so glad I had that drink! And then Tim and Lyla separately make a hasty exit, and Jason begins to cry. Gah, this sucks.
Tim arrives home with a black eye, and Billy silently hands him a bag of frozen peas, then shares his grilled cheese and beer with him. It’s a surprisingly tender moment that reveals the love, deep down, between them.
How many times do I have to take a drink?
9 times, and yes, I got creative with the rules, just like Buddy Garrity.
Did the Panthers win?
There was no football game! And honestly, barely any football at all.
MVP of the Week
I’m pretty sure this is the only time I’m ever going to do this but… I gotta give the MVP award to Julie. Y’all, she was so mature about the whole Matt date thing! From her transparent communication with her parents to her patiently (I mean, patient for a teenager) listening to both of them try to talk her out of it, Julie was both a respectful daughter and a young woman thinking for herself. Then there’s the fact that she chose to go on the date with Matt which is CLEARLY the right decision, so way to be smart, Jules!
Most Disappointing Play of the Week
Look, Smash, I get that you’re under a lot of pressure. But taking money from your church to buy steroids? Dude, I’m not even religious but I’m pretty sure that’s a sin. And on that note, I pray your momma never finds out because it would break her heart (and then she would break your ass, period).
Best Taylor Couple Moment
Coach and Tami losing their minds over their daughter, gasp, growing up was HIGHLY entertaining, but it was two small moments that really tickled me this week. First, when Coach comes home from the store and Tami asks if he remembered the ice cream, he’s offended, saying, “Of course I did,” but we all remember him forgetting to get the ice for the BBQ at the house! And then later, when Tami is freaking out and asks Coach to talk to Julie, he agrees then stops her and says, “Wait a minute… you look beautiful,” and gives her a quick kiss. Y’ALL I LOVE THEM SO MUCH.
Tim Riggins’ Finest Moment
I guess Lyla should’ve known that Tim had been up to a li’l something (named Tyra) when he appeared at his door while putting his shirt back on, but I understand her being completely distracted because GOOD LORD. Also, kudos to Tim for reaffirming that he and Lyla are completely over, and that as far as he’s concerned, she’s “J’s girl.”
The Taylor Advice of the Week
While I do think Tami was right to tell Lyla to keep the Tim secret to herself for Jason’s sake (“You let him heal”), Coach completely won the advice game this week while visiting Jason. He practiced some murderball moves, he listened to Jason talk about how he wants to be a part of something again, and then he tells him: “You grab the bull by the horns and you move on. No seventeen-year-old kid should have to go through what you’re going through. You’re dealing with it, go with your heart.” Like any good coach, he’s honest and direct, but in this case, he’s also speaking with love.
Post-Game Breakdown
As much as it pains me to see Smash going down this road, I really, really loved this episode. We finally get to see Coach and Tami actively try to parent (which is funny but also sweet), and we get our first true glimpse of Tim and Billy’s relationship, which becomes IMO one of the most important in the series. And that’s one of the things this show does best: surprise and delight you with how its characters grow and change.
Next week, Stephanie returns to cover 1.09 “Full Hearts.” My question for her: Are you starting to warm to Tim Riggins yet? (Everyone else is obvs welcome to answer in the comments!)
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I am definitely warming to Tim (in my pants – SORRY!). To be fair I was never that cool on him to begin with – I think I might be one of the few people who can forgive Tim and Lyla for their transgression(s). While Jason’s accident was obviously FAR more traumatic for him, it was also traumatic for them, and they’re dumb teenagers who don’t know how to process something this major. But he still annoyed me for being a drunk and very disrespectful to My Girl Tyra, and he’s improved on both those scores lately. (As an aside – WHY do the two main teen gals need to be named Tyra and Lyla? Every single time I have to take a second to make sure I’m not mixing their names up.)
– Very good point about everyone processing (or not) the trauma of Jason’s accidents. And yes, these are teenagers. They make bad decisions.
– Also fully agree that Tyra deserves better! She just needs to realize that.
– Haha re: the girls’ names, it’s weirdly never been a problem for me! But it does make me think about the cliché of one being blonde and the other brunette.
I dunno if it’s age (despite not being a parent myself) or just having ever-growing/changing views, but I’m finding it amusing how if you’d asked me before this rewatch started I would’ve said Eric and Tami are pretty chill and progressive parents but as I’m watching now…they are really NOT (or, I guess, maybe they’re as chill and progressive as you can get growing up in the South and having certain mindsets ingrained in you from birth). Like, Tami is certainly a step ahead of Eric (although she’s got her own blind spots we’ll see later that she needs to work on), but his views are so old-fashioned sometimes it’s hilarious.
I’m going to say something controversial (and might change at any point in the future), but I??? Might??? Like Julie more than Eric??!?!! Especially when during the dinner prep scene (sandwiched between the ice cream and “You look beautiful” comments), he was Not All Men-ing with “I’m not the enemy. Don’t start lumping all of us into this culture you’ve created”, LIKE?!!!!
Lol! I always liked Julie a lot in this first season (despite the hate for her character later) so I get it! It feels like a weird take. (I’ve been also a bit more side-eye on Eric than I expected before we started this Rewatch, but I think it’s to be expected, as the world we were in when I first watched this to now is VERY different, and there’s attitudes we used to deal with that I’m just O-V-E-R now.) She definitely calls out her parents’ hypocrisy and double-standards, and in general I think she’s being a smart, pretty chill but somewhat sheltered teenager who is exploring her boundaries. I think her reactions to Matt and his grandma situation feel very natural (like this is awkward but I also empathize but don’t know how to show that as a teen), even her issues with him and the rally girls (which hasn’t happened yet in our rewatch, shh) I can understand since she doesn’t see the context we have as viewers.
Agreed, Stephanie! Though I think, within the context of the show, their attitudes are true to life (as you pointed out, re: the South). But yeah, I recall them being much more progressive than they really are.
Yes, I think for the context of the show they are about as progressive as they can get! But definitely nostalgia (or just having gotten through the rest of the show and seen any changes they’ve made, which I haven’t yet gotten to on this rewatch) had me remembering them as parents very differently, haha.