Welcome back to the rewatch! Previously, Coach Taylor was offered a job coaching college football in Austin and Julie was not enthused about moving again. Tami encouraged Tyra to work towards getting into college, Waverly told Smash she’s bipolar, Tim slept with the single mom next door (because of course he did) and Street may not be sure about wanting to marry Lyla anymore, but is sure about knowing football and told Matt he’d help him take the team all the way.
I’m super excited that we have reached one of the most celebrated episodes of the series! Rolling Stone included “Mud Bowl” on their 100 Best TV Episodes of All Time. Last week, Meredith C. asked my favorite thing about this episode, and I think it might be Eric and his reactions to feeling like the town and the team are getting too big for their britches and maybe it wouldn’t hurt them all to be humbled a bit. Let me know yours is in the comments!
Let’s refresh ourselves on those drinking game rules. I have a feeling we’re going to need them.
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, here we go!
1.20 “Mud Bowl”
Julie and Tami are still waiting for Eric to decide whether he’s taking the TMU job, but to the surprise of no one, he’s currently just focused on football. Even though the Panthers haven’t yet won their next game against the Brant Vikings, the local radio talk is already looking ahead to the possibility that if they make it to the state championship, they’ll be facing off against their old nemesis, Voodoo Tatum. Eric is so grumpy about the hype surrounding their game and his disposition is not improved by Matt finding an envelope of cash in his locker.
Waverly and Lyla bond over dumb boys and target shooting until Smash tells Lyla that Waverly is bipolar and off her meds. Gee, I can’t imagine why she doesn’t want to date him. When Lyla gently suggests to Waverly that Mrs. Taylor is a good person to talk to, Waverly goes to confront Smash about blabbing her business around. He tells her that he loves her but he doesn’t know what to do and suggests that she needs to talk to someone, like maybe his nurse mom.
A massive train derails in Dillon and toxic smoke plumes cause the school and football field to be evacuated. Eric continues to be pissy because the Panthers act like a bunch of crybabies about having to practice on the elementary school field. Mayor Rodell and Buddy break the news that the EPA is keeping the school closed and they’ll have to relocate their home game, but Eric vetoes the proposed stadium where the opposing team practices. While he and Buddy stop for a roadside leak, Buddy wants to know Eric’s plan for the game. Eric looks out at a cow-filled pasture and is inspired.
Riggins is still helping out with Bo, despite Jackie worrying about Dillon being a small town and that people talk. When Tim tells Billy he’s heading over to Jackie’s again that night, in Billy’s typical way, he asks “that kid calling you daddy yet?” Tim claims Bo doesn’t know anything, but Billy warns him that the Jackie thing is going to end badly, probably right around State. After the game, it becomes clear that Bo is absolutely on to them.
Buddy is unimpressed by the homemade field that Eric and the team put together in the cow pasture. He thinks this is about Eric being courted by TMU, not being around much longer and wanting to make some kind of statement. Nobody seems to get Eric’s desire to simplify things to just be about football without all the trappings. He basically ends up daring the Brant Vikings coach in front of the press to play the state semifinal game on their modest down-home cow pasture field.
Landry weasels his way into becoming Tyra’s algebra tutor. When she asks if he’s free for a study date on Friday night, he just about swallows his tongue. Landry gets his hair cut for his big night while Matt explains that “it’s a date” is just an expression. But Landry is ready to declare his feelings and be the leading man for a change. On Friday night, Landy’s car won’t start in the rain and he’s late meeting Tyra at the burger joint. Some creepy guy keeps trying to talk to her and then follows her out to the parking lot, attacking her and attempting to rape her in the cab of her truck. She’s finally able to fight him off using her car lighter and smashing his head with her truck door until he runs off. Landry drives up apologizing as she’s picking up her textbook and papers in the rain. She tells him what happened and sobs on his shoulder.
The night of the big game, the Vikings seem on track to whup Dillon’s ass until the sky opens up and it starts pouring and turning their field into a mud pit. With a little pep talk from Street, Saracen scores a touchdown that reenergizes the Panthers. The ref calls a time out due to the rain but the players and coaches vote to see it through and find out who’s going to the state championship.
How many times do I have to take a drink?
19! This does not count any drinks one might have needed during that Tyra attack scene (and the subsequent impending dread over season two).
Did the Panthers win?
Of course they did! Are you new here? It was a super close game, but with Jason’s help, Matt pulled off another touchdown at the last minute. The Panthers celebrate, pray, hug their families, and play in the mud. We’re going to state!
MVP of the Week
The Streets are understandably stressed about their settlement meeting for their lawsuit against the school and Coach Taylor for Jason’s injury. His mom worries about getting enough money to support Jason when she and his dad aren’t around anymore. But during the settlement meeting, Jason gets fed up with everyone talking about him like he’s just a prop in a wheelchair who’s never going to be able to get a job. He says he’ll write down a number that works for him (after confirming with his mom that it’s enough to pay off their debt and save the house) and then he wants to call it a night. The school district agrees, and Coach gives Jason the head nod of approval.
Landry Play of the Week
Landry forever shooting his shot with Tyra. I love him so much. Hearing that Tyra is headed to study in the library, he follows her. And yes, he just wants to spend time with her, but he’s also offering her help without making her feel dumb about it.
Landry: Tyra, is that you? What are you doing here?
Tyra: Nothing. Just wishing I could build a time machine and go back and shoot whoever it is that invented algebra, that’s for sure.
Landry: Well, see that’s kind of a Catch-22 though because in order to invent that time machine, you may need to use algebra.
Best Taylor Couple Moment
:upscale()/2017/06/10/146/n/1922283/67832fbbeec3a90e_fridaynightlights-gif.gif)
Eric takes Tami out to the pasture to get her on board with his wacky plan. Before she’s all in with her support (mainly at the idea of how much Buddy is going to hate it), this iconic exchange takes place.
Tami: Where would people park?
Eric: I don’t know.
Tami: And how would you put lights in here?
Eric: I don’t know that either.
[MOOING]
Tami: Where would people pee?
Eric: Well, I don’t know. They could use cups for all I care. I don’t know. The cows agree with me. I don’t see why you can’t, too.
Tim Riggins’ Finest Moment
Now this is how you start an episode. All other shows, take note. Visually, waking up in Jackie’s bed is obviously Tim’s finest moment of the week. But I’m also fascinated by how his current arc is giving us the most supportive boyfriend version of Riggins we’ve seen yet. Between Bo and Becky in later seasons, is Riggins developing daddy energy?? Please discuss.
The Taylor Advice of the Week
While driving to work, Eric spots Street coaching Saracen through a little early morning quarterback practice, and again during the game, he notices Jason offering Matt tips and encouragement. When they run into each other at the hardware store, Eric doesn’t miss Jason’s unhappiness with the current state of his life. After the game, Eric praises him on a job well done. Jason deflects and says that Matt’s a good kid, but Eric knows that working with Street made a difference and when he asks Jason if he’s ever thought about coaching, he just lights up. The way Eric observes and really sees people is what makes him such a good coach.
Post-Game Breakdown
- Buddy being hilariously dismissive about the EPA as if concern over exposing their kids to toxic fumes is overkill. This feels deeply on-brand.
- When Coach takes the team to the hardware store to buy supplies to build the football field, most of them are either confused or irritated, but Riggins, being a little chaos gremlin, is practically gleeful.
- Lyla goes to see Jason, wanting to know about the status of their relationship. He loses his shit on her about how he has bigger things to worry about given all the things he’s lost. Lyla gives it right back and yells at him to stop feeling sorry for himself. More of this Lyla, please!
- None of the other players ‘fess up to finding money in their locker, but Buddy is super cagey about the issue. I assume we’ll be hearing more about that next week.
- I am Team Ref over here. I’m pretty sure it’s standard practice to stop the game under those weather conditions. Texas storms like that always come with lightning and that’s just a liability issue waiting to happen.
- Can you believe this season takes place over only three months? There are twice as many episodes as there are regular season high school football games!
My question for next week’s recapper, Meredith B: is there anything about this near-perfect first season that you’re appreciating anew this time around? And be sure to join us back here next week for season one’s penultimate episode, “Best Laid Plans”.
Shop Our Friday Night Lights Themed Merch
– Jason finding newfound purpose coaching Matt!
– Lol Lyla being obsessed with Jason’s shitty tattoo.
– What an entirely Texas solution to letting out frustration over Lyla and Waverly’s boy troubles.
– Tim, why are you being the dad who stepped up lol
– Buddy peeing on the side of the road without even hand sanitizer 🤮
– Tami going from asking very good questions about logistics to loving the idea of playing on a farm field, sure.
– Lyla standing up for herself 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
– I still wish Smash and Waverly’s relationship was more developed, but their scene was a good one.
– TYRA 😭😭😭
“without even hand sanitizer” just really spelled out the difference between Canada and Texas for me. 😂 I like Smash and I like Waverly, but I don’t think I ever bought them together.
GAH that Tyra scene is brutal. She is truly the Jen Lindley of this show where we, the audience, are obsessed with her, and the showrunners are obsessed with giving her character the absolute worst stuff to deal with.
Omg so trueee.
ARGH, I never thought about it like that. WHY IS IT SO TRUE?
I’m with Rolling Stone; truly one of the greatest TV episodes of all time.
– Every time I watch it, I’m blown away by how they shot the Mud Bowl. How was it choreographed?! How many times did people fall?! And how adorable is it that after the game, everyone just gets in the mud and plays around?!
– That scene when Tyra is attacked is just so so awful. I got SO tense knowing it was about to happen.
– Landry!!! Just going for it!! Love you boo.
– That Coach and Tami scene in the field is also one of my faves. It just exemplifies how they get each other.
Agreed, this was a super enjoyable (and sometimes very tense) episode. So many moving pieces put into play.
The editing is so impressive, especially when they cut between the Tyra stuff and the Mud Bowl. It was so rough that I did not want to dwell on it. I like that it ends up drawing Tyra and Landry together, but wow, is there a price to pay for that.
Coach and Tami FOREVERRRR.