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Howdy, y’all, and welcome back to our Friday Night Lights rewatch!
Last week, Mandy W. posed this question: My burning question for y’all: which sport would you like to see Tim assist with? Badminton. And no, I will not expand on that.
The previous episode sees Tim running back to the football field, Smash and Saracen hooking up with inappropriate people, Eric continuing to be a dunderhead, and Julie being mad at her mom. Minus the fact that Landry turned himself in for murder, life is pretty normal in Dillon. Before we dive into this week’s, let’s revisit the 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 episode!
2.10 “There Goes the Neighborhood”
While Tim and Julie are at the store, a tornado hits town. It doesn’t cause much damage in Dillon, but it does half-destroy a neighboring high school, so the football team—I couldn’t tell if there were other students along with them—arrive at Dillon High to use the Panthers’ facilities. Obvs, the teams don’t get along, and many a prank and fight ensue, including a food brawl in the cafeteria, thanks to none other than Landry. When one of the fights in the locker room escalates to the Larabie coach putting hands on Tim, Eric blows up and Papa Bear unsheathes his claws.
Pam Garrity tells Lyla that she’s engaged to Kevin, and then Lyla tells Buddy after a day at a fun park. He’s shooketh, because he feels blindsided by the news and still loves Pam. He tries to fight for her, after a deep conversation with Eric over beers at the laundromat, but she tells him it’s over. (She’s WAY too good for him.)
Landry tries to take his relationship with Tyra public, but she’s not into it. So when the 40-year-old QB from the Larabie team asks her to the upcoming fall dance, she accepts (after turning Landry down). While at a party the night of the dance, Landry realizes that he isn’t OK with letting her go. So he heads to the dance to tell her that they’re good together, etc. Tyra admits to liking him more than she’s ever liked anyone, but that she needs time to think things through. (Pretty sure most of her hesitation is about the visual and people’s judgment, which is super crappy of her, but tracks for a popular high school girl.)
Tami’s fed up with Shelley “being flirty” with Tim and says some really unkind things. Shelley doesn’t leave, but the air is definitely chilly in the Taylor household. And it only gets colder when Tim brings a drunk Julie home and tries to put her to bed and Eric walks into them in a compromising condition; he kicks Tim out without a second thought.
How many times do I have to take a drink?
10. Although I likely missed a y’all or two.
Did the Panthers win?
There wasn’t a game this week.
MVP of the Week
If you’re surprised I’m honoring Tim this week, you’re no more surprised than I am. But his brotherly actions towards Julie—both sheltering her from the tornado and keeping the sketch dude away from her at the party—were so sweet. As were his attempts to make himself useful around the Taylor house. That boy wants nothing more than to feel like he belongs and to be loved.
Longsuffering Play of the Week
The sigh Tami sighed when both Julie and Shelley were being all flustered around Tim. I felt it in my bones.
“Best” Taylor Couple Moment
The Taylors only had one real scene together this week, and it was an argument about Tim staying with them. It ended with Eric talking out his ass about gender teams and how Tami needs to practice more “Christian charity.” For a guy who gives such epic pep talks, he really should know better when to shut his mouth.
Tim Riggins’ Finest Moment
See my notes in MVP of the Week.
The Taylor Advice of the Week
Eric to the Larabie coach after his altercation with Tim: “If you ever touch one of my players again, you will never coach another football game as long as you live, you understand me? And after that, I will kick your old tired ass six ways from Sunday, Donald.” Standing ovation, Eric. Way to recover after that mess with Tami earlier.
Post-Game Breakdown:
- Jim Spencer (who announces the weather in the beginning of the episode) is/was an actual weatherperson in the Austin area.
- I’m also pretty sure Buddy and Lyla were at the amusement park formerly known as Austin’s Park and Pizza, where my mom’s partner works. (It sounds weird to describe 70-year-olds as boyfriends.)
- Am I starting to like Tim? I don’t know what to do with these feelings.
- As much as I like Tyra, Landry 100% deserves better than her.
Come back next week for Meredith C.’s recap of “Jumping the Gun.” My question for her—and you, gentle readers—is: What would you do if you were in Tim’s shoes? Would you even try to get Eric to believe the truth?
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Julie is a MESS this season! Pull it together, girl. She should be the one explaining things to Coach.
OK, yes, 1000%. But she’s not going to (because drama) because Julie.
— I did NOT remember this random tornado subplot; literally, how much can they STUFF into season 2 and then not even discuss again?? I didn’t even realize that after Tami threatens the inappropriate English teacher in the classroom there is NO fallout; it’s literally never mentioned again. Why??
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— LOL, I texted MW while I was watching a picture of the football dude Tyra goes to the dance with and was like, this is a 35-year-old man, NOT a HS student, so I’m glad it wasn’t just me. And you’re gonna pick THAT over Landry? Agreed they didn’t do anything to make me feel like the only reason she didn’t want to be with Landry is purely looks, which is so shallow and unbecoming of her, and I’d hoped after everything she’d moved past that a bit more. I could see her being on edge being with him after the whole murder thing and being around him reminding her of it, or his borderline-creepy intensity on her. At the end of the last episode with them hugging, she’s happy it’s over and he still looked depressed about it with a dead-eye stare over her shoulder. But then this episode he’s immediately back to single-mindedly focusing on his crush on her, no more guilt about that murder, no sir! I also would’ve “gotten” it more if there was a reveal, perhaps, that he was focusing on this too much again to avoid thinking about the murder. Like…just some more character depth, please, season 2!
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— Anyway, I am with you, MC, I knew that there were reasons why I HAD liked Riggins before rewatching, but he was such a butt in season one that I was starting to wonder if, like Eric, I was using my rose-colored glasses a bit too much. But I loved all the moments Tim had at the Taylor’s home, and I wish we got more of this Tim/Julie sibling relationship before that moment at the end. UGH, Eric, for not letting the guy give any kind of explanation before kicking him out when you’ve known him for years, and UGH, Julie, for what she does in the next episode waiting so long to speak up. Way to try and ruin the ONE good male role model is this guy’s life. And UGH Tim for being all zen about it and not being like, NO, Coach, LISTEN, I would NEVER. (I know, like they’d probably ALL say that even if they WERE predators, but at least listen to his side and then Eric can confront Julie about it when she’s sober.)
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— Oh, Pam. How did you put up with Buddy for so long. The way she deescalated him at her door was quite impressive.
– Haha I actually LOVED Julie and Shelley mooning over Tim. Sorry but that would totally be me.
– Related, GIVE IN TO THE LIKING OF TIM RIGGINS, MANDY! It will enhance your life, I swear.
– I do think it’s realistic for Tyra to be freaked out about the public reaction to her dating Landry. Does it suck? Totally. Is it what a regular hot teen girl would do? Probably. Also, and I say this with ALL OF THE LOVE for Landry, he still has a Friend Zone vibe. I’m pretty sure I’m a way bigger fan of him at my age than the first time I watched this show (in my late 20s).
– SNORT, the 40 y.o. high school student from Larabie. I suppose the show had to cast appropriately with their own old teens, but that was probably the worst offense so far.
– Big Bro Tim was SO FUN, so OF COURSE Season 2 promptly taketh as quickly as it giveth.
– Shockingly, Landry’s storylines are still insufferable after the murder sitch gets resolved! I don’t think we’ve had a single fun Landry tangent since maybe S2.E01. Understandable, with the murder angst, but the show’s completely moving away from things we loved from Season 1.
– Similarly, I feel like more often than not in Season 2, we’re grasping at straws for the best Taylor couple moment, even with them living in the same house again.
– Thinking about all these frustrating nuggets, but then the occasional delightful morsel among them — Season 2 might not be as entirely awful as remembered, but now I’m fixating more on the wasted potential. Like Tim should have had 75% less Ferret Guy time, which should have gone more to fun side quests like Tim as an athletic go-fer and temporary Taylor. (Tim babysitting Gracie Bell?? Who says no, besides Tami and Eric lol)
!!!! to your last point. WAY more fun to watch than some of these storylines.