About:
Drinks Taken: 17
Follow the whole rewatch here!
We made it, y’all!!! Season 2’s reign of terror is finally drawing to a close! I had the dubious privilege of ushering season 2 in, and I am now the one putting it to rest. Attempted rape, murder; murder cover-ups; cheating; inappropriate adult-teen relationships; international travel for healthcare; almost threesomes; strained family dynamics; racist, lying pricks; freakin’ tornados; surprise pregnancies (*sings* just you waaaait); and, a Tim Riggins’ glow-up. Season 2 had it ALL.
Last week Matt got ennui, Tyra AND Julie caught jealousy, and Smash got dropped from his scholarships. Whatever will happen next? Better have a drink in hand!
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!
2.15 “May the Best Man Win”
All the major colleges are ignoring Smash’s increasingly desperate calls. Coach Taylor invites Smash to visit his old friend, Coach Deeks, at Whitmore University, a small (fictional) HBCU that was 2-8 in their last season. As before, Smash scoffs at this offer, but Coach straightens him out right quick: “Whitmore is one of the only schools that is still standing behind you after this mess you’ve gotten yourself into. […] You didn’t listen to me last time. I’m asking you to please listen to me this time.” In a sweet moment that made me tear up, Coach Deeks tells Smash that he saw him play as early as six years ago and told Taylor he thought Smash was one to watch. In fact, when the Dillon coaching job came knocking, Deeks was the one to push Eric to take it, saying, “Brian Williams is going to be a star. He’ll make you one too.” Smash is overcome with emotion at this display of confidence in him and immediately gives Whitmore his verbal commitment.
Tami runs into her high-school ex, Morris ‘Mo’ McArnold, who is now a real-estate mogul buying up strip malls and donating helicopters to the Dillon Hospital. (Fun fact: Mo is played by Peter Berg, who was an executive producer for all 5 seasons.) Eric is not thrilled. “He talks a lot,” introverted Eric says, and by the end of the episode, I totally agree with this assessment. Mo is clearly not over Tami—she’s wonderful and still hot; why should he be?—so he flaunts his money and status in Eric’s face over the course of multiple interactions. Dinner at a swanky Italian restaurant devolves into an alcohol-fueled dick-measuring contest, where Mo maintains Eric stole Tami away by telling her Mo was sleeping with another girl. Tami snaps she already knew, and, like, Eric doesn’t actually deny anything, so Mo may have a point! Ha! The drunks end up fist-fighting across the (now empty) room while a furious Tami walks out.
Tim is in a full-on charm assault, and, let’s be real, it’s only cute because HE’s cute. This is textbook stalking. He convinces the Christian radio to let him do a show about sports (but it’s mainly girls calling in to ask him on dates) and he forces Billy to go to church with him every Sunday. Chris invites Lyla to his family ranch—where at least Tim can’t follow them, she snaps—and the dinner seems to go well (better, at least, than dinner with Matt Czuchry’s other rich, white family). There’s laughter and an upbeat music montage, but I can’t help but feel like Lyla’s smile isn’t reaching her eyes. When they’re alone upstairs later, Lyla is oozing with disappointment when Chris pulls away from their make-out session first, citing he wants to do this “right” as he plants a chaste kiss on her forehead. Mayhaps Lyla is having some flashbacks to tequilas and that almost-threesome and regretting her pious ways??
Lyla: “The ranch was great.”
Riggins: “Oh, really?”
Lyla: “Yeah, really. His family is great. He was the perfect gentleman.”
Did you see her pursed lips after she said “perfect gentleman” and Tim’s knowing look??
We’ll wrap up with Jason, who, ironically, did NOT wrap it up during his one-night-stand because he thought “cripples couldn’t get [women] pregnant”, but SURPRISE! And it truly IS a surprise, because I, having watched this show before, did not remember this plot-point at all! Remember waitress Erin? (It’s doubtful, because I sometimes also forget Jason is even on this show.) Erin’s nineteen, knocked up, and thinks having a baby is insane, but Jason spends the episode literally begging her to reconsider, as him getting someone pregnant is statistically improbable and this could be his final shot at fatherhood. (Sure, Jan.) We don’t get to hear her answer before we fade to black, and, thus, the most uneven season ends with the world’s okayest cliffhanger. Do I think two teenagers who barely know each other should have a kid just because Jason may never be able to have a biological child in the future? I really don’t, but, ya know…we are in Texas.
How many times do I have to take a drink?
17
Did the Panthers win?
Yep. The Panthers CREAMED the South Pine Tigers, and the only reason they got any points on the board is because Coach Taylor saw the bummed-out faces of the opposition and basically told his guys to let ‘em have one so they wouldn’t be leaving 45-0. His little grin as he watched the other coaches cheer for their team’s touchdown was SO cute. After all, it’s just high school football! (Drink!)
MVP of the Week
I think I gotta give it to Smash. He could’ve saved himself a lot of grief over the last few seasons if he would’ve ever taken his mama’s or his coach’s advice, but Brian Williams apparently needs to learn by doing. The backlash of that theater incident falling on him was completely unwarranted (and racist), but while we know he’s been hurting, Smash has showed more grace under pressure than we’ve seen from him before, from supporting his teammates to hustling for a new scholarship and trying to stay positive while internally freaking out. I’m starting to think the kid may be alright.
Rudest Play of the Week
Tyra and Landry are OFFICIAL and flaunting it around school, though the only ones who seem to notice are Jean and Matt, both with stank faces. Later, Matt is still deep in his doldrums and determined to bring Landry down to his level. It’s NAGL. He tells Landry that Tyra doesn’t seem like his type, which is confusing to us all, because, uh, hello? Have you NOT been paying attention to Landry’s Tyra obsession the last two seasons, Saracen??! He snidely and rudely pokes holes in Landry’s appreciation of Tyra’s “boudoir” prowess: “Well, she probably knows what she’s doing; she’s had some practice. It’s not like you’re her first…or second.” Just because the “hot, Mexican nanny” left you, Matty, does not give you the right to slut-shame Tyra Effin’ Collette. Flag on the play, go to time out and do not pass go. (I’ve still learned nothing about football, y’all.)
Best Taylor Couple Moment
Mo is the impetus for this truly adorable, whole-family Taylor moment, and thank Lyla’s Christ that we end season two with the Taylors in a good place, because this season had me questioning our devotion to FYA’s favorite football dynasty.
Eric: “He’s an old boyfriend of your mom’s ’til I came along. Lucky for both of you, the best man won.”
Tami: “That’s right, honey. I’m your prized Guernsey.”
Eric: “That’s right, baby.”
Eric’s little smirk, and Julie’s face at her dorky parents but secretly loving it; it’s all too cute!
Tim Riggins’ Finest Moment
Ms. McGowan: “Good morning, Timothy. How are you this morning?”
Riggins: “I’m wonderful, and you?”
Lyla: *stares incredulously*
Lyla: “I can’t.”
Riggins: “Alright, suit yourself.”
*Chris seethes, Lyla grins*
Is Tim only attending church and charming old ladies to make Lyla like him again? Yes. Is it working on her (and us)? Judging by Lyla’s wide grin and Chris’s look of concern, also yes.
Runner-up moment: Tim being a cocky little shit when Chris tries to tell him Lyla is over him:
Chris: “She’s gonna be with me, so…”
Tim: “You’re not letting it register.”
Chris: “Go Panthers.”
Tim: “Cheers.”
The Taylor Advice of the Week
Eric’s blunt advice to just LISTEN TO HIM has led to Smash going to college, so he deserves this week’s kudos!
Post-Game Breakdown:
Clearly this was not supposed to be the original season finale, and while I’m sure they retooled parts of it, this episode had a weird, frenetic energy. Trying to tie all the plot threads together to create this post was an exercise in frustration as there were so many choppy little scenes bouncing from character to character. I’m looking forward to some fresh storylines!
My ending question for y’all: If you were Erin, would you have Jason’s miracle baby??! 😅 But for realsies: Obvs, season 2 was a real dumpster fire, but what was your best season 2 highlight?
Join us next week when we unveil the new drinking game, and then Mandy W. will be back later this month to kick off season three’s “I Knew You When.” Thanks for sticking with us through the mess; only place to go is up!
Shop Our Friday Night Lights Themed Merch
Your summary of the entire season both had me rolling but also reeling because, holy crap, a lot of dumb stuff has happened in S2.
But my highlight of the season: Coach Tami!
– Wow, okay, I’m glad you reminded us that this was not originally planned as the season finale because, having just watched the S3 premiere, uhhh… there’s a lot that happens that we don’t get to see!
– WE MADE IT THROUGH S2 I AM SO PROUD OF US.
– The fancy Italian restaurant where they go with Mo is Carmelo’s, which is sadly no longer open. I LOVED that place.
– My S2 highlight was most definitely Tim’s Glow-Up.
– And no, Jean, you should not have a baby just because the father “might not have another chance.” Ugh, I am so over these tragic Jason storylines.