About:
Howdy Panthers, is Season 3 killing it or what?!! I swear, it’s like we’re in a whole new world over here—a world that makes me laugh, makes me care deeply, and makes me tear up (drink).
Last week, Julie got a tattoo, Coach chose J.D. McCoy to be QB 1 over Matt (ouch), Jason decided that flipping a house with the Riggins bros and Herc was a good way to provide for his lady and baby (what could go wrong?!!), and Tyra seemingly chose Cash over her good sense. Meredith asked how I feel about J.D., and honestly, I feel bad for the guy! His dad is basically a monster (drink), so he’s doing his best to gain his daddy’s approval under incredible pressure. It’s a lose-lose situation, but thankfully, this week, we’ve got Tim Riggins to the rescue! And on that note, it’s extremely appropriate to bring up our drinking game.
The Official FYA Friday Night Lights Season 3 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
You think, “It’s JUST football, people.”
Gracie appears in a scene
You want to punch Joe McCoy in the face
Grandma Saracen gets riled up
Billy and Mindy are too much but you love ‘em anyway
You tear up
Drink twice every time:
The Panthers score a touchdown
Tim and/or Billy Riggins makes poor choices
There’s a classic Coach Taylor pep talk
You think, “Cash is bad news.”
Devin is the shit
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”
Smash gets into college
Now let’s hit the field!
3.05 “It Ain’t Easy Being J.D. McCoy”
Note the “P. Berg” on that locker, nice lil Easter egg!
This episode immediately starts off with a nod to its title: the new Panther players are being hazed by having to run “The Naked Mile,” and J.D., as QB 1, is given special instructions to run to the field house. Unfortunately for him, Coach is in his office and spots him in his birthday suit: “Where the hell are your pants?” he asks. (Perfect line delivery by Kyle Chandler.) J.D. panics and asks him not to tell his dad, which is foreshadowing for this entire episode. “Son,” Coach replies, “I wouldn’t dream of it.” It’s clear to Eric that J.D. not only needs space from his father, he needs to be accepted by the team, so he asks Tim to help by taking the new QB under his wing. This, in turn, leads to Tim taking J.D. in his truck for an epic “Tour of Tim Riggins’ Dillon,” which includes The Landing Strip (“You are not ready for that, son. And when you are, you will know.”), Fran’s Hamburgers* (featuring “The real Rally Girls, and I hope you know what that means”) and Lisa’s house (“Who?” J.D. asks. “You’ll know… you’ll know.” Tim replies. “She’s good times.”). Is Tim a total dog in this montage? Absolutely. But do I love it? OBVS! Unfortunately, Tim’s social maneuvering for J.D. goes awry after this, first due to Joe showing up in the locker room after the game to congratulate everyone with WAY too much gusto (drink) and whisk J.D. away for a family dinner—the happy look on J.D.’s face when his dad congratulates him made me sad, y’all. (And the unhappy look on Coach’s face had me like, SAME.) But the next misstep is solely Tim’s fault (drink): he takes J.D. to a party and leaves him alone, so J.D. proceeds to get wasted in a very cute but oh-lord-this-boy’s-in-trouble fashion. The next day after church, Joe makes J.D. apologize to Coach for being drunk and GOD it’s so uncomfortable and terrible but at least we get to take a drink.
*The way Taylor Kitsch pronounces “hamburgers” is like, so weirdly Canadian.
And now, to my second least favorite storyline: Tyra and Cash! He wants her to spend more time with him, going so far as to give her cash (hey-o) for her college applications so she doesn’t have to work overtime at Applebee’s, and girl, I wish you did not take that money. But then, the next night, a young woman with a toddler shows up at Tyra’s door and tells her that Cash owes her child support, which leaves Tyra shook but me feeling smug because this dude practically has a red flag waving in his cowboy hat. She stands her ground with him initially, telling him to eff off, but he eventually wins her back by saying that this woman is crazy and he only hooked up with her once five years ago, so that’s definitely not his kid, and why would he lie to her? Hmm yeah I’m SURE he’s telling the truth, Tyra. UGH.
In sad news, Jason says goodbye to Erin and baby Noah after making it clear he wants her to stay. She is sweet but understandably skeptical of things working out, so they hit the road, leaving Jason crying. Poor dude!! And then he has to turn around and deal with this mess of a house flip, because Billy is immediately causing problems. (“Why do we have to do everything upstairs?” he asks Jason and Herc. Uh, bro.) The boys just can’t stay on task or under budget, and Jason keeps losing his shit which only makes it worse. When he runs into Coach at the lumber yard, he spills his guts about the house and the drama, and Coach’s face is all of us, i.e. dude why did you think this was a good idea?! But because Eric Taylor is truly a stand-up guy, he comes by the house later and ends up helping Jason finish a ton of the work. And then we get to witness an extremely precious moment when Erin calls from the road and holds the phone up to Noah’s ear so Jason can serenade him with “A Hole in the Bucket” which is so damn goofy and sweet it made me tear up (drink).
And now, an insanely exciting update for Crucifictorius fans! Their bassist quits, so Landry and the drummer, Jimmy (played by Caleb Landry Jones, what!) audition several people, all of whom suck until Devin (cue badass riot girl music) shows up. Devin is straight out of a Delia’s catalog; she’s got short brown hair, a green cardigan, a nose piercing, and a chill AF attitude. And she totally slays on bass AND on vocals! Drink!!!! Jimmy speaks for all of us when he says, “I mean, she’s in right?!” Oh she is SO IN.
You know what? Let’s just watch that scene because Devin rules so hard:
DEVIN NIGHT LIGHTS is totally a show I would have watched, ngl.
Later, at the school dance, Landry shows Devin some of the songs he’s written, and she rightly calls out that they are all about the same girl, and like, maybe if he stopped obsessing, he could write better songs and the band could be great? Yes, Devin! Once again, I drink to you! She then asks Landry if that girl is at the dance, and after glancing at Tyra, Landry says no. Dude, listen to your new bassist!
And now for the last storyline of this episode, which makes me grin like an idiot. So! Grandma Saracen is aaaallll riled up (drink) about Matt no longer being QB1, and when she and Matt run into Coach and Julie at the grocery store, she lets him HAVE IT! He’s all smiles, asking her how she’s doing, and then his face immediately falls when she launches into this diatribe: “I’m not that good. You wanna know why? I’d be doing a HECK of a lot better if I thought you were gonna do the right thing and make my grandson starting quarterback like he should be.” While she’s ranting, Julie and Matt walk away to talk and fidget adorably (there’s even a shot of their feet shifting nervously on the floor; such a small detail that speaks volumes). After Grandma wraps it up with “It’s hard to stay mad at you, Coach Taylor,” the two teens smile broadly at each other and y’all know this romance is BACK BABY! Matt shows up at the house the next day and asks Julie to go to the lake, where they swim and talk and flirt, followed by a campfire with Julie on a soapbox about hot dogs and Matt retorting that they’re delicious, i.e. ying and yang y’all! And then… they start furiously making out!! And then they have sex!!! And then in the early morning, Matt drives her home, and they stare at each other so dreamily, and back in her room, Julie looks in the mirror and smiles and my heart is BRIMMING for them. Just BRIMMING.
How many times do I have to take a drink?
20
Did the Panthers win?
Yes, though we barely saw it. NOT a complaint, btw. I’m glad the writers gave this episode entirely to the happenings OFF the field.
MVP of the Week
I gotta go with Coach! He helped Jason out tremendously, both mentally and physically, and he also tried to help J.D. which in turn was a nice validation for Tim (even if it turned out… not great). He also survived being judged by his daughter for the simple pleasure of a frozen burrito at the grocery store. Let the man have his burrito, Julie! He’s earned it!
Worst Parenting Play of the Week
When Tyra tells her mom about Cash giving her money for her college apps, Angela is smitten. “Well, this is a very good man. They don’t normally like to take care of you just like that.” Oh good grief.
Best Taylor Couple Moment
There’s a super cute subplot in which Tami has to chaperone the school dance and, in a convo featuring a lot of “honeys”, tells Coach he has to be her hot date, which he is not keen on doing. Cut to the dance, where he show up very late with paint in his hair, and while Tami doesn’t know what he’s been up to (and we do, therefore instantly forgiving him) she still allows him to take her in his arms for a slow dance. “I could have you fired,” she says, to which he replies that she’d have to go through a lot of approvals, from the board of supervisors to the boosters. “Oh lord,” she sighs, leaning into him, “it would be a lot of trouble, wouldn’t it?” MAN they are just perfect.
Best Other Couple Moment
Lyla doesn’t get much screen time in this episode but she makes up for it by looking both hot AND being a better girlfriend and friend than Tim and J.D. deserve. Wearing a green dress and cowboy boots, she tells Tim she wants to go to the dance, and he can’t help but ask, “Are you gonna wear something as cute as this tonight?” She says maybe, and then he replies, “Then I’m going, with bells on. We’re gonna have the time of our lives tonight.” It’s just really nice to see them being a normal, adorable couple without any scandal attached! Of course, she then has to help Tim get a drunk J.D. home but I guess that’s the price you pay for dating Tim Riggins?
Tim Riggins’ Finest Moment
Okay y’all this was almost like TOO MUCH FOR ME. When Jason shows up to the house, Tim is there, ready to get to work, wearing a construction hat (with #33 on it, obvs) and nursing a beer. He tells Jason he got out of school by informing them that he’s pregnant. Sure, it’s a dumb joke, but LOOK AT THIS MAN. He’s one boombox away from being the stripper of our DREAMS.
The Taylor Advice of the Week
When Coach drops by the house to check on a frustrated Jason, he immediately assesses the situation with his spidey coach senses. Jason confesses that he’s made a huge mistake, but Coach stops him right there. “You’re 20 years old. You’re not supposed to know what you’re gonna do with the rest of your life yet.” He tells Jason not to beat himself up for taking chances and to never give up on his goals. It’s also one of those rare times when Eric references his father: “My dad used to say, it always looks bad before it gets better.” It’s honestly beautiful to see Coach continue to mentor Jason, and the fact that he backs it up by staying to help—well, that’s our MVP right there!
Mindy’s Wedding Dress
Why yes this DOES need its own section in my recap. Y’all, not only does this dress have wings, it also slightly shows Mindy’s butt crack. As Angela says, “Very tasteful.”
Post-Game Breakdown
SO many iconic moments in this episode!!! Devin’s first appearance! Julie and Matt having S-E-X! Grandma Saracen reading the riot act to Coach! Tim giving J.D. and all of us his tour of Dillon! Damn, this season is SLAYING… just like Mindy’s wedding dress.
Meet Stephanie here next week as she covers 3.07 “Keeping Up Appearances.” My question to her and y’all: do you understand why Tyra is so enamored with Cash, or is it impossible to accept that a smart girl such as herself would fall for this guy?
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I looooove this episode! Gah I’m obsessed with S3, it’s all I want to watch or talk about. The Riggins/Dillon montage had me rolling, I actually rewound it and watched it twice. I can’t believe how hard-core I’m shipping Matt & Julie?? JASON SINGING ON THE PHONE?! Coach and Tami being Coach and Tami? DEVIN?! Oh we are back, baby. We are like cheerleaders spelling out A-W-E-S-O-M-E levels of back.
To A your Q: I could see the appeal of the rodeo cowboy thing UP UNTIL a woman shows up at Tyra’s house demanding child support, and she somehow believes him when he just dismisses her as crazy and a liar? That is the first move in the deadbeat dad playbook, Tyra!!
– “We are like cheerleaders spelling out A-W-E-S-O-M-E levels of back.” YES!!! It’s such a good feeling!!!
– “That is the first move in the deadbeat dad playbook, Tyra!!” FOR. REAL. And Tyra of all people should know that based on who Angela has dated.
– I wish Tyra wasn’t so goofy over Cash — or that Cash was more charming lol — because Angela’s seal of approval should have repulsed her IMMEDIATELY!!! Although I suppose it’s consistent with Tyra making poor choices with older men 🥲 high school boys like Tim and Landry, she can handle. MORE REASON TO STOP DATING ADULTS.
– Joe McCoy is so cringe. I do feel sorry for JD for being so sheltered, but he really has no identity or personality outside of football.
– I live for happy Lyla/Tim!! Bullshit free since…. several episodes!!!!
– Random observation from my notes: “Jeremy Allen White’s Texan cousin on the team is annoying”. (The same face keeps popping up and being obnoxious lol)
I know Julie can have her moments but this entire episode for her and Matt I was just grinning ear-to-ear, they are so cute! It was a “perfect” first time moment for them both (even if it wasn’t Matt’s first time. I’m just going to pretend that what happened last season doesn’t count!!!! *sticks fingers in ears and closes eyes*).
Jason singing on the phone was just too effing cute.
The thing that cracks me up the most about Mindy’s wedding dress is how TINY the wings are. Like, those need to be doubled in size, at LEAST. If we’re going tack, go FULL TACKY.
HARD AGREE on the wings, Stephanie. Go big or GO HOME.