Friday Night Lights

[vaznetti]

There's this thing American TV shows do, where everyone gets kind of broken, and then they come together in the end and everyone helps each other, at least a little. Sometimes it can be overwhelming and schmoopy (a couple scenes in Jericho spring to mind, especially the corn-harvesting back in the first part of the season) but I am pretty much a sucker for it under any circumstances, and especially when it's done well, as it was last night. I needed the scenes with the four boys out on the field, with Jason actually helping Matt out, and regaining himself in the doing, and Riggins and Smash pushing them both to it -- and also, a reminder of why Smash is a good leader, the way he made that whole night happen. Because Tim would have bought the beer as his apology and then walked away, uncertain of his welcome.

I really like that Jason did not make the team, and why he didn't: yes, he's an athlete, but he just isn't comfortable enough in the chair to play for the team. I'm kind of back to not caring about the Jason/Lyla thing, except in the way their story mirrors what happened with her parents. So I loved Lyla, on the night of the father-daughter dance, smashing the cars at Buddy's dealership and then walking away. Because she wanted him to be forgiven the way she was forgiven, for a singe crime (or mistake), something that happened once and never again: and now she can't, and she may not be able to forgive herself either.

My parents phoned in the middle, so I missed some stuff with Tyra at the Taylor's but all-in-all I love that it isn't easy for her to do this or for her mother to accept it (and her mother crashing the father-daughter dance, too, was one of those perfect moments which don't actually fix anything but do make you feel less bad about the situation.) I don't think that storyline is over, or fixed: I think Tyra still has a rough time coming.

The actress who plays Tyra's mother is just amazing. She makes the character sympathetic without glossing anything over.

The Taylor family drama took a bit of a back seat this week, which was fine; or anyway, it didn't make a great impression on me. It worked, but I've seen the "great job offer" plotline on a thousand shows and see no reason why it won't turn out the same here.

Tim is a little too much the "damaged boy" for me to find him attractive, but I loved his scenes with the bullies, and teaching that kid to punch, and then of course having the whole Mrs. Robinson thing. It just all seemed so typical of the way his whole life is completely out of control.

But that scene with Matt and Smash and Jason and Tim made me smile and cry all at once. And next week looks like more of the same. I am really looking forward to that.


So this thing called "work"... I guess I should be doing some of that, hunh?

Comments

[musesfool.livejournal.com]

There's this thing American TV shows do, where everyone gets kind of broken, and then they come together in the end and everyone helps each other, at least a little

Yes. I love that kind of thing when it's done well, and I have a feeling it's going to be a large part of next week's episode.

[vaznetti]

Yes, next week looks like it's going to be a classic case of this storyline. I'm really looking forward to it, even though I know I will sob all the way through it.

[musesfool.livejournal.com]

Well, I pretty much range from sniffling to sobbing every week while watching this show, so it's not like it'll be that different for me. *g*

[shrift.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one who can't make it through a single episode of FNL without waterworks of some kind!

[vaznetti]

God, no. I have tears running down my cheeks by the end of every single episode.

[shrift.livejournal.com]

For about the first ten minutes of last night's episode, I foolishly believed that this one wasn't going to make me cry.

I was so, so wrong. But I really didn't mind.

[musesfool.livejournal.com]

You are not alone. *g* Even reading the recaps sometimes can make me teary. It's very, very sad.

[shrift.livejournal.com]

I don't know why, but I when I first start watching an episode, I always think, "Okay, maybe this one won't kill me." But every time, I'm wrong, and I end up teary and clutching my pillow.

Can't say I'm unhappy about that, though.

[zarahemla.livejournal.com]

Isn't it great how they play the Lyla/Tyra storylines off against each other? Lyla, who started out as the all-american princess, is having a huge downswing, while Tyra, whose own mom doesn't even believe in her, gets a bunch of opportunities. Good old passive-aggressive Lyla ... she's like Marge, she keeps it all tamped down and smiles, until it all explodes.

The Coach/Mrs Coach thing did take a backseat, but they threw each other a bunch of wry glances, and it was still completely awesome.

Next week looks like a great week!!

[vaznetti]

Lyla, who started out as the all-american princess, is having a huge downswing, while Tyra, whose own mom doesn't even believe in her, gets a bunch of opportunities.

Yes! I do miss it when they don't interact in an episode.

I think Lyla has really internalized the notion that nice girls don't get angry, so instead she acts like a complete bitch (like she did in Austin, for example) or, as in this episode, loses it so completely that she ends up driving a car through her father's showroom. Everything unpleasant is locked in until it bursts out.