Friday Night Lights, Season 2

I thought Lyla's Christian Co-Host was going to rape her.

 

Overall a good episode, but on the slower side. The Santiago plotline stole the show for me this week. Some really touching moments, and it showed that deep down Santiago isn't a bad person, which I thought was nice.

I still love the show, but anyone notice that last night's episode had no football scenes whatsoever (aside from the coaches watching film, which was a fun scene ... but more focused on Momma Taylor and Gracie Bell). I know this season has lacked football, but usually there was at least a practice scene or a game scene of some kind.

 

love the show. have from the get-go. but even mrs. shockey agrees: "they've gotta give riggins a break already." : : :

 

They didn't show it, but did anyone get the idea that Santiago maybe choked his homeboy to death?

 

Yeah, you gotta wonder. I sure thought it was going in that direction, and then it's done.

 

And no mention of Riggins' purloined 3 grand...or the storyline that apparently came and went about Julie and the teacher she had a crush on.

 

I thought the writers did a great job of illustrating just how hard it is for kids to reform themselves once they're out of the system. The peer pressure of their so-called friends, not to mention they probably have a hard time fitting into their new lives. It makes going back that much easier. I'm glad they didn't take the easy way out and have Santiago go straight back.

This show rarely takes the easy way out ... EXCEPT when it comes to the football scenes. But, by then, we're so involved with the characters that even as sports fans, we usually don't mind. That's a testament to how well-written this show is.

 

Three Stars

1) The camera angle on Riggins as he walks away from the church, after seeing Lyla kiss the Christian, was one of the best shots I can recall. It was such an intense scene, with that song in the background.
2) Coach and Tami on the porch, drinking cheap wine from cheap glasses, talking about their live.
3) The quick, easily overlooked interaction between Landry and Saracen about the dirty latina maid. Their dialogue and interaction is my favorite on the show. So easy with each other, so realistic.

Plot points:
The Buddy/Santiago relationship is fascinating, as evidenced by Buddy's reaction when he comes in. A small thing, but , when Santiago walks in, Buddy grabs the back of his head and starts touching his face, examining him. That shows such a bond between two people. Plus, anything that gets Buddy on the air is fine by me — easily one of my two favorite characters (with Riggins).

Speaking of Rig, I was literally shaking my head in fear of the meth dealer coming after him when he was getting the flowers. Thankfully nothing happened. I don't know if I could've handled that.

Julie's continuing bitchiness is something I enjoy watching, if only because it shows that a 15-year old girl is a 15-year-old girl is a 15-year-old girl. The writers could've had her character all of a sudden love the situation and offer to help baby Gracie, but instead she's full of teenage angst and impatience and only cares about herself. Loved that.

I'll ignore the fact that we haven't heard from Street in a month and the Landry/tyra thing is pushed aside, because, if I've learned anything from this show, it's that situations are resolved. There's a final point. Maybe the final point to Landry/Tyra — besides random scenes of Landry wanting her — was when he basically told her to fuck off because she is who she is.

Overall
If the acting and direction wasn't so brilliant, this kind of episode would've fallen flat. Sure, it was a little over the top in terms of relationship building and furthering along of plots, but simply put, I don't care.

 

That, I could accept as a closing point -- if the separation had been Tyra's idea. But she's just as much the damaged party in this, because of the warning from Landry's father. That's why there needs to be more, even if it's just that Landry finds out his dad put the kibosh on them.

 

I think if the series gets cancelled, the last scene is going to be a series of drive-bys after practice (the rednecks going after Smash, the meth dealer going after Riggins, the gang bangers going after Santiago), it'll be like The Warriors for a whole new generation.

Ditto on the Saracen Landry scene ("and she's hot") and I like the fact that they've actually given some depth to Buddy. I used to hate it when he entered the frame, now I'm almost rooting for him.

 

Who actually won the fight between the Latino kid and his former gang leader? He got the watch back so that was good but I had a feeling something was going to be stolen from the moment buddy moved the stuff from and then back.

Its was an ok episode but what happend to the almost every episode they had a game? I have not seen them play to many games this season in regards to playing for the state championship again.

Also I think the rednecks will do something to Smash so he does not get the full ride to TMU and then Noel will drop him like a hot potato because she is just waiting for the free ride though life when he makes it big.