More on Episode 11 and Episode 12 “What to Do While You’re Waiting”

One aspect of Episode 11 that I decided to wait to discuss until after another episode was Matt’s dad. From the very beginning of the season, we know that Matt’s dad is out of the picture because he is serving a tour in Iraq. At the beginning of Episode 11 he comes home on leave. Matt is extremely grateful because he thinks that this means that he will get some help, especially getting everything squared away with his grandmother’s care. He is wrong. His dad is having an incredibly tough time trying to get used to life back in the States. He lives for the military and doesn’t quite know how to be the dad and support that Matt needs him to be.

Episode 11 is a big game for Matt and he wants nothing more than to impress his dad – Matt wants to prove to his dad that he can be proud of him. Matt has his dad meet Coach Taylor and it is apparent that Matt’s dad never thought that he would start for the Panthers. Coach gives Matt some great compliments and it was a really wonderful moment in the show, especially after all of the drama with “Voodoo” and the losses throughout the season. Take a look at the moment here. [It begins at about 1:20] This clip also shows Matt’s anxiety and his hopes for what will happen while his father is home.

When game time comes around, Matt lets his nerves get the best of him and he must be pulled from the game. He knows that he has let his dad down, but he’s not the only one. Matt expected to get help from his dad, but he didn’t. When his dad found out how bad things were, he told Matt that he was going to send him to Oklahoma to live with his aunt and was going to send his grandmother to a nursing home. This would ruin everything that Matt has worked so hard for. After the game, Matt ends up yelling at his dad and tells him to go back to Iraq because he can take care of their home situation just fine. Check out the argument here.

In Episode 12, Matt’s dad decides to stay in Texas to take care of his mother and so that Matt can stay playing football for the Panthers. Matt tries to help get him a job in town at Buddy Garrity’s car dealership, which does not work out well. At the end of the episode he decides to go back to Iraq because that is the best thing for the family, and his unit needs him. This disappoints Matt, but he takes it in stride.

I decided to wait to discuss this topic because I really wanted to see where everything went. Military service and tours of Iraq hit home for me. My brother spent lots of time in Iraq so I really felt for Matt during both of these episodes. It’s never easy to have someone you love leave for war. I was pleasantly surprised with how well Friday Night Lights dealt with this topic. I appreciate that this show doesn’t stay safe with its storylines. They always make the audience look deeper and really think about what is going on with this show. There is so much more to it than football and I’m gradually getting more and more into it.

More about the music…

If you like the mellow music heard on Friday Night Lights, then look up Explosions In The Sky. They do most of the background music for the show and it’s awesome! Here is just one example:

Also, one song that is heard several times is “Devil Town” by Tony Lucca. Bright Eyes redid the song, but it is Tony’s version that appears on the soundtrack and on the show several times. Here is a clip of him performing it live. (The song actually starts at about 1:08.)

Episode 11: “Nevermind” and Music

Music is much more prominent in this episode than in previous ones. It is used from the very beginning during montage sequences featuring Jason Street and Lyla. One montage features upbeat/inspiring music while Jason is pushing himself to be more independent. The music continues during an early interaction between Lyla and Jason at a music store and continuing into his home. The music is fun and playful, which mirrors their laughter and dialogue. It is meant to be a good moment between the two and the music enhances this feel.

Much of the other music used is instrumental and calming. This type of music sets the tone for a conversation between Jason and Mrs. Taylor. Jason shares his feelings, while Mrs. Taylor is the counselor. The music in the background is just there to emphasize the importance of this moment and to continue to set the mood. This is supposed to be a heart-warming moment and the music helps get that emotion across.

The only music that is surprising is that of Landry’s band, which is introduced in this scene. It is screamo, which doesn’t match their subject matter (God) or the moment between Landry and Tim. Tim is being tutored by Landry and this is a special moment of understanding between the guys. The music somehow fits the scene because of Landry’s quirky character. It just makes sense that he would try to make a Christian screamo band. No other character could get away with it.

Episode 10: “Its Different for Girls” & Shooting Style

For these next few episodes, I’m going to focus on more production aspects of the show, rather than plot because it is a different angle that television critics take when appraising a show. Obviously, several plot lines continue to unfold, the biggest of which being between Jason and Lyla. Lyla attempts to get Jason back after being teased at school, while Jason flat out turns her down. It was a heart wrenching moment for fans of that romance, but I found it liberating for Jason. Now he can learn to be himself in the chair without worrying about Lyla all the time. The Julie Taylor/Matt Saracen romance continues to unfold. They are adorably awkward and very realistic, which is fun to watch. “Smash” finds a new romantic interest, which will be fun to see unfold over the next few episodes.

As for the production aspects, one of the biggest things that I’ve noticed watching throughout the season is the way that the show is shot. I mentioned briefly in one of my first posts about the use of the shaky camera. This is one element that the show is highly acclaimed for because of the realism that it portrays. While it is shot using this specific camera style, another way that they make the show look like a window into the character’s lives is the shooting of certain shots with items blocking the dominant characters. Several shots in this specific episode were taken through blinds, the window on Mrs. Taylor’s door in the Counseling Office, fences, and the window to Coach Taylor’s office. Some were shot in the reflection of a rearview mirror, while others had people walking in front of the conversation that the audience is supposed to be paying attention to. This style of shooting is really unique to this show and demands the attention of the viewer. I found myself having to pay even closer attention to specific moments because of this particular style of shooting so that I didn’t miss anything important.

When watching this show, be prepared to see a lot of faces and a lot of items out of focus. This show is a big fan of the close-up because they are trying to communicate the emotions of their characters to the audience. They want to make the audience see exactly how these characters feel no matter the situation. They show close-ups during practice sequences, dates, dinners, games, and most importantly conversations. When two characters are having a heart-to-heart or an argument about anything, there are close-ups. Most often in this show, there is only one character present in the frame at a time to emphasize whatever they in particular feel about what is going on. Because they use this shooting style, the show is very fast paced and there are a lot of quick cuts. To make these quick cuts look more realistic and give it that documentary feel, a lot of items are out of focus. Certain shots will start completely out of focus and get into focus as it goes forward. This is slightly hard on the eyes. It took me awhile to get used to watching this show and the quickness of everything. It is hard to see things go in and out of focus all the time and for the image to change so quickly. After getting used to it though, I can’t see the show being filmed any other way.

 One production aspect of this show that I wouldn’t change is the way that it uses music. Music is never overbearing and always accentuates the scene. In this particular episode, there is music played during the conversation between Jason and Lyla. It is a very intense conversation with a lot of tears and the music just adds to the scene. There is just something about that moment and the music that made me want to tear even though I wasn’t a fan of the Jason/Lyla romance. This is typical of the music throughout the series. The music is very mellow and is not distracting at all. I find myself wanting to listen to the music from this show before I go to bed because it is so calming. They add popular music when necessary, but most often there is not music or it is intended to just be in the background. I love this.

The more and more I watch this show, the more intrigued I find myself. It is not just about the characters. Sure, they do their fair share of drawing my interest, but everything about the show keeps me watching.

Episode 9: Full Hearts

A majority of episode 9 is about Smash, his current steroid use, and his past. Much of the episode focuses on the fact that Dillon is playing one of Smash’s childhood friends (Junior) that is now one of his rivals. There is a lot of speculation as to what happened to his dad, which is finally resolved at the end of the episode. Smash also has a moment with his sister when she finds him doing steroids. She knows what he is doing is wrong, but she gives him the promise of silence.

This episode is also about the growing relationship between Matt Saracen and Julie Taylor. They go on their first official date, which gets interrupted by Matt’s grandma. Julie gets to see the real Matt, who is a complete sweetheart to his grandma.  The final minute of the show was my favorite part – Matt finally kissed Julie. It was incredibly precious and the moment that all high school girls dream of.

Finally, the rumor mill of high school gets back at Tim and Lyla and their relationship is exposed. Students start heckling Lyla during the game, while the offensive line takes Jason’s side and beats up Tim’s truck. Lyla tries to see Jason, but he tells her to leave. He will not deal with her and takes all the pictures of the two of them down. Tyra freaks out at Tim, slaps him, and screams “Anyone but her.” It was a very intense moment and one where I finally got some respect for her character.

Another character that I finally got some respect for was Buddy Garrity. He finally is there for his daughter when she leaves during the game because she was being heckled by students and fellow cheerleaders. She is surprised to see him, but he tells her “it’s only football,” which is something that even eight episodes in I would never expect him to say. He picked his daughter over the team.

The game in this episode was really intense because of the rivalry between Smash and Junior. The offensive line is still mad at Tim and he gets hit pretty hard. Smash helps him off the field. Tim eventually returns to make a bit hit for Smash so that they can win the game.  

The hits just keep on coming and the next episode will be really interesting. The team finally came together at the end, but will they be able to keep it together? I’m sure something else will push them apart…

Episodes 5,6,7 & 8

It’s been a few weeks and I’ve been doing a lot of watching, especially with Spring Break so I’m going to try to catch up…

Up to this point in the season, there has been an incredible amount of drama, and it just continues. Here are some high points from episodes 5, 6, 7, and 8.

Episode 5:
-  Lyla and Tim continue their relationship behind Jason’s back and Lyla places the blame on Tim.
- Voodoo’s presence is continually felt throughout the episode. It becomes clear that he only chose this team because he felt that he could get recognized for a scholarship by helping the team win state.
- Tyra works at Applebee’s (the product placement continues…) and meets a guy there.
- Jason’s rehab continues and his roommate in the rehab facility puts things into perspective. He says, “Its all relative,” which Jason takes to heart.
- The tension between Coach Taylor and his offensive coordinator continues to build. Their thoughts on the game plan for Friday’s game are really different, especially when looking at the two quarterbacks.
- Matt Saracen doesn’t end up getting the start for the game – they give it to Voodoo. The team isn’t happy about it. Voodoo ends up going against Coach Taylor’s play calling and is pulled from the game. Saracen comes in and wins the game with the help of his loyal teammates.
- After the game, the tide completely changes. It goes from a high to a low in just one moment. Voodoo’s eligibility to play comes out and it is possible that the team could lose the game because of it.

Episode 6:
- This episode begins with a fight between a non-football player and a guy on the team. This sets the tone for the entire episode.
- Lyla goes to Jason’s rehab facility and they try to get intimate – doesn’t work out.
- Tim becomes a complication in Lyla’s relationship with Jason, but she tells him that it is over. Tyra still wants Tim, but he is stuck on Lyla. 
- The fight from the beginning of the episode escalates. The football player (Reyes) ends up in jail, but claims that the fight began because of a racist slur, which was not true.
- Tim finally goes to visit Jason and Jason tells him that his “grace period is over.” Jason needs Tim to be his best friend.
- Matt Saracen becomes conflicted about his old friends like Landry and his new friends on the team, since it is one of his old friends that Reyes fought and supposedly called him a “wetback.” He is also working on trying to get together with Coach Taylor’s daughter, Julie which is incredibly awkward but so fun to watch.
- Coach apologizes to the kid that got beat up and afterwards, Saracen tells the coach what really happened since he was there. Reyes gets cut from the team, even though he was one of their best defensive players.
- Jason sees Tim and Lyla embrace (it was a pretty nice hug) and starts to wonder about his best friend and his girlfriend.

Episode 7:
- This is the Homecoming episode and it begins with a Homecoming rally. Homecoming means lots of alumni support.
- Lyla confronts Tim about his drinking and Tim considers giving it up for her.
- Coach Taylor asks Jason to go to the Homecoming game and he leads the team out on the field.
- Tyra plans an anti-Homecoming event with Tim’s older brother that will have strippers (her sister is one) and lots of booze.
- “Smash” learns about Grady Smith’s Hot 100 list, which will help him get into Texas and he starts to freak out – he is getting inside his own head and doesn’t play well at all at the game.
- Tim comes through at the Homecoming game and makes a speech after the game talking about “one team, one heart” and gives the game ball to Jason.
- Matt Saracen finally gets the guts to ask out Julie Taylor.
- “Smash” is told by Grady Smith that he needs to be bigger so “Smash” finds a way, steroids.

Episode 8:
- Tyra and Tim reconnect in the grocery store, while Jason asks Lyla if there was anything between her and Tim – she lies.
- “Smash” lies to his mom while asking for $1200; he needs the money for steroids, but says that it is for a SAT course. His mom tells the church and they pull together the money for him, which makes him feel really guilty.
- “Smash” also gets a job with Matt Saracen. He doesn’t quite get the hang of having a job and gives a girl a free scoop of ice cream.
- Coach Taylor goes to visit Jason; it is still apparent that he is somewhat a mentor to Jason.
- Since Julie said yes to Matt’s date, Julie and her dad (Coach Taylor) have a conversation about dating. It was a heartwarming moment.
- Tim and Lyla go to Jason’s scrimmage in wheelchair basketball; they sit together and this angers Jason enough to elevate his game.
- After the game, Jason yells at Tim and Lyla. He punches Tim in the face and breaks up with Lyla.

Now its time for my thoughts and questions:

Each one of these episodes focused on several of the loose ends that began in the previous episodes. Some get tied up, while others do not. It was really interesting that Voodoo just made a short appearance in the show. He was there to help bring the team together under the leadership of Matt Saracen at quarterback. Matt has slowly become one of my favorite characters. I really like how awkward he is and his best friend Landry is great comic relief in every episode. I’m really happy that he finally got the nerve to ask out Julie and I hope that relationship works out. I was also really happy that Jason finally found out about Lyla and Tim because that whole storyline really bothered me. After this group of episodes I really found myself not liking Lyla, but really liking Tim, which I think is really odd. It will be interesting to see how Lyla takes no longer being Jason’s girlfriend and whether their relationship is really over. It will also be interesting to see if Tim and Lyla try to make something work since there was obviously something there. Perhaps the rumor mill of high school will work against them though and they won’t work out even if they try.

Throughout these first eight episodes I have really developed a connection to these characters which I think speaks highly of this show. Television shows are based on the characters and they are what drive the show from week to week. Coach Taylor is the rock of the show and Kyle Chandler plays the role incredibly well. I never thought that he would be the character that I would tune in to watch, but he really is. He is the voice of reason in every episode and brings continuity to the show. The relationship that he has with his wife is genuine and they work so well as a team. As a coach, he works with his players to better their lives – it is not just about football. At this point in the season, I am really looking forward to the rest of the episodes and have been really pleasantly surprised by the fact that this show is truly about more than just football.

Episode 4: Who’s Your Daddy

After all of the excitement of the third episode, the fourth was not nearly as dramatic. It did, however, hit on many of the high points that were alluded to in the previous show. A lot of focus is on Voodoo attempting to become a part of the scene in Dillon. He wants to be the starting QB and thinks that his previous performances give him the right to that position. The only things he doesn’t have on his side are the team and the head coach. The rest of the town wants to see this previous state champion as their star, but his attitude isn’t getting him on the good side of Coach Taylor.

This whole episode deals with the theme of rivalry. The Panthers are playing their biggest rivals, who trash their locker room on the Monday before the game. Check out a clip here.

Matt Saracen is dealing with the rivalry between him and Voodoo for the starting position and boy is Matt nervous. His teammates are on his side, but he ends up getting in a bit of trouble when a few of them decide to take it upon themselves to get back at this rivalry team. Saracen takes the fall for his teammates, while he has so much more to worry about, like his grandmother.

No football game in this episode, but the next one should have a lot of built up tension. This was just the transition to so much more.

Episode 3: Wind Sprints

Episode 3 really set the stage for a lot that could happen throughout the rest of the season – there were so many loose ends throughout the episode.

Interestingly the episode begins with game highlights since Episode 2 didn’t have game footage. Unfortunately the team loses, which is the focus of much of the rest of the episode. What will the team do now that they have lost? What will the implications be? Will Coach Taylor keep his job? This last question was one that I found really strange. It was only the second game of the season and his bread and butter player was gone. I would assume that many players on the team would be having a hard time, especially his best friend Tim Riggins, so shouldn’t they be allowed time to grieve? Nope. That is not the case in Dillon. Football really is everything. The team is supposed to win so when they don’t, doubts arise. Matt Saracen is not to blame for the loss, but there is still a lack of faith in him from both his team and the town.

Buddy Garrity, the town’s big shot and one of the high school’s boosters (also Lyla’s father), thinks that something needs to be done about the QB situation so he gets involved. This is fairly typical of his character even with it just being the third episode. He gets Coach Taylor to visit a Hurricane Katrina refugee named Ray “Voodoo” Tatum that was a state champion QB in Louisiana. Recruiting isn’t allowed in high school football so this incident must be done under the radar – even though they see a rival coach leaving the Tatum hotel room as they arrive. Buddy offers Voodoo a place on the team, his family work in the town, and the support of the entire Dillon community. Coach Taylor, on the other hand, tells Voodoo that he can try out to be on his team and that if he has the ability he will play. Hands down, Coach Taylor has his head on straight. He knows the right way to go about things, even with people like Buddy Garrity pushing him to go about things in a wrong way.

After this encounter, Coach Taylor takes control of his team, which had been acting up that week during practice because of the loss. Smash complains about Coach Taylor and Coach Taylor “gets even.” He wakes them up late and makes them do wind sprints in the rain. He reminds them that they must work hard and work together. They are a team.

Take a look here. This was one of my favorite scenes in the series so far.

This scene reminded me of the movie Miracle about the 1980 Olympic Men’s Hockey Team that won gold. They had to prove themselves, just like Coach Taylor’s team did. Take a look:

The most shocking part of the episode was the connection made between Tim and Lyla. Yes, Jason Street’s best friend and girlfriend have a little moment at the end of the episode (they make-out). Lyla is upset because her and Jason just got in an argument and that Tim hasn’t gone to go see Jason yet. She’s yelling and crying at Tim, and he just wraps her up in his arms. Sounds cute, it would be if it weren’t these two people and if Lyla didn’t go running back to Jason after the argument like nothing ever happened with Tim. Stupid emotional girls…

At the conclusion of this episode, I was curious about what would happen in the following episodes. How is Matt Saracen going to take Voodoo coming to the team? Will he try to compete for the starting job? How will the team rebound from the loss the week before – will those wind sprints in the rain have done the trick? What’s going to happen between Tim and Lyla – will anything else happen? Will she tell Jason?

This episode was so intense and my favorite so far. If this is how the show keeps going, I think I’m really going to enjoy it as both a viewer and a critic.

Episode 2: Eyes Wide Open

Before watching the 2nd episode of FNL, I was curious as to what would be similar and what would be different from the pilot and what storylines they would choose to pursue throughout the rest of the season. I was also interested to see how much focus would remain on the injured Jason Street.

The opening of the episode was different than I expected – it opened with two separate churches, one black and one white. I think it might be hinting at another possible theme that the show would tackle (pardon the pun) during the season. Would racism be something that the team would have to overcome? During the pilot, they also alluded to this theme between the two running backs, Brian “Smash” Williams and Tim Riggins, who both said that their dislike of one another had nothing to do with skin color. This opening makes me think that this might not be true…

This episode also focused a lot on the transition from Jason Street to Matt Saracen as the starting QB. The team finds out that Jason is paralyzed from the waist down, but they must keep practicing—they still have a game on Friday. Saracen has never started a game in high school so this episode focused a lot on him getting to know the offense and becoming a real leader of the team. It’s not easy, take a look.

The biggest difference from the pilot, product placement for Applebee’s. Hard to miss it…

More thoughts on the pilot…

Thinking about the pilot this week made me realize how important it is and I realized that I wanted to reflect on it a bit more, especially because I don’t think I gave enought plot detail. It left me completely intrigued as to what would happen next, which is one of the many purposes of a pilot. Any TV series depends on the pilot catching the eyes of network executives, especially after they have spent so much money on just that first episode. Victoria O’Donnell, author of Television Criticism, estimates that pilots for a one-hour show will cost just about $2 million dollars (35). 

One of the other purposes is to set the stage for the rest of the season, which it did quite dramatically. I would have never guessed, with as much emphasis that was placed on the star quarterback (Jason Street) that he would go down so hard in the last few minutes of the episode. I expected something to happen to him, but I thought more along the lines of a broken throwing arm or perhaps a leg. I didn’t see him being taken off on a stretcher, with a neck brace on. I believe that this one action, because of his importance, will open up the rest of the plot for the entirety of the season, and perhaps the series.

The coach of the team, Coach Taylor, seems very important since it is his first season as the head coach. It will be interesting to see how he deals with his star player going down in the first game of the season, especially since the backup QB (Matt Saracen) is not ready to take over. The last few minutes of the pilot rely on him and his ability to lead the team down field so that they have a chance to win the game. While he makes an amazing throw that leads the Panthers to victory, it will be interesting to see how Coach Taylor will prepare him and how the team will deal with him being placed into the starting position.

The coach must also deal with the criticisms of the town. The interest and devotion that the town has to football is really fascinating to watch. My high school football team was important to the school, but not to the town. Shops and restaurants never closed down for a game and the members of the team were only “celebrities” to their fellow students. In Dillon, the team is everything and each person in the town has a say in what the coach should do. The media is rampant and detailing each aspect of the team’s preparation for the season.

The rest of the season should be exciting to watch, to see how relationships change and develop, and to watch the progression of the team. Will Coach Taylor be able to get Matt Saracen ready for the next week’s game? How serious is Jason Street’s injury – will he ever be able to play football again? What about his cheerleader girlfriend Lyla, how will she take his injury? Will she stay by his side? How is the team going to deal with Street’s injury? Will they band together or will things fall apart? The possibilities and potentail are endless.