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.
