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Friday Night Lights (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter Capella
- Start date
Good, I was hoping it would start soon.
bigbottom
Footballguy
The show had a few hiccups. The Landry murder story and the Jason Street wheelchair rugby narrative were missteps, IMO. But overall, the show had an amazing level of consistent quality over the course of five seasons. And I maintain that The Taylors are one of the most realistic depictions of a married couple I've ever seen on television.
Kiddnets
Footballguy
Kiddnets
Footballguy
Superdbs
Footballguy
Will really miss this show--my whole DVR is getting filled up with series finales all of a sudden--24, Lost, now FNL 
Thought they did a great job re-inventing the show each year and keeping it fresh--Taylor being forced out of Dillon and having to revive the broken down East Dillion program and some of the kids being forced to switch schools while also introducing the new characters was genius. Also liked the bittersweet realism of the finale, some stories neatly tied up, others left kind of open-ended. Loved the 5 minute or so piece after the episode, where the actors were talking about the experience of working on the show and how much they loved it, hope that part will be seen by the NBC viewers as well.
Thought they did a great job re-inventing the show each year and keeping it fresh--Taylor being forced out of Dillon and having to revive the broken down East Dillion program and some of the kids being forced to switch schools while also introducing the new characters was genius. Also liked the bittersweet realism of the finale, some stories neatly tied up, others left kind of open-ended. Loved the 5 minute or so piece after the episode, where the actors were talking about the experience of working on the show and how much they loved it, hope that part will be seen by the NBC viewers as well.
pollardsvision
Footballguy
I wholeheartedly agree with that. That great relationship was always the heart and soul of the show. It was also the quality of the depiction of the marriage got me hooked because that's what let me know that this wasn't just a made for TV Varsity Blues (I didn't watch the 1st seasons 3 seasons live b/c I assumed that's what it was).With that relationship be so well done and the heart of the show, they could get away with a clunker storyline here and there. That was their bread and butter and they always got it right.
I loved the lack of dialogue for so much of the back end of the finale (from the kick-off of the game on). In addition to the marriage, the thing I always thought FNL did better than any other show was to be able to say so much without words.
pollardsvision
Footballguy
One thing I loved about Coach Taylor, in general, was that he came off as an ####### so often, even though he generally ended up doing the right thing. They were able to make him a hero, while also making it feel authentic. They could've so easily tried too hard to make him out to be a hero and made him too likeable too much of the time. So many times, he behaved the way you'd expect a super busy and stressed coach and husband to behave. So many times, he was unfairly short and curt with people that wanted his attention. To me, they showed alot of confidence in his character that way.
pollardsvision
Footballguy
FNL never had good ratings. Much of the problem, I think, was that they marketed the show incorrectly early on. They eventually got it right, but not doing it right from the start hurt alot. They worked the football angle early on when they should've been going after female viewers. This show is taylor-made for women to love. Every chick I've ever convinced to watch this show has gotten absolutely hooked. The football stuff threw people off, I think. This show is an amazing human drama with the most authentic marriage in TV history that just happens to involve football. It took them too long to get that message to their potential target audience. Women weren't fired up to watch a show about football. Men either didn't watch because they didn't want to watch Varsity Blues or they watched hoping for a football show and were disappointed to be watching a chick drama. The show had the perfect elements to drive ratings, I think. If they'd gone after the women first, the women could've easily gotten their husbands on the couch next to them (it's about football and has hot chicks, after all).Then again, having a football-related show that will need women to drive the ratings was probably just doomed from the start (ratings-wise). Thankfully, DirecTV bailed them out and we got 5 seasons. A few more would've been nice but 5-7 great seasons seems to be about all you can expect from most quality shows.
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I thought that was a phenomenal way to end the series. Only thing missing was Minka Kelly.
The Landry murder story and some pretty unrealistic football games were the only weak spots of an otherwise great show.
Kiddnets
Footballguy
Minka, Tyra and my fave the Coach's wife! Guess I'm getting old....
I thought that was a phenomenal way to end the series. Only thing missing was Minka Kelly.The Landry murder story and some pretty unrealistic football games were the only weak spots of an otherwise great show.
Masked Vigilante
Footballguy
Season 2 was crap but 1, 3, 4 and 5 were all top notch. So many great emotional arcs.
Fullback Fro
yesno
parrot
Footballguy
Sepinwall and Fienberg hit on another pretty big weak spot which was the treatment/ignoring of Hispanic characters. Street's rise as a sports agent was pretty weak too.
5Rings
Lurker
I said the same exact thing to my wife. Woulda been great to see her somewhere in there...
pollardsvision
Footballguy
Better late than never.If you find you don't enjoy Season 2 quite as much (many didn't), don't let it stop you. Seasons 3-5 were all outstanding (and progressively better than S1, imo).Sweet Jesus, where have I been?Wife and I just plowed through season 1 and were now 5 episodes into the second season. Great show.
bigbottom
Footballguy
I'm jealous. Wish I could be watching them all over for the first time again.Sweet Jesus, where have I been?Wife and I just plowed through season 1 and were now 5 episodes into the second season. Great show.
Fred Flintstone
Footballguy
I'm watching last weeks episode, the one about East Dillon not being ranked. When Coach Taylor is talking to his friend and ex-coach from West Dillon, the coach tells him why hes not ranked. I listened 4 times and still can't tell what he said.
That or why the league is looking into the hit.
Can someone fill me in?
That or why the league is looking into the hit.
Can someone fill me in?
Good Posting Judge
Footballguy
The final game of the entire season rated a "9" on the "ugh" scale.
NutterButter
Footballguy
Plowed through all 5 seasons over the past two months. Such a great show. Bill Simmons always praised it so I decided to give it a shot and boy was he right. Mrs T could be my dream wife as far as one's that are realist. Tim Riggins is a sweet dude. Wasn't loving the sullen Riggins at the end, but they were playing the whole jail angle. Who would've thought in the beginning how much time Landry would get throughout the series. I was really getting sick and tired of Julie and all her whining.
Fred Flintstone
Footballguy
'Fred Flintstone said:
Flyin Pigs
Footballguy
I'm in the same boat. I think he said the name "Joe" - is that the QB's dad from West Dillon? Anybody?'Fred Flintstone said:
drfeelgood
Footballguy
The_Man
Footballguy
I dropped out of FNL after Season 2 and the Landry murder debacle, but am now starting over with Season 1 and watching with my son.
The show is as great as I remember, with one giant exception - why does seemingly every game come down to a miraculous last-second finish? I'm going to keep a running log of all the comebacks as I watch the series.
Season 1, Game 1 - Dillon trails 24-14 late in the fourth quarter when pre-season All-America QB Jason Street throws an interception. On the return Street makes a huge tackle, forcing a fumble that Dillon recovers. On the play Street, is injured and backup QB Matt Saracen enters the game, with less than 4 minutes remaining, and the ball at his own 30.
On his first two snaps, Saracen runs the wrong play and then throws a pass into the back of his own offensive line. But he somehow then leads the team down the field for a touchdown with 1 minute remaining. Dillon recovers an onside kick and on the game's final play, Saracen hits a WR that has gotten behind the entire defense with a pass at the opponent's 30, and he runs it the rest of the way for a TD, as Dillon wins 27-24.
Recap: Saracen enters his first-ever game and leads two TD drives of 60+ yards in less than 4 minutes. Dillon recovers an onside kick, and hits a game-winning 50-yard TD pass on the play's final game as the opponent neglects to play any DBs more than 20 yards downfield, even though the only way they could lose is by allowing a 50-yard TD.
The show is as great as I remember, with one giant exception - why does seemingly every game come down to a miraculous last-second finish? I'm going to keep a running log of all the comebacks as I watch the series.
Season 1, Game 1 - Dillon trails 24-14 late in the fourth quarter when pre-season All-America QB Jason Street throws an interception. On the return Street makes a huge tackle, forcing a fumble that Dillon recovers. On the play Street, is injured and backup QB Matt Saracen enters the game, with less than 4 minutes remaining, and the ball at his own 30.
On his first two snaps, Saracen runs the wrong play and then throws a pass into the back of his own offensive line. But he somehow then leads the team down the field for a touchdown with 1 minute remaining. Dillon recovers an onside kick and on the game's final play, Saracen hits a WR that has gotten behind the entire defense with a pass at the opponent's 30, and he runs it the rest of the way for a TD, as Dillon wins 27-24.
Recap: Saracen enters his first-ever game and leads two TD drives of 60+ yards in less than 4 minutes. Dillon recovers an onside kick, and hits a game-winning 50-yard TD pass on the play's final game as the opponent neglects to play any DBs more than 20 yards downfield, even though the only way they could lose is by allowing a 50-yard TD.
timschochet
Footballguy
Just watched the last episode. What a great series.
So many great moments, but I think my favorite ever was a scene from the first episode of Season 3. Smash says to Taylor, "Coach, why are you helping me so much?" and Taylor says, "Because I want something good to happen."
I will miss these characters.
So many great moments, but I think my favorite ever was a scene from the first episode of Season 3. Smash says to Taylor, "Coach, why are you helping me so much?" and Taylor says, "Because I want something good to happen."
I will miss these characters.
SHIZNITTTT
Footballguy
Good show can't last forever I guess. Great show, and I fell in love with Connie Britton.
jamil
Footballguy
That was my favorite part of the series.A&M coach: "Which knee did you say was hurt?"Taylor: "I didn't."
wadegarrett
FFA Legend™
Five years was a perfect run. Glad they didn't the chance to run it into the ground. Very few shows could develop as many well-rounded characters in such short bursts. Quite well executed all around. The Sorensen dad death episode was one of the greatest hours I have ever seen on TV. Loved seeing Landry in the finale.
Best part of the show was the small town realism of the characters--not pop country music style bromides about a non-existent real America utopia or a 2D east coast version of fly-over country racist simpletons.
Goodbye old friend.
Best part of the show was the small town realism of the characters--not pop country music style bromides about a non-existent real America utopia or a 2D east coast version of fly-over country racist simpletons.
Goodbye old friend.
Abraham
Footballguy
Just started watching this show on Netflix. I'm about 4 episodes in. Wow. Not sure how/why I missed this for so long, particularly since they filmed most every scene within 10 miles of where I live. It's a hoot seeing Round Rock Donuts and the Hutto Hippos stadium in different shots.
I am startled at how good Kyle Chandler is in his role. Minka Kelly =
The first couple episodes had some really dramatic moments, and some moments where I felt "inspired!" by what was going on. My favorite part so far is..
"Let me ask you a question...when you threw that pass, that winning pass...were your eyes opened or closed?"
"Open coach. My eyes were wide open."
"That's what I thought, let's go play some FOOTBALL!"
I am startled at how good Kyle Chandler is in his role. Minka Kelly =
The first couple episodes had some really dramatic moments, and some moments where I felt "inspired!" by what was going on. My favorite part so far is..
"Let me ask you a question...when you threw that pass, that winning pass...were your eyes opened or closed?"
"Open coach. My eyes were wide open."
"That's what I thought, let's go play some FOOTBALL!"
bigbottom
Footballguy
That was really well done.
Evilgrin 72
Distributor of Pain
F'n Jeter.
simey
Footballguy
The casting director did a great job at casting talented young actors. The older actors were good too, but there was a lot of young people in the show over the course of five seasons, and they casted a talented bunch. It was a good show.
Abraham
Footballguy
Enjoy. It's really really good.
This is an accurate observation.
Jutz
Footballguy
I got done with all 5 seasons and was having withdraw so I bought the book Friday Night Lights and it is awesome too.
It is awesome in a very different way though. The author of the book is from the northeast (or at least was living in the Philly area at the time I think). He actually moved his family to Odessa, TX and spent... I think a year living amongst the players and the school. It was completely a documentary style book. Not at all like the show.
The cool thing about it is... it just gives you a different perspective, or better understanding of the circumstances surrounding the show. The book didn't read at all like the show. I couldn't tell what real life person in the book matched up with the character in the show. I could tell who Slash Williams was in the book... but not really anyone else.
The history of the town, and it's economy was interesting too. They also talked a lot about the politics of the town. There was a section where they talked about when Bush ran against Dukakis. The Bush family is from that area, and I believe he went to a game... and either wrote or talked about the experience of going to the game during his campaign.
I would definitely recommend it to any fans of the show. Just don't expect the same thing as the show.
It is awesome in a very different way though. The author of the book is from the northeast (or at least was living in the Philly area at the time I think). He actually moved his family to Odessa, TX and spent... I think a year living amongst the players and the school. It was completely a documentary style book. Not at all like the show.
The cool thing about it is... it just gives you a different perspective, or better understanding of the circumstances surrounding the show. The book didn't read at all like the show. I couldn't tell what real life person in the book matched up with the character in the show. I could tell who Slash Williams was in the book... but not really anyone else.
The history of the town, and it's economy was interesting too. They also talked a lot about the politics of the town. There was a section where they talked about when Bush ran against Dukakis. The Bush family is from that area, and I believe he went to a game... and either wrote or talked about the experience of going to the game during his campaign.
I would definitely recommend it to any fans of the show. Just don't expect the same thing as the show.
Jutz
Footballguy
I believe that... the one character in the book Boobie Miles had a story somewhat similar to Slash, but it still wasn't a complete match.
I've actually gone to 2 local HS football games because of the show and book. First game I went to wasn't very good but I went to a game last night and it was pretty cool. It definitely got me interested in the atmosphere of the game.
I've actually gone to 2 local HS football games because of the show and book. First game I went to wasn't very good but I went to a game last night and it was pretty cool. It definitely got me interested in the atmosphere of the game.
