Monsters of Television

Hottie and Even Hotter

Friday Night Lights juggled a lot of balls in the air this week. Though the common theme was learning to accept the departure of a loved one, the episode also managed to include some male bonding between Luke and Vince, Landry being awkward (and therefore awesome), and, of course, an inspirational football game. Though it took me a half hour to pull together all the various pieces of the episode into a coherent whole, its common thread demonstrates the care of the writers in developing this season.

Last week, the story centered on Matt Saracen (Zach Gilford) struggling to come to terms with the death of his father. This week, Matt again played a significant role in the episode, but this time the focus was his relationship with girlfriend Julie (Aimee Teegarden). Without Matt, Julie has often proven to be a rather annoying and selfish character. As this week demonstrates, with him she can be funny, adventurous, and downright tolerable.

Interestingly, though I find Julie much less frustrating with Matt, her mother, Tammy (Connie Britton), found her actions this week deeply selfish. Julie surprised Matt with tickets to concerts at the SXSW festival in Austin. After her mother forbade her to go to Austin during the school week, Julie went anyway. For the rest of the episode, Tammy fails to understand not only why her daughter would refuse to return her panicked calls but also her own reasons for being so hurt. And Tammy is definitely hurt. While Coach Taylor accepts that Julie is being an irresponsible, and therefore normal, teen, Tammy feels personally wounded by Julie’s actions.

In the best scene of the night, Tammy decides to go to Austin to find Julie. Her husband, lying in bed beside her, says he supports her 100%. The look on his face contradicts his words, however. As usual, FNL allows actions to speak louder than words. Coach knows Tammy’s plan is extreme, but he also knows neither he nor Tammy yet grasps the full meaning of this situation. So he supports his wife and keeps any other thoughts to himself.

The next morning, Tammy sobs, stubbornly unable to comprehend the situation. At this point, the coach finally understands his wife. Recognizing that Tammy is already mourning the eventual loss of their daughter to college, the coach reminds her of the cliché, “The more we make her try to stay, the more she’s going to stray, you know that.” Even when trading in clichés, FNL makes apparent why clichés became a shortcut to deeper meaning.

Another cliché occurs in a scene between Matt and Julie. After they arrive at their Austin hotel room, Matt turns on the radio and asks Julie to dance with him. The fact that the two of them are aware that this is a cliché does help lessen its saccharine nature. More importantly, though, are the performances of the two young actors who manage to sell that these characters genuinely enjoy spending time together.

When Matt learns from Landry that Tammy is back home freaking out about her daughter being missing, he upbraids Julie. Frustrated, she states aloud the unspeakable—that Matt stayed in Dillon for her and she resents his resentment. Once the words are out, she regrets them, but the truth cannot be rescinded, and Matt leaves town at the episode’s end.

Matt leaving Dillon makes a lot of sense. The fact that he gave up his opportunity to go to art school in Chicago was always a bit far fetched, but during these two episodes, the writers and producers of FNL gave this reliable actor a powerful and deserved sendoff.

SPOILER ALERT: Matt will return later in the season, and I now regret that return even more. Watching these two episodes for a second time, I recognize more fully that Matt’s story ends here appropriately and satisfactorily. Sometimes departures leave some loose ends, and that seems realistic.

Riggins and Lila also say goodbye in this episode. Having returned for a midterm break, nominally to see her father, Lila ends up spending all her time naked in Riggins’ trailer (and who can blame her?). I’m a huge fan of this couple, but again, the end of their relationship seems realistic.

Lila asks Tim twice what he wants, and the only answer he can give her is “you.” Lila, safely ensconced at an elite college, dreams of much more than a life in Dillon. The fact that these two people want very different things drives them apart, but it is a testament to the show’s compassion for its characters that Riggins’ affection for Texas is never mocked. His journey this season is one of accepting himself with humility. Saying goodbye to his dream girl, Lila, is one step towards that self-awareness.

As characters from seasons past come to the end of the FNL journey, the plot thickens for newer ones. We learn that Becky and Luke had a “little thing” that was a “mistake,” and that Vince’s interest in Jess persists. All of these characters will play much larger roles in the final episodes, but at this point in the season, I’m still deciding how I feel about them.

Much though I like Landry, I find myself firmly in the camp of Vince and Jess. Vince offers a sympathetic blend of cockiness and vulnerability. Jess’ reaction to Landry’s admittance that he continues to carry a torch for Tyra perfectly captures the stability of her head on her shoulders—she gives him a light slap and walks away. This girl knows what she is worth.

Becky and Luke I’m a bit less sure about—though Becky’s innocence always undermines my annoyance with her. As she talks to Tim Riggins about soul mates breaking your heart until you find another soul mate, he softly asks here to “shut up.” I, too, often want Becky to shut up, but I share Tim’s appreciation for her naïve desire to be wiser than she is. When she runs into Lila, Becky admits, “you’re so lucky…so pretty,” and you remember how young she is. Allowing a teenage character to have all the insecurity and ignorance of youth somehow makes that character deeply sympathetic. It is a delicate balancing act, but so far, FNL is walking that tightrope with confidence.