Friday Night Lights

Dear James, Daniel and Emily,

Another good episode, but a little formulaic. The struggle between father & son McCoys boils over. Tyra demonstrates how she is so different from her family, but in a good way. The Lyla-Riggins-Buddy saga takes a some what different turn. Saracen is forced to realize that Alzheimer's is not something that just gets better. And the setup for next season (or end of the series) comes into play.

The highlight was how Dad McCoy tries to exert his influence over his son, and fails. He is just so wrapped up/invested in controlling his son that he isn't prepared for his son to ignore him. And when that ignorance takes place at the end of the Big Game he loses it. Never mind the fact that J.D. was doing what his coach told him. And never mind the fact that J.D. is just trying to be a teenager. Joe McCoy has raised Robo-QB and expects him to continue to be that perfect robot. The fight (broken up by the ever present Eric & Tami) is almost a typical father son fight, but in the context of television it becomes something much worse.

Tyra is just growing up, no doubt about it. Forced to organize a wedding shower for her older sister she realizes that she needs help. And Landry steps up, but in doing so demonstrates that he has grown too, and is no longer just Tyra's lackey. And in the end Tyra gets the props she deserves for all that she has done to better herself, even while she struggles to accept that while she doesn't really know what she wants, she does know it isn't what her family has.

Lyla is struggling too. Struggling to find her way between a world that is gone: perfect rich daddy and nice family and upper middle class upbringing. And her new world: she will have to work to find a way to pay for college, and her dream of Vanderbilt may go away. But she is reminded that Tim will be there by her side in that struggle.

Matt is also faced with the reality that no matter how hard he wants to, he just may not be able to watch his grandmother forever. And in those struggles he is forced to accept the fact that it is comforting to have a parent, no matter how estranged, by his side while he deals with that problem.

I love this show, and I have wondered how it could possible continue with the loss of the core characters. This week I think we were presented with a glimpse of how it will either continue or end with the redistricting fight. I think we will either see Eric pick up and move on with the end of Panther football as we know it (which would suit an end to the series). Or we could see Eric take up the challenge of coaching a team from scratch (which could be the beginning of a new period for the series). I think the writers have probably tinkered with both endings.

Overall this was a good episode, but a little weaker than some. I think that next weeks looks to be the most football focused one of the year. And as a result a number of stories will come to fruition. I am looking forward to it.