Friday Night Lights: Good-bye, Jason Street!

I should really hate this latest episode of FNL since there’s so much Jason Street, but for some reason, I don’t mind this week. Maybe it’s because we know we’re saying goodbye to the one person who cries more than all of the ladies on this show combined. Maybe it’s also because things actually happen this week. Who am I kidding? It is because Jason Street is leaving.

But first! Let’s get Tyra and her silly little boy troubles out of the way. Cash is heading out for six months … or so.  More or less. He’ll be back, you know, whenever. He’s got cowboying and rodeo-ing to do, so there’s just no telling. Also no telling, he’s not sure if he can be faithful to Tyra while he’s gone. Because the nights are cold and he’s just a poor ol’ boy without a blanket. He tells her this right before she enters her first college interview, so naturally, she’s rattled. What also doesn’t help her chances is answering her cell phone instead of promptly meeting with the interviewer, but I’m sure that’s just splitting hairs. Later, Principal Taylor confirms she spoke with the college, and seems to be letting Tyra down easy that this interview didn’t go so well. Trite words of encouragement, combined with Cash’s promise of infidelity, push Tyra in the only logical direction: out of high school and on to the greatest Road Trip ever, riding alongside Cash on his rodeo circuit! Later, Dillon! Bye-bye, dreams! Personally, I’m a little tired of all this back and forth with Tyra. Either put her in college or keep her dropped out, writers, but please, give us all a break.

Next up: Tami “Coach’s Wife” Taylor! For some reason, she’s friends with Mama McCoy, and I guess we have to believe that Mama McC is a genuine, friendly person and not trying to play Tami, like Papa McCoy’s been trying to do with Coach. Mama McCoy dabbles in real estate, and shows a gorgeous two-story house to Tami, just before it hits the market. Tami falls in love with it, and spends the rest of the episode convincing Coach to visit the house and view it without prejudice. But as we all know, Coach is fair when it comes to his players, not to Taylor Family Matters. The first visit goes horribly, awkwardly wrong, so Tami persuades him to take another look. He agrees, but unfortunately, Coach must break it down to his wife that they simply cannot afford it. He wouldn’t be able to sleep at night. He apologizes, much more sympathetic this time around. Tami gives him a hug and thanks him for thinking things over and talking to her about it and what the what? Why are we watching this? Is he going to surprise her with the house at the end of the season? Seriously, what is the point of this story?

But poor Coach takes it from all sides this week. Before Tami has the chance to start in on the house, he receives a blow on the field. At practice one afternoon, Assistant Coach McGill falls to the ground as a result of a heart attack (presumably). Buddy Garrity jumps on McGill’s hospitalization to immediately promote Papa McCoy’s friend and JD’s quarterback coach, Wade Aikman to fill the spot. Coach feels as though he’s getting his strings pulled, but after a talk with Mama Taylor, he ultimately hires Wade on a temporary basis. Uh oh. How soon will he come to regret that decision?

At the same time, Matt Saracen changes his mind about sitting on the bench quietly, and after watching the receivers screw up during practice, asks Coach about changing up positions. Coach declines, not wanting Matt to risk injury, in case JD takes an injury as well. Matt mentions this to girlfriend Julie, who knows the best way to Coach’s heart is by annoying him to death so that he’ll give her anything to shut her up. In a really nice scene, Matt joins the Taylors for dinner, and Julie starts in on Coach, surprising both Coach and Saracen. Matt takes the reins of the argument, and after betting Coach that he can catch any ten plays coach throws at him, the two step outside for some mano y mano football action. Ultimately, Matt loses the bet, but Coach smartly accepts the defeat and blames the loss on himself. Well, how cute is Coach? I’m willing to forgive him for Matt’s benching now that he’s looking out for my boy. At practice during the week, Coach makes good on his promise and plays Matt for a few rounds at receiver. This should make for an interesting game next episode.

Finally, we have no choice now but to visit the Jason Street Sob Story. Team Street collects their earnings on their flipped house, and Jason informs the crew that he’s on his way to New York to take up sports agent-ing (because how hard can it be?) and to stalk his ex-girlfriend and their son. Riggins joins him on his great New York adventure, because they’re BFFs and all. I don’t really care why Riggins goes, I’m just glad he does. His hair’s looking a bit unwashed this week, but imagine that – I’m not even fazed. Hello, hotness!

Off they go to New York, and let’s take a moment to recognize how popular NYC is this year. First, we were invaded by chefs. Then came the geeks and the freaks of NYCC (and Perlow). Next, we were invaded by celebrities who think time with the Donald’s going to lift them out of obscurity (fools!). NYC’s in a whole heap-load of trouble because of some costumed vigilantes, and last week, we were invaded by Tyra and her model-wanna-bes. I think Tyra Banks is the freakiest, scariest thing on that list. But now, we also have Friday Night Lights: New York to add to my hometown visitors. It’s fun being this popular.

Back to the boys! New York City receives some unflattering air time (thanks, FNL), as Riggins and Street try to navigate a city that doesn’t care about Texans (sorry, Texas). They purchase some suits, quickly learning about NYC bargain shopping, then head over to the office of Grant Halbert, the agent that Jason met last week. Jason tries to sell himself for an entry level position, but Halbert’s not buying, having only agreed to see an appointment-less Jason because he was hoping that Jason had news about his old teammate, Wendell, a prospect Halbert had been looking to sign. Then Halbert kicks our duo out into the cold, autumn streets of NYC, with nothing but a shattered dream and two tickets to Gypsy.

And let me tell you. If they’re holding tickets to a Patti LuPone performance of Gypsy, they should go. Preferably with a camera and/or recording device. Because, damn. LuPone makes Gypsy worth seeing even without any audience interaction. But if you can spark a diva fit … I’d have paid three times the ticket price to be there for this. First of all, I agree with her. Second, she might have overstated her case. Third, who cares? How awesome must that moment have been for everyone in the audience?

Anyway, Riggins, naturally, wants to check out the show to cheer up Jason, who is inconsolable because he’s the biggest friggin’ baby on the face of the planet, but especially in Texas (sorry, Texas). Tim gives Jason the idea to hunt down Wendell and persuade him to sign with Halbert, thereby guaranteeing himself a job. Brilliant, right? Only on television, people! If New York were that easy to navigate, I’d be the frikkin’ mayor. Not that I’d want to be. You only get perks when you’re the governor.

Jason takes Tim’s advice (after they see the show. Who knew Tim was such a Broadway fan?), and when he arrives at Halbert’s office with Wendell in tow, we can consider Jason Street practically gone forever. Later, he and Tim taxi into Jersey to find Erin and his son, Noah. Outside of Erin’s house, Jason and Riggins share a quick, manly goodbye, with repressed tears, and … oh jeez, talk about drawing this out. After those two girls wish each other the best, Jason meets Erin on the porch, and he breaks into more tears, and holds his baby, and Erin calls him sweetheart and says she missed him, and they cry in each other’s arms. Even a hot-looking Riggins can’t save this scene. But the good news is: Jason Street is gone!

Next week: Cash turns into Chris Brown, but nobody cares, because Team Street is over!

Season 3, Episode 8: New York, New York (originally aired November 19, 2008 on DIRECTV)

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Photographs courtesy of Bill Records, Virginia Sherwood and NBC Universal