Friday Night Lights Review: A Very Sweet Sort of Homecoming

Friday Night Lights turned in yet another stellar episode, one filled with high tensions, a touch of persecution, a hint of sadness and shotguns. It hasn’t exactly been easy adjusting to so many new characters and so many new storylines, but almost every second this week, despite the clutter, was a TV tutorial on how to make a great drama with great, extremely dimensional characters whom the audience can’t help but love.

“A Sort of Homecoming” further established what this season is about. We’re not dealing with State Champions anymore, this is a team of underdogs. They’re underdogs in school and they’re underdogs to their community. And the difference couldn’t have been greater than seeing Coach struggle to foster some sense of pride for the team from the community of footballers who came before them. Though last week the Lions didn’t win, we’d hoped that a touchdown would, you know, show that they understand the game. But I loved the realism that when Coach was back at school on Monday, Principal Levi Burnwell couldn’t care less. It was only one goal in one game, and a lot more would have to be done to change the school’s perspective.

Then came a revelation during practice. Coach saw, hidden behind some ivy, a 1983 State Champions banner, and a new plan had revealed itself. He started working on bringing together that team in hopes of inspiring his own and showing them that there was more to the Lions, a legacy they could be a part of. It wasn’t an easy process. He invited a few of them over for dinner, one that Tami cooked quite quickly for them after her own hard day with nary a complaint (but more on that later). These men were not easily convinced. They know what their community’s problems are and don’t like some young buck from across town coming in and trying to point them out. I wanted to scream, ‘Well, how do things change then!’ But then Buddy Garrity came in, and once again, we were proven why he isn’t just a nuisance.

At the end of last episode, Buddy had basically turned his back on his beloved Panthers, and in reality, most had already turned their backs on him. Still he doubted that he could help Eric in his usual “booster” role for a team he had no love for. But at the end of the day, he was there for Coach, and when those old rival football players saw him, they greeted him like an old friend. You can say what you want about Buddy’s faults, but he’s a likeable guy, and he puts people at ease. And Coach had found his way in with a little help from his friend.

So with some support, Coach’s brilliant pep rally idea was almost complete. He tracked down Jess’s dad Virgil, who was also on the winning team, to ask for his cooperation and inquire about holding the rally at his BBQ joint. Steve Harris, in this intriguing role, is pure gold. His (almost) one word answers and avoidance to Coach’s questions were so painful, but I was left wanting to know more about his story. Some prodding from Jess (who was also great in this scene), telling her dad that she understands he doesn’t like football but that she and her brothers do and want to be a part of that community, finally got Virgil to offer up his BBQ joint. Yet, he still didn’t allow himself to get up on that platform with the others. Though from the looks in the kids’ eyes and Coach’s eyes and even Virgil’s, at the end of the episode, the pep rally did a lot more than just bolster pep.

Many other characters had growing pains of their own. The other half of the heart of FNL, Tami Taylor, dealt with Dillon talk radio lambasting her, yet again, for shipping Luke out. (Don’t they understand it would be seen as favoritism if she didn’t go by the rules!) Then, the Mayor rejects her proposal for an improved Library, something he said last year would be tabled until this year. He made it clear that her choice in sending Luke to East Dillon has severely hurt her. As she left his office, she was confronted by her own graffitied car. She was so distraught, it was almost unbearable to watch.

Vince and Luke came to blows again when Luke’s wallet went missing after practice. And no matter what Coach does, if these two can’t come together as leaders, the team will never succeed. Vince denied having any idea where the wallet is, and Luke is certain Vince had it. This fight escalated until the two ended up in jail. And Coach proved, again, that he cares by being the one there for them and getting them out of jail. Ultimately, Luke apologized to Vince, and Vince admitted that he did steal the wallet, as the two shared a moment walking home together.

Matt also struggled with having stayed in Dillon for Julie and watching her apply to schools like Berkley, UCSB, Brown, Amherst, Mount Holyoke, and NYU. (At least, she left UT Austin as her sole safety.) He escaped by going hunting with Riggins, which provided the lighter storyline of the week, only to be slapped in the face at the end of the episode when Julie gave him the news that his father was killed in action.

SIDELINES
There are a few storylines that don’t quite make the full recap cut, and this is an example of the clutter I was pointing to earlier. There are a few too many characters and a few too many interesting storylines that were introduced but have yet to be developed at all. I fear they won’t get the due diligence they would receive if FNL had a full 18-22 episodes, but the writers haven’t failed me yet so we’ll just have to wait and see.

Devin, Crucifictorious bassist and Julie’s old friend, resurfaced and asked for Julie’s support as she goes to her first gay club. There Julie runs into Assistant Coach Stan. Who would have thought?! When she tried to smooth things over, hinting that his secret is safe with her, he acts like he has no idea what she’s talking about. Then, there’s Riggins and Becky. I don’t care how darn cute it was to see him in a dress store, supporting her when her flaky mom had bailed on her for pageant shopping, she’s still super annoying. And after getting pointers from Jess on kicking last week and being invited to a party this week, Landry, the “Opie-looking” kid, makes a move on Jess which did not look unwanted.

So sound off! What’d you think about this week’s episode. Same show. Same time. Same place next week.

Season 4, Episode 4: A Sort of Homecoming (aired May 28, 2010)

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Fridays at 8/7c on NBC

Photographs courtesy of NBC Universal and Bill Records.