Friday Night Lights Review: It’s Time to Say Goodbye

The time has finally come to say goodbye to our friends and family in Dillon, Texas on this week’s finale of Friday Night Lights. Conflicts are finally resolved as far as the impending merger of the East Dillon Lions with the West Dillon Panthers and another potential state championship for Coach Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler) plays out in the wings.

The big decision at the outset is whether Eric will accept the offer to coach the new super team or decide to let Tami (Connie Britton) have her moment and follow her to Philadelphia. From the outset, it looks like the former. He’s offered a wildly impressive contract and salary for a high school football coach, and it’s clear she’s willing to budge but he’s not. It gets heated for a while before Tami is finally willing to call it all off and stay in Dillon.

Coach is getting pressure from every angle to announce his decision. After a press conference, Jess (Jurnee Smollett) asks if she’ll still have a place by his side on the new team. He doesn’t give her an answer until much later, after she’s learned she’ll be moving to Austin with her family. Coach is disappointed but offers to get in touch with a local coach down there on her behalf.

The Panthers booster squad wants Eric to sign on the morning of the state championship, and he intends to miss Gracie’s picture with Santa to do so. But in a last minute and all-around glorious change of heart, Eric races down the escalator at the mall to tell Tami he turned down the offer, it’s her turn now, and would she please take him with her to Philadelphia.

The big surprise of the week is when Matt Saracen (Zach Gilford) takes Julie (Aimee Teegarden) out for the night and pops the question with his grandmother’s engagement ring. Julie, of course, says yes but is shocked he didn’t ask her father first. When Matt tries to do so, it only adds frustration to an already overburdened Eric, who says no. Julie talks to her mom about it, her parents take the couple out to dinner, and they talk with Matt’s grandmother. Each conversation leads to a different conclusion leaving the future of the couple up in the air until Matt tells her no matter what, it’s going to be them together in all of this.

Continuing on the couples note, Luke (Matt Lauria) comes to his senses and reconciles with Becky (Madison Burge), who’s going through a small crisis of her own. She’s just moved back in with her mother, leaving Mindy feeling slightly abandoned. Vince (Michael B. Jordan) tries to reconcile with his father, which is a rough road ultimately smoothed by Coach, and later shares a quiet moment of understanding with Jess in the team locker room. Tim Riggins (Taylor Kitsch) decides to stay in Dillon and build a house on his property. In one particularly powerful moment, he and Tyra (Adrianne Palicki) discuss their strange connection and agree they both have other things they need to be doing.

Everyone who’s anyone comes out to support the East Dillon Lions at State. Ornette even shows up among the familiar faces in the stand. From what we can see, it’s a rough and close game and, if there’s one thing Friday Night Lights always gets right, it’s the level of suspense you go through while waiting for an outcome. In the end, it all comes down to one final, last second pass by Vince straight to the end zone.

After abruptly leaving the state championship game, we flash forward a few months to what I’m calling an epilogue, where we see glimpses of what’s become of everyone. Vince is indeed QB of the new super team, playing alongside Buddy Jr. while Buddy Sr. watches from the stands. Billy Riggins is even among a few familiar faces on the coaching staff. Jess, stats clipboard in hand, stands on the sidelines with her new team in Austin, Texas, assisting the coaches there. Becky kisses Luke goodbye as he heads off in his army uniform, enlisting his way of belonging to something bigger than himself.

Subtle glimpses of the players’ rings and a sign on the old East Dillon scoreboard tell us they did in fact win State. Tim is hard at work setting up the framework for his new house, with help from Billy, his way of paying Tim back. Matt and Julie get ready for their day in what I’ll assume is a Chicago apartment. Last but not least, Tami makes her way from her new position on the university campus to a football field where Eric has just wrapped practice with a new team and, symbolic as it ever could be, the lights go out as they leave the field.

When the final hour was up, the series remained true to the grounded sensibility, delivering a near-perfect finale that stands apart from the rest of the dramas on television. When tying up loose ends it’s easy to give everyone the happy ending fans want, but Jason Katims and Co. kept it real—some couples realized they’re meant to be together and took the next step, others realized maybe they’re not but didn’t slam the door completely and, as evidenced by the epilogue, everyone continued to pursue their dreams without falling victim to their new circumstances.

There were moments between Britton and Chandler where I genuinely wasn’t sure what was going to happen to TV’s best marriage. Something the show doesn’t get enough credit for is that even though it’s based around a group of high school students, everyone’s managed to graduate in real time and pursue other opportunities in life while contributing elements to the series. Shows like Glee should take note of how this can be done well amidst all their recent controversy on the subject.

Still, as satisfying as the final moments were – particularly the quiet, breath-taking last seconds of the state championship game – there are things I wanted to see. While there might not have been a strong reason for him to be in Dillon, I would’ve liked to see Landry celebrating with Matt and Julie after their engagement. I’m a little surprised Lyla (Minka Kelly) didn’t make an appearance at all this season, particularly with her estranged brother moving back to Dillon. Those weren’t moments I missed though, just things I wished would’ve happened.

There’s a lot of bittersweet for Friday Night Lights this week; while the series has definitely ended, it was recognized with Emmy nominations for Series and Lead Actor and Actress in a Drama, honors well deserved for the often overlooked show. I’ll always feel like the series could’ve gone on longer. Did Jess follow her coaching dreams?  Where did Luke and Becky end up? Did Vince make it pro? Hastings, we barely got to know you. But, after 77 immensely satisfying episodes, it is better for this little show that defied expectations and became one of the best on television to go out on its own terms, leaving us always knowing that clear eyes, full hearts can’t lose.

Season 5, Episode 15 “Always” (original airdate July 15, 2011)

Friday Night Lights airs Fridays at 8/7c on NBC.

Images courtesy of Bill Records and NBC.