When I moved into my apartment in August, it took forever and a half to figure out the DirecTV box. I was perfectly content with the basic cable I received in the dorms last year and it was way less confusing to navigate. However, I know get to watch the final season of Friday Night Lights live on DirecTV aaaaaaand with no commercials! Score.
Like with most shows that shuffle cast members in and out for different seasons, I haven’t been digging the new characters that replaced Matt, Lyla, Tyra and Jason. The show has remained strong, don’t get me wrong, but the first three seasons will always be my favorites. I’m so glad that many of them are returning for a few episodes this season. With all of the original high school characters [minus Tim] out of the picture, the new crew is responsible to carry the show during it’s swan song.
On that note, why hasn’t Tim made his exit yet? Taylor Kitsch does absolutely nothing for me. I have never liked his character and his slick locks remind me of Professor Snape. I would be more than happy for him to make long-overdue exit from the show. Tim still has three months left in his prison sentence. As the show’s “bad boy”, the probability of punches being thrown in the slammer is quite high. His prison sentence could easily be extended, his face could get beaten to a pulp…he could even be killed in a fight. Just throwing out ideas here…
The final season opens with the beginning of a new school year. Julie and Landry are off to college, Tami’s now the guidance counselor at East Dillon and Coach Taylor is already hard at work practicing with the Lions. Rebecca is having problems with her dysfunctional family as per usual and she eventually flees to the Riggins household. Jess and Vince are officially a couple. Luke is still the lone good-looking person on the show. And there’s the new guy, Hastings Ruckle, a basketball player recruited to the football team. Let’s all take a moment to laugh at the absurdity of his name…okay. Billy Riggins joins the Lions as and gives them the encouraging words that make up the title of this post, “If you can believe it, your mind can achieve it.”
Watching Landry and Julie prepare for leaving Dillon for college was strangely nostalgic. It’s been two years since I became an official Drake Bulldog and it still seems like yesterday that the football team was carrying all of my crap into my new dorm. Landry wants an epic last night in Dillon, so Julie gets him drunk and leaves him at a strip club. His last words to her? “You stay golden, Julie Taylor.” Hers? “See you at Christmas, keep some money for cab fare.” I am going to miss these two…well maybe Landry not-so-much.
As much as I would love for the show to garner a larger fanbase (because, yes, it’s that good), part of me is happy that Friday Night Lights remains a hidden television gem. When television shows make it big, they change. There’s pressure to please all of the fans in order to keep their status. As a result, storylines are rushed, relationships change every 2.5 seconds and the show loses it’s magic. I’m looking at you, Glee… However, with it being the final season of Friday Night Lights, I am confident that the show will go out with a bang and ultimately be rewarding for its small but loyal fanbase.