Friday Night Lights

[Kurosawa Fan]

So I'm more than halfway through the first season, and it's starting to decline in quality. My first concern when I heard they were developing this into a series was that there just wouldn't be enough natural drama to sustain the show through 23 episodes. Well, there wasn't. So now they've moved on to manufacturing drama to keep things interested. I mean, how many things can go wrong in one season? How many hot-button issues can come up in a 10 week span? It's getting out of hand as of late. This would work perfectly as a show on HBO or Showtime, where they could have more freedom with the material and only have a 12-13 episode season. They could save some of these subplots for future seasons rather than bringing them up and resolving them in only one or two episodes.

I'll likely finish this season and start on the second, but if I catch up and it's more of the same, I won't finish the second season.

[Henry Gale]

I had similar feelings of it maybe going down in quality with things like Smash's steroids and Matt's dad returning, but I thought the show ended up making the best out of those plots later on and ending off on a high note.

Some have had problems with this new season, but I think it's the same show and quality but just a lot darker and tragic.

[ledfloyd]

i've been happy with this season, despite the one glaring plot point. i never had any problems with the first season. the first season is fantastic.

[Kurosawa Fan]

The plot that bothered me the most was the Coach McGill comments and subsequent fallout. It takes place right after the resolution to Smash and the steroids and Matt and his father, and is followed up by Tim and his father and Coach Taylor getting the job offer. Those other things are okay on their own, but I mean, it's just one thing after another with the show. It seems as though it's never about the drama on the field anymore. Hell, the game before States, all they showed was a failed Hail Mary pass and brief celebration. It's a good show, not a great one, but it has several problems. My position still stands going into season two.

[Henry Gale]

The plot that bothered me the most was the Coach McGill comments and subsequent fallout. It takes place right after the resolution to Smash and the steroids and Matt and his father, and is followed up by Tim and his father and Coach Taylor getting the job offer. Those other things are okay on their own, but I mean, it's just one thing after another with the show. It seems as though it's never about the drama on the field anymore. Hell, the game before States, all they showed was a failed Hail Mary pass and brief celebration. It's a good show, not a great one, but it has several problems. My position still stands going into season two.

I actually kind of prefer the episodes that have nothing to do with football because as much as I understand the the game's significance to the show's setting and its significance to the plot a lot of the time, as someone who really can't relate to that at all I find the episodes more about the coach, the players and their families far more compelling.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I actually kind of prefer the episodes that have nothing to do with football because as much as I understand the the game's significance to the show's setting and its significance to the plot a lot of the time, as someone who really can't relate to that at all I find the episodes more about the coach, the players and their families far more compelling.

I don't disagree, but knowing how important football is to the town and the people, for the show to skip the second biggest game of the season, the game that would send them to the State Championship, is absurd. I know the finale is the State Championship, but the show has gone too far abandoning the football scenes and moved to that manufactured drama.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I also find it incredibly unrealistic that a major university would offer Coach Taylor a job. I know he's done a great job with a team that lost their starting QB, but he's also had a game forfeited because of recruiting violations, had to dismiss a player because he assaulted another student, is being sued for not properly teaching his QB to tackle leading to his paralysis, and had every black member of his team walk out on him and his staff because of racist remarks. No one would touch the guy right now.

[Henry Gale]

This week's was probably my favourite so far of the new season. Easily the funniest and most heartfelt it's been since coming back.

[Cult]

So I'm more than halfway through the first season, and it's starting to decline in quality.

I'm around that point right now, and I still think it's great. During what episode(s) do you think it starts to suck?

[Kurosawa Fan]

I'm around that point right now, and I still think it's great. During what episode(s) do you think it starts to suck?

I thought the race issue was handled really poorly. Like I said a few posts back, the show doesn't have enough natural material to stretch an entire season (both football and television), so they start manufacturing drama to keep people interested. I mean, I'm not even sure it's possible for that much shit to take place at one school without the students/team having a complete upheaval and killing each other. It seemed to get silly, and has continued to do so in season 2 with the murder plot and the crystal meth plot, etc. There just isn't enough interesting about a high school football season for 23 quality episodes.

[Henry Gale]

So even though this thread hasn't been touched in nearly a year, the third season finished airing on Direct TV last week and I must say that I was extremely impressed by it all the way through. Easily the best season of the show and if it is decided for it to go no further then I will be be entirely happy with what they did with these last thirteen episodes.

The second to last episode in particular was as emotionally gripping as anything drama I've ever seen on TV. Obviously not to the heights of, say, the last few episodes in The Wire's third season or Lost's "The Constant", but for the sort of show Friday Night Lights is, it's extremely impressive stuff.

If anyone here has ever enjoyed the show in the slightest, I would say the third season is definitely worth catching up with now that it's about to start airing on NBC.

[Thirdmango]

I was able to watch about half of the third season and I found I liked it as much as the beginning of the first season. I gave up on the show for a long while because of the stupid murder angle plot but luckily it seems they've forgotten they were so stupid.

[EvilShoe]

Yeah, the third season is also my fav of the show's run.
I was saddened to see
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Street and Smash go, but enjoyed both their send-offs. Even if Street's was very Hollywood.

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I hope the fourth season gets made. The finale set up some interesting stuff.

[Kurosawa Fan]

The third season was my favorite too. A couple of silly contrivances

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The Child Protective Services story was really bungled, as was Street and the pregnancy (really, she had the baby in three weeks?) but I never liked Street and was glad to see him go, so that wasn't a big issue for me. A couple other mishaps too, but nothing too major

]

but they are overshadowed by wonderful send-offs for every character (since this will be their last season). I loved Smash. Great way to end his arch. And the Riggins brothers were the highlight of this season. Hilarious. This was such a great rebound from what started as such an abysmal second season.

[Ivan Drago]

Is this still on NBC? Or is it staying on that Direct TV channel only 1/3 of the country has?

[EvilShoe]

The third season was my favorite too. A couple of silly contrivances

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The Child Protective Services story was really bungled, as was Street and the pregnancy (really, she had the baby in three weeks?) but I never liked Street and was glad to see him go, so that wasn't a big issue for me. A couple other mishaps too, but nothing too major

]

but they are overshadowed by wonderful send-offs for every character (since this will be their last season). I loved Smash. Great way to end his arch. And the Riggins brothers were the highlight of this season. Hilarious. This was such a great rebound from what started as such an abysmal second season.

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I'm not sure what you mean by the Child Protective Services story being bungled? Do you mean how quickly it was resolved? If so, I suppose you're right but it didn't bother me.
Also, do you mean there was a time screw-up? I don't remember when season 2 ended, but I think they were still in the first school semester.

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Actually when I think of contrived, I think of
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Street's happy ending.

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Still, I liked the character a great deal so it didn't bother me. And anything here was indeed better than stuff such as
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last season's murder & Mexican maid subplot.

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[Kurosawa Fan]

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I'm not sure what you mean by the Child Protective Services story being bungled? Do you mean how quickly it was resolved? If so, I suppose you're right but it didn't bother me.
Also, do you mean there was a time screw-up? I don't remember when season 2 ended, but I think they were still in the first school semester.

]
Actually when I think of contrived, I think of
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Street's happy ending.

]
Still, I liked the character a great deal so it didn't bother me. And anything here was indeed better than stuff such as
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last season's murder & Mexican maid subplot.

]

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Yes, how quickly it was brushed aside. I know they had a limited amount of episodes, and so things had to be wrapped up quickly because the likelihood of another season isn't good at all, but the tension between Coach Taylor and McCoy's father was bad enough already that it would have justified him muscling Taylor out of the program. The CPS bit felt tacked on just for the sake of drama. I mean, his wife went from freaking out about what her husband had done, and J.D. was telling Coach that he didn't want to see or talk to his father again, to the next episode all three of them together like nothing had happened at all. And yes, I was including the happy ending in the contrivances with Jason Street. His whole story was contrived this season, but seeing as I never liked him or his story, I'd rather his storyline get fucked up than someone I cared about on the show.

And dude, she was Guatemalan, not Mexican. Have a heart. Racist.

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[EvilShoe]

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Yes, how quickly it was brushed aside. I know they had a limited amount of episodes, and so things had to be wrapped up quickly because the likelihood of another season isn't good at all, but the tension between Coach Taylor and McCoy's father was bad enough already that it would have justified him muscling Taylor out of the program. The CPS bit felt tacked on just for the sake of drama. I mean, his wife went from freaking out about what her husband had done, and J.D. was telling Coach that he didn't want to see or talk to his father again, to the next episode all three of them together like nothing had happened at all. And yes, I was including the happy ending in the contrivances with Jason Street. His whole story was contrived this season, but seeing as I never liked him or his story, I'd rather his storyline get fucked up than someone I cared about on the show.

And dude, she was Guatemalan, not Mexican. Have a heart. Racist.

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At least I don't hate the crippled, you dick.

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[Kurosawa Fan]

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At least I don't hate the crippled, you dick.

]

A fair point.

In all seriousness though, how great was Landry this season? Good to see him back to his dry, sarcastic self instead of the ultra-serious murderer they turned him into in season two. Man the first half of that season sucked.

[EvilShoe]

A fair point.

In all seriousness though, how great was Landry this season? Good to see him back to his dry, sarcastic self instead of the ultra-serious murderer they turned him into in season two. Man the first half of that season sucked.

I respect the writers for keeping Street crippled throughout the series, and liked various aspects of his storylines. (Not going to bother defending the Mexican one though... ugh.)

And yes, it was nice to see fun Landry back. Even though it was strange how there was a long stretch when he and "best friend" Matt barely saw each other.

I also liked Buddy Garrity a lot in the final season. Even if there was the contrived [

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Guess what! My brother is immensely wealthy, and will finance your college!

] storyline.
But still, also forgiveable stuff.

[EvilShoe]

Apparently the chances are reasonable there might not only be a fourth, but also fifth season.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Apparently the chances are reasonable there might not only be a fourth, but also fifth season.

Whoa. Really? Where did you read this? The ratings this year were even more miserable than the second season, so that's surprising. I was actually kind of hoping they'd end things now, because all of the characters outside of J.D. McCoy and Julie Taylor would have to leave the show (considering they're graduating), and it had such a great ending to the season, it'd be tough to introduce all new characters and have them play out as well as the last group did without feeling like some of it is just recycled material.

[EvilShoe]

Whoa. Really? Where did you read this? The ratings this year were even more miserable than the second season, so that's surprising. I was actually kind of hoping they'd end things now, because all of the characters outside of J.D. McCoy and Julie Taylor would have to leave the show (considering they're graduating), and it had such a great ending to the season, it'd be tough to introduce all new characters and have them play out as well as the last group did without feeling like some of it is just recycled material.

http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2009/03/...rida.html#more

I have mixed feelings about the show continuing. I'd like to see Coach Taylor start from scratch and the evolution of his conflict with JD's dad, but I'm worried about new characters coming in. Like you, I fear for recycled stuff and old characters being kept on through bad subplots.

It's not really the thought of a fourth season that worries me (f.e. I'd like to see where Matt's storyline goes), it's the thought of a fifth as well.

[Kurosawa Fan]

FNL Officially Renewed for Two More Seasons

Well, here's to hoping they can continue the quality of last season.

[EvilShoe]

Final seasons for Lyla and Tyra, apparently.