TV

It's been blatantly telegraphed that Landry will kick the point(s) that ties the game and denies the Panthers a place in the play-offs but I'll still be terribly disappointed if that doesn't actually come to pass - sometimes it's ok to go the obvious route!

They played me like a fiddle with that scene in the diner, I may have cursed out the Panthers as it dawned on me what they were going to suggest...they've strayed well into mustache twirling villain land with West Dillon but again, that's just fine by me - it's all classic sporting drama fare.

Maybe it's just wishful thinking, as I like all three characters so much, but I think the Jess/Vince relationship is now more brother/sister than anything else - I still fear that either Jess or her dad will suffer terribly for Vince's sins.

Season finale, so it's already bittersweet. Compound that ironic taste with the fates of some of our favorites - some victorious, others deflating - and we have a great capstone to a great season of Friday Night Lights.

I don't mind that the season went exactly where we expected it to go, with the Lions defeating the Panthers and dashing the Panthers' playoff hopes to pieces. I don't mind that some of the various interesting parts of the season (Assistant Coach Riggins, Devin, Crucifictorix, Landry becoming a captain because he's familiar with how Coach Taylor was with the Panthers, repercussions of Julie attending East Dillon, the gay assistant coach, whether Coach Taylor was pranking Landry all along by calling him "Lance," how Becky's family dealt with her abortion, how Luke's family dealt with him impregnating a girl, Jess's father's conversion back to football, Kenard's threat against Vince and his mother) either were dropped completely or given short shrift. Alas, these are probably the casualties of a thirteen episode season.

Will we see Riggins again next season? I guess he could do cameos where Becky visits him in prison, though Becky doesn't have a car. Otherwise, next season might be the first Riggins-less season of FNL, and I'm not sure I'm ready for that.

I wish that we could have seen more of Joe McCoy and Wade Aikman, particularly since Joe's getting divorced. There was a lot of story potential there too.

While "Slammin'" Sammy Meade might have been impressed with the Lions' victory over the Panthers, I agree with sentiment upthread that this will only make Coach Taylor an even more divisive figure in Dillon.

So, do we get farewell episodes for Landry and Julie? Or was the scene of Landry and Saracen driving off to Chicago supposed to be the last we'll see of them?

The list of potential spinoffs from FNL grew longer last night. We now have:

-Flipping Out, starring The Riggins Brothers and Herc

-Road Stories, starring Tim Riggins, Matt Saracen, and Landry

-Prison Follies, starring Tim Riggins

-That's My Family, starring The Riggins Brothers, Jason Street, Mandy, Tyra, and Mama Collette

-Cougar Hunter, starring Tim Riggins

Goddamn, that episode broke my heart about fifteen times.

Coach finally calling Landry 'Landry'.

Tim telling Billy he's going to take the fall.

Tim and Becky. First point this season where their relationship didn't give me a squick feeling.

Tammy taking the job at East Dillion.

Coach and Vince.

This show inspires me to make myself a better person and to help others better themselves. It should be required watching for anyone that works with kids.