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 This is the story of Dillon, a town that sits deep in the heart of West Texas. It's a town of modest living, where the richest man is the owner of the local dealership and a sizable chunk of the population lives below the poverty line. A town where you peak at 18 and are most likely washed up by the time you turn 30. A town with an occasionally ugly relationship with color. A town most people will never be able to leave. And yet, at times, it is a town of enviable community, where everyone is familiar with everyone, where spirits can soar higher than you've ever seen, where no matter anyone's differences, they can all rally behind a single idea, one that can inspire hope for our future, that can give our young men one single bright spot in their lives and make everything seem like it's going to be okay, if only for a few fleeting seconds: This town lives and dies on high school football. Friday Night Lights started life as a book by H.G. Bissinger that chronicled the 1989 season of the Permian Panthers. In 2004, it was adapted as a movie by his cousin, Peter Berg. Berg started out as an actor who made memorable turns in Chicago Hope and The Great White Hype ("The song's called 'Mr. Roper, Mr. Roper'.") before making his debut with the dark comedy Very Bad Things, followed much later by Dwayne Johnson's breakout film The Rundown; needless to say, a very unconventional choice. However, Berg completely shifted tonal gears and shot the movie in a highly naturalistic style; the movie bowed to high critical acclaim. From Grantland's oral history of Friday Night Lights (DO NOT READ unless you've seen the whole series, but definitely read once you have): quote:Peter Berg (creator, executive producer): I truly felt that there was a lot more meat from the book that we weren't able to put in the original film. And I just wasn't ready to leave the world. I fell in love with Austin. I fell in love with Texas. I fell in love with Texas football. And I wanted more. The show moves the action to the aforementioned fictional town of Dillon in the present day. As we begin, Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler) is about to begin his first day as the head coach of the Dillon Panthers, a job he got on the back of Jason Street (Scott Porter), whom he coached to greatness in the junior leagues. As the first episode closes, Street makes a bad tackle and breaks his spine, forcing unprepared sophomore Matt Saracen (Zach Gilford) to step up as best as he can. So begins a journey of several boys and men into manhood, as Coach Taylor comes to represent the salvation of an entire town. The show, run by Jason Katims (Roswell, Parenthood) turned out to be a near masterpiece, held back by some occasional misfires that are all too easy to glance over after considering the incredible highs this series reached. It never really pulled great numbers; it was kept alive for five seasons by the grace of having a low budget, some creative thinking on the part of DirecTV, and everything else on NBC being a complete dumpster fire. It's...one of my favorite shows outside of epics like Breaking Bad and Generation Kill, and yet I suddenly find myself at a loss of words to sell it. That oral history I posted earlier, spoiler-packed as it is, says it all better than I ever could (you can read up to Section VIII without getting spoiled. Beyond that...it's a show about community at its best and worst. It's at turns hilarious and heartbreaking, occasionally as thrilling as the most high-stakes action shows while being as observant and honest as some of the most personal, low-key character studies. There's never been anything like it before in television, and it's not likely to come again. The entire series is available to watch on Netflix Instant. If you prefer physical media, you can get each season for seventeen bucks a pop off Amazon.com, or you can get the whole series for under $80. Regarding spoilers; the dynamics of this show CONSTANTLY shift from season to season, but I don't want the thread to look like a CIA document. Here's what we'll do: for now, you're free to talk about season 1 freely; spoiler tag anything beyond that. Next month, we'll talk about season 2 freely, then season 3, then 4, then 5. That should give newcomers a good buffer to read the thread without getting too spoiled. All right, have at it! DivisionPost fucked around with this message at Jun 1, 2012 around 21:11 |
| # ? Jun 1, 2012 21:07 |
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| # ? May 24, 2013 21:03 |
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I rewatched season one a few months ago and haven't gotten around to starting season 2 again, so I'm excited for this thread.  Seriously, anyone reading this still on the fence, just watch it. I resisted for a long time because I have no interest in football or shows about high school. Also, I hate most shows in Texas because it's all stereotypes that they get very wrong. Friday Night Lights does everything perfectly. It's about so much more than football or high school. And it's a show that gets Texas, and small town life, right.
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| # ? Jun 1, 2012 21:26 |
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"Let's make some memories." This is a show that stole my heart from the first five minutes, stumbled slightly in the beginning of its second season, and somehow managed to improve steadily all the way to its conclusion. It is beautifully composed, emotionally taut, and an enduring fictional ethnography that transcends the superb work of nonfiction it's based on. Among a slew of great performances by young and old actors, the show's success is anchored by Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton as Eric and Tami Taylor, the most convincing and enrapturing expression of a relationship you will ever see on television. I bought a denim trucker jacket with a fleece lining specifically because I wanted to look as cool as Tim Riggins walking into a party with a 12-pack. I can't exactly pull it off, but dammit, I tried.
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| # ? Jun 1, 2012 21:33 |
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I'm in the middle of season 3 right now. I honestly feel the much-vaunted season one is overhyped and the much-derided season two is overhated. Episodes 104-109ish (when Jason's focused on quad rugby, an aspect of his character I wish they'd revisit) are great, but episodes 102-103, 110-114, and 117-119 are all dominated by Jason being an annoying whiny prick or the Jason/Tim/Lyla love triangle that is just AWFUL. The early episodes have a weird characterization of Smash that isn't the awesome character he turns out to be, Tim kind of does nothing at all outside of the love triangle (which is, again, awful), Buddy's not awesome and mostly an rear end in a top hat in the beginning, Lyla's a completely, utterly insufferable character...the list goes on. The arcs that are great in season one are FANTASTIC. 115-116 (the racism arc) was some great loving TV, 120 (Mud Bowl) might be the single best hour of television I've ever seen in any show, and the finale was also fantastic, but to get to that you have to wade through a bunch of bad storylines and shoddy characterization work. To newcomers to FNL: people will recommend that you not watch FNL season 2. I actually agree with them, despite imo season 2 being a better season than season 1. Here's why: nearly every single plot development or sidestory in season 2 is thrown out in season 3, which although there's a lot of outright crap that's ignored, there's also a bunch of really, really good stuff, stuff that will make you angry in season 3 (where I'm currently at) that they ignored; whole characters' arcs have been restarted, feeling like a bunch of character development was handwaved away, plot developments (even good ones) mine as well not even exist outside of one that defines a main character in season 2, and whole characters, including two characters that literally received entire A plot focus in multiple episodes of season 2 and one of the only "good" plot arcs in season 2, have been straight-up removed. Like, as in they no longer exist. So watching season 2 then going to season 3 is a disappointment because season 2 is for all intents and purposes, a "What if..." universe and will make you all the more disappointed they threw the baby out with the bath water in S3. Seriously, skip season 2, maybe watch it after you've seen the rest of the series to see a bizarro Dillon with a bunch of lovely romantic developments, an on-paper (but in practice not) completely lovely arc that dominates half the season, and a bunch of interesting characters that are never seen again. I'm serious, here's what you need to know to go from seasons 1 to 3: 1. Matt and Julie at some point broke up during the season. 2. Jason Street knocked up some girl he barely knew who worked for Applebee's. That's it. Everything, EVERYTHING ELSE, was ignored from season 2. Everything.
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| # ? Jun 1, 2012 21:47 |
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I'm not ready for a rewatch, but I will simply state my support for this thread and welcome to all first time watchers, I believe this is one of the greatest dramas that has ever aired. Not always even, and not without its rough patches, but the authenticity and the heart are so wonderful. Clear eyes, full hearts  e: Though, if you're watching it on DVD you won't get to experience some of the excellent musical selections that were shown on the air  e2: Don't skip season two, it has my favorite character and some other important character growth for several characters, including at least one some people don't really like during season one. Factor Mystic fucked around with this message at Jun 1, 2012 around 23:17 |
| # ? Jun 1, 2012 23:13 |
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Best show ever. Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose.
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| # ? Jun 1, 2012 23:24 |
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Can I just say it gets a bit weird when Mack Brown shows up as himself.
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| # ? Jun 2, 2012 01:28 |
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Factor Mystic posted:e: Though, if you're watching it on DVD you won't get to experience some of the excellent musical selections that were shown on the air Do you know if that music stayed there on the Netflix version? That's what I watched. Anyway, this is by far my favorite show that isn't called "The Wire." Not to talk about the later seasons, but I think every season has been better than the last, and the stories of Season 4 and 5 outweigh that of 1 and 2. I'll also agree that Season 2 wasn't nearly as bad as goons make it out to be. I'm sure this will be a big discussion when Season 2 chat is fair game.
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| # ? Jun 2, 2012 03:29 |
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"So how about Saracen sleeping with coach's daughter?" and "Clear eyes, full hearts... we'll work on it." Done from memory so they might not be perfect but both of those moments had me laughing my rear end off.
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| # ? Jun 2, 2012 03:35 |
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I think the main reason why I think that season one is worse on the whole then two is because season one is unique. It's unique in that it's all about one character- Jason Street- and the effect that his injury has on everyone else around him. Every other plotline and conflict- Coach worried over losing his job, choosing between Voodoo and Matt, Smash's struggle with steroids, the love triangle, etc- they all root back to Jason, and Jason becoming paralyzed. So what you have is a show which is centered around one character, and that one character is either insufferable or embroiled in the most obnoxious storyline the show's ever done that just will not refuse to die. Later seasons are able to more easily differentiate people's motives and individual arcs so even if you don't like X storyline it doesn't taint the others, because they're more self-contained. Season one doesn't have that- I wouldn't even argue that Coach is the main character in season one/
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| # ? Jun 2, 2012 03:40 |
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Occupation posted:I'm in the middle of season 3 right now. I agree. Season 3's endless parade of out-of-towners who don't get how people do things in Dillon was way more irritating than season 2's homocide subplot.
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| # ? Jun 2, 2012 05:58 |
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^^^ You mean season 1? I don't remember season 3 having a lot of that. Also I'm starting season 4 and holy poo poo it is so awesome. Them turning J.D. into the most punchfaceable dick ever was some amazing poo poo and having Coach move to East Dillon High was loving great.
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| # ? Jun 2, 2012 06:13 |
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I agree that Jason gets pretty insufferable in season 1 but at the same time I found the way he was acting and the things that he did pretty believable. Every time I he does something that would piss me off I think about how I would feel if I was suddenly in that wheelchair at 17 and realize that I'd be acting pretty much the same way. Maybe worse. Maybe because it was TV it didn't need to have been quite so realistic but at the same time I appreciated them being able to not just gloss over it and have Jason go on what felt like a genuine emotional journey with dealing with what happened to him instead of glossing it all over.
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| # ? Jun 2, 2012 11:20 |
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The weird thing is seeing Jason able to walk in all the promo materials. I honestly think they handled him really well. It would have been so easy for him to just replace football with quad rugby but the show didn't take that route.
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| # ? Jun 2, 2012 14:10 |
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I hate football and love the poo poo out of this show. My wife and I were so skeptical at first, but the very first episode sucked us right in. I'll admit that the second season did take the show into weird territory, but I'll be damned if this isn't one of the best shows ever to air on network TV. I love it when a show gets the chance to tell a complete story without taking such a sharp dip in quality that people stop caring about it before it reaches its end. How I Met Your Mother is a recent example of piss-poor dragged out story-telling - and it hasn't even ended.
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| # ? Jun 2, 2012 14:47 |
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I've been looking for a reason to rewatch this show, looks like I've got it now! Does the netflix instant watch version have the original music? Or is it the DVD versions with some of the licensed stuff replaced with generic music?
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| # ? Jun 2, 2012 16:15 |
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It's cool to see this thread pop up right as I finish a third watch-through. For my money, seasons 4 and 5 are the best two seasons of TV I've ever seen. Don't get me wrong, I like 1-3, but that's all just setup for the East Dillon stuff. Totally agreed that season 1 feels different, but I dunno if that would put off a first time watcher. I think that's one of those things we only notice having seen the rest of the show.
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| # ? Jun 2, 2012 18:15 |
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This really is one of the best shows ever made. Just finished another watch-through, and I'm always amazed by the acting. Even through some of the bad subplots, the acting and intent behind the writing remains true to the story and never gets out of its league.
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| # ? Jun 2, 2012 18:58 |
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Besides everything to do with Minka Kelly, of course, you mean.
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| # ? Jun 2, 2012 19:03 |
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"Matt Sarecen found a 100 bucks in his locker, anyone else? Maybe in your mail box or something....No one else? That must piss you off Smash" Love this show, when I saw the movie in theater, I had figured another Varsity Blues, and was entirely ok with that, when I left both emotionally drained and completely satisfied I knew I saw something I'd need to see again. Then they made a TV show about it, and managed to pull off the same feeling for the vast majority of the shows run. loving LOVE this show.
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| # ? Jun 2, 2012 20:00 |
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It's funny, after seeing the movie, I thought about how good it would be if they turned it into a TV series. And they did. And it's fantastic.
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| # ? Jun 3, 2012 13:03 |
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Occupation posted:I think the main reason why I think that season one is worse on the whole then two is because season one is unique. It's unique in that it's all about one character- Jason Street- and the effect that his injury has on everyone else around him. Every other plotline and conflict- Coach worried over losing his job, choosing between Voodoo and Matt, Smash's struggle with steroids, the love triangle, etc- they all root back to Jason, and Jason becoming paralyzed. I know what you're saying. I did enjoy the last 3 seasons more because I think the 13-episode mark is perfect for a lot of dramas. The first season had a lot of filler. It's not bad by any means, but I think in hindsight we thought it was better than it was. Season 2 is also underated. While it got off the rails on a few storylines, it still had a couple of my favorite scenes in the series (Everybody leaves me...what is wrong with me? and Jason returning the tapes to Coach). Still think the way they were able to shift gears and bring in a new group of kids in the later seasons was amazing. Can't remember a show that's been succesful at that before. Militree posted:Do you know if that music stayed there on the Netflix version? That's what I watched. I don't think it did. I know the Bob Dylan song at the end of 4x06 is replaced by something else. Kind of bothered me because the song was so important because of what Street said about Saracen in the first season. Niwrad fucked around with this message at Jun 3, 2012 around 13:23 |
| # ? Jun 3, 2012 13:14 |
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Niwrad posted:
It worked because Coach Taylor was the key element to the show. He provided a focal point around which everything else was based. It would not have worked without him.
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| # ? Jun 3, 2012 13:27 |
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Agreed. He is a great character and was acted about as well as it gets. So happy he won the Emmy and that show finally got some much deserved credit. One minor gripe with the final season. I wish they hadn't brought Matt back. He was my favorite character but I thought the ending they gave him in season 4 was perfect. Driving off into the sunset with Bob Dylan blazing. Him getting out of Dillon like that after all he had been through was such a perfect way to finish his storyline. Just a kid who never quite fit in with that town moving on to bigger and better things.
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| # ? Jun 3, 2012 13:42 |
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Diesel posted:It worked because Coach Taylor was the key element to the show. He provided a focal point around which everything else was based. It would not have worked without him. This is exactly it. I said it in the TV Couch Thread and I'll say it here: having finished season 4 of FNL, the first three seasons are this enjoyable, well-acted and smartly written high school drama about texas football. Season 4, and what little of 5 I've seen, is Network The Wire. It's seriously that good, it's an insanely better show and it's amazing. Ed- and another, major reason I think them being able to switch casts entirely without it hurting the quality of the show was that they established early on that the show is merely a peek into the lives of the people in Dillon. People left the show all the time over the show's run; Jason Street is in like, what, two episodes of season three? Smash is in...three I think? Lyla's in 1 and a sixteenth episodes of season four? Not to mention all the characters who straight up just leave in-between seasons- which is a complaint I have about the show, the show sometimes overrelies on the intervening 9 months between when the season ends and the new season begins to write a bunch of characters out. Occupation fucked around with this message at Jun 3, 2012 around 15:27 |
| # ? Jun 3, 2012 15:03 |
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Occupation posted:This is exactly it. Hey hey, just cause it has Wallace and a cameo from D'angelo doesn't make it The Wire. Here's a detail from Season 4 that I can't believe I missed until now. "Don’t panic. Stay cool. And get paid." The touching thing that Vince told the kids was the same thing that the carjackers told him in his lesson. That's awesome.
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| # ? Jun 3, 2012 15:11 |
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Beginning 507 spoilers: gently caress YES JASON'S BACK! gently caress YES! FUCKKKKKKKKKKK YES!  Is the rest of the season like this, where everyone who's graduated and long gone (Smash, Jason, Matt, Tyra, Landry, heck even Lyla) comes back for a visit just to see what's up with their lives, especially since this is the last season?
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| # ? Jun 4, 2012 04:35 |
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I just started a re-watch of this show. I loved it my first time through. Going to take my time with it this time though and not binge through over the course of a couple weeks.
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| # ? Jun 4, 2012 04:59 |
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Occupation posted:Beginning 507 spoilers: Not everyone, but a lot of 'em show up.
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| # ? Jun 4, 2012 11:57 |
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How did Zack Gilford not get an Emmy for "The Son"? I can honestly say that was one of the best episodes of tv I have ever seen. Matt "Mayday" Saracen 4 lyfe
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| # ? Jun 4, 2012 13:09 |
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Junkenstein posted:Not everyone, but a lot of 'em show up. And those that don't show at least are alluded to.
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| # ? Jun 4, 2012 13:42 |
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Finished the series, what a powerful ending. Question: has anyone made a youtube clip of all the times Tim twists the cap off a bottle of beer and then throws it at something?
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| # ? Jun 4, 2012 22:45 |
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This is worth a watch. http://allthingsd.com/20120530/pira...e-at-d10-video/ Ari Emanuel talks about the movie and tv industry, and also talks about making another Friday Night Lights movie.
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| # ? Jun 5, 2012 10:53 |
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Your Gay Uncle posted:How did Zack Gilford not get an Emmy for "The Son"? I can honestly say that was one of the best episodes of tv I have ever seen. Matt "Mayday" Saracen 4 lyfe As much as I love Taylor Kitsch I wish GIlford has as many shots at movies as Kitsch had. I think he's only been in one Rom Com? And a terrible show about doctors in the tropics (which he was pretty good in)
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| # ? Jun 5, 2012 11:46 |
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Factor Mystic posted:e: Though, if you're watching it on DVD you won't get to experience some of the excellent musical selections that were shown on the air Are there examples of the times that they subbed out the music and it detracts from the original intended experience? Did they at least manage to keep the musical pairings for the finales (series finale especially!)? I want to pick up the box set and start loaning them out. It's hard to sell this show since it starts out very CW-ish and who wants to watch a show about high school football? Then again, I also have problems getting people to watch Spartacus which is the other end of the spectrum entirely.
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| # ? Jun 5, 2012 13:40 |
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Sagers posted:Are there examples of the times that they subbed out the music and it detracts from the original intended experience? Did they at least manage to keep the musical pairings for the finales (series finale especially!)? My friends are all stupid people who watch Family Guy; I tried to sell them on the amazing that is FNL and they stared bovinely. I need better friends.
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| # ? Jun 7, 2012 07:04 |
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I love this show more than any show ever, and I'm a huge Breaking Bad fan. I didn't watch it for the longest time because I didn't like football and I figured that's what it was about. I was sick one week and had nothing else to watch so I figured I'd put it on while I dozed off...5 hours later I was still awake and glued to the screen. It's about so much more than football. I also love Couch Taylor and Tammy's relationship. To me, they have the most real and healthy relationship on TV. They love each other but still argue about things, from the small to the important, but at the end of the day they are still there for each other and still go to bed with an 'I love you'. I absolutely love how this series ends. Side from the sadness of not wanting it to end, I think it has the most perfect and uplifting ending of any series I've ever watched. I couldn't help but sit there for a few minutes afterward with a wistful smile on my face and tears in my eyes. Also, I will forever be unapologetically in love with Tim Riggins. Edit: Don't tell people to skip seasons. The great moments in season 2 are well worth watching the not so great parts. Let them watch and be their own judge. KilGrey fucked around with this message at Jun 7, 2012 around 07:37 |
| # ? Jun 7, 2012 07:28 |
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Texas Forever... 
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| # ? Jun 7, 2012 08:08 |
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Started watching this over the weekend after reading the recommendations in this thread. Halfway through season 2 now. I'm blown away with how good this show is. Also I've had Explosions in the Sky stuck in my head for the last like three days, goddamn.
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| # ? Jun 7, 2012 11:17 |
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| # ? May 24, 2013 21:03 |
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KilGrey posted:Edit: Don't tell people to skip seasons. The great moments in season 2 are well worth watching the not so great parts. Let them watch and be their own judge. I think why the "skip season 2" advice is so accepted is not because of the quality, but more because The show drops all the plotlines from Season 2 without resolution. Having said that, don't skip Season 2.
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| # ? Jun 7, 2012 12:05 |
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