Monday, February 23, 2009

TV Topic: "Friday Night Lights" Best Episode of the Season...so far

Jason Streets' Money Issues
I'm not going to bullshit you. I kind of hate the whole Jason Street-crippled-struggling-dad storyline this season--almost as much as everyone hated the Tyra-Landry-murder plot from last season. I just don't see why he's so desperate to please a woman who barely shows any affection for him, and I was a little disappointed in how they were sewing up his character arc before he left the show. But then the most magical thing happened.

First, the Riggins brothers predictably flaked on him after he set a rigid schedule on fixing up the house they bought. He was so overworked that he eventually broke down in front of the coach, admitting that he'd made a horrible mistake in blowing all of his savings on Tim's house-flipping idea. The coach did what he does best: he pitched in and spent a few hours helping him out. The next day though the boys were back to painting and hammering as though no argument was had or irresponsibility was shown. Jason seemed totally relaxed and back into the renovation spirit, until his phone rang and he rolled his wheel chair a somewhat safe distance from them to have the cutest conversation with his baby son Noah. I'm not sure which was more heartbreaking: the part where he pretended as though his son would sing the other half of a song they always sang "together" or the part where Tim, Billy, and Herc stopped everything they were doing to make the most puzzled and remorseful faces they could muster. It was like it finally dawned on them that this renovation isn't an after school project or a weekend adventure, it's his livelihood and the only route to his son.

Matt & Julie's Reignited Love
I was never on the Matt and Julie pep squad. I didn't get fitted for the uniform or shake the pom-poms or learn the cheers. I'm just not a fan. She's manipulative and selfish and a whiny little brat, and Matt's had too much disappointment in his life to be stuck with that for a girlfriend. However, during the first round of their relationship, they were supposed to have sex for the first time. It was Julie's idea, but she eventually renegged, which is totally understandable. When the series returned, Julie had moved on to flirting with a loser college kid who thought he was too cool for proper hygiene and then she developed a crush on Riggins when he was crashing on their couch, which ended in her drunkenly throwing herself at him in the middle of the night. Despite all of her efforts, she's still a virgin. Matt, on the other hand, lost his virginity to his grandmother's hot young nurse Carlotta who eventually returned to Guatemala for her family. While he was in that relationship and while he was recovering from its end, Julie gradually worked her way back into his life. And once the new kid, J.D., stole his starting quarterback position, she swooped in to hold his hand and be his shoulder to cry on. I have to admit, she's pretty damn good.

In this episode, the school was having a dance, so I thought he was going to invite her as his date. But instead they ditched and went to the lake. After hours of heavy flirtation, she said it was late and time to go home, but flipped her hair back and tilted her head like she was waiting for him to make a move. Luckily, Matt-minus-football isn't completely socially retarded. He kissed her and she pounced on him like a cat in heat. We're then shown an adorable, wordless scene of him driving her home in the morning--with no interference from her parents who had their own date-night that probably rendered them unconscious for most of the morning--that ended with Julie staring into the mirror like she expected to look different after losing her virginity. I hope this doesn't backfire and she doesn't regret it, cause Matt deserves a little drama-free happiness these days.

The New Kid
We're not supposed to like J.D. (Jeremy Sumpter from Peter Pan and "Clubhouse"). He stole Matt's position, he's rich, he has his whole future ahead of him, and his dad's a douche. But this episode showed a side of J.D. that allowed him to be liked. He's rather...pathetic. lol If Matt was unprepared for the tidal wave that is Dillon football and all of its drunken partying and irresponsible antics, then J.D. is like a virgin aimlessly feeling around in the dark. Who better to devirginate him than the professional manwhore Riggins? (I really do think Riggins should become a gigolo. He'd make millions and have Lyla living in style. lol) Tim started off doing the right thing after coach told him to cut the boy some slack and refocus the team on the game and not the hazing--having forced him to run naked across the field--by showing him around town. But he sort of veered off course when he forced J.D. to go to a house party that kids preferred over the lame school dance. Wandering off to makeout with Lyla no doubt, he left J.D. to be peer-pressured by his fellow teammates who pounded him with so much liquor that he was dancing on tables and mugging for cell phone cameras (that might come back to bite him in the ass). Riggins and Lyla eventually carried his drunk ass home, which led to his father forcing him to tell the coach that he got drunk and apologize after church. Awkward--especially, since the coach was the one who told Riggins to watch over him. I think he won't be hazed anymore, but chances are he's not done rebelling. I mean, after he single-handedly won the big game, his dad waltzed into the locker room and grabbed him before he could go out to celebrate with the team. Clingy much?

Tyra & her stupid cowboy Cash
Every time Tyra's mom speaks, I want to punch her in the face. I just think women like that should have their ovaries revoked so that they can't spread their stupidity. She had the audacity to tell Tyra to forgo college so she could keep her cowboy, and then expressed astonishment when Tyra revealed that Cash paid for her college applications, so he clearly wants her to go. Angela erupted in excitement at the "good man" her daughter had snagged. Tyra sees it and I see it--the utter idiocy that oozes out of that woman. The only difference is that I won't ever follow in her footsteps, but Tyra doesn't seem to be able not to. I get it. The boy is really hot and he's not always drunk like Tim, and he has a well-paying job unlike Tim. She has Lyla beat by two points already, yet somehow I think the fact that Tim would never abandon his child trumps both of those qualities. Sure, he says the kid isn't his and the woman claiming to be his baby's mama is a nutjob who says he is the father to her two-year-old son when he last had sex with her five years ago, but...I still don't trust him. Not even a little. What really annoyed me though wasn't Tyra's willingness to just take his word for it, it was how she immediately thought of Landry once she thought she'd been duped. Landry ISN'T your fall-back boyfriend. Get a life you selfish bitch. That being said...

Landry is an idiot
Why are you writing love songs about Tyra? She isn't love-song worthy. She has never done anything for you--other than be attractive--that merits being worshipped artistically. I'm glad the new girl said what everyone was thinking: Get over her. Unfortunately, next week Landry commits a common male mistake of assuming that a girl is hot for you because she pays more than ten seconds of attention to you. I think it's pretty hilarious that his band's new guitar player turns out to be a lesbian, but even funnier that Landry doesn't discover this until after he tells Tyra that he has a new girlfriend...I really hope it's after. I can't imagine what the benefits would be in knowingly lying about that. He does know that he'll eventually need proof right? We'll see.

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