“Friday Night Lights” — Are You Ready For Friday Night?
The holy ghost.
It’s just not the same. And I know you can’t ask for something to never change. Change is inevitable. All things change but that doesn’t mean we have to like it. Coca-Cola changed to Coke and got Billy Joel so ticked he wrote a song about it and got the company to change it back (at least I think that’s how it went down… I was only five). That being said, Burger King changed the recipe to their fries a decade ago and have yet to change it back despite all the songs I’ve written. I guess what I’m saying is Friday Night Lights isn’t the same show this season that it was last season and now we’re all going to have to decide what we want to do about it. Should I get the guitar? More after the jump…
The difference between the two seasons is scale. Last year the problems were small but honest. If we hadn’t been in those exact circumstances, we’d been in situations like them. This season, every single conflict seems to be played as the most significant moment in everyone’s life, and thus by extension those conflicts that maybe aren’t so big feel inconsequential. Take for example all of the Julie stuff. She’s going through very typical, very American teenage girl growing pains. She’s trying to figure out who she is and in the process might find herself making out with some dude in a van. Though when it’s paired against a murder or Mexican spinal surgery or grid-iron fisticuffs who really cares if she gets smacked by her mother?
This is a significant problem for a show that is suppose to be a reflection of honest, real americana. The fact of the matter is I’m already watching Gossip Girl and frankly that’s a show that knows melodrama — though it’s hardly the place I’d turn if I wanted to know what it was like to be a teenager in a small midwest town. Friday Night Lights used to offer something you couldn’t find anywhere else on television, which is why I think so many people responded to it (though clearly not so many people as to let it keep its non-graveyard timeslot). Now, it’s no longer a special snowflake. It went from genre-defying to genre, and my god if that isn’t depressing to think about.
Now, this isn’t to say the show isn’t worth watching. There is enough good in every hour to make up for all of the typical television nonsense that has snuck into the series these past three weeks. But make no mistake about it, this is not the same show we were watching last season.
Clearly the TV gods didn’t hear my prayers. Last spring I swore that I’d be willing to sacrifice a second season of Friday Night Lights for a fourth season of Veronica Mars. The way I saw it Friday Night Lights, after a single year, could go down with Freaks and Geeks and Firefly and all the rest as one of those perfect series that lasted only one season. We could always wonder what a second would have brought, but could rest assured that it wasn’t going to happen, thus preserving our memories of the episodes we had and loved. Veronica Mars, on the other hand, peaked in season one, but continued to be at the very least highly enjoyable and sometimes brilliant. This was a show that could keep going, even with its best years behind it, because the formula worked so damn well and was so much fun to watch. Again, my prayers were obviously not heard. Now we have a tarnished FNL and Kristin Bell slumming it on Heroes. I’m beginning to think there might not even be a TV-god after all.
Speaking of god, the best (and truest) moment from this week’s episode came when Riggins decided to go to church with Lyla. The scene perfectly captured what it feels like to go to a mega-church. The whole institution is built in a way to elicit a response from its visitors. Still, the series never treated the moment as a “look at these crazy people waving their hands” ironic wink and nudge. It simply was what it was. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if that was actual footage from a real church. I’m curious how this storyline will play out. (Assuming it even does. Riggins was last seen in a truck heading for Mexico.) This show has always been incredibly honest and on-target with the influence of religion on the people in this town, and even on the game of football itself.
And hey, how about that football, right? After three weeks we were finally shown an actual game, of course I’m sure all of those dudes who tuned in after reading Bill Simmons column were long gone before the first ball was snapped.
I guess this post itself says it all. I’m scrambling to get this thing written at 2:48am on Monday, knowing full well if it isn’t up by morning, it’ll never get posted. The episode aired over two days ago. What last season was a rush home to watch situation has turned to something I eventually get around to. With Mad Men having wrapped up and Damages ending on Tuesday there is currently nothing on television that I’m super excited about and feel any urgency toward. Maybe Dexter. Hopefully Dexter. Actually, I’m going to go watch Dexter.
