Thursday, February 08, 2007

Friday Night Lights is awesome. Period.

Best new show this season, hands down? Friday Night Lights. I've done some limited gushing over this show already, but I think it's time to take that gushing to a new level: I'm going to be posting on this show whenever possible from now on.

I went to a school for nerds in a big city that didn't care about football in the least, so I'm probably not one to say anything about how things really are in Texas, but I thought that the racial tensions issue was handled extremely well. Mac's comments to the reporter were definitely not right, but the fact that they were sort of veiled and not outright slurs (except for the junkyard dogs part...) made the situation much more complex. I like that Smash brushed them off at first and wasn't offended at all and gradually realized throughout the episode that he needed to do something about it. Some people might say that Waverly was kind of an instigator here, but I can understand how a more high-profile incident like this one really brings out all the tensions that have been there all along. I'm really interested to see how this turns out, although I don't really see any course of action besides the coach firing Mac, despite this being pretty bad timing with the team going for State.

On a lighter note, how awesome was the powderpuff game? It was the perfect counterbalance to the heavier racial issues plot, and it allowed for a ton of really cute moments. I think what I love most about this show is its ability to have every single scene be worth it. I mean, check out this list: Riggins asking if any of the girls knew what a chop block was before making his first pick (what the heck is a chop block anyway?). Matt looking all flustered and picking Julie third because he obviously didn't know what to do. Riggins taking his coaching duties extremely seriously while Matt telling his team that no matter what they were all winners. Coach Taylor getting all excited that Julie was quarterback and the scene in their yard. Landry as referee and telling the coach to "get off his line." Tyra kicking butt on the field. Matt's grandma holding the sign for Julie! Matt running down the field with Julie while she was making the touchdown and picking her up when they won! They're so getting back together soon.

(Oh, by the way, I didn't even know what powderpuff was until I got to college and someone explained it to me. I also had the actual meaning of homecoming explained to me in the same conversation...everyone thought I was from another planet.)

And for a change, Jason's storyline was sort in the background this week. I'm not really so hot on him thinking that he's going to make the national rugby team, which just seems like a setup for more disappointment to me, but Herc is still awesome. It was strange seeing Jason back in school for that one scene...somehow I'd kind of forgotten that he's still high school aged. I haven't really been too bothered by the fact that most of the cast is played by actors who are in their twenties but it really dawned on me this week how old Jason really looks.

Lastly, Coach Taylor and his wife are so the best married couple/parents on TV right now. Yes, they have surpassed Sandy and Kirsten Cohen and are getting better every single week. How sweet was their scene in the living room?

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