Friday Night Lights – Episode 1.01 “Pilot” – air date 10/3/06

My comment at RTVW after the first viewing of this episode - "I thought it was just okay. One of the football dudes is hot though so I'll give it another shot."

After watching this episode again (during the three weeks they took it away from me and again this weekend) I have many more comments. I also feel the need to write out an entire summary of this first episode and I can’t promise you that I won’t do this for every single episode. But hey, you can always jump in midseason if you read them all, eh? (FYI - You can watch them all at nbc.com)

The camera work on this show is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. If the acting on the show doesn’t grab you and glue you to the television for an hour, the handheld should. After the first airing of the first episode, I wasn’t all that impressed (except with Kitsch, of course). It seemed to be just a combination of the movie (Friday Night Lights) and Varsity Blues all mixed together in one show that was somehow supposed to become a television series. 22 episodes? How did they hope to accomplish such a thing? I mean, they were good movies and all but a television series? Hmmm… But I decided to give it another shot ~ not that I had much of a choice since the dear husband seemed to be sold on it. After seeing the rest of the nine aired episodes and re-watching the first one, I just found it breathtaking. It’s hard to put into words what makes a show so good and so worth watching and so worth dropping everything else you’re doing just to pay extra special attention to it. Never fear though, I’ll try my best to put it into words for you.

The pilot opens with the camera moving through the town and a male radio voice telling his audience (us) that it’s only four days until Friday night as “Monday” appears on the screen. The camera settles briefly on a man standing alone in the middle of a football stadium. From a female caller into the radio show, we learn that this man is Coach Taylor and he’s new and under a lot of pressure and being followed around by a news crew. This is a football town, you see.

We ride along with the camera to a little and somewhat rundown house that can only be the home of Riggins Running Back #33 because that’s what the sign in the yard tells us. We enter the Riggins household and find a shirtless (be still my heart) muscled young man lying on the leather loveseat with the coffee table in front of him littered with beer bottles. We assume this is Running Back Riggins (and I already have a favorite character) as we wipe the drool from our chin and continue listening to the radio people telling us that this is the #1 team in Texas. Uh oh. Poor Coach Taylor. He seems to be in trouble here.

The next house we come to seems more rundown (because of the broken chairs and other stuff littering the lawn) than the Riggins house and the crooked sign outside (that is unlike the Riggins sign in that it's not quite as big and the colors are reversed) tells us this is the home of Saracen Quarterback #7. Inside the house we meet an old lady (that we assume is not the Quarterback) watching some home shopping show. Then we see the young man (who must be Saracen the quarterback) who looks at his grandmother with a hard to read expression as he tells her he made her “two tuna fish sandwiches” and he put her medicine “in the green Gatorade”. She just sits there and taps her foot. The camera settles in on that tapping foot for what seems like forever but really it's just about a millisecond (tap tap tap tap tap) and it makes you want to pull your hair out. She only wants one tuna fish sandwich and he tells her he’ll eat the other one after practice. They share a hug as she tells him, “You? I adore.” Tapping foot again. This is a perfectly acted and angled scene, people.

Saracen leaves his house, straightens the sign in the front yard and gets into an old station-wagon. You know the ones with the wood panel on the sides? Yeah. One of those. We learn that the driver is Landry Clark who tells Saracen he wants one of those signs for himself that would say “Utterly Useless All State Jerk Team”. I’m going to like this Landry fellow. (I rarely use the term "fellow" but it just really really fits Landry Clark.) Saracen reads the newspaper with a picture of Coach Taylor and heading that says “The Best Ever?” with smaller pictures of two other players (we will learn that those are Street and Smash) as the radio guy tells us all about the actual quarterback whose name is Jason Street. Landry asks Saracen if he’s ever going to play this year because he can’t keep waking up to take him to practice if he’s not even going to play. Interesting that we were shown the backup quarterback, yes? Though I guess if you’ve seen the movie…

And we’re back to shirtless Tim Riggins. *drool* (Please note – I feel free to drool all over this man now that I know how old he is and that he’s not actually a high school football player. The first viewing of the first episode was a little rough for me since I was on my way down Guilt Avenue.) An older than him guy (his older brother, Billy) tells him he is going to be kicked off the team as a tall blonde girl (Tyra) in a flannel shirt lays her gorgeous self on top of Riggins. Older brother tells him he isn’t that good and Riggins tells him he’s twice the player he ever was. (set up for more back story, people ~ we later find out how awesome the continuity and foreshadowing that happens all around the screen during this show really is so it’s a lot easier to appreciate this first episode during viewing #2)

Now we’re apparently in a different part of town. A large (and neat looking) house. A woman tells her daughter not to go out with Jason Street tonight but to come home for family dinner. The girl with her brown hair pulled into a ponytail icing cupcakes (with some kind of spray can?) tells her mother she has “rally rehearsal” tonight. A younger girl beebops into the room. A young boy comments that she is rehearsing how far she can get her tongue down Jason’s throat. Heh. And then an icky man walks in and tells the kid to shut up (not those words but I don’t remember what his were).

And we’re back to Coach Taylor and the football field. We find out that he’s been with the Dillon Panthers for six years but just recently was named Head Coach. We also find out that he has been coaching Jason Street (who is seated at his side) since his Pee Wee days. Then we cut to Jason Street. I can’t tell you what it is that makes you believe that we are seeing the absolute best high school quarterback there has ever been, but you do believe that. Yes you do. Jason Street, baby. And to further that revelation that you’ve just seen the absolute best high school quarterback there has ever been, we see his parents chatting it up with a Notre Dame scout. A scout who says Jay is the best quarterback he’s seen in 27 years. Hell yeah he is. We cut back to Coach who says they expect a lot from Street and he produces. No pressure, Jay.

Cut to a Smash rambling on about trophies and whatnot having his picture taken and getting interviewed. We are shown slow motion shots of him running with the football as the interviewer asks about his dad who died a few years ago (back story - foreshadow - continuity) but the kid very adamantly doesn’t want to talk about that so they move on to the subject of racism and the kid says he wears blinders.

Close up of Riggins (pitter pat) looking up and saying “That’s not racism. I just don’t like him.” It’s not just his looks, you’ve now decided. It’s his voice too. “My name is Tim Riggins and I play fullback.” The interviewer comments on his aggression and he says, “I just like to hurt people,” (we, of course, later learn there’s more to that statement than what we’re being shown now) as we are shown him tackling an unlucky somebody on the field.

Cut back to Street who is just perfect and says the perfect things about his team. (This is the boy who should make you swoon but he isn’t.)

Back to Riggins who tells the interviewer he doesn’t have alcohol on his breath as we see Tim on the field fumbling the ball and the assistant coach yelling at him and his brother looking disgusted.

Taylor gets the boys in a circle and has them tackle Riggins one by one as he screams at him about understanding what's going to happen in five days. Then he says, "Get up, Riggins". Cut to Taylor in an interview and then to Street who says reassuringly that they’re a very good team. And you believe him because you have to because for fuck’s sake that is Jason Fucking Street. Back to Smash who says this is the best team because they have him. Back to Coach Taylor glaring fire on Riggins and telling the team, "They're gonna attempt to do this to you in front of your mothers, in front of your fathers, in front of your brothers, in front of your sisters." And while we hear him saying this, we see Tim get tackled over and over. Wham! (you cringe) Kyle Chandler is television royalty, people. Appreciate him. Smash stands over a crumpled heap lying on the ground that appears to be Tim and tells him he’s making them all look weak. Cut to Riggins in interview, "I hate that guy." And Smash, "If one person fumbles the ball, we all fumble the ball. If one person shows up to practice half-drunk, we all show up half-drunk." Taylor, quietly, "Twenty." Riggins goes down again. Smash, "We ain't got time for your games, Rig." Riggins goes down yet again and the camera jerks up to Taylor, standing with his arms crossed and looking like a football coach, "Get up, son. Get up."

I'm not sure what it is that makes this such an awesome scene but I watched it over and over and over again (which is strange since baby boy was getting his ass whooped). Awesome.

Jason Street is being interviewed in some fast food place and the girl with the cupcakes and ponytail (Lyla) is at his side. Hip hop is playing in the background and Jason is talking about Aztec burgers and Lyla is saying no endorsements and then we cut to Smash who is more than willing to talk endorsements. Tyra (the tall hot blonde girl that plopped her gorgeous self on top of Riggins) appears to really get a kick out of Smash.

We cut a few tables over to Saracen and Landry discussing whether or not to talk to a girl reading a book. Is that Beck in the background all of a sudden? Hmmm… This is the coach’s daughter it turns out and she couldn’t be more disinterested in the football players. Landry tells her he's in her English class and proposes a chat about Moby Dick and Saracen stammers all over himself wondering if he should brag about being on the football team or tell her he’s not really on the team since he never gets to play because they have the best quarterback the Notre Dame scout has seen in 27 fucking years. He's held the ball for the kicker twice and Landry says "not very well". She tells Matt he's still a football player and she doesn't eat with football players. Landry says he's not a football player and she says, "and I don't eat with you either." heh.

Back to Street and Lyla and the beginning of my love for Adrianne Palicki who plays Tyra. (This girl is amazing, people and has been way too underused thus far. But with the quality of acting on this show I guess it would be difficult to surmise who is the BEST ~ but not who is the worst because that would be Minka Kelly aka Lyla) Tyra is listening to Lyla being all cheerleadery and shit and says mockingly, “Oh, really? How interesting. That is so interesting. really. I'd be hard pressed to remember anything in my entire damn life that's ever been so damn interesting…. Whore." Awesome. Then she goes over to Smash and bites his burger. Hot.

Coach Taylor is watching game footage and in walks his wife. She wants to move to Alaska.

Saracen throws a football through a tire hanging from a tree as Landry talks about starting a Christian speed metal band (foreshadow – continuity). Grandma Saracen, who has been watching from the background, tells Matt he needs to get a new friend. Awwww.

Jason and Lyla hop out of his Jeep and exchange a whole lot of icky that I won’t make you read. To snip this part, they have a cute high school cheerleader dating the star quarterback relationship. Awwww… But it is quite cute even though it is a bit gagworthy.

The Taylors are all sitting and doing their own thing and daughter Julie starts equating Dillon Texas with Moby Dick. I’m not intelligent enough to go into all her comparisons but to snip this part, Julie is smart and doesn’t necessarily love football.

Tuesday and more radio. Coach Taylor is discussing this week’s opponents with a man he calls “Coach”. They laughingly end the conversation with “It’s only football” being traded back and forth. They say that a lot and it’s really funny to them because, you see, this is a football town and they’re the #1 team in Texas and Coach Taylor has a lot to prove.

And now we’re inside a car dealership decorated with balloons and “Panther Pride” banners. A lady, the mayor, welcomes the Panthers and their coach. Pan to Lyla who looks like a cheerleader who is there because she is in love with her quarterback boyfriend. Pan to Julie who looks like she’s there because she has to be because her dad is the coach and whatever. Pan to Tyra who looks like she has no idea why she’s even there because this is so fucking boring. Smash raps about Tom Cruise and Scientology. Really. Some ladies approach Julie and Tami (Mrs. Coach) and invite her to join their book club. Tyra and Tim are making out. Hot. Coach Taylor breaks them up as he walks past. Get out of here Coach. He walks away and they go back to it. Hot.

“Gold Lion” by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs is playing. Nice.

Mack Brown threatens Taylor by telling him to meet him outside the Tastee Freeze if they lose on Friday. The mayor has Jason cornered and he’s acting all nice and she yells at him for being nice because he can’t be nice on Friday. Yikes. She tells him to listen to Black Sabbath because it will make him mean. Ummm…. Okay. Tim is surrounded by a bunch of sexually frustrated women (what? shut up. I can't help it. He's hot.) and one of them tells him that a blitz sounds sexual then she asks him if he’s ever blitzed an older woman. Right about now Mr. Riggins is cursing his prettiness I bet. Tyra sexies up to Street and says being with Lyla must be like drinking milk all day and tells him he should try a milkshake sometime. Nice. Hot. Mack Brown is still surrounding Coach Taylor. A photographer starts to take pictures of Tyra and Jason and asks if she’s his girlfriend just as Lyla beebops herself back to his side. She pouts and he apologizes sweetly. Aww. Tyra gets bored with the icky talk between Street and Lyla and sexies over to Smash and tells him she’s bored. This angers Timmy so he tells Smash to get away from her. They go back and forth and Miss Hotthing tells them to quit. Mack Brown is still surrounding Coach Taylor.

Wednesday. Cheerleaders cheering and little kids all padded up playing football. That description does that scene no justice. It's a stunning scene.

Street stands in front of a chalkboard diagramming plays for the little kids. One boy suggests that Street should play professional ball. Ah. And you start to tear up because you’ve seen this movie. Street leads them in prayer and a boy asks him if he thinks God loves football. Kid, you’re asking Jason Fucking Street. Of course his answer will be “everybody does”.

Thursday. Coach is standing outside a two story house with the sexually frustrated blitz lady. She asks if he’s going to make an offer on the house and he says it depends what happens on Friday night. No pressure.

Coach is driving home listening to more football talk on the radio. They discuss how Coach underutilizes Smash and depends on Street too much. Ack. (You really wish he'd have watched the movie or read the book or whatever because you did.)

Tim, Lyla, Jason and some other kids are sitting around a bonfire. Tim talks about how he just wants to stay in Dillon and wait for Jason to get back from playing college ball and going pro so they can run a ranch together. Street smiles sincerely back at his friend who has much smaller dreams than his own. And to cement what football means to this town and what this ranch dream means to Tim, we get a beer toast from Mr. #33, "Here's to God, and football, and 10 years from now, Street, good friends livin' large in Texas. Texas forever. Yo everybody, listen up. Let's do it! Let's touch God this time boys, let's touch God." (Wow, his voice.)

Friday. The stores are closed. Of course they are. Because it’s game night. Matt Saracen sits in the locker room in his blue hoodie. (I love men in hoodies.) People enter the stadium. Tim sits in the locker room. (I wish he was wearing a hoodie.) His legs bouncing from either nervousness or eagerness. Probably the latter since he likes to hurt people. Smash tapes his wrists. Street stands there looking perfect and confident. Coach stands in front of his team and talks to them about the game. The pre-game pep talk. He doesn’t expect them to win. He knows they’ll win. “Clear eyes. Full hearts. Can’t lose.” The team yells back in unison, “CAN’T LOSE!” as they all touch the “P” on the wall on their way out.

Coach pulls Street aside and they tell each other that they’ve earned this win. *sob*

Game is under way. Smash receives the punt and carries the ball to the 40 yard line. More gameplay. Pass to Smash. Pass to Riggins. Coach Taylor calls a “Barracuda 550”. Street passes for a touchdown. Woo hoo! But their opponents, Westerbury Chaps, answer that touchdown with one of their own. Gorgeous slow motion camerawork of the celebration.

Second quarter. Tim blocks for Smash as he carries the ball down the field. Street throws another touchdown pass. Westerbury counters with another touchdown.

Half time. Some assistant coach of some sort tells them to take their heads out of their butts. Tim is being attended to due to some scratches on his neck (purrrrr). Street is explaining confusingly to somebody else what is going wrong on the field. Saracen is behind Street looking like a sweet little boy who is just trying to learn from this specimen of total awesomeness. Taylor looks to Jason who continues explaining what is going on ("...gotta beat the jam off the line..."). The yelling assistant coach or whatnot yells, "We have not been communicating. We are gonna communicate now." And all the boys go, "Yessir."

Back on the field, Smash is getting nowhere. The passing isn't working all that well. Street is trying to psych the team up. Coach seems to be remaining pretty cool considering. Lyla and the other cheerleaders aren't looking very cheerleadery. Finally Coach loses it and screams at a referee: "That was horse crud." heh.

So now you're sitting on the edge of your couch because you know what's coming. You just don't know how or when it's going to happen. And because you love football and well golly you just love these kids on this team. Then you try to pretend you don't really know what's coming. Maybe it won't happen this episode. Even still you can't relax because the Westerbury Chaps are up 24 - 14.

Things start to look up for our Dillon Panthers and you know what that means so your eyes start to prepare themselves for what's coming. Third and five and Street tosses the ball to... oh crap, it's intercepted. The only person near enough to tackle the Chap is Street. So he puts his head down (ack!!!!! You cover your eyes with your hands and peek through your fingers.) and they crash to the ground. The Chap fumbles and our Panthers recover so yay... but Jay is still lying there.

Street's mother with her hands up to her face. Coach walking towards Street. One Panther player (was it Smash? I forgot to pay attention) kneels beside him. Trainer comes out. The crowd is silent. The doctor comes out and his parents run to the field. Lyla breaks your heart as she absently asks why he's not getting up. The doctor asks Jay if he can hear him. Jay looks absolutely horrified as he says he can.

His mom tells him to get up. Ambulance siren sounds. The crowd shows that they have their fingers crossed. The doctor tells the EMTs he thinks its a spinal injury. Jason can lift his hand and wiggle his toes. Well that's good. Right? They lift him onto a stretcher. Jason tells them "thank you". Awww. *sob*

They put him in the ambulance. The crowd applauds. Everyone on the field on their knees. Our Panthers look defeated.

Little Matt Saracen is called into action. He looks so scared and you want to hug him. Coach explains to him that the quarterback is Captain.

Captain huddle. The referee reminds them to keep their heads up. Matty has a look that's a cross between a deer in headlights, like somebody who's seen a ghost, and a lost puppy.

Both teams huddle as we cut to medical technicians taking off Jason's shoes. Back to Saracen calling a play incorrectly. Smash corrects him. The nurses are fiddling with Jay's helmet. Saracen gets sacked. They're sawing off Jay's helmet. Lyla's leaning against the wall. She's crying. So are you, btw. Saracen throws the ball and it hits one of his linemen in the back of the helmet. Jay is being rolled onto his stomach. Coach tells Matt to slow down and breathe. Street is hooked up to monitors and they cut into his spine. Coach tells Matt to "read the coverage" and realizes that Matt has no idea how to do that so he tells him to look and "throw the ball to our guys". They're still cutting into Jay. Smash gets a touchdown. Tyra cheers. Dammit she's hot.

Less than a minute to go in the game and our Panthers try for an onside kick. They're successful so they have "a chance to win this game." They dramatically win the game with an incredible Saracen pass (fending off the Chaps defense) to Smash. Maybe that play couldn't have really happened the way it happened with the time that was left but you don't care. You don't care because you see how happy the entire town of Dillon is to win this game and you just want to cut back to the hospital. Coach looks at Tami and gives her a worried for Jason look. The celebration is over as both teams kneel and Smash leads them in prayer. "We know that you work in mysterious ways, and we just want to send our spirit, and our love, just to heal him in whatever way you see fit." The crowd bows their heads.

Back to the hospital. The crowd is gathering to hear news on Jason. Coach Taylor's voice "We will all, at some point in our lives, fall. We will all fall. We must keep this in our hearts. That what we have is special. That it can be taken from us. And when it is taken from us, we will be tested. (he's at Jay's side now) We will be tested to our very souls." In the hallway, Julie walks towards Lyla. The team is in the lobby. Coach Taylor hugs Street's father. Lyla falls into Julie's embrace and sobs. In the lobby, Tim and Smash put aside differences (if only for a moment). Taylor slips his hand into Jay's. We look at Coach's face as he looks at Jason Street. Jason Street who he's coached since Pee Wee. Jason Street who is the best quarterback the Notre Dame scout has seen in 27 years. Jason Street who he depended on so much to make this a winning season for the Dillon Panthers. Jason Street who he's coached since Pee Wee.

And yet somehow you still hope, even though this is the third time now that you've seen this episode and you've seen all the episodes since, you still hope Jason will be okay.

It is embarassing to other television shows how well done the acting is here.