Friday Night Lights - Epsiode 1.02 “Eyes Wide Open” – air date 10/10/06

We open with the camera taking us on a church tour of Dillon. A brick church and across the tracks (yes, literally) a rundown wooden church. They are praying for Jason Street.

Inside the wooden church, we see the African-Americans praying for Jason Street. Back across the tracks (yes, literally) is the white people church. They are praying for Jason Street as well. (ah the subtleties of really good television writing)

Close-up of Timmy holding a gun. (stunningly gorgeous shot and not just because it's him) As the camera pulls back, we see that he’s in the back of a pick-up truck. Billy is driving and talking to him through the open back window. He saw the tackle and he doesn’t think Jason will ever walk again let alone play football. Tim hears him but says nothing as he shoots his gun.

Back at the white people church, Lyla is telling a group of girls that “we know he’s going to walk again.” Saracen is tossing the football around with some younger kids. Icky Buddy Garrity stands with Coach Taylor as they watch Matt throwing the football. IBG says the “best-case scenario would have Jason Street out for a month” and wants to know what Coach’s plan is. You gag as the camera closes in on IBG’s face as he asks if “little Matt Saracen” can get it done. You exhale as the camera relieves us with a close up of Coach. “I guess we’re fixing to find out. That was a nice sermon, wasn’t it?” He walks away from IBG and over to Matt telling him “we got a lot of work to do, son.”

Lyla walking down the hospital hallway with get well balloons looking all cheerleadery. Her ponytail bouncing. It makes you feel almost sorry for her while simultaneously rolling your eyes at her. You know she’s been there often because she is greeted by name. Jason is lying in his hospital bed with a large brace around his head and neck. Lyla asks if he’s heard of Nathan Foreman. He tells her he hasn’t. She calls out to a man in a white lab coat walking down the hallway, “Excuse me! Can you come help me?” The man walks in and she has him help her put up a banner on the wall as she asks him if he’s heard of Nathan Foreman. He hasn’t either. She says she found Nathan Foreman’s story on the internet. He had a “terrible accident” and now he plays basketball in college. Lyla is surprised Mr. White Lab Coat has not heard Nathan Foreman’s story. He explains to her that he’s oncology. Lyla’s expression shows some kind of “how is that more important than my boyfriend?” look as Mr. Oncology leaves the room to get back to his cancer patients (the nerve). She tells Jay that the cheerleaders and rally girls “joined forces” to make the banner and then she finishes her Nathan Foreman story. She leans in real close to Jason and you’re thinking how great it is (how great she is) that she’s there supporting him. Then she says, “Listen to me. This is going to be okay.” Denial.

Coach is driving and listening to the radio… Panther Radio. Landry and Matt are listening too as the radio host says, “This hundred and sixty pound sophomore? Matt Sorenson?” This disgusts Landry and he says as much as the radio host continues to beat poor Matt down saying he threw that ball with Hail Mary and closed his eyes.

Coach walks into the locker room. The team is waiting for him. Waiting for some news on Jay. Coach tells them they’re still waiting to hear but there is a specialist coming to take a look. Then he tells them they have a game on Friday. I guess in case they’ve forgotten.

Out on the field, Saracen is sucking and everybody’s yelling at him. He says he didn’t see the guy who caught the interception to. The assistant coach yells, “he’s bigger than my front door!” heh. Taylor is calling out confusing plays to Matt and he seems to start remembering what he’s supposed to do, “I gotta work on reading the coverage”. He remembers that from last week. Coach stops him short screaming, “hittem on the breaks! Hit.em.on.the.breaks.” huh? Whoa. Matt screws up again (fumbled on the snap) and Coach calls him back over. He tells Matt he needs to work harder, needs to learn the plays. He wants him to know the plays so well that his “children will know them in their DNA”. And you want to hug poor Matt because Coach Taylor seems to be doing all he can to not put him over his knee and spank him.

Taylor household. Tami’s on her way to book club. Julie tells her they’re going to “turn you into a pod”. The camera closes in on the book Tami’s putting in her purse so I thought it might be important. “Letters to Cornelius” there doesn’t appear to be such a book and I try for way to long to figure out why the camera would close in on it if it doesn’t exist. I figure there must be some significance to it somehow but again with the me not being that intelligent thing. Coach calls her over in a tired voice. They put their foreheads together, share a kiss and exchange I love yous. Awww. I love the Taylors.

Tim is rewinding and watching the part of the tape that shows the play that led to Street’s injury. He’s sitting in the dark alone in the locker room. rewind watch rewind watch rewind watch At first his face seems to lack emotion, then he tries to hold back the tears, and then he lets them come. And you want to hug Big Timmy Riggins. *sniff*

Book club. The ladies toast themselves and thank Tami for coming. Tami says she loved the book and this causes the rest of the ladies to laugh hysterically. The real estate blitz lady says they want to talk about “what’s really important” and they start talking about (you guessed it) Dillon Panther football.

Smash is at the diner in a booth with a girl on each side. He’s asking if they have his math homework. They do.

Elsewhere in the diner, some girls are crying about Street. Tyra, who is sitting with Tim, is getting fed up listening to them. “Just last week we were right here. Jason Street was sitting right over there.” Tyra looks to Tim and asks, “Could they be more annoying?” You smile a little because you love her and now she emphasized that perfectly and she sounds like Chandler which makes you love her more. Tim is wearing a plain white v-neck t-shirt… oops. I mean Tim is looking out the window or at his own totally gorgeous (oops) reflection. Tyra is fed up now and she says to the girls, “Seriously. Stop crying. You don’t even know Jason Street.” Tim just sits there being all brooding and hot. “So how drunk are you anyway?” Tyra snaps at Tim. And you want him to say something. Anything. Because he hasn’t said anything in like forever and you really like his voice.

Smash is saying somebody has to take control now that Street is out and guess who that somebody is. It’s him, of course. Tim is hearing him and getting fed up.

Matt and Landry at the counter. A blonde girl saunters over and tells Matt that she is his. When he looks at her blankly, she explains that since he’s first string now, he gets a rally girl. He just tells her what he likes and she gives it to him. oh boy. You’re waiting for him to say something really silly. She says she’ll make him her chocolate coconut cake and they’ll go from there. After she walks away, Landry is clearly intrigued by this rally girl thing. Matt tells him he can’t think about girls right now. But Landry says when Street “comes back in five weeks” Matt will go back to being a nobody but this is what they (“you and me”) have right now. Matt asks what he (Landry) has to do with it. Then he tells Landry it wouldn’t be right to get all excited over being QB1 with “Street just laying there” in the hospital.

Smash is still in his booth and still talking about himself in the 3rd. “get behind Smash” and a bunch of people do as they’re standing around him telling them he should lead the team. Tim is fed up now. He hots himself over to Smash’s booth looking all kinds of sexy in his plain white t-shirt and jeans… oops. He walks over to Smash’s booth all purpose-driven and hot (sorry, I can’t help it) and tells Smash to get up because he’s in Street’s booth. Smash suggests to Tim that he “go home and sleep it off, man”. Ouch. Matt (at the counter) and Tyra (in their booth) cringe. He doesn’t appear drunk to you though, ftr. Just really hot and brooding. (maybe Taylor Kitsch’s acting isn’t evolved enough yet or maybe Tim Riggins just broods more darkly when he’s drunk) Tim says nothing but you’re tense because you know he’s going to say something or haul off and hit him. Instead though, he says, “You’re right.” Stunned silence from Smash (and you). Riggins tells them to enjoy the rest of their evening and turns to walk back to his booth. And you can’t tell for sure but you think Tim really is going to let it go. Until Smash says, “Hey, smile, Riggs. God don’t like ugly.” You scoff at this because Taylor Kitsch and ugly don’t really mesh in your brain but before you have a chance to really think about it, Tim hurls a glass that whips right above Smash’s head and shatters and startles the shit out of everybody. Tyra jumps up and goes to Tim while Smash’s gathering holds him back. Tim walks out.

Tami’s on the phone and watering a plant. She’s assuring the person on the other end that she will help out. Something about 200 Rice Krispie treats. “that many?” Coach is outside fiddling with the air conditioning unit. She tells Coach that since she went to the book club meeting last night, she’s on twelve committees. Julie is on the couch reading (she needs a social life) calling out an I told you so to Tami. Coach tells Tami she’s right, the AC is broken. She says she thinks it’s time she gets a job. The idea of your husband working and supporting you and your teenage daughter sounds totally foreign to you and you wonder just how much high school football coaches make. Hmmm…

The Mayor, the rest of the football-obsessed boosters and Coach Taylor are sitting inside Applebees. They’re bashing Matt saying he had his eyes closed when he threw that pass. IBG tells the table to “let Eric finish his riblets”. Coach wipes riblet juice from his mouth and thanks them for the “fantastic meal”.

At practice, Matt throws another interception. The assistant coach says they should focus on their ground game. Coach thanks him and tells him, “I’ll run practice today.” Heh. IGB is there watching with some people. Shouldn’t he be busy selling cars? Saracen passes to Smash. Smash gets put down then shouts at Tim. Tim points his finger into Smash’s helmet and tells him he’s not running fast enough. They start screaming back and forth and the assistant coach gets in between them. Smash keeps mouthing with his enormous mouth. IGB leaves all disgusting, er, I mean disgusted. Coach looks up to the bleachers and sees them leaving. *sigh* Poor Coach.

Tyra is sexying out of the diner as Smash is walking up to it. He tells her that her boyfriend is a piece of work. Yes he is. A work of totally awesome art. Pfft. She tells Smash Tim’s not really her boyfriend at the moment and continues sexying away.

On the other side of the tracks (*rolls eyes*), a black woman in scrubs is carrying a bag of groceries being followed by two daughters. She yells to the younger one to get the rest of the groceries. The girl whines that “Brian never has to do anything”. The woman yells for Brian to turn that “junk” down (referring to the loud music that does indeed sound like junk). She opens the door to Tyra and Smash slobbering all over each other on the couch. It’s pretty clear that they were almost there if not there already. Smash’s mom is appalled. “You lost your mind?” Smash and Tyra are clothed minus Smash’s shirt. Tyra picks something out of her mouth. Heh. Ew. And says, “you must be Mrs. Williams.” She’s screwing around on your Timmy and you still manage to love her. Smash’s mom is all, “messin with white girls after getting in a fight at practice.” She and Tyra go outside. She asks if Tyra is trying to get back at Tim Riggins (for what?). Tyra asks smartassedly, “You a shrink?” She says, “I work at Planned Parenthood. You probably haven’t seen the last of me.” Oh snap! Tyra goes off about not being trash and using protection. Smash’s mom tells her oh yeah she sure is a class act. Tyra asks what that’s supposed to mean as she’s opening the door to get into Smash’s mom’s car. WTF? LOL. “It means you’re safe to walk from here,” momma says, dismissing her. Snap.

Jason is trying to pick up a pencil off the table. Coach Taylor walks in. Coach asks him how he feels and he says he doesn’t feel much. Heh. Ouch. Awww. Coach gives him a football that the team signed for him. Trying to depress him more, Coach? Oh, you can’t walk? Here. Have some memorabilia from the rest of your team since you know, they can still play. Jason asks when Riggins learned to sign his name. Coach says it’s really more of a scrawl. Coach tells Jason he always has a spot on the team no matter how long it takes. Jay asks about Matt and it’s clear to you that he’s asking because he actually wants to know. Coach says he throws like a girl but he’s fine. Jay tells him about Matt and says he likes to draw and listen to Dylan. “He’s a good kid” and that “he’ll make some things happen”. Coach looks at Jason with awe-filled love and says, “you’re a good man.” *sob* “You’re a good man.” *sob* “You’re what makes guys like me want to coach.” Jason says he’s sorry for letting him down. ((????!!!!)) Coach looks at him clearly determined to get his response through his head. “You did not let me down.” *crying like a baby* “You did not let me down.”

You know that scene from Good Will Hunting where Sean is all, “It’s not your fault.” And Will is all, “I know..” and Sean is all, “No, you don’t. It’s not your fault.” And Will’s all, “I know.” And Sean’s all, “No. Listen to me, son. It’s not your fault.”? Well, that scene makes me cry harder than Will does. And Coach has reminded me of that scene. Is that on purpose? Are they trying to make me cry as hard as that scene from Good Will Hunting makes me cry?

*sob*

Landry and Matt are leaving Matt’s house. Landry is saying that the comparisons to Matt and Street are like comparing his music to the Red Hot Chili Peppers. He’s not any better or any worse, they’re just different. Matt tells him he’s “definitely a whole lot worse.” Okay. If we’re talking old RHCP, I can almost agree without hearing Landry’s Christian speed metal band but if we’re talking current RHCP, I’ll have to hear Landry’s music before I can judge for myself. Landry says that right now “the bitches can’t even get your name right”. Then he tells Matt to just start spewing stuff out. Heh.

Matt is being interviewed and he’s just adorably clueless as to how to react so he remembers something a wise man once told him: “Not everyone can be the Red Hot Chili Peppers.” He talks about how great Street is. They ask him who he is and he stammers, “Exactly. Who am I? Who am I?” awww.

Tim is walking past the cheerleaders (big G little O Go) and Lyla bops over to him. She asks how he’s dealing. She says he knows he doesn’t talk about his feelings but she’s there if he needs to. He says, “cool.” She says she’ll go with him to the hospital if he’d like. He doesn’t respond so she tells him if he doesn’t go soon, Jay will start to take it personally.

The doctor explains to Jay and his parents that the injury was low enough on the spinal cord that he will regain use of his arms and hands. Jay asks about his legs. His mother starts to say that once he starts therapy and if they keep praying… but Jay asks the doctor for the truth.

Tami at a booth in Applebees. Coach slides into the booth and apologizes for being late. He asks where his daughter is. Tami tells him that she’s already told him that Julie has dance rehearsal (ah ha! She does do something other than read.) and tells him to take his hat off. She asks if he wants good news or bad news first. He says, “good news.” And she says the AC is broken and will cost $3,000 to fix it but that she can help pay for it because she got a job. He asks where her job is and when she tells him it’s at the high school, he asks her which one. He’s all, “At my high school?” She’s all irritated, “I wasn’t aware you had bought it, but yeah, new guidance counselor at the high school.” He tells her that guidance counselors can tend to be a nuisance and that they should have talked about it. She says she’s already taken the job. Saved by the bell, his cell phone rings. He tells her it’s the hospital about Jason. She watches him with concerned and supportive eyes. Coach hangs up and is quiet. The new job conversation is behind them now.

Thursday. The team is in the locker room and Taylor walks in, clears his throat, and then says, “Jason is paralyzed.” Yikes. No easing into it or nuthin. Ouch. Tim closes his eyes (and Kitsch emotes this perfectly and you’re taken aback a bit by how gorgeous and touching that very brief cut to Tim was done). Matt’s jaw drops a bit. Coach tells them Jay will regain the use of his arms and hands but not his legs and that if they need to talk, he’s there. Tim leaves the room as everybody else sits still and silent. Coach tells them they’ll pick up tomorrow and dismisses them.

Matt’s working a cash register wearing a fast-food hat. Landry is quizzing him on plays. I’ll never figure out how these guys memorize this stuff. It’s all “gold foil coin 33 red elephant 20 eyeglasses fax machine. Hut!”. Football players are not stupid, people. Matt’s waiting on customers and getting upset when he gets a play wrong. Landry tries to calm him telling him that they only have “250 or so variations” to go. Poor little Matt Saracen looks like he might pass out and the guy at the counter asks him about his fries. Matt gets them and apologizes to him. Our boy is completely overwhelmed.

Lyla and Jason are watching a portable DVD player and she’s lying on his bed with him. Jay says they need to talk. She is not ready to leave Denial Land just yet and tells him it’s not impossible, that he will walk again. They don’t need to listen to the doctors because “You are Jason Street and I am Lyla Garrity and everything is going to work out just the way we planned.” She grabs his hand and starts praying. She asks God to help them through this “test”. You hate her and feel sorry for her all at the same time. Her dreams are broken now too and her refusal to face it is infuriating and it is understandable. But it isn’t going to help Jason.

Coach Taylor is in his office watching game footage and Tami walks in with what appears to be a 6-pack of beer. She says, “Field’s empty. Let’s go make out.” Coach tells her that Matt isn’t ready and he doubts they can win a game. Tami tells him he will mold Matt Saracen just like he did with Jason and like he did with Jeff somethingorother. Coach says he had a year to work with Jeff and he has no time now. And that if he loses games, he’ll be out of a job. He says everybody is right. “Jason Street was my meal ticket. He’s the only reason I got this job. God bless that boy, but I am screwed.” Tami puts her supportive and concerned eyes back in and says, “There is not a person in the world who could do this but you.” She’s seen him do it with her own eyes. She tells him she believes in him “with every cell in my being.” Wow. *tears* They must be married for real because nobody can act this well, can they? They’re awesome to watch. Awesome.

Coach is listening to Panther radio in his car as he pulls up to Matt’s house. Matt sees him out the window and panics. He tells Grandma to go to her room. She ignores him and there’s a knock on the door. Matt’s putting on his shoes and Grandma’s asking him who’s at the door while Coach is telling them it’s him. Grandma excitedly says, “Coach Taylor is here?” She makes her way to the kitchen to and starts fussing like grandmothers do when they have company. Matt tries to go outside but Coach says he’d like to go inside. Matt is all nerves as he quickly looks back to Grandma in the kitchen. She’s taking the lid off of a plastic container and slicing a piece of cake to put on a plate. Coach looks around the room (as does the camera) and pauses on a picture of a man in fatigues holding a sign that says “Go Panthers Go”. Sketch books full of drawings. A sketch of a monster with the words “Go Panthers”. Grandma returns to the small living room and tells Coach to sit as she shoves the cake at him. Coach tells her that she should be proud of Matt and then says he’d like to go talk to Matt about Friday’s game. Grandma says she’ll get him some milk or hot chocolate or whatever he wants when they return. She says quietly to Matt, “You listen to him. Move your feet.” Matt and Coach leave and she sits back in her rocking chair and lets out an excited giggle and says, “Coach Taylor.”

Coach Taylor gobbles up the cake in two bites as he’s driving….

To the football field. It’s night time and it’s quiet. And it's stunningly gorgeous. Coach asks Matt if his dad being in Iraq is hard on him. duh. He says his father was hard on him. Still thinks he should have made the NFL. He’s kind of thinking out loud now. Wondering how Matt does it. Working, studying, “and being the man of the house” too. He says, “I know you didn’t want me to step foot in your house tonight.” Poor little Matt Saracen looks so ashamed and you want to hug him. Coach continues, “But I tell you something else. You should be proud.” He tells PLMS that all this is his for the taking if he wants it. (You too can be paralyzed from the waist down, poor little Matt Saracen!) He tells him that he can’t be distracted by the fans, the band or the cheerleaders with their “pretty young shapely legs bouncing up and down”. Uh oh. Be careful, Coach. Ew. He tells him he has a job to do as a man appears in the press box and the stadium is all noisy now with a recording of the background noise at a football game. The fans, the band, the cheerleaders with their “pretty young shapely legs bouncing up and down”. Coach tells Matt that the team needs to hear him over all the noise and tells him to call out a play. (22 rocket on hit) Coach asks Matt, “Do you want this?” Matt says "yes" weakly. Coach tells him he can’t hear him and Matt says “yes” a little louder. “I CAN”T HEAR YOU!” Matt yells out a couple plays and they end with Matt screaming back, “I WANT IT, COACH! I WANT IT!” Again with the beautiful camera work as we pan out and see Coach and Matt standing far far away on the football field. The whole town is depending on these two men.

Friday. Coach Taylor and IBG at the car dealership. I guess IBG is like the head booster or something. Or maybe the mayor is. We sure do see a lot of Buddy Garrity though. *icky face* IBG is laying it on thick to Coach telling him that the town will fall apart if they lose. Coach is all, “We don’t want that.” They shake hands and say goodbye.

Matt’s rally girl brings him his cake. He’s adorably confused. Tim’s rally girl hands him a paper bag (beer?) and he presses her up against a locker and kisses her (ack! I knew I chose the wrong profession in high school! Not that there were any Tim Rigginses at my school but hot damn! I guess I would have been too stoned to really even notice if there were any hot football players at my high school… Well, except for that one I had an interlude with at a party one night… but still he was no Tim Riggins) Tim smirks gorgeously as he walks away from her and she’s all flustered and watching him walk away. Lyla bops into Jason’s room and shoves a cookie in his mouth.

The camera shows us that the town is all closed up. Because there’s a football game tonight and this is a football town. The cheerleaders are in the cafeteria and the team is in the locker room getting ready for the game. The boys wait anxiously in the locker room. Legs bouncing. (“pretty young shapely legs bouncing up and down”) The lights come on inside the stadium. Friday Night Lights.

Coach is telling them that it is natural to be pissed off after the loss they suffered. Cut to the team taking the field and Coach Taylor pacing the sidelines. Cut back to the locker room and Coach praying for a safe and successful game. Cut back to the field and the cheerleaders and the fans. Cut back to the team chanting “Clear eyes. Full hearts. Can’t lose.” Running out of the locker room, slapping the P. Matt is in the back looking nervous and scared and overwhelmed. Coach asks him, “Last Friday, when you threw that winning pass, were your eyes closed?” Matt emotes sudden and unexpected confidence, as he answers, “No sir. My eyes were wide open. My eyes were wide open.” hrmpf. Take that radio show naysayers.

We end with the kicker kicking the ball into the sky.