Friday Night Lights: Episode 2-1 “Last Days of Summer”

I have some thoughts that need to get out of my head (and into my blog… that was, in fact, created for this kind of thing).

I can appreciate that the writers can appreciate Jesse Plemons as an actor. I can’t, however, appreciate what they’re doing to Landry. So yeah the actor can act and make everything you throw at him believable. Does that mean you have to make him an accidental murderer? Does that mean that he has to act so out of character? And Landry playing football? What? Dillon didn’t need a murder and Landry doesn’t need to play football. The same can be said for Adrienne Palicki/Tyra. I’m fine with softening Tyra but not to a point of helplessness and stupidity. When the attacker/stalker was following her and she pulled into the police station, there were indeed cops in the parking lot. She reported her attack so wouldn’t it have made sense to say something to those cops? This is eight months later, though that doesn’t make sense in my head (does the high school football season end in December? That would make it make sense I guess.), surely he hasn’t just popped back into town to start stalking her. And surely if he has been doing it for eight months, she would have done something about it before now. She can and will act her butt off no matter that Tyra’s decline into totally helpless female makes little sense.

Matt. Where did his confidence go? Is it gone because Smash is getting and taking all the glory? Is it gone because Coach Taylor left? I didn’t want or expect him to be all ego maniacal and obnoxious but I did expect some self-assuredness from him. Julie (I’m not even going to get into her) said they were the “it” couple, isn’t there glory in popularity? Not to mention being the star quarterback of a State championship team. Surely their breakup won’t send him back into high school hallway obscurity. Did he lose his captain status? We heard Grandma saying she's not taking the "C" off his jacket and nothing else. And if so, is that what sucked his confidence out?

Tim. So we’re back to him drinking himself stupid? Okay. I could see how that could happen but don’t downplay the ACTOR’s progression to emphasize the CHARACTER’s regression. I absolutely love Tim Riggins and it’s more than my total lust for Taylor Kitsch. From the pilot to the finale, his was the most impressive improvement… both the character and the actor. His ability to break my heart or make me feel complete joy with just his eyes is an awesome thing. He may just be my favorite television character of all time. So though I can see how it happened, it would have made a fascinating and heartbreaking storyline to watch happen. Not just to the Riggins/Kitsch lovers either.

Smash. Where is Waverly?

Jason. They can’t let him fade into the supporting cast. The Tim/Jason friendship is important to the faithful. The Jason/Lyla relationship is important to us too. And the dynamic of the Jason/Lyla/Tim triangle is more than enough drama for some. Add Scott Porter to the top of the everlong list of GREAT actors this show has cast and produced. Use him! Use him a lot.

One character storyline I totally believed and thought was done well was Buddy's. He acted the shit out of the few scenes he had (which is fine because he IS supporting cast) and it made perfect sense that he would be where he is now. Everything is going wrong for him. He's holding onto the hope that his marriage will work if given enough time and his rage at seeing her with another man. The new coach doesn't want him around the field. His daughter has become a *gasp!* born again Christian. I am horrified of where they could take Buddy.

Character progression has been such a big factor in what makes this show so wonderful. The slowness and the steadines (and perfectness) of Season One is what sucked me in and a big part of what made it a beautiful work of art. Getting to know the characters IS the show. So opening Season Two eight months later was kind of a big bummer to me especially since so many of them are totally different than they were when we left them… or rather, when they left us. I became so invested in them that I feel like I missed a huge chunk of their lives that I can’t get back.

I love Tandry. I do. But they are not and should not be the main focus of this show. But. I am faithful, obsessed, and invested, therefore, I will trust the writers until or unless I can’t anymore. I mean, it’s only been one episode, I know. But! It was an important one. We should have seen more of everybody. I have so many questions and I've missed them. This episode didn't help much with either of those things and this is the episode that should have. The media have been shoving this show down people's throats all summer to gain more viewers. For that I'm thankful. I'm supposing the murder was to keep viewers but I'm not so sure they've succeeded. All they needed in the opener was a re-introduction of characters. What did everybody do this summer? What has happened to them since we last saw them? Save the murder for 2-2 or 2-3, if you feel like you have to have it at all.