NOTORIOUS Bad?

Article first published as NOTORIOUS Review on Seat42F.

While we impatiently await the return of Scandal, ABC has another show on deck that is along the same lines called NOTORIOUS. It follows a lawyer, a TV producer, and the people around them as they manufacture news stories and deal with real drama, lying to pretty much everybody, and contributing to the public’s false perceptions of reality. It’s very soapy, and is certainly trying to be sexy in an over-the-top way.

Piper Perabo (Covert Affairs) stars as Julia George, the aforementioned producer, while Daniel Sunjata (Graceland) is the second lead, a lawyer named Jake Gregorian. The two of them don’t have a relationship, since Julia dating a judge (Marc Blucas, Necessary Roughness) and Jake is interested in his client’s wife (Dilshad Vadsaria, Greek). But because of the type of show this is, and because of the easy, immediate chemistry between the two, you just know they’re going to be dating, or at least screwing, before long.

Julia seems to be the colder of the pair, having no problem lying to and scolding her on-air talent, Louise Herrick (Kate Jennings Grant, Frost/Nixon), not that Julia has any room to talk. She also treats her new intern, Ryan Mills (Ryan Guzman, Heroes Reborn), poorly, although considering Ryan is thrust upon her through nepotism, I guess that’s understandable. My point is, we shouldn’t like Julia because of how she acts towards those around her, and yet Perabo just can’t play unlikeable so we end up behind her anyway (which is surely the intention of casting the actress in this role).

Jake is a little more sympathetic. Yes, he’s into a married woman, but he really does care about her and he’s at least hesitant about acting on those feelings. Through Jake’s interactions with his brother and legal partner, Bradley (J. August Richards, Angel), we see that Jake is a decent human being, even if his client, Oscar Keaton (Kevin Zegers, Gossip Girl), probably isn’t. So Jake is probably too good for Julia, but that won’t stop the show from pairing them anyway.

None of this in of itself is a bad thing. I’ve enjoyed many shows with similar ensembles and dynamics on broadcast network TV. In fact, most of the best primetime soapy dramas happen to be on ABC, including Scandal, so it seems like NOTORIOUS should fit right in.

But it doesn’t. The level of quality just isn’t there on this one. It isn’t the cast, who is across-the-board good looking and charming; it is the writing. So many things happen in the first hour alone to unnecessarily cause conflict that it stops feeling real and you’re taken out of the moment repeatedly. How unlucky can Julia be? Why must Jake have a young employee, Ella Benjamin (Aimee Teegarden, Friday Night Lights), who is so perfectly matched to Julia’s Ryan? Why does Louise have to be so lecherous, other than to get in the middle of couples and potential couples?

It’s also really hard to trust what we’re seeing when not once, but twice early in the first hour of the series characters reveal how far their lying goes to the audience. Suddenly, I’m not going to believe anything I see in a scene until it’s proven and backed up in multiple other scenes, and maybe not even then. NOTORIOUS shoots itself in the foot by making the characters so dishonest and then somehow expecting us to still like and trust them.

This type of show is something I’d be totally into, and in the past, I may even have looked past the mess and the flaws to give it a chance to grow into itself (cough, Revenge). But there are too many good things on right now to waste your time with a mediocre one that may never be that great (cough, Revenge), and NOTORIOUS, despite having a great ensemble, just isn’t ready for primetime.

NOTORIOUS premieres Thursday, September 22^nd at 9/8c.

STAR-CROSSED Not Worth Crossing Over To

Article first published as STAR-CROSSED Review on Seat42F.

The CW’s STAR-CROSSED is designed as a modern day Romeo & Juliet, especially evident by the tragedy at the end of the first hour, as well as the lead couple. Aliens known as Atrians crash land on Earth. Although the Atrians are peaceful, mankind doesn’t give them a chance and immediately slaughters or captures the survivors. One young Atrian boy escapes and hides in a shed where he meets a human girl. Ten years later, the two encounter each other once more when the Artian is integrated into the girl’s high school.

Poor Aimee Teegarden. After graduating high school after five seasons on Friday Night Lights, she’s now sent back at age twenty-five to repeat it, playing Emery Whitehill, the human lead in STAR-CROSSED. She passes for a teenager, I guess, but were there no talented fifteen-year olds around to handle the part? And why cast the adorable Maggie Elizabeth Jones (Ben and Kate, We Bought a Zoo) as Emery if they were just going to age the character early in the “Pilot,” ditching her red hair in the process?

Believe it or not, that’s just the least of STAR-CROSSED’s problems. The show gets the high school setting completely wrong. Most public institutions will be lucky to have today’s best technology in ten years’ time, let alone automated cafeterias, fully electronic lockers, and holo-projectors. Not to mention, the cell phones the kids use are thick and don’t roll or fold up at all. I suppose some of this could be explained in that there’s an alien ship in town, and so maybe this particular town has benefited in advancements from off world, but there’s certainly no indication in this pilot that that is the case.

The premise of the society portrayed also is beyond weak. We’re supposed to believe the aliens rolled over when humans slaughtered them, then gleefully learned English and our pop culture in only a decade? While, meanwhile, Americans brought back every bit of their racism in the way they treat the new residents of Earth? It’s District 9 on steroids, but without a full thinking through of the set up or players.

Worse still, when Roman (Matt Lanter, 90210), the lead alien, and his friends are brought to school, in a clear parallel to our history in the American south, armed guards are allowed to patrol the hallways, but don’t actually keep an eye on the extraterrestrial attendees. Setting aside the big guns that should not be in a place of education, humans are permitted to bully the aliens without repercussion, and the authorities offer no assistance when the aliens are harassed?

Basically, so much about the structure and execution of this world just plain sucks.

The question is, will the target audience of the CW be able to look past all of that and just enjoy the teen drama? Because in that, STAR-CROSSED delivers a pretty typical batch of characters with standard screen tropes. The popular girls are represented, and there’s the jock, Grayson (Grey Damon, also from Friday Night Lights), who is interested in Emery before she chooses Roman over him. There’s even a Twilight-vibe going on as Emery, who is an outsider that the cool kids are accepting of at first, meets Roman and his friends, who are the stranger loners segregated from everyone else. So there may be appeal here for a certain audience segment.

Plus, there are the “mysteries” designed to hook the viewer. One involves Emery’s terminally ill friend Julia (Malese Jow, The Vampire Diaries). I won’t spoil what happens for those who do want to check out this pilot, but suffice it to say, while the occurrence late in the hour does draw intrigue, it doesn’t make sense that it’s been kept a hidden secret so long, especially by those who want peace between the species.

The CW certainly knows its target audience, and STAR-CROSSED seems designed to grab both segments of the network’s viewers. Most of their series are either centered on angsty young people more concerned with romance than real problems, and a lot of the others are science fiction and super natural leaning, often with younger protagonists. STAR-CROSSED is combining both of those types of shows in what they surely hope is a perfect storm.

The thing is, even though I’m a thirty-year old man, I still like a lot of the CW’s stuff, from Arrow to The Vampire Diaries, and mourn the loss of Gossip Girl. However, STAR-CROSSED just has too many logistics issues to get past for it to join my season pass list. I’ll watch at least one more hour to see if it improves, but so much of the story is so unrealistic that it’s hard to be drawn in. Maybe next time they can do better.

STAR-CROSSED airs Monday at 8 p.m. ET on the CW.

"Always" Friday Night Lights

     It may be July in the real world, but it's Christmas time in Dillon, Texas on Friday Night Lights, as the five-year series comes to a permanent end with "Always." Knowing the Lions will soon be no more, the team still faces one final game - the state championship. Eric (Kyle Chandler) is pressured to sign a contract to coach the Panthers "super team" next year before leaving for the game, but wife Tami (Connie Britton) goes cold every time he brings it up. Matt (Zach Gilford) finds it easy enough to propose to Julie (Aimee Teegarden), however, getting a blessing from her parents proves far more tricky. Tim (Taylor Kitsch) ponders his future. And eight months later, life goes on.


     Friday Night Lights spends most of the series only covering football seasons, so it is not unusual for fans to have to imagine what happens during huge gaps in the characters' lives. Yet, the final scenes, set eight months later, or what would have been the beginning of a sixth season, should there have been one, are the last glimpses viewers will ever get. It's bittersweet, seeing how things continue, but already missing those people so many have grown to love. Even with only a few brief cameos by some long departed series stars, seeing the current crop's stories come to an end, along with the Taylors', is a moving finish.

     The transition is brilliant. Just before the skip ahead, the Lions are playing in their final game. Little ambient sound is heard, but a series of plays are shown over trademark music. The faces of the Lions' fans as they cheer are panned over. In stereotypical sports drama fashion, the favorite team is down by a touchdown, and there is only one play left to win the game. But between the musical strains and the camera constantly switching perspectives, the minutes spent on the field are anything but typical. Even more surprising, as the final pass goes for the player's hands, no resolution is shown. Sure, soon enough there are indicators that the Lions won, seeing the championship rings on their hands in the future. But choosing not to air the game winning catch is a bold choice that really pays off.

     Happy endings do come true. The interesting thing about Friday Night Lights is that the happy ending is merely a temporarily stop as lives continue on. Only five brief seasons play out, and despite learning all of the characters' back stories, little of their futures are shown. Many of the principal players are just graduating high school, or early into college. There is no completion. The only thing that ends is the Lions football team, and the Taylor's residence in Texas. So to sum up the entire show, Friday Night Lights, it's about when the Taylors briefly move to Texas and change many kids' paths for the better.

     And they really do. Whatever else can be said about Eric and Tami, they help children. None of Tami's connections are shown in "Always," though there are many. But Eric gets a scene each with Jess (Jurnee Smollett) and Vince (Michael B. Jordan), letting his two latest projects know that he loves and respects them, and will do anything for them, anytime they need it. He leaves them both in great places, much better than when he met them. Jess moves to Dallas and helps coach a high school football team, and Vince switches to the Panthers. But both owe much of their future careers and accomplishments to Eric Taylor. Vince also owes Eric for helping begin a healing between him and his father (Cress Williams).

    Besides mentorship, the most important element of Friday Night Lights is the marriage between Eric and Tami Taylor. It has been discussed at length in many a review, but never has their bond been tested like it is in "Always" and the episodes leading up to the finale. Tami is offered a huge career opportunity, and after following Eric around for years, thinks she deserves the chance to have a turn dictating the family's living situation. Eric likes things as they are, and has trouble seeing any future but the one he leads in building. The couple's give and take virtually disappears over this argument, and things between them take a very dark turn, even as their love is still evident.


     It's not the problems that arise that define a marriage, but how bride and groom deal with them. The climax of this arc comes as Eric lectures Matt and Julie on successful marriage. Tami is shocked at the hypocrisy in Eric's words, and Eric realizes, for the first time, how deeply it hurts Tami that he's ignoring her career. Soon after, she gives in, not seeing a way out of the argument if Eric persists on being stubborn. Even through her grief, she chooses her man. But she shouldn't have to choose, and eventually, Eric makes the right decision, telling Tami it is her turn.

     Eric's sacrifice comes late in the game, almost too late. There is plenty of reason to be angry with him for not capitulating sooner. It isn't fair how he treats Tami. But his apology, asking her so politely to take him with her as she accepts this great honor she has worked so hard to earn, makes up for it, somehow. Maybe it's the sincerity, or the knowledge that Eric knows he screwed up royally. Still, fans are just as apt as Tami to quickly forgive Eric. He has already won the battle, but forfeits anyway, because some things are far more important than getting your way. Tami's happiness is one of them to Eric.

     It's not hard to see how Julie and Matt may end up being a similar couple to Eric and Tami. The personalities in the four do differ, but facing trials and finding undying devotion is present in both instances. Eric and Tami are better people than Julie, but she is still a kid in many ways, and still has a lot to learn. Not the best written character on the series, it's still gratifying to see the Taylor daughter find such a romantic notion as the series comes to a close. And Matt does deserve her. In time, Eric will appreciate his son-in-law in time, whom he already cares for, but stumbles upon the shifting roles.

     Besides the Taylor family, many other characters come through Friday Night Lights over the years. Most get satisfying endings, whether they happen in earlier seasons, or in "Always." Landry (Jesse Plemons) and Grandma Saracen (Louanne Stephens) are two characters that are brought back, but do not get focus, in the final episode. Both are shown in brief scenes, typical for their characters, but not particularly special. Which is OK. As mentioned above, the show only covers a period in the lives of the characters. It isn't time for something large to happen to either of them, so the writers don't force it. But they are involved with characters who do need them, so they are present. Buddy (Brad Leland) is along those same lines, but with a bit extra screen time.

      Hastings (Grey Damon) alone gets no closure. Perhaps he has the unfortunate luck of joining the cast too late in the game, and disappears into the background almost as soon as he appears on the show. It seems likely, had the series not been ending, Hastings would get more to do. With other loose ends to tie up, he gets the short end of the stick.

      The final season of Friday Night Lights develops Mindy (Stacey Oristano) far better than any previous year. Her relationship with Becky (Madison Burge) is sweet and lasting. Even though Becky's mom (Alicia Witt) returns in "Always," and Becky moves home, Mindy and Becky's relationship cannot suffer. They are family, as sure as any blood relation. Thank goodness, for Mindy's sake, the young woman comes along, so that a long-time supporting player finally gets her due.

     Luke (Matt Lauria) gets the only confusing ending. He is shown, eight months later, leaving for the army. As Friday Night Lights winds down, Luke is trying to decide between football and farming, leaning heavily towards the latter. Military service comes out of nowhere. It's a believable path for him, but one that needs some sort of set up that never happens.

     Finally, there's Tim. More than any other character, Tim has to fight to overcome who he is. For nearly four years, Tim struggles with this, and then makes a heroic sacrifice. But after that act, Friday Night Lights still follows the young man, as he tries to figure out where to go from there. Seeing Tim sit on a hill with brother Billy (Derek Phillips), sharing a beer while they build Tim's dream house, is an absolutely average life, and a huge step forward from where Tim begins. While Tim has no romantic resolution with Tyra (Adrianne Palicki), there is hope there, too. His future is so much brighter than his past, it's astonishing. Guess who Tim should be thanking, besides himself, of course? Yep. Eric Taylor.


     Friday Night Lights has come to an end, but it will be sorely missed. Words cannot express the gratitude owed to everyone involved in the production of one of the most memorable, highest quality television series of all time. Thank you.

     Clear eyes. Full hearts. Can't lose.

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Article first published as TV Review: Friday Night Lights - "Always" on Blogcritics.

Friday Night Lights gets a "Gut Check"

     NBC's Friday Night Lights begins counting down the final five episodes with "Gut Check." This is a real turning point in the season, when things get dark and characters go down paths they shouldn't. The Lions lose their first game of the year. Coach Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler) asks Vince (Michael B. Jordan) to help train Luke (Matt Lauria) to fill in as quarterback. After listening to some bad advice from his father, Ornette (Cress Williams), Vince doesn't show up for his practice session, and is benched. After an accident, Epyck (Emily Rios) is arrested and transferred away from Tami (Connie Britton). Julie's (Aimee Teegarden) stay with Matt (Zach Gilford) sours as he encourages her to face her problems, rather than continue hiding out with him.


     Vince has been having a rough year, and things are only getting worse with Ornette's continued presence. After overcoming all of his personality difficulties last year, with no small thanks to Coach, Vince is backsliding when exposed to someone who is an enabler, immoral, and good at saying what people want to hear. It's apparent Vince knows he's making the wrong decision, but his pride is getting in the way of him admitting it, and is causing a serious obstacle. Hopefully, being benched will be a wake up call for Vince, who is looking so promising until Ornette begins taking over.

     Something else that will help Vince is if he stops pushing people away. He isn't paying attention to Eric, and he gets into a big argument with Jess (Jurnee Smollett), leading to their break up. Jess is a positive influence in Vince's life, helping him make correct decisions and stay away from bad situations. Without her, Vince loses a serious source of support. Luckily, he is still as close as ever with his mother, Regina (Angela Rawna), who, despite her love for Ornette, recommends to Vince that he not always listen to Ornette's advice. It's a sound judgment call, and one Vince needs to take to heart. There's hope, as Vince prevents a potentially volatile confrontation between Ornette and Eric.

     Jess has some real potential as a coach. She is the one that takes Luke aside and helps him learn to play the top position. This dream of hers does seem to come out of left field, but her family's passion for the sport, as well as her spending the summer helping Vince prepare, keeps it from being completely unrealistic. What's more, while she is far from perfect, as evidenced by Luke's rough struggle to win, she has some raw talent. She helps both Vince and Luke become better players this year. Hopefully Eric will pay a little more attention to her as she continues down this path. He's already starting to see her like a daughter. It's a logical progression. Unlikely as it is, how cool would a spinoff, set years in the future, with Jess as a head coach, be?

     Vince's issues are likely the reason the Lions lose. While it is a team sport, having the quarterback more concerned with his ego instead of the team fractures everyone. His bad attitude is contagious. For those hoping to see the team go undefeated in their final season, this is a serious disappointment. But Friday Night Lights is all about overcoming adversity, so a stumble is bound to happen. Considering that this is the final season, it is not likely to happen again, whether Vince pulls things together, or Luke steps up like he did in the game at the end of the episode.

     Luke is slowly becoming a man. A grownup man. Besides the football stuff, the way he is handling his renewed relationship with Becky (Madison Burge) seems very mature. Luke doesn't pick a fight with his mom, but he's not going to keep hiding Beck from his parents, either. Instead, he simply presents her without comment, without rehashing last year's abortion incident. Luke's parents should be proud. Luke and Becky learn a lot from their experience, and will be much smarter the next time around. Plus, their reconciliation demonstrates real affection between them, making last year more than just a fling.

     Becky's new job at the Landing Strip could be a problem for her and the moral Luke, or not. There's not a lot of time left to deal with many issues, and the portrayal of Mindy's (Stacey Oristano) character makes the job seems less wrong and demeaning. Mindy has given a face to the type of girl that works at a strip club, and her sweet story of marriage and having a family humanizes the dancers in a way never seen before in series television. If Becky wants to pursue the relatively easy money to be had, Friday Night Lights won't pass judgement. The question is, will Luke?

     Mindy's hesitance about her pregnancy is natural. Their insurance is lapsed, and she is still caring for an infant. It will keep her from working when the family needs money. Mindy is a realist, but Billy (Derek Phillips) is not. The balance helps them work as a couple. Now it will be Billy's job to get Mindy on board. They have a stable, loving marriage. It will not be easy at this time, but they can handle another child.

     It's too bad Epyck leaves. Tami has really been working hard to reach out to the girl, and after all the kids Tami helps, it's a shame that the one that might be her last of the TV show is removed before the real work can be done. This plot is as much about the counselor as it is about the student, if not more, as Tami struggles to provide support for kids that really need it. Epyck just won't be one of them. Life isn't fair.

     Finally, it's time for Julie to go home. A happy ending between her and Matt would be a welcome development, but it cannot happen in "Gut Check." Not until the eldest Taylor daughter confronts the things she is hiding from. Sure, her first semester at college sucks. But part of being an adult is picking up the pieces and moving on. Instead, Julie is immature, intentionally crashing a car, and now running off to Chicago. Matt is ready to be with her, whenever she is. Let's hope that Julie grows up a lot in the last four episodes.


     Friday Night Lights airs Friday nights at 8 p.m. ET on NBC, or if you can't wait to see how it ends, the Season Five DVD is on sale now.

     If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Click here for all of my Current Season Reviews.

     Please click here to buy the book, movie, TV DVDs, or streaming episodes of Friday Night Lights.

Article first published as TV Review: Friday Night Lights - "Gut Check" on Blogcritics.

Friday Night Lights faces more than one "Fracture"

     NBC's Friday Night Lights continues its final season this week with "Fracture." This is an important episode, because a number of arcs that have been brewing threaten to fracture the delicate balance of relationships between characters. Vince (Michael B. Jordan) begins to get too big an ego, after doing an arrogant interview, and visiting a college that courts him for a verbal commitment. Luke (Matt Lauria) and Becky's (Madison Burge) budding romance faces hardship as Becky dwells on what she goes through the last time they have sexual relations. Julie (Aimee Teegarden) decides whether or not to go back to school after a visit from former TA and love Derek (Gil McKinney, ER).


     Julie's plot is a bit dumb, because sleeping with someone with authority over her does not fit her character. However, this can be forgiven, as she is just beginning college, and taking some chances, feeling her way outside of high school. She is going through a lot, and Derek is a good outlet for her to let off some steam. Or so she thinks at first. Derek showing up out of the blue, and facing off with her very hostile parents to get Julie back into his bed may seem romantic to two people in a committed relationship, but is creepy for a guy Julie only spends a bit of time with. She makes the right decision in not going back to that situation.

     What does it mean, now that she goes to visit ex-boyfriend Matt (Zach Gilford) instead? Does this mean she is considering transferring schools, or dropping out all together? Fans of the show are likely more interested in a reconnection between the long time pair, but that seems obvious and certain. More up in the air are Julie's life plans from here. She can't pin everything on a guy, no matter how great that guy is. It's fine that she goes to him, as long as she also does something with her life, too.

     Mindy (Stacey Oristano) is getting some of her best work in Friday Night Lights in being a mentor to Becky. Becky needs a positive female role model in her life, and while Mindy is hesitant at first to be that woman, becoming a mother changes her in ways both small and large. She is more big sister than mom to Becky, especially as Mindy and her friends take Becky to a beauty pageant, and celebrate with alcohol. But as long as Mindy is there for Becky, it doesn't matter in what capacity.

     Becky's abortion plot seems all but forgotten until this week, though bringing it back up certainly informs as to why Becky is resisting sleeping with Luke again. Those are traumatic memories for her, and if it happens once, it can happen again. Will Becky be able to get past those bad feelings? She sort of leans that way when leaving Luke a note at the end, and hopefully, things will only get better for her from here.

     It's hard to know what to make of Epyck (Emily Rios, Men of a Certain Age), the girl with the ridiculous name, and even worse spelling of it. Tami (Connie Britton) always needs a project student to work on, and Epyck is the latest. But she lies to Tami about her home life, while also seeming very appreciative of just being in Tami's company. Is she such an easy nut to crack? She just needs attention? If so, it seems like a wasted subplot, one that could have been much better. Though perhaps, since this is the final season, there is no time for more.

     Also uncertain is Buddy Jr.'s place in the larger stories. The character returns this season, recast to Jeff Rosick, a fairly inexperienced actor, who is doing well enough. It's hard to know if the former boy was available, or if he would be up to the task, given his previous small scenes and long absence. But other than to give Buddy (Brad Leland) one last challenge, is there some big lesson Buddy Jr. has come to teach anyone? While some characters flow in and out of shows without much purpose, it is not a common tactic used on Friday Night Lights.

     Vince's arc following his ever ballooning ego feels like a repeat. It's been done before. Vince's circumstances are slightly different than others because his motives are tied to those of his father, Ornette (Cress Williams, Grey's Anatomy), who he has just gotten back to bonding with after a long stint in prison. As such, Vince is more likely to fall into old patterns while listening to the man who raised him, and who he so desperately wants back in his life. While Vince acts tough, every boy wants their father's pride and respect. Vince has his once more, and now he's allowing it to push him off course.

     Something has got to give. Vince has come too far to just be kicked off the team and have his life ruined. Yet, should he continue valuing Ornette's advice over Coach Eric Taylor's (Kyle Chandler), he will fail. Eric believes in Vince when no one else does, and makes him who he is today. If Ornette didn't return, Vince would still be following Eric towards a bright future. The question is, what will it take for Vince to realize that? And how might that hurt his relationship with his father, who does just want what is best for his son, but is unwilling to allow another man to dictate the terms, even if the other man knows best?

     Eric has a big decision to make himself, and it's hard to predict which way he will go. Being offered a head coaching job at a college is a big deal, and surely it is tempting him. He has done wonders in Dillon, and while his assistant coaching gig at the university level doesn't work out the way he hopes, being the leader of a team of coaches is a whole other opportunity, and one that he deserves. Is he content to stay at the high school level all his life? He has about achieved all he can there, so his career would now consist of doing the same thing over and over again with different kids after Friday Night Lights goes off the air.

     At first, it seems Billy Riggins (Derek Phillips) is really establishing himself as a decent football coach, perhaps even a successor for Eric, should he choose to leave. But now, Billy seems to be going too far into the "showy" side of things, causing conflict with another assistant coach. Billy has always been a wild child, and he is trying to be responsible and mold himself into a great man. Sadly, it appears he is not doing as well as he hopes to. Does Eric have time to try to turn things around for Billy, too, and will there be a place for him on the team once Eric reigns in the ridiculous behavior he has been too lenient about?

     The fifth and final season of Friday Night Lights begins very strong, but is in its middle, meandering section. At the halfway point, things should start to pick up as the action moves towards its conclusion.


     Watch Friday Night Lights Friday nights at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

     If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Click here for all of my Current Season Reviews.

     Please click here to buy the book, movie, TV DVDs, or streaming episodes of Friday Night Lights.

Article first published as TV Review: Friday Night Lights - "Fracture" on Blogcritics.

Friday Night Lights lives up to "Expectations"

     One of the best shows on television began its final season last night on NBC. For those lucky viewers with DirecTV, it already aired and came to an end in February. It is also already out on DVD, so there is no need to hold off twelve weeks for the finale if you're so inclined. However, for those waiting for the NBC broadcasts, the countdown to the end has begun. This refers, of course, to Friday Night Lights.

     Tami Taylor (Connie Britton) begins her job as guidance counselor at East Dillon High School. She is quickly in over her head, realizing just how bad the students on the poor end of town have it. Her first thought it to set up meetings with parents of high-risk kids, but while many agree to the meetings, almost none actually show up. Tami gets a rude awakening, and realizes she may have taken on the toughest challenge of her life.

     But she is willing to step up and do what it takes to help anyone she can. Tami is one of the most compassionate fictional characters ever, in any format of story. She really goes that extra mile to make sure she can help those kids get what they need. She isn't a pushover. She has a steely toughness that, when mixed with her big heart, gives her the tools she needs to be effective. Whatever challenges the job holds, there is no doubt that Tami will get through them and change at least a couple of the students' lives this season.

     Which is what the Taylors are all about. Tami and her husband, Eric (Kyle Chandler), are the surrogate parents for all of the needy children in Dillon, Texas. While not all the adults in town realize this, the younger generation surely does. Everyone knows these are the people to go to when you need help, and they have already made lives better for many kids over four seasons. They demand and command respect, and don't just give out charity. They help guide the kids to succeed on their own. While the students on the series come and go as the years pass, the Taylors have been the one constant, and really are the amazing story of Friday Night Lights.

     That's why Billy Riggins (Derek Phillips) now works as an assistant coach for Eric. Billy saw the kind of man that his younger brother Tim (Taylor Kitsch) grew into with Eric's help. Tim is currently sitting in jail, taking the fall for Billy so that Billy can be there for his family, including a young infant. Billy wants to give back, and is inspired by the kind of loyalty that Tim shows. While Billy is older than most of the Taylors' projects, he will be changed by them, as most are. And what's more he knows it, and is actively seeking.

     Now, the Taylors are not some kind of deities, or perfect people, despite what it may sound like in the proceeding paragraphs. They are constantly challenged, and do get discouraged, like anyone else. They have fights, with others and with each other. They are painted as complicated, realistic people, which is the show's biggest strength. Eric is made to quit coaching at the 'good' school and transfer to the bad end of town. Tami is forced out of her job as principal of the same 'good' school. It's their determination and pluck that keep them going, no matter what obstacles are stacked against them.

     This attitude inspires those around them. Vince (Michael B. Jordan) is one step away from a long prison sentence when Eric takes him under his wing. Last night, Vince sat down and had a talk about responsibility with Jess's (Jurnee Smollett) younger brother, who is acting up because their father is out of town. Without the influence Eric has had on Vince, he would never have been in a position to mentor anyone else. Now, jail is the last thing in Vince's bright future.

     Jess is not the only one struggling with an unusual family situation. Becky's (Madison Burge) mother has left her in the care of her father, who in turn dumps Becky on her stepmother, who doesn't want her. Becky's best friend, Tim, is in jail, and she has no one to turn to. Except, Tim promises Becky that she is family, so she goes to Billy. Billy's wife isn't happy about it, but Billy allows her to stay. While the Taylors are not personally involved in this particular save, it is connected to them, like an inspirational game of Six Degrees.

     As with many beginnings of seasons on this show, it is time for some long-running characters to move to the next phase in their lives. Landry (Jesse Plemons) is preparing to leave for Rice University. Landry has been with the show from the beginning, so his exit is sad. Unfortunately, he only gets a couple of scenes to explore it, having a last gig with his band, and saying goodbye to Grandma Saracen (Louanne Stephens). With his best friend already gone, it is up to Julie (Aimee Teegarden) to make Landry's last night in Dillon memorable. So she takes him to a strip club, though she leaves him there by himself. Probably not what her parents would have done, but still helpful.

     Julie is Eric and Tami's daughter, and she is leaving, too, though only Dillon, not the cast. It's interesting that the show will follow Julie to college, as it doesn't usually continue with the main characters once they leave Dillon. There have been small exceptions, and Jason Street (Scott Porter) has a huge arc post-high school, but it's not the norm. Best guess is that because Julie is a Taylor, she will get a special pass. While the Taylors are far from the only characters featured, they do seem to be the most important.

     As Julie packs up to head off to college, it really effects the stoic Eric. She skips out early on a dinner with her parents, and when he waits up for her to come home, she wants to go straight to bed. But he will have none of it, making her play ping pong with him and reliving old memories.

     Eric isn't the most emotionally expressive person, and the series is careful to keep him in character. He does tell Julie he loves her and will miss her, but almost all of his best acting his done in his eyes, not verbally. It's a testament to Chandler that Eric is able to be so loving without having to be explicit about it. Chandler is one of the few actors that can communicate so much while doing so little. As this series comes to an end, he will not be out of work long.

     It should say something that in a show titled Friday Night Lights, there is so much to review that does not concern football. That's because the series is not about football. For TV fans who avoid sports shows, this is not one of them. Although, it's so easy to care about the various people the show does follow, that when some of them inevitably make it on the field, whether or not you like football, it is still plenty exciting.

     Coach Taylor loves football, and that is probably the best thing the sport has going for it, as Coach Taylor is character to love. He insists that the game is about teamwork, not violence, and that is the attitude he brings to it. It's why his team follows him so readily. It's also the one he uses to steal newcomer Hastings Ruckle (Grey Damon) from the basketball team over to Taylor's East Dillon Lions.

     The Lions have a losing record last season, going 2-8. They win one really important game, but lose most of the others. It is, after all, the team's first year playing together. With Friday Night Lights completing its run this season, it is likely that the Lion's will have a much better record thisseason, and Ruckle, as well as Vince and Luke (Matt Lauria), will be the primary reasons for that. Vince and Luke were new last season, and with Ruckle, the three of them are sure to be Eric's next, possibly biggest, triumph.

     But Ruckle's story will surely go beyond football, as everyone on the show does. It is just unknown at this time what Ruckle's story will be.

     Luke's arc seems set to be a doozy, as he injures a player on the field in this week's game. This will combine his football story with the rest of his screen time. The look on Luke's face while realizing he has hurt another human being lends to the theory that the action will come back to haunt him. Luke has a genuine kind heart, and he will not be able to go on happily living his life if he causes serious harm to another. It will likely make for hesitation on the field, and a challenge the Lions must overcome. It may also affect Luke's future as he consider what his post-high school plans should be.


     Friday Night Lights continues its thirteen episode final season every Friday night at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

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Article first published as TV Review: Friday Night Lights - "Expectations" on Blogcritics.

Friday Night Lights kicks off new season

    This isn't such big news for those of you with DirecTV, because you've already had the opportunity to watch the entire fourth season on Friday Night Lights, but for the rest of us, the show premiered last night on NBC with an episode entitled "East of Dillon".

     Much has changed, now that Dillon has split into two high schools.  Mrs. Tami Taylor (Connie Britton) remains at the now renamed West Dillon High School as principal.  Many people in the town are furious to be forced into the new, lesser school, though Mrs. Taylor admirably tried to convince them that both high schools were on equal footing.  Her daughter, Julie (Aimee Teegarden) also goes to West, but misses her friends, and isn't helping the controversy much, so she decides on her own that she'll go to the wrong side of town.

     Landry (Jesse Plemons) is at West, now assigned to a terrible football team.  He is joined by Coach Taylor (Kyle Chandler) and new kid Vince (Michael B. Jordan), who is on the football team to avoid legal trouble, but seems to have a lot of heart.  The team is so bad their first time out that they forfeit at half time.  They all certainly have their work cut out for them.

     The only other original cast member to return full time this year is Tim Riggins (Taylor Kitsch), though he is past high school, and now a college drop out with no place to go, as he is no longer welcome at home.  We got a glimpse of Matt Saracen (Zach Gilford), taking art classes at the local school, instead of in Chicago, as he had dreamed, but he was listed only as a guest star, and won't be sticking around the entire season.

     Friday Night Lights airs Friday nights at 9pm on NBC.

Friday Night Lights to go dark

     The drama Friday Night Lights has confirmed that it is currently working on it’s fifth and final season, as evidenced by this Entertainment Weekly article.  “What is that show?  Is it still on?”, you may ask, and millions of fans would like to slug you after you pose such queries.  Though loved by critics, the show was on shaky grounds when it premiered on NBC, and was thought to be done after it’s second season, cut to 15 episodes because of the Writer’s Strike.  However, a deal with DirecTV to share production costs kept it going, and subsequent 13 episode seasons aired on the satellite carrier first, then later on NBC.  Last year, that meant cable watchers had to wait until winter to watch.  This year, the season four premiere date is not until April 30th, pushing much of the season into the summer.  That would point to bad news for the series, if it hadn’t already announced an end date.  The show will stop filming by the middle of the summer, but it will likely by 2011 before NBC airs the final batch.

     Headlined by the amazing Connie Britton (24, Spin City) and Kyle Chandler (Grey’s Anatomy, Early Edition) as Tami and Eric Taylor, the show centered on the Dylan Panthers football team, and was based on the book and movie of the same name.  Tami eventually became principal of the school, and when the high school split in two at the end of the third season, Eric was forced to go to the other side of town and coach at the new school.

     A number of students were also part of the cast, mostly football players, and have rotated through the show’s five seasons.  Most notably were the Taylor’s daughter, Julie (Aimee Teegarden), bad boy who wants to be good Tim Riggins (Taylor Kitsch, X-Men Origins: Wolverine), quarterback and grandmother caretaker Matt Saracen (Zach Gilford), religious cheerleader Lyla Garrity (Minka Kelly, Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue), struggling-to-make-something-of-herself-and-not-stay-stuck-in-Dylan girl Tyra (Adrianne Palicki), and the guy that is in love with her, Landry Clarke (Jesse Plemons).  They, along with others, finished their high school days on the show, but returned at least part time for arcs to finish their stories.

     That was what was important about the show: stories, not football.  Be sure to watch it when it returns to NBC at the end of April.