Texas Forever.
Without DirecTV I had to wait until last night to watch the series finale of Friday Night Lights. There was a lot of flailing, gasping, jumping for joy, tears of sadness and all around one of my biggest fangirl moments of all time. I couldn't figure out what I wanted to say about it last night, it was all still too fresh in my mind, and even now, as I write this I'm still trying to wrap my head around the idea that one of the most beautifully written, acted and filmed television shows is over. I know there aren't going to be any new episodes, I won't see into the world of Dillon, Texas ever again, but part of me still feels as if those characters are still out there, still playing football, still coaching, still watching the sunset, still becoming great men. And I think it's a testament to the entire crew - the writers, the directors, the actors, the producers - that I can still have that feeling. This show is probably the only show I've ever seen to portray life so vividly, so realistically. I've never heard another television show to be described as beautiful. I don't think I've ever even used that word to describe a television show up until now. And there's no disputing it; Friday Night Lights was intensely beautiful, and I don't even mean the scenery (although, I have to hand it to you, Texas, you are mighty beautiful). The acting was superb, the characters so flawed and yet beautiful. Every character made me feel something, every single one feels connected to me, and I feel like they were real people in my life.
I looked up what I had written about the season three finale, when we weren't sure the show would be back, and I was flooded with the memories of how perfect that episode was, and I'm trying to compare it to this ending, the real one, and I still have the same sense of closure, of perfection. But then I look at the where we've gone since the end of season three, and I am in awe that the writers managed to bring in new characters and make me care about them just as much as I did about the old characters. I'm so in love with Luke's character, with his southern charm and quietness that I almost forgot that he wasn't always on the show. In a way, he filled the hole left by the departure of the sweet Matt Saracen, (whom I still love to no end, by the way.) I love the determination of Jess and how she goes after her dreams. I love Becky and how strong she is now and her friendship with the entire Riggins clan. And I love Vince and how he's changed for the better, how he has become a leader of men.
It's hard to believe those four haven't been on the show for the entire run. But just as I look at them and find what it is I love about them, I'm reminded of the older characters, of how much I adored Tyra's drive and determination to make something of herself outside of Dillon. I remember the glee I felt when Smash went to college because he'd worked so hard to come back from that injury. I loved seeing Jason Street grow up despite his handicaps. I loved, loved, loved the evolution of Matt, his love for Julie, how he became a leader for the team after Jason was injured and his entire journey on the show, from the quiet, shy young second-string quarterback, to the leader of the team, to the man who'd grow up to finally take charge of his life, even if it meant he had to leave Julie behind for a bit, to the proposal of marriage to Julie. And I loved her evolution over the course of the show, from her studious nature to her defiance - like when she got that tattoo, because it was a normal rebellious act, unlike some of the other things that happen on TV, to the college freshman who felt lost without her best friend, who wasn't sure what she wanted to do with her life. And I loved how Landry brought laughter and joy to a show that wasn't always the most comedic. He was always there with a quip to make me smile. But most of all, I loved Tim Riggins. I loved every single thing about the character of Tim, from the way he started the show as the resident bad boy from a broken home with the bad attitude, to a man in love, to the man who would take the fall for his brother just to give his nephew the life he never had, and to the final version of #33 as the World's Greatest Uncle and with a piece of land to call his own, with the dreams of one day crossing paths again with Tyra - the only woman who could possibly understand him. And this brings me to Lyla, because while many people didn't like Minka Kelly, I think she eventually found her rhythm on the show, and I adored how she changed Tim for the better, how she pushed him to be the man she knew he could always be. I loved that about her, and I was sad that she didn't come back this season, but I understand that she is bigger than Dillon, Texas.
And through it all, there has been Coach and Mrs Coach - the strongest and most realistic portrayal of marriage on television. They fight about important things, but at the end of the day, they compromise they have each other's backs and they love each other in the deepest and truest sense of the word. And I love that in a television landscape of infidelity and out of this world storylines that there was a couple that truly represented the institution of marriage so well. They were mentors to every teenager they came across, and they tried their best to lead them and support them and give them all of the help they could give, even though they weren't the true parents of these children. They inspire me to want to do something to help those around me. I love them.
And I guess I'm at the point where I need to actually discuss the events that happened in the series finale:
Like I said, I thought this episode was perfect. I thought it was obvious that Eric would eventually put Tami's wants and desires over his own because that is the kind of show he is, and the kind of man that he actually is. But I liked the way that story played out. I think that was the only way it could have ended. If the Taylors had stayed in Dillon, then there wouldn't have been a sense of closure. It wouldn't have felt right. We wouldn't have been able to say goodbye or believe that as an ending. No, I like that they moved to Philadelphia, even if it seems weird to have them so far away from Dillon, so far removed from Panther and Lion football. But I liked it. And I loved it when Coach said "clear eyes, full hearts" to his new players and they all just stared at him because they didn't know that they were supposed to say "can't lose" in response. And the way he just said they'd work on that, it made me so happy.
And I just about damn near died from happiness when Matt dropped down to his knee in front of the Alamo Freeze and asked Julie to marry him by giving her Grandma Saracen's ring. I thought it was perfect and totally in character. That is something Matt would do, and it is somewhere he would do it. I loved it. And I loved Julie's reaction about having to ask Coach. And I loved Coach's reaction to Matt. It was all just perfect and amazing. And seeing how elated Grandma Saracen was about the engagement made it all that much better. But I think the best part of that storyline was the small scene with Landry, where Matt was trying to figure out what to say to Coach, and Landry pointed out that only a couple of years before (actually, I think it was about four years before) they were trying to figure out how to even talk to Julie Taylor. That little call back to the first season made me happy. And I just enjoyed seeing Landry again because he made me smile with that Landry charm. I don't think there was nearly enough Landry in this episode, but I wouldn't know where else to put him.
I actually enjoyed all of the callbacks to the pilot, like when the reporters were interviewing Coach and the players in those chairs. That was a very nice callback to the pilot when they were interviewing Coach and Jason Street and Smash Williams. I only wish we'd actually gotten to see Gaius Charles again. It was nice to hear him mentioned on TV a couple of episodes ago, and I liked seeing him in the montage and everything (I'm going to college Mama!) but I think the world needs a lot more of Gaius Charles.
I don't know how to say what I want to say about Becky. At first I hated her because she had that crush on Tim. I didn't want to like her. I didn't, but then she was just so damn likable that I fell in love with her, especially once I realized her story was going to intersect with Luke's. Those two are adorable, and I really like the idea of Luke joining the army. I never saw him as the guy to make football his life, but it was nice in the flash forward to see him and Becky still together, with him going off to boot camp. Speaking of Luke though, I fell head over heels for that boy right from the start. His southern charm, the farm, everything about him just screamed "I'm the nice guy and I refuse to finish last." And I just loved him for it.
I also really enjoyed Becky's storyline as it intersected with the Riggins family. Like I said, I didn't like that she had a crush on Tim, but I loved the way they became friends and the way Billy and Mindy took her in when she needed it most. And through all of that I loved the way she became friends and almost family to them. I loved the way Mindy stood her ground against Becky's dad and wife. I liked the way she felt protective of her, how she was her biggest champion at the beauty pageant, and I love that Becky became a great pseudo-aunt to Stevie. Seeing Mindy cry when Becky went back to live with her mom made me want to cry. I love that she loves Becky, too.
I could write an entire entry on the things I've loved in the Tim Riggins story line, but I won't. I just want to say that I never expected that Riggs would be the heart and soul of this show. He embodied the values that Coach Taylor worked so hard to instill in his players. He was a walking example of how football can help a young man for the better, how having a goal and having something to rally around can change a life. His story broke my heart over and over again, but I never stopped believing that Tim would get everything he wanted. I never, not for one second, thought that he wasn't going to end up happy. He's long been my favorite character, and not just because Taylor Kitsch is drop dead freaking gorgeous, but because of everything that he is and was. Everything that he stood for. He knew what he loved, and it was clear that he'd do anything for the people he loved and cared about. I knew that even before he took the fall for Billy. I've loved Tim Riggins from the first time I saw him on screen and I'll always count him as one of the greatest characters in television history. I will forever believe his arc is the heart and soul of this show. Texas forever.
I could write more here, but I'm afraid I'm going to start crying. If I think of anything else to write, I guess I can always update it later.
♥
CLEAR EYES. FULL HEARTS. CAN'T LOSE.
I looked up what I had written about the season three finale, when we weren't sure the show would be back, and I was flooded with the memories of how perfect that episode was, and I'm trying to compare it to this ending, the real one, and I still have the same sense of closure, of perfection. But then I look at the where we've gone since the end of season three, and I am in awe that the writers managed to bring in new characters and make me care about them just as much as I did about the old characters. I'm so in love with Luke's character, with his southern charm and quietness that I almost forgot that he wasn't always on the show. In a way, he filled the hole left by the departure of the sweet Matt Saracen, (whom I still love to no end, by the way.) I love the determination of Jess and how she goes after her dreams. I love Becky and how strong she is now and her friendship with the entire Riggins clan. And I love Vince and how he's changed for the better, how he has become a leader of men.
It's hard to believe those four haven't been on the show for the entire run. But just as I look at them and find what it is I love about them, I'm reminded of the older characters, of how much I adored Tyra's drive and determination to make something of herself outside of Dillon. I remember the glee I felt when Smash went to college because he'd worked so hard to come back from that injury. I loved seeing Jason Street grow up despite his handicaps. I loved, loved, loved the evolution of Matt, his love for Julie, how he became a leader for the team after Jason was injured and his entire journey on the show, from the quiet, shy young second-string quarterback, to the leader of the team, to the man who'd grow up to finally take charge of his life, even if it meant he had to leave Julie behind for a bit, to the proposal of marriage to Julie. And I loved her evolution over the course of the show, from her studious nature to her defiance - like when she got that tattoo, because it was a normal rebellious act, unlike some of the other things that happen on TV, to the college freshman who felt lost without her best friend, who wasn't sure what she wanted to do with her life. And I loved how Landry brought laughter and joy to a show that wasn't always the most comedic. He was always there with a quip to make me smile. But most of all, I loved Tim Riggins. I loved every single thing about the character of Tim, from the way he started the show as the resident bad boy from a broken home with the bad attitude, to a man in love, to the man who would take the fall for his brother just to give his nephew the life he never had, and to the final version of #33 as the World's Greatest Uncle and with a piece of land to call his own, with the dreams of one day crossing paths again with Tyra - the only woman who could possibly understand him. And this brings me to Lyla, because while many people didn't like Minka Kelly, I think she eventually found her rhythm on the show, and I adored how she changed Tim for the better, how she pushed him to be the man she knew he could always be. I loved that about her, and I was sad that she didn't come back this season, but I understand that she is bigger than Dillon, Texas.
And through it all, there has been Coach and Mrs Coach - the strongest and most realistic portrayal of marriage on television. They fight about important things, but at the end of the day, they compromise they have each other's backs and they love each other in the deepest and truest sense of the word. And I love that in a television landscape of infidelity and out of this world storylines that there was a couple that truly represented the institution of marriage so well. They were mentors to every teenager they came across, and they tried their best to lead them and support them and give them all of the help they could give, even though they weren't the true parents of these children. They inspire me to want to do something to help those around me. I love them.
And I guess I'm at the point where I need to actually discuss the events that happened in the series finale:
Like I said, I thought this episode was perfect. I thought it was obvious that Eric would eventually put Tami's wants and desires over his own because that is the kind of show he is, and the kind of man that he actually is. But I liked the way that story played out. I think that was the only way it could have ended. If the Taylors had stayed in Dillon, then there wouldn't have been a sense of closure. It wouldn't have felt right. We wouldn't have been able to say goodbye or believe that as an ending. No, I like that they moved to Philadelphia, even if it seems weird to have them so far away from Dillon, so far removed from Panther and Lion football. But I liked it. And I loved it when Coach said "clear eyes, full hearts" to his new players and they all just stared at him because they didn't know that they were supposed to say "can't lose" in response. And the way he just said they'd work on that, it made me so happy.
And I just about damn near died from happiness when Matt dropped down to his knee in front of the Alamo Freeze and asked Julie to marry him by giving her Grandma Saracen's ring. I thought it was perfect and totally in character. That is something Matt would do, and it is somewhere he would do it. I loved it. And I loved Julie's reaction about having to ask Coach. And I loved Coach's reaction to Matt. It was all just perfect and amazing. And seeing how elated Grandma Saracen was about the engagement made it all that much better. But I think the best part of that storyline was the small scene with Landry, where Matt was trying to figure out what to say to Coach, and Landry pointed out that only a couple of years before (actually, I think it was about four years before) they were trying to figure out how to even talk to Julie Taylor. That little call back to the first season made me happy. And I just enjoyed seeing Landry again because he made me smile with that Landry charm. I don't think there was nearly enough Landry in this episode, but I wouldn't know where else to put him.
I actually enjoyed all of the callbacks to the pilot, like when the reporters were interviewing Coach and the players in those chairs. That was a very nice callback to the pilot when they were interviewing Coach and Jason Street and Smash Williams. I only wish we'd actually gotten to see Gaius Charles again. It was nice to hear him mentioned on TV a couple of episodes ago, and I liked seeing him in the montage and everything (I'm going to college Mama!) but I think the world needs a lot more of Gaius Charles.
I don't know how to say what I want to say about Becky. At first I hated her because she had that crush on Tim. I didn't want to like her. I didn't, but then she was just so damn likable that I fell in love with her, especially once I realized her story was going to intersect with Luke's. Those two are adorable, and I really like the idea of Luke joining the army. I never saw him as the guy to make football his life, but it was nice in the flash forward to see him and Becky still together, with him going off to boot camp. Speaking of Luke though, I fell head over heels for that boy right from the start. His southern charm, the farm, everything about him just screamed "I'm the nice guy and I refuse to finish last." And I just loved him for it.
I also really enjoyed Becky's storyline as it intersected with the Riggins family. Like I said, I didn't like that she had a crush on Tim, but I loved the way they became friends and the way Billy and Mindy took her in when she needed it most. And through all of that I loved the way she became friends and almost family to them. I loved the way Mindy stood her ground against Becky's dad and wife. I liked the way she felt protective of her, how she was her biggest champion at the beauty pageant, and I love that Becky became a great pseudo-aunt to Stevie. Seeing Mindy cry when Becky went back to live with her mom made me want to cry. I love that she loves Becky, too.
I could write an entire entry on the things I've loved in the Tim Riggins story line, but I won't. I just want to say that I never expected that Riggs would be the heart and soul of this show. He embodied the values that Coach Taylor worked so hard to instill in his players. He was a walking example of how football can help a young man for the better, how having a goal and having something to rally around can change a life. His story broke my heart over and over again, but I never stopped believing that Tim would get everything he wanted. I never, not for one second, thought that he wasn't going to end up happy. He's long been my favorite character, and not just because Taylor Kitsch is drop dead freaking gorgeous, but because of everything that he is and was. Everything that he stood for. He knew what he loved, and it was clear that he'd do anything for the people he loved and cared about. I knew that even before he took the fall for Billy. I've loved Tim Riggins from the first time I saw him on screen and I'll always count him as one of the greatest characters in television history. I will forever believe his arc is the heart and soul of this show. Texas forever.
I could write more here, but I'm afraid I'm going to start crying. If I think of anything else to write, I guess I can always update it later.
♥
CLEAR EYES. FULL HEARTS. CAN'T LOSE.