Friday Night Lights

Cafe Society
1

I just opened my copy of FNL that I received from Christmas and saw the words “Music may differ from televised version.”

Is there anybody here who has seen the show in both versions who can comment about whether the show is negatively affected by this?

Anyway, I’m going to start watching this one and, if I keep my interest in both the show and the thread up, will post a running commentary on what I’m watching. I wanted to do this for Six Feet Under, but the idea didn’t occur to me until Season 2, by which time I figured I was too late. C’est la vie, and all that jazz…

2

I don’t know about the difference in the music, but it’s a great show (aside from that really unfortunate storyline in the second season).

3

Assuming you’re talking about the unfortunate storyline I think you are,

The nonsense with Landry killing the dude,

then, in an interesting conflation of that unfortunate storyline and the OP, I was introduced to the band Sea Wolf, which I rather like, from a song of theirs that played over a pivotal scene from that storyline.

4

Yes, that’s the unfortunate storyline I was thinking of.

5

Ummm…

I watched half the pilot before my wife and daughter came home and interrupted me.

Please tell me they get rid of the shaky-cam?

There were times when we/I was being introduced to a new character and by the time the segment ended, I still didn’t know what they looked like.

6

Lance takes care of it in season 2.

7

Is that true? I mean, you might be joking, but does the shaky-cam eventually end?

8

It stops being shaky for Jason Street right there in episode one.

9

The “shaky cam” or more appropriately, hand-held camera, is used very effectively and adds to the realistc feel of the show. (In my opinion, of course).

10

At least on my end… “future” spoilers of unseen episodes I would appreciate in boxes, but if you forget, I’ll live - it’s not the destination, it’s the journey.

I finished the pilot this morning and it was pretty good! I got used to the shaky-cam (fewer letters than ‘hand held camera’, AM!) and was in a better mood.

It’s kind of odd, though, that I apparently live in the part of Texas that isn’t bat-shit crazy about HS football. It might be because I’m completely clueless about that scene, though, being a relatively new transplant to SA.

Things I liked: Rigs saying “It’s not racism - I’d hate him if he was white, black, native American…”; Kyle Chandler (the coach) seemed to actually be under stress; the pre-made signs saying “Closed for the game”; the pretty authentic W. Texas feel; the car dealer owner saying “We drove by the school at night sometimes and didn’t see a car in the parking lot or the lights on.” (That last bit seemed real to me, too.)

Things I’m iffy about: I hope it doesn’t go into “issue of the week” mode with no follow-up (i.e., this is the episode where racism tears the team apart (never to be mentioned again), this is the episode where somebody gets pregnant (rarely seen again)), stuff like that. The shaky-cam… got better, but didn’t help. The never-used-before backup leading his team to victory in the final 3 minutes - seen that one before.

What we need are some new clichés! :wink:

Things I disliked: Though I understand it’s probably necessary, the announcers during the football game were used to tell the audience not just what was happening but also, what was going to happen in the next few minutes. “It looks as if Dillon has no answer to their counter plays!” followed by quick shots of multiple counter plays being run for 10-20 yard games. Dillon has one good play, whereupon the announcers state “Looks like momentum is swinging back in Dillon’s favor!” followed by the game-winning drive(s). For the game itself, viewing was not necessary - you could have just listened to it to know what was going on and how it was going to turn out. I still don’t know who is who among most of the cast.

All-in-all, I’ll give it a B+.

11

It does do “issue of the week” to a certain extent, but I encourage you to stay with it. It’s a really good show, and I appreciated it even as a non-football fan.

12

As long as the pregnant girlfriend doesn’t ‘disappear’, never to be referenced again, or the guy with the drug problem continues to have his problem referenced even after the ‘he goes into rehab’ show, I’ll be fine.

In other words, if they treat these things like an 80’s sitcom, I won’t like it (think Family Ties which had a character have a breakdown at the death of a friend, said friend who was never mentioned before or never mentioned again over the course of the show), but if they treat it as one would expect a 2000-era series (say Buffy or The Wire) where the characters have to deal with these issues over an extended period of time, I’ll be fine with it.

13

Oh, and I’m going to continue and, unless it completely isn’t my show, watch it to the end. My wife bought it for me after all, and I like to keep the peace at home. :slight_smile:

14

The story line continuity is actually one of the reasons the show is so good. Some of the characters don’t even disappear after they graduate - they continue on as members of the community.

There are a few plotlines in season 2 that you wish they would drop, but they don’t. They tried to make the show a “hit” in the second season and really failed, but it gets good again after that. The network realized they had a good show but it was never going to be a ratings leader, and they let it run it’s course, which happens rarely.

15

I’ve watched the first 3 1/2 seasons on DVD and have enjoyed it. There are a few things I’ve found that are somewhat annoying, like the audio of the announcers during the games like JohnT said. The portrayal of the local media also seems a bit unrealistic.
Not to spoil anything, but the beginning of season 3 is a bit strange due to the writer’s strike going on at the time.

16

Shaky cam persists throughout the series, but it’s worst in the beginning of the show and gradually lessons from nausea-inducing to stylistic choice.

17

Episode 2, Eye’s Wide Shut thoughts…

Good line: “My grandfather has made better blocks playing checkers, man!”

Verisimilitude: Pep meetings at TJ Applebee’s.

I do like the music – really, it doesn’t matter if it’s the original as it’s original to me.

You know, I am glad they’re doing the “injured player” storyline early as it means I don’t have to wait for it to happen. You know that some things are going to happen in a football-themed story so the quicker they get through them, the better I feel about the future of the show (well, you know what I mean: the future of my viewing of the show.)

I’m also glad the coach is human… I mean, obviously: Kyle Chandler is the lead of the show, but at least they’re not writing him as the typical I’M IN YOUR FACE, BOY, AND YOU HAD BETTER LISTEN TO ME hardass that typically is depicted in football stories. This is a guy who stresses, worries, and teaches.

I’m not getting Matt’s embarrassment over his house when the coach comes over – is it because he’s poor? Because the house is in bad shape?

Shaky-cam a lot less in episode 2.

No closing credits… just went to black. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen that before.

18

Episode 3, Wind Sprints thoughts…

Good line: “I misspelled a bunch of words so they think it’s yours.” (Said to Riggins as some girl was handing him his homework.)

Of course I write above about the coach not being a screamer, so the next episode opens with him SCREAMING HIS HEAD OFF, DAMMIT!

Looks like Lyla is learning that his legs aren’t the only thing wrong with Jason. She’s fighting the realization that things won’t be back to normal, but she can’t fight it forever. (Later: well, she lost that fight.)

They’re nailing the Texas accent, by the way. It’s not the fake Hollywood Sowthuhn acceent, y’all. It’s the real deal.

Riggins has got some problems, doesn’t he? …Wait, I thought he quit the team. But he’s doing wind sprints.

Rather open about the brokering of teenage boys… the scene with the QB from New Orleans in the hotel room was great.

Guess: I see the coach’s daughter hooking up with Saracen (the QB replacing Street).

Erp… Lyla’s hooking up with Riggins?

Looks like the “kid” from New Orleans is going to take Matt’s job. :frowning: I wonder if there’s a mess of recruiting violations in the coach’s future…

Didn’t notice the shaky-cam at all… perhaps I’m getting used to it.

19

You may also want to read the episode write-ups from The Onion’s AV Club website. They’re available here, but only start with the second season. And I think Alan Sepinwall also followed the show on his blog.

20

I think it’s more to do with his living situation, taking care of his elderly grandmother who has dementia.