Friday Night Lights never got the treatment or the respect that it deserved. True, the critics adored it, and the audience for the program, while not the biggest, was passionate enough to keep it on the air even as it got shuffled from one time slot to another on NBC before finally finding a rather out-of-the-way home on DirecTV’s The 101 Network. However, even that wasn’t enough to keep it going for the long haul, which is why this week the fifth and final season of the show has been recently released on DVD, officially ending the run of the program.
And what a good run it was. Friday Night Lights was adapted for television from the movie of the same name, which was adapted from the book (also conveniently of the same name) by H.G. Bissinger. While the book was nonfiction and took place in Odessa, Texas, and the film follows that story pretty closely, the television show removes the general themes and characters and places them in the fictional town of Dillon, Texas, giving them more freedom and invention with their storytelling. Yet all of the various forms of media bearing this name tell a similar tale in the end: they chronicle the fever pitch atmosphere of devotion to high school football in the small-town southwest.
However, one doesn’t have to be a fan of the sport (and goodness knows I’m not) to enjoy the television show. The stories and characters are so rich and vibrant that the football serves merely as a backdrop, a uniting setting to bring them all together. The real drama takes place off of the field.
There really isn’t a more realistic portrayal of marital love on television than Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton as Coach Eric Taylor and his wife, Tami. Both actors are brilliant and together have the bubbly chemistry of a long-married couple that still finds each other as irresistible as they do occasionally irritating. Perhaps the reason why neither has won an Emmy is because the acting is so natural that you cannot even tell that it’s happening in front of you, which is emphasized by the documentary-style cinematography. The show employs three cameras for shooting, tries to do most scenes in one take, and allows for heavy improvising amongst the cast. The result is that when I watch Friday Night Lights, I feel as though I am watching the Taylor family’s home movies rather than a dramatic series, which is a feeling of intimacy that few other shows can replicate. Five seasons has seen the Taylors survive job loss, a surprise pregnancy, their oldest daughter’s youthful engagement to her childhood sweetheart, and finally, the life-changing decision over whether or not to leave Texas and uproot Jack from his Texas football comfort zone so that Tami can accept a dream job at a college in Pennsylvania. It’s worth mentioning that Aimee Teegarden, as daughter Julie, is the perfect compliment to Chandler and Britton, and not only looks like she should be their child but treats them with the love and somewhat reluctant respect that most good kids do their parents, even in their most trying moments. Her evolution throughout five seasons has been remarkable.
It’s not just the Taylor family that makes the show worth watching. A host of supporting characters, including the football players Jack coaches and their parents, classmates, lovers, and friends, has moved through the revolving doors of the show over five years. Most of them find their way back for the finale, including fan favorite and undeniable heartthrob Taylor Kitsch as rebellious Tim Riggins, who was confined to jail for most of the final season, as well as newly announced Wonder Woman, Adrianne Palicki, as Tim’s occasional girlfriend and town vixen, Tyra Collette. My personal favorites in the season five ensemble are Michael B. Jordan as scrappy quarterback Vince Howard, a former law-breaker made good, and Jurnee Smollett as his smart and confident girlfriend Jess Merriweather. Jess loves football nearly as much as Vince does, and spent her summer helping him with his techniques. Once the school year and the new season starts, she finds herself jealous not only that football gets all of his time, but that he gets football to himself. Her love of the game gets her a job as the team’s equipment manager, which is at first a point of contention between the couple. Both actors are likable and sweet, and their issues of mutual jealousy are relatable and played out in a manner that is realistic and understandable, not melodramatic.
It’s easy to dismiss these words as simple gushing, but there’s no denying good television. It’s a deceptively simple formula of addicting, engaging, and moving. This isn’t just true about dramas; a good sitcom has these qualities too, just as Friday Night Lights has plenty of witty one-liners and funny moments to lighten the mood. Things get pretty heavy towards the end, as the East Dillon Lions face off in the state championships knowing that no matter the outcome, some of them won’t get to keep playing, since the team will be combined with the Dillon Panthers to form one “super-team.” Add Coach Taylor’s decision over accepting a contract with said team or making a sacrifice for Tami’s career, as well as Julie’s engagement, and you have some serious stuff on your hands. Yet the seriousness doesn’t ever become too much to handle, meaning that hopefully audiences will take advantage of the availability of Friday Night Lights on DVD to catch up in large doses.
DVD Bonus Features
There is a handful of deleted scenes on each of the three discs in the set as well as a yearbook photo gallery and two audio commentaries from the show’s creative team: one from director Michael Waxman on the show’s penultimate episode, “Texas Whatever,” and one from executive producer and showrunner Jason Katims on the finale, “Always.” The jewel in the crown is a heartwarming half-hour featurette titled “When the Lights Go Out,” which gives everyone involved in the show a chance to talk about what the experience has meant to them. From the producers to key cast members to even some of the crew, this mini-documentary is eye-opening and a great look behind the scenes for any fan.
"Friday Night Lights: The Fifth and Final Season" is on sale April 5, 2011 and is not rated. Drama, Sports, Television. Directed by David Boyd, Michael Waxman, Patrick Norris, Todd Mcmullen. Written by Peter Berg, Jason Katims, Kenny Ehrins, Patrick Massett, John Zinman, Bridget Carpenter, et al. . Starring Aimee Teegarden, Connie Britton, Kyle Chandler, Taylor Kitsch.
