Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose

Sometimes a show just astounds you by doing what it naturally has set out to do, but you never realized you were waiting for it it to get there. Last week's Friday Night Lights bowled me over.

The fact that I am writing about an episode that aired a week ago, that I finally got around to watching this morning should make pretty clear how I was beginning to feel about Friday Night Lights. It was a show that I still cared about, but it wasn't exactly appointment television. I had let three episodes get stockpiled before I got around to watching them sporadically through the week, and for the most part, those episodes were underwhelming. Carlotta stereotypically had to go back to her family in Guatemala, Diego's gangbanger friends came and shook stuff up (poor Weevil), Riggins again couldn't catch a break, Street continued to figure out his place in Dillon no longer being able to play football by becoming an auto dealer, Lyla continued to find Jesus (and Logan Huntzberger in the process) and Smash had another run in with racism that was far less affective the second time around. In fact, the entire season has kind of been a drag and a downer. But somehow that was all just a slow build to this one moment that nearly drove me to tears, and another that just put a silly grin on my face.

Poor Matt Saracen. We've seen some angst from him, and we've seen him struggle to take care of his grandma and balance his life, but we've never seen him let loose the way he did here and seem so lost. While all the things leading to his breakdown this episode have been swirling around for the entire season and series, it's easy to forget how hard he has it, and just how many times he has been abandoned and how much has been put on his shoulders. I never liked him and Carlotta being together, but to lose her and then have to step up again as caretaker to his grandmother was an effective combination by the writers, and it was easy to understand how looking back, he'd feel the same way about Eric, Julie, Carlotta, and his father. "Everyone is always leaving me." Heartbreaking stuff. The show always makes it that overtly it seems that Riggins can't catch a break, but it's a lot subtler and sadder what has happened to Matt.

And as for Landry and Tyra. I honestly never knew I wanted them together so badly, but it really just put a giant smile across my face. Usually I'd find myself rooting for the cute pixie indie girl (or guy a la Piz), but not here. Plus, after the drama of the murder plot, it was nice to see a light and jokey Landry again. "Which movie is going to be more conducive to romance, is it going to be Jaws or is it going to be Wrath of Khan?"

I wouldn't be surprised if tonight is the series finale of the show due to the strike, and the shows abysmal ratings, so it's definitely sad to see such a bright spot so close to the end, but considering it's a show that I never even imagined I would watch or like (me and football, not so much) I'm glad I've been watching.