'Friday Night Lights' - 'After the Fall': Where's Wallace? Where's the boy, String?
Coach has to put down a player mutiny
Tami meets Panthers running back Luke Cafferty (Matt Lauria) on "Friday Night Lights."
Once, again, I reviewed all the episodes for this season of "Friday Night Lights" on my old blog as they aired on DirecTV. Because I can't bring content from the old blog over here, each week I'm going to link to those reviews so you can see what I and the DirecTV audience thought of them back in the fall, then discuss them here.
This week: "After the Fall," in which Coach deals with the aftermath of the forfeit, Tammy finds a problem with the eligibility of a Panthers star, and Landry kills again (albeit a bike this time). Go read the review and - keeping in mind that we will not be discussing, or even hinting at, anything that happens in episodes that have yet to air on NBC - tell me what you thought of the episode.
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Login or create a HitFix account Login Signupkatie71483
May 14, 2010 at 9:35PM EST Reply to CommentIt got really dusty in my apartment last week when Coach forfeited (sp?) the game because his players were too beat up to play any longer and they were all trying so hard to pretend like they could still play. I knew there was going to be fall out from that decision and I think this week's episode addressed it pretty authentically. I can see a small town in Texas responding in exactly that way to a forfeited game.
Poor Tami - I knew she was going to have a hard time with the redistricting mess, but how heartbreaking to have to have good kids escorted out of your school by law officers. To top it off, she finds out that Eric knew about the fake mailbox and feels betrayed - especially when she finds that out from Joe McCoy. Speaking of the devil, that scene where she's talking to Joe McCoy in front of the boosters about having championships and rings taken away was pretty priceless.
And, lastly, being a fan of Tim Riggins, I loved that scene where he offered to help Coach with the team and discusses how Lions red changes Coach's appearance. I'm not ashamed to say I giggled.
The writers have done an excellent job of making me root for the Lions and making the Panthers (whom I've rooted for through 3 seasons now) seem like the bad guys. It's really pretty amazing.
May 14, 2010 at 10:39PM ESTAlf I don't think it's all that strange to be rooting against the Panthers. Who, aside from McCoy, do we know who's still on the team (or even a student at the school)?
May 15, 2010 at 6:55AM ESTHoosier Paul
May 14, 2010 at 11:36PM EST Reply to CommentOne question for those who are more familiar with this show: is Mrs. Coach the principal of both Dillon AND East Dillon, or just Dillon?
In this week's episode it seemed like she was only over Dillon High. But I got a different impression from the season premiere; particularly the scene where a bunch of angry East Dillon parents were chastising her for how lousy the school is, and she defended it by saying both schools are equal. If she has no connection to East Dillon (other than family ties), I don't understand why they would blame her for the quality of the school, or why she would feel the need to defend it so vigorously.
This is the first season I've started watching; if I'd seen last season's episodes, this would probably all have been explained.
katie71483 @Hoosier Paul - Mrs. Coach is the principal at Dillon High (now West Dillon) only. Last year there was only Dillon High but the school board went ahead with a plan to split the school district in two because of funding issues on her recommendation. That's why she's getting blamed for a lot of the problems with the schools.
May 14, 2010 at 11:41PM ESTIf you have Netflix, seasons 1-3 are available to watch streaming. They're amazing and definitely worth your time.
aforkosh Since football season can start before classes are in session, the parents' meeting in the first episode makes sense to me. The parents still identify with the old school since there kids still haven't actually attended the new school.
May 15, 2010 at 6:28PM ESTHowever, I'm a bit troubled by the way East Dillon seems to be populated, for the most part, by students who had no connection with Dillon High. If it was a matter of the East Dllllon population coming from several schools with the Dillon kids being part of mix, that would be understandable, but it was presented as being a subset, admittedly the underclass, of the old school.
Actually the way I have seen this done in my non-Texas part of the world, when a new school is opened, it is built gradually. In most cases it is built grade-by-grade so that old relationships among classmates and between teachers and students (vital for college and job references) are not severed. The first year is freshmen only, then freshmen and sophomores, etc.
Of course, if they did that on FNL, there would be no Season 4.
Adam
May 15, 2010 at 12:01AM EST Reply to CommentI thought the Coach Leach cameo was particularly jarring given what happened to him at Texas Tech between when I assume this first aired and now.
May 15, 2010 at 4:48AM ESTfloretbroccoli
May 15, 2010 at 12:21AM EST Reply to Comment"Meanwhile, Jess' father was played by Steve Harris, best known for "The Practice," but who will always hold a special place in my heart for being on the receiving end of this John Munch rant from the pilot episode of "Homicide." "
AND he's the brother of Avon Barksdale his own self, Wood Harris.
Ron Mexico
May 15, 2010 at 12:47AM EST Reply to Comment1) How can they have Alicia Witt be the mother of a character that's around 16 years old? I mean, she can't play a teen, but she seems definitely too young to play the mother of that actress...
2) After watching the Good Will Hunting references on "Community" I found myself feeling that way about Riggins, wanting to turn around and see that boy gone from Dillon, back to hitting the books. Sigh.
bob Alicia Witt is 34, certainly old enough.
May 15, 2010 at 8:04AM ESTAngie I hear ya on Alicia Witt. She will always be the daughter on "Cybill" and the clarinet girl from "Mr. Holland's Opus" to me, so it was surprising to see her as a teenager's mom. But it's not unrealistic: Witt is 34, and Madison Burge is about 18, playing younger. Face it, we are all just getting old!
May 15, 2010 at 9:39AM ESTrenton
May 15, 2010 at 1:10AM EST Reply to CommentCan someone explain the timeline of the pep rally? Was it on a Saturday?
If Dillon East had its practice on Saturday night, how did Coach come home afterward and talk about his day and Tammy's day, which I assume would have been before the Panthers game on a Friday night?
Did I get this timeline totally wrong?
Captcha: felines capabilities (nice coincidence in a show about Lions and Panthers)
gadzooks That didn't make sense to me either. Pep rallies are usually held during the school day, as far as I know; even if it was held after school, it would have been on Friday, before the game, and the special practice was on Saturday. Continuity error, I suppose.
May 15, 2010 at 9:36PM ESTjimmo FNL does not concern itself with continuity and you'll enjoy the show so much more if you follow suit. Seriously. I'm not being snarky....
May 15, 2010 at 11:51PM ESTAlf
May 15, 2010 at 7:14AM EST Reply to CommentWeren't there scenes in season 3 that were cut between the DirecTV and NBC airings? I'd like to know if that's happening again this time. Hulu doesn't have any extra scenes up, but I can't remember if they did last season or not.
Slim Charles
May 15, 2010 at 8:58AM EST Reply to CommentI have a problem with the way they are handling the East players acceptance of Coach Taylor. Sure they might not know much about playing organized football, but they do know that this is a guy who has won multiple state titles so he obviously knows what he is doing. It would almost be the equivalent of Bill Belichik walking into a dysfunctional NFL locker room (let's say the Raiders) and everyone ignoring him. That being said, still love this show.
Also, what's the deal with Wallace's cheeks?
sepinwall He won one state title, and lost another state championship game, and in his only other season as a head football coach the team either missed the playoffs or were eliminated early. (I always forget what was supposed to have happened vis a vis Smash's injury after season 2 was cut short by the strike.)
May 15, 2010 at 9:50AM ESTAnd, again, the idea is that these kids do not come from the football culture (if they had and had any kind of talent at all, they'd have been gerrymandered into West Dillon), so they either don't know or don't care about Coach's resume.
Col Bat Guano @sepinwall Those East Dillon kids would still know the Coach's rep. Panther football is obviously the Whthing in town. I liked that you addressed the "sprung from the Texas prarie" aspect to East Dillon in your review. Landry can't be the only Panther player who was missed by the gerrymandering and the Coach would have known who Luke was.
May 18, 2010 at 12:23AM ESTDangerBoy
May 15, 2010 at 10:03AM EST Reply to CommentWow. Beautiful, beautiful scene between Luke and Principal Taylor. That actor nailed it. The pain and frustration, while at the same time capturing that "good Southern boy" politeness, and actually apologizing to Tammy! (The rain was also a nice touch -- I wonder if that was real? If so, what luck!)
When Eric almost broke down I think that's the closest he's ever come to really cracking his stoic facade, isn't it? Yes, he's been angry before, but he doesn't usually show this other side. He keeps it together pretty well. But that frustration was so real. Like he was lost and almost desperate. Another series highlight for me.
The gas station scene: I have to assume the guy there (who I didn't know was a real Texas coach) wasn't playing his real life self, or Eric would have acknowledged it. For me the whole thing was surreal and fascinating. It reminded me of an old Greek play or something, where a stranger you meet on a journey is spouting what may sound at first like the crazy rants of a madman but actually possess a valuable truth inside. Like a herald or an oracle or something. Reminded me a little of Mad Men's Eugene warning, "All hell's gonna break loose!"
Thurberesque
May 15, 2010 at 10:59AM EST Reply to CommentI always loved FNL's tradition of showing the heart-tugging emotion, beauty and joy of little towns and small-mindedness, spitefulness and bigotry of that area, as well. Watch this show and your heart goes in all kinds of directions. It's brilliantly done - always has been, IMO.
And so goes the emotion for the Panthers. The change of feeling for the same gung ho cheers is downright startling.
My husband jumped on the bit part by Mike Leach and told me the background of his coaching at Texas Tech - and his scandal and firing. I remembered the firing story but didn't recognize him - still loved the scene of his lecture as tart humor. When this aired originally, he was still there, as peoploe probably know. There's a story so over the top I'm not sure it could make on television and look real.
Last week, Coach Taylor looked so angry and negative toward his players and the kindly referee, he reminded me of Michael Sheen in "Damned United"..of course, not as extreme in quotes or swearing.
This week, there was the arugument between Tami and Eric - so real, and painful since they're such wonderful characters to care about. Then he apologized to the players and apologized to Tami - man...so humane and so like actual people on both sides.
The treatment of the Taylors by the Panther elites....whew, they get me going. They will probably make a deeper case on that, as time goes along, but it's working on me right now. As enjoyable as the scene was with Tami vs. Joe McCoy and the boosters , the booing of her at the rally was quite the scene, also.
XeRocks81
May 15, 2010 at 1:30PM EST Reply to CommentI've yet to watch FNL, but I'm intrigued by Alan's reference to a an amazing scene from The Wire in the title to this article. Does it have anything to do with this show?
KVV Michael B. Jordan, who played Wallace in The Wire, plays Vince on this show, a promising young running back.
May 15, 2010 at 1:35PM ESTKVV
May 15, 2010 at 1:34PM EST Reply to CommentStrong episode. Loved the closing line.
Whenever Alan -- correctly, I'll add -- points out the logical flaws in this show, I find myself singing a chorus of "Yeah, but, but, but...." I suppose that's a testament to how much I like this show and want to overlook any shortcomings. (I've almost completely forgotten the laughable leap required for Tim Riggins to be considered a sophomore in Season 1.) That said, I suppose it's possibly Luke could be a sophomore, and that Coach Taylor didn't know him (at least all that well) because he was playing on the freshman team last year. Even big-time varsity coaches would have trouble knowing exactly who all the good freshman players were, and kids do tend to make big leaps in ability from freshman year to sophomore. But yeah, hard to excuse.
I loved, but in a tragic way, meeting Vince's obviously-drugged-out mom. As much as I adored Mamma Smash, I am glad this show is attempting to show just how miserable some of these domestic situations are for poor kids. Having written about high school football in West Baltimore, I've met my share of mom's like Smash's mom, and mom's like Vince's mom. The inner strength it takes for someone like Vince to survive, and as he said, provide for his family, is remarkable.
Is there any question that Tami Taylor is one of the strongest realistic female characters on television? Her maneuvering and out-smarting of Joe McCoy was brilliant.
I think one of the best things about this 2-year Direct TV deal is that the writers were clearly able to go with the "slow burn" method to this year. It feels a little like The Wire in the way the characters are slowly coming into focus and the action is on the back-burner.
I still wish we could get to know an actual defensive player this year. I find it absurd that, in all the seasons, the defense remains essentially faceless and anonymous. If nothing else, I sure hope Vince and Luke end up playing both ways.
florentine
May 15, 2010 at 1:39PM EST Reply to CommentSeemed completely not believable to me that Buddy would have told Eric about Luke's false address. Buddy's the guy who, if someone else had told Eric, would have invited Luke to live with him so he wouldn't have to change schools.
KVV I think, when viewed in context with the scene the previous episode where Buddy was chasing Wade and Wade wouldn't stop his golf cart to hear what Buddy had to say, that it's believable to think Buddy might realize he's as loyal to Eric as he is the Panthers. Buddy has always shown a need to be loved, to be listened to, whether it's with his children or his football coach. I think it's reasonable to imagine him having a Darth Vader-esq realization.
May 15, 2010 at 3:16PM ESTnm
May 15, 2010 at 4:20PM EST Reply to CommentWhy would Buddy spill the beans on Luke Cafferty to Coach Taylor? It seems so completely out of character for him; he's always been such a Panthers booster. Does he have some idea that losing a player will take Joe McCoy down a bit, so that Buddy can be booster #1 again? He is that dumb, I guess. But I'm not convinced that the writers thought the motivation through.
Slim Charles In the first episode they showed Buddy running after Joe and the new coach (who were in their golf cart) and being totally ignored by them so my guess is that this is his way of getting back at them. Maybe by the end of the season he ends up being an East booster?
May 15, 2010 at 5:30PM ESTkristilogan Through the past few seasons, to me it has become apparent that Buddy will always be a Panther, but his friendship with Eric seems to almost transcend the whole Panther Pride thing, for some odd reason or another.
May 17, 2010 at 9:49AM EST
May 17, 2010 at 12:22PM ESTsarak
May 16, 2010 at 2:11AM EST Reply to CommentPure perfection. If Kyle Chandler submits this episode for Emmy consideration and still gets snubbed....
I'm already in love with Luke. Can't wait to see how everything evolves. It really feels like the beginning of the show all over again, but we already know and love the characters. Just brilliant.
kristilogan Between Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton, the fact that neither have been nominated for an Emmy before is preposterous to me. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor are two of the most authentic, well-acted characters on TV today.
May 17, 2010 at 9:51AM ESTkristilogan Just adding my $.02 in addition to the rest of the comments...
May 17, 2010 at 10:03AM EST1) I agree with Alan in that I wish that we had seen more glimpses of East Dillon as it seems like this school just sprouted up out of nowhere. The school is a bit "inner-city" cliche, so much that I almost expect to see Julie sitting in a class with Michelle Pfeiffer trying to reach out to a group of outcasts and thugs with her unconventional methods of teaching. But as good as FNL is, I'm willing to give this a pass.
2) I have never, ever hated a character on TV as much as I hate that smarmy, pompous jacka-- Joe McCoy. Between the actor who plays him so well and the fact that there are people like that in the real world who use money to get whatever they want despite the rules, I keep having to remind myself that he's just a fictional character, and I shouldn't get so worked up over him.
3) Did anyone else cheer when Tami stuck it to Joe during the Boosters meeting? God, Connie Britton is awesome.
Matt
May 16, 2010 at 7:11PM EST Reply to CommentAs a Texas Tech alum, I miss Coach Leach! But hopefully they'll find a way to integrate Coach Tuberville next season!
OrphanFunkhauser
May 17, 2010 at 6:01PM EST Reply to CommentThis show features the best acting on televion. Combined with the cinematography, and it is the only show that pulls at my heartstrings so frequently.
Luke is the one that JD introduced to Julie, so with him at EDHS, I imagine that there will be a love-interest storyline and perhaps it will cause Saracen to fade out of the picture.
Additionally, that Luke is also a running back, I expect that it will create a lot of tension with Vince and Coach, in that I think Vince will think Coach is abandoning him like his biological father (I'm assuming). I also think it will spark racial tensions.
Great introduction to Luke. I like that he seems like the superstar who is a goody two-shoes, and the acting with Mrs. Taylor was fantastic.
Once again, I want to be Coach Taylor and I want to marry Tami Taylor. Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton are tremendous actors and being overlooked by the Emmy Awards is beyond comprehension.