Supposedly, art imitates life, but among the aspects of human drama captured by television's best programs, few manage to capture the quotidian existence of Middle America quite like Friday Night Lights. The delicate balance of life and art that Peter Berg has honed in his masterwork somehow lacks the populist appeal and continues to struggle to survive as it enters its third season on NBC. A contracting deal with DirecTV managed to save the show after abysmal second season ratings and an untimely writers' strike that cut the show short at 15 episodes in 2007. After the original DirecTV airing this past fall, NBC picks up Friday Night Lights for season three, which premiered January 16.
After a middling second season, dragged down by a lack of synchronicity between the plot and the characters, season three starts off on a high note. The opening reintroduces the usual faces, as game day approaches and coach Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler) listens to the ever-faithless townspeople express their doubts over his ability to deliver. We learn that Brian "Smash" Williams injured his knee during last year's State Championships, ostensibly destroying his hopes of a college football scholarship. Tyra seeks escape via scholastic means, as she applies to UT-Austin and other schools in an effort to avoid the fate of her stripper-sister, recently engaged to Billy Riggins. Tim and Lyla remain in lust, though Lyla expresses qualms about being seen with her boy-toy in public. A rich beer distributor moves to Dillon with his freshman-phenom quarterback son in tow to put pressure of Matt, who has begun to rekindle his romance with Julie.
Though plot conflicts like Principal Taylor's dilemma with reallocating funds earmarked for a jumbotron scoreboard (during trying times for education budgets) and Tyra's struggles to escape to college underscore broader educational messages, the show thrives as always on its capture of the single moment. Wide-angle shots of the Texas skyline often say more than the dialogue, and the expressions on the faces of the talented young cast often convey more emotion than the overwrought histrionics featured on more popular shows (see: Gossip Girl). Football is still God in Dillon, Texas - a recurring theme that permeates the storyline from every angle. Still, the greatness of Friday Night Lights stems from its cast, not its plot. The intimacy and intricacy of interpersonal relationships - from the Taylor Family dynamic to Matt's relationship with his grandmother - yield remarkable emotional heft, and come in no short supply. It is for this reason that Friday Night Lights continues to please in an artful way that is unparalleled on television.
The third episode will show this Friday on NBC at 9:00pm EST, and past episodes can be seen here.
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