October 2007 News Archive (Page 4)

Last week, Friday Night Lights returned with a vengeance - and a shocking plot twist - in the Season 2 premiere "Last Days of Summer." This week, it's on to a new episode, "Bad Ideas," in which the new season continues to take shape.

You can discuss it with fellow Friday Night Lights fans before and after the show in our FORUM. Share your thoughts on your favorite players, the relationships we love and the things we're not sure about just yet. Let your voice be heard!

After the show airs, Friday Night Lights Insider will post its official episode guide recapping the night's drama. We'll also compile a photo gallery, list of memorable quotes and more. As the #1 Friday Night Lights fan site online, we strive to make your viewing experience as enjoyable as possible!

Last week's second season premiere of Friday Night Lights offered a development so wildly off-pitch that it could conceivably cast a pall over the series for the rest of its run, according to an MSNBC column.

The plot twist, as anybody who watches Friday Night Lights knows by now, was the accidental beating death of a man who attempted to rape Tyra (Adrianne Palicki) last season, then resurfaced in the Season 2 opener.

After would-be suitor Landry (Jesse Plemons) killed the man, the freaked teens decided to dump the body in a river instead of notifying police.

For a series that constantly tried to make an end run around audience resistance by insisting that it was about its small-town Texas characters and not football, the killing added a level of sensationalism that wasn't helped by the fact that Tyra and Landry are both high school students.

Make no mistake about it: the first season of Friday Night Lights was about as perfect as any season can possibly be. The pilot laid it out fairly clearly.

When star Jason Street (Scott Porter) was injured and the confidence-lacking second-stringer Matt Saracen (Zach Gilford) was sent into action in his place, it could have simply been another example of the underdog that nobody ever saw coming winning the big game in front of the entire town of Dillon.

But the fact that that all happened in the show's first very episode subverted the clichés through the recognition of one simple fact: victory over overwhelming odds was the beginning of the story, not the end of it.

The rest of the season chronicled the fallout from every angle. Rookie coach Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler), already feeling pressure from the football-crazy town to deliver a state championship, found the season much more difficult with an untested quarterback anchoring the squad.

Matt Saracen had to deal with sudden celebrity he wasn't prepared to assume and expectations that he wasn't sure he could meet.

Street, meanwhile, had to adjust to his new life in a wheelchair, which had ripple effects in the lives of his girlfriend, ever-optimistic cheerleader Lyla Garrity (Minka Kelly), and his best friend, monosyllabic fullback Tim Riggins (Taylor Kitsch), who ended up in each others' arms.

And so on, and so forth, as the reverberations from the events of the pilot echoed through the lives of the people of Dillon. The show explored racism, steroids, mental illness, team loyalty and first love with intelligence and heart.

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Despite the embarrassing defeat suffered by his beloved USC Trojans at the hands of Stanford Saturday, TV Guide gossip guru Michael Ausiello managed to crawl out from under the covers long enough to provide us with some Friday Night Lights news and spoilers in his weekly weekly column. Appreciated, Mike!

We don't give away any Friday Night Lights spoilers on our home page for those of you who want to remain in the dark and out of the "lights" until Friday night, follow the jump to learn more about what two characters who were quite underused in the premiere - Smash and Jason - are up to this week...

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The murder / corpse-disposal plot twist, and what it does to Tyra and Landry - is clearly the focal point of this young Friday Night Lights season.

Below, Friday Night Lights producer Jason Katims discusses the plot twist and its fallout in an interview with blogger Alan Sepinwall.

Alan Sepinwall: While I loved a lot of "Last Days of Summer," especially scenes like Eric and Tami arguing on the couch about when he had to go back to TMU, I was really concerned about the developments in the Tyra and Landry storyline. Can you talk about how that story developed, and what you're trying to do?

Jason Katims: First of all, I've heard some people say it's Ben Silverman trying to change the show or something. The first thing is it's a [plot twist] that we were talking about doing last year in the first season. It's not something that we're doing because the network asked us to change the show. This is a storyline that the writers and producers of the show came up with separate and apart from any network dictate. Now, have you seen the second episode?

Alan Sepinwall: NBC only sent out the premiere.

Jason Katims: We should get you that episode, because honestly, a lot of questions you might have about why we're doing this... Here's our idea behind this storyline. What we want to do is not turning into a murder mystery or CSI, but it's basically these two teenagers in a position where it leads to this incredibly intimate storyline between these two characters that would never - their relationship would never become as intimate as it does if not for this event.

Like all Friday Night Lights stories, it's about character, two people trying to deal with it, what they've done, all the guilt and everything would happen to them, and that the two of them get more connected than they ever would have.

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We know you don't need any reasons to check out Friday Night Lights if you're visiting this site. You've discovered it already. But for the purpose of converting your oblivious friends, Yahoo TV came up with the top five reasons to watch it. Do not be hesitant to bust this list out and convert a new fan!

1. The plot is simple. Friday Night Lights is all about real life and its awkward, messy glory. No time-traveling or mysteries, just good old-fashioned real life drama and life lessons that go way beyond the football field.

2. The cast is really good looking. Hey, there's no harm in admitting it! Lyla Garrity (Minka Kelly) and Tyra Collette (Adrianne Palicki) are stunners, to say the least, while the guys on this show aren't half-bad either. Just sayin'.

3. The characters are down to earth. You'll swear you grew up next door to them, in some cases. They marry good stories with subtle humor that's current and relatable and makes the characters seem very realistic.

4. The relationships are the real thing. There is nothing as fickle and thorny as human contact - especially regarding teen relationships - and Friday Night Lights lets you eavesdrop on all those deliciously awkward real-life moments between friends, lovers and family members.

5. Football is good. The roller coaster ride that is the Dillon Panthers' quest for state championship glory is interwoven with character-driven storylines that grip your heart. The show is relentless (and successful) in grabbing you and taking you on a wild ride every week. Not bad for Friday night TV!

  The whole family: Tami, baby Grace, Julie and Eric Taylor.

In this heartbreaking clip from the season premeire, "Last Days of Summer," Coach Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler) tells Tami Taylor (Connie Britton) that he has to return to coaching in Austin this Friday, earlier than expected - even though their newborn daughter has just arrived. It almost makes you cry, and definitely makes you realize how exceptional these two actors are.

For more great Friday Night Lights videos, check out our growing video section. Send us an email or leave a comment to recommend more!

Kristin Veitch of E! Online isn't going to suggest that you start watching Friday Night Lights if you don't already. She's flat-out ordering you to.

The TV reporter just returned from visiting the Friday Night Lights set in Austin, Tex., where she learned what a unique television series Friday Night Lights is, and that the actors who bring it to life are some of the sweetest, most grounded people you could ever hope to meet. She writes:

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I spent the day in Austin at the Taylor home, which is actually a real house in a Dillon-esque suburb, and it didn't feel like work at all but rather like hanging out with a very cool family who legitimately like one another.

These guys are clearly having a good time, from Kyle Chandler (Eric Taylor) and Taylor Kitsch (Tim Riggins) cracking each other up between takes, to Aimee Teagarden (Julie Taylor) joining in giggly fun when the crew began sucking air from helium balloon props to Scott Porter (Jason Street) and Kevin Rankin (Herc) razzing each other while talking about — what else — football.

And, oh yeah, how could I forget about Kyle Chandler taking orders and cooking up bacon and eggs for the whole crew while shooting the day's breakfast scene!

But that's not to say these guys aren't busting their backsides. Friday Night Lights is produced in an entirely different way than any other show on TV, because there are no rehearsals.

Very often, the entire script can be thrown out the window.

So, there is no room for slacking. The actors have to be on their toes — and ready to improv — at a moment's notice. Even while on set, surrounded by cameras and lights, there were moments I honestly forgot the situation wasn't real and the people were actors — a true testament to their talent.

Actress Jessalyn Gilsig (Nip/Tuck) was on set — guest-starring for six episodes as the sister of Connie Britton's character, Tami Taylor — and told me with huge, excited eyes that the production process is "insane!"

Her scene in the Taylor casa was supposed to revolve around yoga, but once they started shooting, the director chucked the yoga angle, and the actors improvised the entire scene. "This is the reason I'm such a huge fan of the show," Gilsig told me. "They are doing what no one else is doing."

You can see that very fact for yourself when you tune in to the second episode of Season Two of Friday Night Lights on Friday at 9 p.m. on NBC.

There are trying times, as Landry Clarke so aptly pointed out last Friday, where a man has to ask himself WWRD - "What Would (Tim) Riggins Do?"

Landry made his point in advising Matt Saracen regarding Julie as the was flirting with the Swede at the pool. Now all Friday Night Lights fans can promote and adorn themselves with this philosophy - with WWRD t-shirts!

In addition to voicing this question for the ages on t-shirts, you can ask what Tim Riggins would do in a tough situation on sweatshirts, boxers, tank tops and a lot more. Follow this link for a catalog of WWRD merchandise.

Of course, the glory that is Tim Riggins extends well beyond brooding behavior. He's leader on the field for the Dillon Panthers as they look to defend their state title. That's why NBC is offering a Tim Riggins jersey, a Panthers practice t-shirt and other Friday Night Lights merchandise (including a Dillon Panthers hat and, yes, even a Crucifictorious shirt) at its official store!

Check out the NBC Universal store and search for Friday Night Lights for a full list of items available for purchase. Support your favorite show!

The amazing Connie Britton appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien last week to promote the season premiere of Friday Night Lights. She's so smart and funny. Here's the interview with Connie, the actress who plays Tami Taylor on Friday Night Lights, as she talks about the show and her humble beginnings.

As fans gather in our forum to discuss each character and story line, the Friday Night Lights Insider staff has come together to share our thoughts on the first episode of the best show on television in a round table format.

The Round Table discussion topics for "Last Days of Summer" include Julie and Matt, the new coach's future, and the recalcitrant Tim Riggins ...

1. Will Riggins join Christ Teen Messengers?

pantherpride4lyfe: If only to try to redeem himself in the eyes of Lyla Garrity ... and possibly get in her pants again. Note: This plan may backfire horribly, but thinking things through is not exactly Tim Riggins' forte.

Saracen7: Not a chance. This is a guy who likes threesomes and beer. While he's a good friend, he's not about to let Jesus in. At least not until his third DUI.

ClearEyes: No. He likes drinking and having sex out of wedlock too much.

2. Julie and Matt: Built to last, or in the past?

Saracen7: I just love Julie and Matt. They're two the cutest, most realistic teen characters on TV. There's great chemistry between the actors, you find yourself falling in love right along with them. Julie's fears are warranted, but she'll come around and see that QB-1 is a pretty darn good catch.

ClearEyes: Built to last. Don't get me wrong, they may break up before I finish writing this answer. But Julie will eventually realize that there are far worse things in life than becoming like her parents. And, familiar with audibles, number-seven will be there with open shoulder pads when she does.

pantherpride4lyfe: Much as I'd love to make a "How Swede it is" pun here, Julie's conversations with Coach should tell her Matt is worth the effort.

3. How long until Coach Bill MacGregor gets the ax?

ClearEyes: Sorry, I've read a few Friday Night Lights spoilers. I abstain.

pantherpride4lyfe: I say the Panthers begin their title defense 0-2, with the Tennessee Tyrant's coaching methods to blame, and heads start to roll. Then Jason Street becomes interim coach and rights the ship!

Saracen7: Despite what he would surely tell you, Smash can't carry this team all by himself. This new coach clearly isn't a good fit. Oh no. Buddy Garrity and his fellow boosters aren't gonna stand for such heavy-handedness ... or losses.

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