FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS Recap: "The Confession" - Give Me My Remote : Give Me My Remote

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS Recap: “The Confession”

December 10, 2007 by  

Over the past two weeks I’ve received a ton of emails from folks looking for me to reinstate the weekly FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS recaps (even if I can’t get around to them until Monday night).  So here you have it.  It’s rather lengthy so settle in.

So there was a lot to take in during this past week’s episode.  Another simply fantastic episode of the most under appreciated and under acknowledged shows on TV.  Where to start?  Who to start with?  Well, might as well start with the heart of Dillon, TX – the Taylor family.

Little Gracie is about to be christened, but her mother, Tami, and her godmother, Julie, aren’t exactly basking in the Christian spirit.  Still butting heads at every turn, Tami and Julie come to blows again this week in a screaming match so pitch perfect and honest I’m sure it resonated with generations of both mothers and daughters watching.  But with the fighting also came a small breakthrough.  Tami takes a moment to Julie to acknowledge that the family isn’t doing well, but she wants things to be better and go back to the way they were – and although she’s doesn’t say it outright, we think Julie wants the same thing.

And then there’s Coach Taylor, whom I adore and would never doubt his love for his family, but a man who would probably benefit from tuning in a bit more with his wife and teenage daughter and a bit less with the boys on the gridiron. This week the Coach, in his new role as Athletic Director,  enlists Riggins’ help in overseeing non-football related sports activites…huh…there are other sports besides football in Dillion?  Who knew?  Also,  on Friday night, feeling the pressure from Buddy, the Coach opts to put Santiago into a game when the team is struggling.  Lo and behold Santiago steps it up and makes a crucial play.  We don’t know much about this brooding soul other than he seems to be turning his life around.  The cynic in me thinks that the generosity of Lyla, the Coach and Buddy Garrity will come back to bite them in the ass, but here’s to giving Santiago the benefit of the doubt.

Let’s see what’s happening with the rest of the Dillon Panther team, shall we?  Matt Saracen is learning how to make Mole and sweet, sweet love with Carlotta (um, how old is she supposed to be because she looks a LOT older than him). Smash is giving Matty advice on women.  Yes, Matt – take advice from the walking and talking STD.  Ugh, I’m not a fan of Smash this season at all!! Ex-QB1, Jason Street, has found himself a new lady love. Since Bionic Woman is gone for the season (and hopefully forever), Herc returns (again hopefully forever) to turn his buddy on to a dating website where the women all dig the boys with the wheels…no, not motorcycles – wheelchairs.  Jason feigns that he’s not interested until he spies a pic of a girl who just happens to look a lot like Lyla Garrity.  The two meet for dinner and things seem to be going ok, well until she drops into the conversation that she has a ‘pee’ fetish.  So a thing for ‘pee’ and a thing for guys with wheelchairs? This is all a little too much for Street who enlists the help of his waitress to ditch his date.  In a very predictable turn of events, Street ends up smooching (and spending the night with) said waitress.  When he returns home the next morning, he informs his parents that he’s moving in with Herc, which he does about two and a half minutes later.

Also moving out of his place of residence is Riggins.  Crystal meth creepy Ferret Guy was being creepy all kinds of creepy this episode, but Riggins finally had enough he he woke up with a shotgun to his head in an apparent joke.  Riggins took off and got some much needed shut eye in his truck, which he just happened to park in front of the Taylor’s home.  The next morning, in a reticent exchange (on the FNL does so well so often), the Coach offers Riggins a sleeping bag and the Taylor’s garage.  This is when I get all excited thinking about the possible Tim/Julie hookup but then I realize I’ve been sadly spoiled and have heard that (SPOILER ALERT – Tim and Tami’s annoying sister are going to get it on – END SPOILER ALERT). Big ‘ol kudos to Taylor Kitsch for bringing such vulnerability and quiet strength to the role of Tim this season.  No denying he’s a pretty boy to look at but he’s got the acting chops to back it all up.

And that brings us full circle…back to the MAN this season – Mr. Landry Clarke.  After what has been FNL’s most controversial storyline to date, Landry confesses to the police that he killed Tyra’s attacker.  Not doing himself any favors, Landry’s guilt has him hellbent on being punished for his actions, not realizing that admitting that he was trying to save Tyra could help out his case.  Landry wants nothing more than to purge this action from his existence but the look in his eye shows that he’s a changed man forever.  Once again Jesse Plemmons (Landry) and Adrianne Palicki (Tyra) share some emotionally draining yet brilliant scenes as they try to come to terms with what they did that fateful night.  These two are forever linked and share an unparalleled bond but is there anything more than that between them.  Landry is blindly in love with Tyra, and I wish nothing more than for Tyra to be in love with Landry, but I don’t know if she knows the difference between a man taking care of her and true love. After Tyra convinces Landry that he saved her life by killing her attacker, he decides to work with the police to save himself.  And in the end, Landry shows up at Tyra’s door and reveals that all charges have been dropped – they are off the hook.  Hmm, WAY too convenient if you ask me, but if it means the end of the murder storyline, I’ll take it.

I know you all don’t watch FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS but trust me when I tell you that if Jesse Plemmons doesn’t get a nod for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Landry on FNL there is something fatally flawed with the Emmy process.  Well, ok I guess we already know that there’s something wrong with the Emmy process, but still – it needs to be said.  What Plemmons is doing in this role, with this material this season is beyond what the other actors who have been nominated in the Best Supporting category have done over the past few years.  He’s absolutely amazing and there isn’t a false moment with him.  Then again, there’s hardly ever a false moment with FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS now is there?

So there you go…my two cents on this past week’s FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS.  I’m happy to report that FNL is ahead of the curve when it comes to new episodes, so although this was the last episode of 2007, we will be seeing more of the residents of Dillon when the new year returns.

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Comments

12 Responses to “FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS Recap: “The Confession””

  1. FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS Recap: “The Confession” — All This Nonsense on December 10th, 2007 9:29 pm

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  2. Ryan on December 10th, 2007 10:07 pm

    I recently (thanks to free time and urging from this site) did a bit of a FNL marathon last week and watched every episode. Overall I like it a lot.

    I will say I liked season one more with season two being more over the top type drama–the main one the murder. Season one seemed to have more balance between the characters and also between football story lines and high school/family problems/drama. The team and the games are almost an after thought now.

    Ok the last episode itself. Its a very interesting bridge episode. Most of the character are at turning points and I’m interested to see where Riggins, Saracen and his nurse girlfriend, Landry and Tyra, Street, and the Taylor family will go from here.

    The Tami and Julie verbal throw down was very well done. Almost too well done. I litterally had flashbacks to the days when my younger sister during her early-mid teenage years would have fights with my mom about every little ie the dress blowing up into a fight about overall life. Good writing good acting.

    I’m glad they put a neat little bow and Landry’s lead pipe killing. Was it unrealistic? Sure, but I’m glad its over.

    I’ve always found the Riggins character interesting but never liked him or pulled for him like Saracen for example. This season I’ve made that shift. I want to kid to pull his life together and overcome all the bad things around him.

    Next year should be interesting. I just hope the team and the games becomes more of a central and uniting focus to the show again. How many episodes do they have done and ready to go? Are we going to see a complete season?

  3. CrazyGringa on December 11th, 2007 12:13 am

    Yay, an FNL recap! I got to watch it twice since my husband didn’t get to watch it on Friday. Thank you for introducing me to this wonderful show!

    Although, I agree with you on Jesse getting a nom, I don’t trust the Emmy committee to give him one. I mean, they didn’t give the much deserved Emmy to Jenna or even a nom to Kyle Chandler so I really don’t know what they think great acting is.

  4. mg714 on December 11th, 2007 12:26 am

    Thanks for the recap! My recording of FNL didn’t work well so there were a lot of parts I missed in the last half of the show. I agree that Jesse Plemons has done a fantastic job this season. I really hated the murder storyline and I’m glad it seems to be done (though I’m sure the effects of it will last longer), but I do agree that Jesse and Adrianne did a great job with it, and especially Jesse shined.

    I really hate Matt and Carlotta together – so predictible and not at all interesting. And I do not like the sound of the spoiler about Tim – didn’t they do that kind of storyline last year already?

    I do like seeing the interaction between Tami and Julie, but I am getting tired of all the fighting. Julie does need to grow up a bit – and get back together with Matt so that Carlotta can go away.

    Not too interested in Jason’s storylines this year, but I hope that improves. Was Lyla in the ep last Friday? She hasn’t really done much this year either. Same with Smash – I think Gaius Charles is a much better actor than what he’s been given this year, so I hope the writers (when they do return soon I hope!) give him more to do.

    Overall, I haven’t loved season 2 so far as much as I loved season 1, but it is still better than any other drama on TV right now.

  5. C Park on December 11th, 2007 1:59 am

    Finally, FNL updates. This show needs all the help it can get. Good episode, wish we had some more details of the football games this year.

  6. Shari on December 11th, 2007 2:38 am

    thank you for bringing my FNL recaps back ! ! !! 🙂 The one glaring problem with the Landry s/l for me was the issue with the burned car. There should at least been *discussion* of an evidence tampering/aiding & abetting charge, etc.

    I don’t like Matt with Carlotta. I think she is too old for him and kind of one note. She has no purpose on the show besides being his love interest and those kind of “romances” usually turn me off (kind of like Derek & Nurse Plot Device on Grey’s). But if Matty is happy, I’ll deal, as long as Carlotta is gone in the end. because seriously, this can’t end well.

    As for Tim, I don’t want him and Julie hooking up, I really like him with Lyla, I think she absolutely brings out the best in him and they have tons more chemistry than she and Jason, for example.

    anyway, thanks for bringing the recap back, GMMR 🙂

  7. LT on December 11th, 2007 1:04 pm

    Whoo-hoo! A FNL recap-thanks GMMR!! Do you know how many more episodes we’ll get after Christmas before they have stop this show too?

  8. mg714 on December 11th, 2007 4:03 pm

    I was reminded of this over at another site and thought I’d mention it here too – where has the Matt-Landry friendship been this season? I would think that Matt should have picked up on something going on with Landry but I guess he has been a bit preoccupied with that cheerleader and then Carlotta. I hope that future eps bring Matt and Landry back together in more scenes.

  9. ColoradoKila on December 11th, 2007 5:15 pm

    I am on the Emmy bandwagon for Plemmons! While watching the ep, all I could think about was how worthy of a nod the performance was. (not holding my breath on that – however)

    Boo to Saracen and Carlotta – no chemistry there.

    Holy-creepy meth dude – wonder if we have not seen the last of him…

  10. Lindsay on December 11th, 2007 7:04 pm

    Just a quick question, whatever happened to the blond tattoo girl from last season that Jason was seeing? I thought they made a cute couple. Did I miss something or did she just fade away?

  11. Carli on December 11th, 2007 8:03 pm

    I want to know what in the world happened to Waverly?!!

  12. Lindsay on December 12th, 2007 8:54 am

    Yes, I agree Carli. Did we miss something or did both of those girls just disappear?