[YA Binge Watch] Friday Night Lights, season 1: ep. 1–3

This is the first recap post for my first YA Bing Watch project. The first series on deck is Friday Night Lights. You can check out the intro post here. Basically I chose FNL because the show is filmed in my hometown and the high school they use in the first season is where I attended school so this show is chock full of nostalgia. I graduated in 2003 not long before filming began. 

Don't forget to check out the giveaway at the bottom!

Season 1, Episode 1: Pilot
The pilot kicks off with a new Dillon Panther's coach in town, Eric Taylor, and the beginning of a new football season with State Championship expectations. We're introduced to several main characters and a bit of their backstories. High school couples include starting quarterback Jason Street and cheerleader Lyla Garrity, and fullback Tim Riggins and Tyra Collette. Buddy Garrity helps welcome coach into Dillon at the opening of his car dealership where the town shows out for support and loads of unsolicited advice. Coach's daughter Julie reads Moby Dick and compares it to Panther football. The Panthers play their first game against fictional high school Westerby (Westlake High School IRL) where tragedy strikes in the fourth quarter and Jason Street is injured on a bad hit and ushered to the hospital. Back up quarterback, Matt Saracen is put in with a pair if disastrous snaps. Fortunately he's able to pull it together with a solid run and a Hail Mary with time expired for an epic win.

Record: 1–0
Player of the Week: Matt Saracen, for stepping up big for the win.
Guest Star: Mack Brown, the then head coach for the University of Texas Longhorns.
Insider Info: The FNL field is named "Herrmann Field" after the current Pflugerville HS coach George Herrmann.
Thoughts: Nostalgia overload! Good think I had fun in high school because all of the scenes are major throwback. I don't think I missed a single football game in high school and with the same sights and sounds it's almost too much. The upcoming drama is a bit weird because it's not far from the truth. :/ The shooting style is much like reality TV and I'm not sure that I'm a fan of it but we'll see how it goes.

Season 1, Episode 2: Eyes Wide Open
The town of Dillon is distraught over Jason Street's injury and while awaiting news casts major doubt over Matt's ability to win. Jason receives news that he's paralyzed from the waist down which upsets childhood friend Tim. Tim is later seen watching the injury film on repeat while he avoid visiting Jason in the hospital. Lyla continues to visit Jason faithfully with her optimism that he'll walk and play football again someday.

On the field Matt is named QB1 and struggles during practice with remembering plays and connecting with the other starters. Coach lays in hard because he can't read the field and doesn't know the playbook. Several townspeople are seen leaving practice early. Later in the evening, the tension between Tim and Smash, running back Brian Williams, heats up in the local diner. Resulting in Tim throwing a glass condiment jar at Smash's head, shattering the mood for the evening.

Coach's wife, Tami, gives into socializing with the other town matrons under the guise of "book club" which turns out to be wine and gossip hour. In an attempt to escape a life of bake sales and committees she accepts a position at the high school as a guidance counselor.

During breakfast Coach gets an earful about championships and football strategy from Garrity, the mayor and other locals. Smash runs into Tyra where their flirtatious behaviors escalate into her being escorted out of his mom's house and told to walk home.

Coach stops in to visit Jason at the hospital bringing him a signed football. Jason asks if Tim signed the ball and appears happy when coach says yes. Tim has yet to visit. This scene became a major feels moment. Between Jason cracking jokes and putting his endorsement on Matt for QB it's enough to make a girl choke up.

This leads Coach to Matt, where he's just finished working a fast food shift while his friend, Landry, helps him memorize plays. Coach meets Matt's grandmother, whom he cares for, and takes Matt on a field trip. The night before his first start leads them to the field. Still in his work clothes Matt is given a pep talk by Coach that involves screaming audibles and gaining overall confidence. The episode ends with game day preparation and Coach giving Matt a few last words of encouragement.

Record: 1–0, no game this week
Player of the Week: Jason Street, for handling the news of his condition like a BOSS.
Insider Info: This episode introduces the concept of Rally Girls whose job is to treat players with food and other small gifts on game day. This actually happened at my high school but it was not a formal process or had a name like "Rally Girls". Girls would make gift bags of yummies for their football friends on game days. I remember doing it for the players that were on Yearbook staff since I was the editor.
Thoughts: The story line has definitely started to develop and I'm so excited about all the new conflicts. I wish everyone would just leave Coach alone and stop sideline coaching, seriously. Tyra I already do not like you. Matt I'm rooting for you buddy, don't mess this up! Tim I want to know why you drink so much so I can fix you.

Season 1, Episode 3: Wind Sprints
This episode kick off with their second game of the season again the Rattlers (IRL team is San Marcos). The game is rough to say the least and surprisingly is not Matt's fault. Matt has a stellar game as the team crumbles around him with dropped passes. Even a half time hollering is not enough to get them back on track...

Layla goes to visit Tim at home to see if he'll visit Jason in the hospital. Tim continues to ignore her requests. Across town Matt cleans up graffiti off his football yard sign after the loss while him and Landry discuss the possibility of Grandma being a witch when she's showing signs of dementia.

Tim runs into Jason's mom who further questions his absence and reminds him about family suppers. At this point we know Tim lives with his brother and we do not know of any parents so the Street's seem to be the surrogate family.

A local townsperson hassles Coach's daughter, Julie, about the loss and asks if the family has started packing. This doesn't go over well with Coach...

Under stress to win, conversations begin about recruiting a displaced Katrina victim for quarterback to replace Matt. Coach is approached by Garrity who has already mentioned the recruit to several other people and convinces Coach to visit the recruit. Concerned about recruiting violations Coach contradicts Garrity's promise of a starting position with an offer to earn a position on the field.

Tyra searches for Tim, after he misses a fundraiser for Jason, only to be questioned about her time with Smash. This results in them breaking up and Tim rebounding by making out with a Rally Girl in the hallway at school. Matt seeks out the guidance counselor, Coach's wife Tami, to drop a course and ends up spilling info about his home life and stress over the new recruit.

During practice Tim can't hang with the workout and walks off the field... Smash talks to a reporter about Coach leading to a Remember the Titans moment. Coach rounds up all the players and takes an impromptu field trip to a dirt hill in the rain. The result is hill sprints to remind the players who is coach and a new mantra, "Champions don't complain, Champions don't give up."

Lyla overhears her Mom discussing with her Dad her visits with Jason, her over optimism of the situation and lack of future plans. She decides to spend her birthday with Jason at the hospital which blows up in her face since Jason is ready to face the severity of his situation and is done with all the optimism. On the other side of town the team's field trip is wrapping up but Coach pulls aside Tim to tell him Jason's injury is not his fault, he also mentions that if he walks out during practice again, he's done. Coach says they'll be even after he walks home.

On the trek home Tim is stopped by Lyla and she confronts him again for not visiting Jason. Still reeling from her fight with Jason she vents by hitting Tim repeatedly combined with an ugly cry. Tim brings her in closer and they begin kissing (because we all know grief is cured by kissing).

The episode closes out with Jason leaving the hospital for rehab and Lyla by his side. Jason says he's sorry and they share 'I Love You's. And, the recruit from New Orleans stops by practice with Mr. Garrity

Record: 1–1, ugly tough loss.
Player of the Week: Coach Taylor, for not taking anyones bull! This is his team!
Thoughts: My least favorite character is Tyra and I just cannot see in what world I will care that she's on this show. I'm interested to see what the new recruit can do and just really want Matt to shine. Can't the geeky boy be a star too? Kudos for Coach on taking control of the team. Really Lyla? You weren't my favorite but you just kissed Tim, Jason's BFF, and then hours later are all "I Love You"?!?!? *eye roll*

Whew! That's it for this week's recap. Leave some comment love every week during the YA Binge Watch Project for FNL to be entered to win your choice of FNL season DVD.

Check back next Monday as the binge watch continues!

All giveaway rules are here. Entrants must be 13 years or older, have a US based address. Entrants must comment answering the prompt each week during the project. Winner will get their choice of Friday Night Lights season 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 DVD.

Comment: Who is your favorite couple so far? Which character do you most identify with? Don't forget to include your Twitter handle or email address.