Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Road Trip

About a month ago, I issued a plea to you Bloggers out there to start watching a new show called "Friday Night Lights". I've been waiting in fear ever since for the network to can it, as there have been rumblings of poor ratings and low audience numbers, but so far, it has prevailed. It has quickly become one of my favourite shows, so tonight, I'm going to start my "Friday Night Lights" re-caps, and I hope that some of you might start watching it.

A little bit of back-story first to catch you all up on what you've been missing:

The show revolves around a high school football team in Dillon, Texas, but as I mentioned in the past, it's about more than just football. The team is under new leadership in Coach Taylor, who is adjusting to the pressures of being under such scrutiny from everyone in the town, from the mayor, to local businessmen, to parents, to small school children. In the first game of the season, stud quarterback Jason Street was hit hard and left a parapalegic. This put young Matt Sarracen in unexpectedly as QB1, and the school's board had to recruit a Katrina refugee from New Orleans to come in and help out. However, the kid they call Voo Doo has done nothing but disrupt the team and the coach since arriving, forcing Coach Taylor to put Sarracen back in as starting quarterback. As a side story, Street's best friend and teammate Tim Riggins has been wracked with guilt since Street got hurt, as he was the one who was supposed to have been blocking for him at the time he was hit. To add to his guilt and confusion, he's also begun a secret affair with Jason's girlfriend and head cheerleader, Lyla Garrity. Ah, the drama...

And yes, folks, there's enough hot boys in this show to keep me extremely entertained, with Matt Sarracen being my new favourite boy on TV. Jason Street is also pretty hot, even in a wheelchair. And Tim Riggins is a Josh Hartnett look-alike. Yum.

Anyways, this past week, Voo Doo, who hasn't made any effort to fit in with his new teammates due to his negative "I Am The Team" attitude, made some racial slurs at the local diner against one of the team's star players, a hot-tempered boy named Bobby Reyes. Reyes, filled with anger, comes upon some random, innocent boy outside the diner and pummels the crap out of him in frustration. Reyes' teammates rally around him to keep his secret and protect him from punishment, and they turn their cheeks when Reyes tells the media it was this poor, innocent kid who made the racial slurs, spurring him to attack him. However, that darling Matt Sarracen can't keep up the charade and eventually goes to the coach to tell him the truth. I hope this doesn't get Matt into trouble with the rest of the guys, and that they understand his need to confess what Reyes really did, even though it meant the coach had to kick Reyes off the team because of it.

Meanwhile, Jason Street is angry that Tim Riggins hasn't bothered to visit him in the hospital since he was hurt, so he calls his best friend up and orders him to get his ass down there. Tim, of course, is guilt-ridden, knowing he's been enjoying his time with Street's girl a bit too much ever since the accident. It's hard to hate Riggins, though...He just seems so lost and needy. Anyways, he busts Jason out of the re-hab centre, and when Lyla comes along and asks what the two of them think they're doing, Jason simply replies: "Road trip." So Lyla goes with them, and she and Tim make a pact to not act awkward towards each other for Jason's benefit. They go out to the lake, float around peacefully in a boat, then spend the evening around a fire while Jason enjoys the fresh air and dreams of being free again.

Upon Jason's return to the re-hab centre, he is refreshed, rejuvenated, and beaming...Until he glances out the window of his room into the parking lot to see Lyla and Tim engaged in a lengthy embrace. Suddenly, Jason's happiness disappears, as he realizes there's something going on between his best friend and his girlfriend.

I can't wait until next week to see what happens next. Like I said, it's about so much more than football. It's about a small town, and these kids who have so much pressure on them to win. And it's just high school. It's about the coach's struggles, and his determination to teach these boys right from wrong, and balance his family life all at the same time. It's about friends sticking together. But most of all, it's about wanting a life that's better than what a small town high school football team can offer.

I haven't watched too many of the new shows on TV this fall, but I definitely think "Friday Night Lights" is one of the best out there.

You really, really should check it out.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good Morning - nice review Jill but i just skimmed through it. I dont think that show interests me -but maybe we'll catch it sometime. Lastnight on Top Model -Anchal left. The somewhat pretty, big busted indian looking girl who just didn't give a shit. She rolls her eyes when the judges say something bad about her and she's self concious of herself - anyways, shes gone. I still like Caridee and she was the first called lastnight. When Anchal left, she was saying bye to the girls and i really liked how she said bye to Melrose, she was like "I still hate you..." LOL.
Anyways that's it.

Jill said...

Yeah, I'm getting used to the fact that nobody reads the front page. I'm just too long-winded, and apparently I don't write about what anyone wants to read, but oh well...
Glad you enjoyed Top Model!

Anonymous said...

hi
I noticed Jill did a book review on NIGHT and I missed it!!!!
So today if I get a chance I may be commenting on that blog because I was looking forward to reading the review and saying what I thought about it, but weds are the only day I don't get on a computer so I will have to do it today.
I wish some of you watched LOST cause I am really into that show all of the sudden and last night was a cliff hanger... it won't be back until feb!
Graham got me the movie CARS and we tried to watch it last night but the dvd wouldn't work so we took it back, got another one and it wouldn't work either!!! UGHHHH. I hate dvds!
Sara

Anonymous said...

Well last night I puttered around Ottawa for 2 hours and then found out the AquaFit was cancelled! I was MAD. I could have been home at 5:30... but no... 7:15 it was!

I was quite productive though. I purchased Ryan Christmas Present and part of Waynes. Well Waynes and mine. Only 1/2 was in the store so the other 1/2 will be in on Friday. They are "apparel" for the xmas present you are in on Jill, if you know what I mean.

And when I came into work this morning, I found out that the OC was on last night! What a bummer! I read the recap so I am all caught up. The recaps on FOX are quite thorough. So I am all up to date for tonight. I plan on doing dishes and getting all cozied up for OC at 7:00 and Survivor at 8:00 and bedtime at 9:00 :)

I am glad to see Ancho or Anchal or whatever gone. She bugged me a lot. Even Wayne said she was too Jiggly to be a model. Like when she was in her bikini you could see her flab jiggling, sure she's not fat... but models don't jiggle. I like CariDee as well but I still really like Melrose!

Hope everyone has a good day!

Jill said...

Sara: Regarding Lost - I've never gotten into it because Kara & Chris said that if I didn't watch it from the beginning, it wouldn't make any sense, but Marie-Eve has Season 1 & 2 on DVD, so I plan on borrowing it to get caught up eventually. And that sucks that the Cars DVD didn't work - you know, Kara & Chris had a Baby Einstein DVD that didn't work so they took it back and the new one didn't work either, but it works in Donna & Eric's DVD...very strange. Oh, and if you want to comment on the Night review here, please do! (Apparently it bored some people...LOL).

Sharon: I missed the O.C. last night too...I forgot that it was supposed to be switched to Wednesdays. But if it was on last night, will it be on again tonight?

Church movie night again tonight - tonight we're watching Ladder 49. I know none of you will come, but if you're interested, all are welcome! I'll have to tape Grey's and Survivor afterwards, so no re-caps tomorrow.

Oh, and yes...SENS RULE. They lost again, but I haven't give up yet...

Anonymous said...

About the OC, it will be on again tonight with a new episode... there are two episodes this week... again, not sure why they don't advertise on TV.. But maybe this is their transition week... who knows!

And I was bored by your book review... it's just too real for me... there is so much bad in the world that if I am going to read a book, I like to escape from it all.

Anonymous said...

Everyone at work watched Lost Sara and I heard them all talking about it this morning and saying that it's not back on till February - that would suck i guess. I'm sort of in a stump today - a depressed state of mind i guess. Things started bad this morning so now I'm all down and the weather doesn't help it, so hopefully i get some energy or something later to make me feel better. One more day after today then Ricky and I are off for the week - Ricky for hunting and Stacy for relaxation. My mom's baby shower is this weekend, so with those gifts and the ones from last weekend, I'll probably work on the baby's room the week i'm off. Anyways check in later!

Jill said...

I'm kind of having a depressed day too. I have the sniffles, but that's not it...Maybe it's the weather, or my hockey team, or I don't know what... Just feeling kind of glum, so I can sympathize with you, Stace.

Anonymous said...

You guys are having a bad day? I have to go to the doctor's office to make an appointment for my annual chat and exam. (breast exam and pap test) Blehhh! Sorry to all you male readers. I am dreading this as I do every year, I just want to get it over with. I'm all nerved up. I hate having a male doctor.

Anonymous said...

hi again
Well sorry to hear that some of the readers are not having a good day. Mine is going great for once! Only 14 kids here today so with that many it's kinda quiet. Which probably sounds dumb cause 14 kids isn't exactly quiet. But you know what I mean.
So I guess I won't ramble too much about my comments on NIGHT since you were all bored. Maybe you will read it Jill.
First of all I think it was good you wrote about it now near Remembrance Day. I hope everyoen tkes a few minutes to REMEMBER and wear a poppy!!!! I first saw NIGHT on Oprah. I really wanted it and looked for it forever until one day it was in Coles in Pembroke. Anyways I hope they air that Oprah show again that he was on- (Ellie Wiesel)cause it was really good. I cried and cried. And I think it was Kathleen who wrote about what happened in Rwanda..it was on that show too and it was terrible the stuff that happened. Men who just walked through the crowd with huge knives slaughtering men, women and children. And to think this happened in our life time. On Oprah that day they had a family they were reuniting which was really neat, I just saw them last week on an update. I have always had an interest in what's happening in other places around the world.. wars, poverty, etc. I hope I'm not morbid, but when I watch stuff like that it makes me feel grateful to know I'm here in Canada and not hungry, cold, abused, etc. Of course it's hard to watch and it's sad, I cry my eyes out over it. BUT if you don't at least take note that things like this happened and are still happening than it's like you are living in your own little bubble of a life. But I do understand that some ppl can't watch or read these things. It just makes me appreciate the little but good things in life!
Okay- enough about that. I do like girly books too. But sometimes I enjoy some more seriuos issues, ( I always read a happy book afterwards!!!)It's just depends what kind of reading you are looking for. I guess I first started with A Million Little Pieces, then I read My Friend Leonard, A Child Called IT, (which was really brutal, and true). Graham asked me during each one of these while I was bawling why I want to read these awful things.
Hope you all have better afternoons!

Anonymous said...

sorry my comment was sooo long guys. Skim it if you want! lol

Anonymous said...

Nothing wrong with long replies Sara.
PK - i know how you feel about that stuff with the doctor cuz i also have a male doctor - but with being pregnant, there are going to be a lot more people looking at me down there and stuff, so i guess that's when you come out of the shyness.
Jill - glad to hear your having the same kinda day but like i said i look forward to me having all next week off!
Anyways thats all for now,

Anonymous said...

Stacy-I was just on the weather network site and there was a link to the top 100 baby names in Canada. Madison/Madisyn was #4 for girls names.

Jill said...

Sara: Of course I read your comment on Night, and thank you for posting it! After all, it was because of you that I read the book in the first place. (Well, you and Oprah and Aunt Linda - but you were the one who loaned it to me!) It's a book that makes you feel sick; definitely not a happy book, but I was really glad I read it. It brought me an awareness to a part of history - and a part of the current state of affairs in this world - that I'd always just turned a blind eye too. Of course, I like "girl" books that are fun to read, just like anyone else. But, like you, I've enjoyed some of the more "serious" reads, like James Frey's "A Million Little Pieces" and "My Friend Leonard" - I think it's important to keep an open mind to that kind of thing. And I know for the people who haven't read these books, hearing "reviews" on them might be boring, but actually reading the books themselves - they are anything but.
And as you said, it is really important to REMEMBER - and that, I think, was Elie's message throughout his story. He doesn't want people to be ignorant of what happened then, and what is still going on now.
OK, so that's like my zillionth rant on the subject in two days...I promise, I'll stop now!
Glad to hear you're having a good day. Mine has actually gotten better. We had pizza for lunch, and it's been a busy afternoon despite the rain, so I haven't had time to think about being depressed!
PK: Good luck at the Dr. - hope it all goes OK!
Hope you've all had a good day!

Anonymous said...

I have good news about the Doc. I picked up my prescription all prepared to make an appointment, but the secretary just gave it to me and didn't say anything about the appointment, so I never said anything about the appointment. He gave me 3 repeats, so for sure in 3 months I will have to see him. Well I guess this isn't really good news, it's just putting it off for a while. Sometimes that's worse.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.