Friday Night Lights: Hello, Goodbye

Posted by: Sarah Miller  •  February 7, 2009 @ 3:51pm

Filed under: Recaps & Reviews

This week is all about beginnings and endings. It marks the end of Smash's time in Dillon. It brings about the resolution to Tami & Buddy's war of the jumbotron. It also seems to be the end of things for Landry and Tyra. But it's the beginning of something for Matt and his mom.

The Riggins and Collette clan are out for a night at the rodeo. Landry is upset because he is getting his wisdom teeth taken out tomorrow and he can't have any of the cotton candy. Tyra on the other hand, is having a great time because she has caught the eye of 'fine-ass-cowboy' (and high school buddy of Billy Riggins) Cash. The two meet up in the bar afterward for some drinking, dancing and flirting, much to the chagrin of Landry who has to go home early to prepare for oral surgery.

Landry gets picked up from the dentist by his mom in her minivan, and he is surprisingly talkative for someone who just had a bunch of teeth pulled out. He calls Tyra right away and he is high as a kite and tells her that she's the best girlfriend anyone could ask for (you know, anyone because she's not Landry's girlfriend) and that he loves her. His Mom pulls the phone away from him and tells Tyra he'll call her back. "You'll thank me later", his mom tells him.

But Tyra is spending a lot of time making out with her cowboy, and she sort of 'forgets' her movie date with Landry. At school the next day, when Landry asks Tyra where she was she makes up something about her aunt getting sick and then promptly ditches him to study.

Landry and Matt are hanging out at the diner a few days later when Tyra walks in hand-in-hand with Cash. Tyra and Landry have a big blow-up out in the parking lot. Landry makes a good point that since she broke up with him, Tyra has not changed her behavior at all and still hangs out with him and calls him all the time and holds his hand. You can see how it would be confusing. He says that if she wants to choose a guy who drives a truck and wears a big stupid cowboy hat over him then she needs to tell him to his face. Tyra screams that YES! SHE'S CHOOSING THE COWBOY! Well, ok then.

Tyra feels really bad about their fight and comes to see Landry later in his garage. She tells him that she's never been closer to any guy than she was to him, but she stopped feeling that way about him a long time ago. But she doesn't want to give him his friendship, but Landry asks her to leave.

Gramma Saracen is having some issues with this J.D. McCoy kid that keeps showing up on the T.V. and she is also not too excited that Matt's mom has showed up again for a little visit. Matt is a little unsure of it himself. His mom seems to be really trying though, and she asks if there is anything she can do to help him out while she's in town. He asks if she can take Gramma to her doctor's appointment tomorrow afternoon so he can study for a test.

When the time comes for the doctor's appointment Gramma throws a fit. She seems to think that Matt's mom is the devil incarnate. After Matt pleads with her, Gramma agrees to go but once she's inside the car she tells Matt's mom that the only reason she's going is for Matthew. Matt's mom says that's the only reason she's doing it to so the two of them need to just get through it.

While he's studying for his midterms with Julie, Matt's mom shows up with some groceries. Gramma huffs off into the bedroom for a few minutes, and when she introduces herself to Julie we find out that Matt's Mom actually has a name and it's Shelby. Shelby has even brought along a few of Matt's baby pictures to show Lorraine. But Matt tells Shelby that she can't just waltz in with groceries and baby pictures and pretend like everything is normal. He thanks her for taking Gramma to the doctor but asks her to please go home. Shelby leaves and Matt goes to take care of Gramma and Julie is left standing in the living room all by herself.

Later on, Matt apologizes to Gramma for having Shelby take her to the doctor. But surprisingly, Gramma defends Shelby, and says that they all know how difficult Matt's Dad can be and maybe she could have helped her out a little bit more. So Matt goes to find Shelby and they meet for coffee and talk. Shelby tells Matt that when he showed up at her door with those papers she just thought that he was all alone and trying to be the man in his house and it was just too much so she wanted to come and help. She tells him that she's not looking for forgiveness or for Matt to start calling her Mom, but she wants to stick around for a few weeks and just try and lend a hand. Matt says "Alright."


Meanwhile, The jumbotron issue has still not been resolved. Tami catches Buddy out at the field doing a little surveying and she tells him that he is not allowed on the field without permission. They have a board meeting coming up and he's just going to have to wait until they have decided before he can go ahead with his plans. But it seems that Buddy is all buddy-buddy (haha, see what I did there?) with the superintendent and they played golf together last weekend.


During a power walking session with Katy McCoy, Tami comes up with a plan to try and get some schmooze time in with the superintendent herself. Katy suggests that Tami go to his favorite coffee shop and just happen to bump into him with her hair down. So she does, and you can tell that she isn't very comfortable with the whole thing because she is painfully obvious with her motives. The superintendent tries to leave the coffee shop but she corners him so that he has to listen to her side. Unfortunately it seems like the superintendent is more inclined to agree with Buddy.


Tami feels completely defeated after her impromptu meeting with the superintendent. But Coach gives her a little pep talk, telling her that she's right- a jumbotron is ridiculous when you need teachers and more academic supplies. And even though she's going to lose at the hearing at least she stood up for what she believed in. And hey, she can at least make them feel a little guilty about the stupid jumbotron. When she makes her speech at ground breaking ceremony for the jumbotron, Tami thanks Buddy for his generous offer to let the PTA host their silent auction at his car dealership (much to Buddy's surprise). Score one for team Tami!

The Panthers have a bi-week this week (no game on Friday) so Coach wants to start working on the spread offence. The team they're playing next week has got a great defense and he thinks the spread will give them a better shot at winning. Coach wants to try to get Matt to learn the spread, but Mac and the defensive co-coordinator both think it might be time to start working with J.D. but Coach is still undecided. In practice, Matt and J.D. both take snaps and running the spread plays. Matt holds his own for the most part, but it's undeniable that J.D. has the better arm.

Coach still can't decide who he wants to start, and takes Tami out for a drink to discuss his options. J.D. has got the best arm Coach has ever seen on any high school kid (including Jason Street), but Matt has got more experience and the team knows how to play under Matt's leadership. Coach also knows that after everything Matt has been through, benching him halfway through his senior year would probably kill him and, as Tami points out Matt is practically family. Tami doesn't really help Coach make up his mind but she tells him that she loves that he is agonizing over the decision because it shows he is a teacher first and a coach second. In one of the best lines of the night Tami tells him: "I know you're going to think this is corny, but you are a molder of men and that's what I love about you." Aw, Tami that's what we love about Coach too!

So Coach goes to have a talk with J.C. during one of his extra sessions with Wade the Quarterback Coach from Dallas. He quizzes J.D. on his plays, and then asks him to tell him something about himself. "I set goals and I achieve them, sir." J.D. responds. Coach tells him this isn't a job interview, he wants to know what he does when he's not playing football, but J.D. doesn't have a very good answer.

In the end Coach decides that Matt will still start, but that they are going to rotate series between Matt & J.D. It's unorthodox but it could work. J.D. is excited for the chance to play, but Matt doesn't seem too impressed.

Coach is spending extra practice time with Smash to get him ready for his walk-on. Smash is a little bit concerned because Coach set up the walk-on through is friend Mitch Stallman instead of the head coach at Texas A&M- he was under the impression that Coach would get him in good with the higher ups right away. Coach tells him to worry more about his game than who set up the walk-on.


When they get to the walk-on Mitch Stallman tells Coach and Smash that they need to re-schedule. After driving all the way out to Texas A&M, Coach Taylor is not going to turn around and give up now. So he walks onto the field to tell the Coach that he really needs to have a look at Smash. The Coach is understandably unimpressed, but Coach Taylor talks him into letting Smash run a few plays and Smash tears up the field. The Texas A&M Coach can't even tell which knee Brian busted. A few days later Brian gets a phone call from A&M- the Smash is going to College Baby!!!


For his last night in town, Smash gets Riggins, Landry and Matt to drive him over to Coach Taylor's house to thank him for everything he's done. "I couldn't have done this without you, Coach." Smash tells him. And the episode ends with the boys playing a game of pickup football out on the field and drinking a few beers. This is the Smash's last episode folks: Here's to God, and football and good friends livin' large in Texas!

Tags: Friday NIght LIghts, Smash's Last Episode

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