This post does not contain spoilers, so don't fear :)
I have been watching Friday Night Lights lately. A lot. The series is currently on its third season and I am nearly caught up now so I figured it was time to write about why I like the show so much. I should preface this by saying that I have not really read any reviews of the show, I just started watching it because my room-mate did and I had heard it was good.
The show is based on a movie, which is itself based on a book of the same name. I had seen the movie before and really enjoyed it, so I had high somewhat high hopes for the show. It didn't disappoint. Below is a summary of reasons why I think this show is excellent.
Reason 1: The lack of an agenda
It took me a while to figure out why I liked the show so much. On the surface it seems like your typical teen football drama. I think the biggest thing that struck me is that it doesn't appear to have an agenda of any sort. Most shows and movies I've seen recently seem to have some sort of message or "agenda" they try to pass across. It always seems like the director's political and social views are expressed, subtly or not, through the characters and the story. In FNL however, I don't get that vibe at all. I think a big reason for this (other than the quality of the people involved) is the fact that the show is very character driven and not focused around specific themes or plots. Of course, there are plots and there is a story, but the focus is not so much on the plot in and of itself, but rather on how the characters interact/behave/think in the situations they are placed in.
This difference between plot driven and character driven stories is to me the difference between asking the question How can we use Character X to effectively get our message across in this situation? vs What would Character X actually do in this situation? The second provides a much more moving, realistic story and allows the show to actually explore emotions rather than force them down your throat to get a point across. Related to these points, the Wikipedia article mentions that the actors on the show are given a lot of leeway in how their scenes are blocked and carried out. They also apparently don't have rehearsals before shooting most scenes. Another point to mention is that the characters are realistic in the sense that not one of them is perfect, and even the most fucked up of characters has redeeming qualities.
Reason 2: It's a show about high school football...
...but not really. Much of the show's plot centers around a high school football team in the fictional town of Dillon, TX. However, due to the character driven nature of the show, football actually plays a fairly minor role in the grand scheme of things. Many of the plot threads revolve around the characters' lives outside of football, and some of the main characters have very little to do with football at all.
If you are thinking about avoiding this show because it is "another sports show," don't. My roommate loves the show and confessed to me yesterday that she doesn't even know the rules to the game of football.
That being said, having played high school football I can and do relate to the practice and game scenes in the show. I like watching and cheering on the team as they struggle through their seasons.
Reason 3: Kyle Chandler
Kyle Chandler (of Early Edition fame) is the star of the show, and with good reason. He does an incredible job defining his character in a way that makes him consistent, but also allows him to grow. I also just really like the character.
Reason 4: Explosions in the Sky
Explosions in the Sky is one of my favorite bands and provided most of the soundtrack for the 2004 film. They return to provide a decent bit of music for the TV show as well, and they are used very effectively. The rest of the soundtrack is also quite good, including the title track that sounds a lot like Explosions in the Sky but isn't.
Reason 5: "It's a show about teens that is targeted at adults
I can't remember where that quote is from, maybe Slate Magazine, but it rings true. The show is set in a Texas high school so many of the main characters are teenagers. This is no typical teen drama however and the themes/situations explored are much more adult than adolescent for the most part.
Summary
There are a few things about the show that I don't particularly like, but I won't go into them because they would involve spoilers. In general the good far far outweighs the bad in this case. I recommend you check out the show if you haven't. You can watch the first 2 seasons on Hulu, and the third season... elsewhere on the web.
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3 comments:
I've gotten a chance to watch a little of the show since we watched the pilot in your basement. In general, I totally agree with your points. It's an excellent show; the characters are well-developed and drive the plot; there is no pandering to a political view, a commercial audience or the faint of heart. I actually didn't enjoy the next few episodes after the pilot + 1. The show really seemed to come into its own around the middle of the first season. Seems like a lot of great network shows share these growing pains (Arrested Development, The Office, Sports Night, etc.)
I do have one major criticsm with the show, though. I'm only about 2/3 of the way through the first season, so maybe this is improved later in the show, but I've been very disappointed with the actual in-game scenes throughout the series. Just as you said you hate when shows use characters to advance a plot, I hate when shows use sports to advance the plot, rather than let the games exist in their own universe. I feel like in the series the games are mostly just an extension of the plot outside the game, with very few twists during the football action.
While it's true that what's going on in a person's life will often influence sports, this certainly is not always the case. Sometimes teams do all they can to prepare and still lose by a fluke play. It's important to see how players react to these sorts of situations in addition to getting their just deserts from whatever is going on in their personal lives. Skimping on this emotaional dimension, I think, really leaves a hole in the show. I thought this was where the movie really hit right on target, which is I guess not all that surprising considering the amount of time a film crew can prepare for an elaborate shot sequence compared to a TV series crew.
Even if you would dispute that the football games in the show have a life unto themselves, I would still argue that they're not given the amount of attention they deserve compared to the emotional buildup. If the characters lives revolve around the sport, it doesn't do them justice to show only a few plays in the last few moments of the game. There needs to be more depth there.
So I guess this criticism is somewhat major but at the same time not major at all. The show is very good despite this fact, but I think it has the potential to be great.
Way to write a comment longer than my post haha :)
I've personally not found the games to be very predictable for the most part. The first few games are, and the first season is much more than later ones, but it seems to me they try pretty hard to keep the games from being cliché (reminiscent of the movie).
Also, I think it's a good thing if you're complaining that there is not enough football in the show :)
Yes, I think there should be more football.
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