Friday Night Lights

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.