TV Review: Friday Night Lights - "Pilot"

The book and 2004 movie Friday Night Lights told the true story of a small town Texas high school football team and their quest for the state championship. Now, that story is the inspiration for NBC's new drama of the same name. Friday Night Lights the TV show also deals with a small town Texas high school football team as they strive to win a state championship and adopts a lot of the stylistic cues from the film. It certainly makes for compelling television, but it also runs the risk of becoming a movie stretched to season length.

Set in the present-day in the fictional small town of Dillon, Texas, Friday Night Lights begins at the start of the high school football season. The Dillon Panthers are considered the best high school team in Texas and we see the team treated almost like celebrities. A local NBC news crew follows the team in the days leading up to their first game of the season. The season is a pivotal one as it is the first for new head coach, Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler), the team's former offensive coordinator. He's under pressure from multiple sides -- from town leaders to ordinary people worried about his ability to lead the team to a state championship.

We're introduced to some of the key players on the team. Jason Street (Scott Porter), is the team's starting quarterback, a phenom being scouted by Notre Dame. He's in love with cheerleader Lyla Garrity (Minka Kelly), whose father is a town big shot with his own car dealership. In comparison, there is Matt Saracen (Zach Gilford), the team's backup quarterback, who lives with his grandmother and doesn't look to see one minute of playing time. Tim Riggins (Taylor Kitsch) is the team's premier fullback, but he has issues both with alcohol and black teammate “Smash” Williams (Gaius Charles).

It wouldn't be a drama if things went exactly as expected and when the Panthers finally play, they find that their opponents are tougher than they expected. After a brisk start, things go downhill as the Panthers' play gets sloppy. Just when they think they'll be able to bounce back, quarterback Jason Street is badly injured. Matt, nervous as hell, comes into the game and somehow does enough for the Panthers to win. However, things are uncertain for the team as it looks like Street may not be playing again anytime soon...if ever.

Article Author: Sterfish

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