I’m trying to prepare myself for the inevitable (and quickly approaching) end of this relationship.
Although I love Friday Night Lights – it was love at first sight – the relationship is doomed by poor ratings that have persisted despite critical acclaim, a small but passionate fan base, and a creative production partnership between NBC and DirecTV.
What can I say? A populace that has continued to tune in to Two and a Half Men despite the misogyny and tired punch lines is never going to appreciate something this good.
Friday Night Lights is well into its final season, and I’m already feeling wistful.
Sigh.
There is so much to admire about this show: the rural landscapes, the emotional authenticity of the Taylor’s marriage, the tricky and sometimes painful transitions that teenagers make, and the cultural touchstones of football, family, school, church, and, yes, parties. Oh, did I forget to mention the writing, the performances, and the production values?
My best friend from my college days, Katie Scarvey, is as obsessed with this show as I am (maybe even more), and we actually call each other sometimes to check in about the latest episode and admit our absolutely understandable crushes on the “molder of men” Coach Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler) and the totally inappropriate crush we share on the too young, too rowdy, and currently incarcerated Tim Riggins (Taylor Kitsch).
We’ve remarked before that it really feels like we know these people. I mean, these characters. That could be because Katie grew up on a farm in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, and I’m one generation removed from maternal and paternal farms in Cleveland County, North Carolina where I spent a lot of summers and holidays as a child.
We get it. Dillon, Texas is real. Neither one of us wants to live there, but we’ll sure miss visiting it on TV.
Katie recently posted on Facebook that this is the best show on television. I quibbled that it’s the best show currently on broadcast TV, but why should I quibble? It is great television airing on NBC at a time when most of the television worth watching is on cable stations, and there’s not as much of that as I would like!
Go East Dillon! If you’re not watching Friday Night LIghts, start catching up on DVD.
