'Friday Night' Returns

I am a bad TV fan. I completely missed writing about last week's season premiere of Friday Night Lights (don't panic -- this is just the DirecTV season. NBC will air the third season in its entirety in early 2009). I had all intentions of posting something, but I completely ran out of time, so this week's post will include themes from both the premiere and the second episode (which aired Wednesday night on DirecTVs 101). Let me just start by saying that I feel Tami. I really do. She did the right thing by reallocating the jumbo screen fund to education. We saw how good teachers were leaving for greener pastures and the school was lacking in essential supplies and proper A/C in the Texas heat. We know that a jumbo screen for the football field would be awesome and the fans would be super psyched, but the money is better served in the classroom. Then again, the boosters who donated the money donated it because they wanted a jumbo screen scoreboard -- shouldn't they be able to say where their money goes? And herein lies the central conflict of governing. Perhaps, Tami could make things right by using the money for the jumbo screen, but also gently encouraging those same boosters to donate to the education fund as well. Bottom line: I wouldn't want to be in her shoes right about now, especially with her husband in the head coaching position. I smell conflict rising!

Elsewhere, Tyra is making a huge effort to undo her slacker ways and get into a good college. She doesn't want to end up like her mother and sister, and I say, Go Tyra! She's beefing up her courses and grades and padding her resume with a run (and a win) for student body president. The best part about this story line was its obvious parallels to the current U.S. Presidential Election. It was a nice tongue-in-cheek play on the current climate of our nation that, unfortunately, won't translate as well when it airs on NBC early next year. I'm glad Tyra won, but I, like Mrs. T, wasn't a fan of her tactics. Now, she has to get serious and prove that she can be responsible and a good student body president.

Things are getting more complicated for Matt as a new, highly-touted quarterback has arrived at Dillon High. Plus, Julie seems to be interested in rekindling their relationship. I would like to see these crazy kids get back together, but Julie has a lot of atoning to do first. And then there's Lyla and Tim. Unlike the Matt/Julie relationship, I'm NOT rooting for these two to work things out. Like Buddy, I think that Tim is bad for Lyla. Of course, I also think that Lyla is good for Tim, so one of the two has to win out. Hopefully for both of their sakes, it's Lyla.

Friday Night Lights is airing new, commercial-free episodes Wednesday nights on DirecTV's 101. The third season will be seen in its entirety early next year on NBC.