Grid Effect

Well, in case anyone ever checks this site during the weekends, we had our notes for this post at the top of the page since Saturday afternoon. It’s amazing how much a severe hangover can alter your motor skills. Sometimes you see something that says “publish” and it reads “save”; and sometimes you fall asleep with your computer in your lap and unconsciously hit the wrong button. Either way, if you happen to catch these notes, there really isn’t any reason to continue reading beyond this point.

Now before we get into the actual recap, there’s been news that if no one else, Peter Berg is optimistic they will return for a fourth season (it’s a testament to his commitment that he even gives a shit, as he’s now directing hackneyed blockbuster popcorn flicks, and I’m sure being amply compensated to do so). To anyone who has followed the saga of getting this show on air for their second and third seasons was probably somewhat amazed when they heard someone speak about the future of the series with such certitude, and it wasn’t about cancellation.

For those who were late comers or jumping in on the third season without any back story, pre-pilot marketing just buried this show from the start. In their promos leading up to its debut, they marketed FNL as some sort of series that appealed to the 18-34 male demographic with cornball rap-metal music over a montage of “hard-hitting gridiron action”. There is certainly a tinge of that in the show, but it definitely isn’t the overwhelming sentiment.

When the people that they marketed the series towards actually tuned in and saw how the series was really structured (character driven storylines revolving around a community that uses high school football as a rallying point), they tuned out probably about the time that Jason Street offered to lead everyone in a prayer. In other words, the series never should have had to struggle to find an audience. At least not this much, if they would have presented the show as something girls in the same age range and adults could enjoy just as much as the angst-y twenty-something male demographic, then they would still be airing originally on NBC. Bang up job as always, guys.

But finally, a dramatic series is back on the air for us to recap and its the least expected one of all. It opened about how we expected it too, with an emphasis on football and a reluctance (at least for FNL) to throw any significant emotional scenes at us. All in all it was just great to have the series back since it was so unexpected. There were a few issues we took with the episode which we’ll reel off right now, but we’re willing to look past pretty much all of them.

What seems to be the biggest gripe fans of the series have with this premiere is the supposed age of all their high school characters. When the series started we were under the impression that Lyla, Street, Riggins and Tyra were all seniors, Saracen, Landry & Julie were sophomores and Smash was the lone (at least plausible) junior. Most everyone was willing to let them skate by on giving the four seniors and extra year of eligibility (and just write it off as poor planning by the producers), but with a third year now for Riggins, Lyla and Tyra is not only distracting because it poses a lot of questions about several of the plot lines for the past two seasons (an entitrely different post), but the three of them just look so much older. Relative to the random people walking the hallways on set, they look like least teachers assistants. Needless to say when we see Riggins getting hit on (and reciprocating) by a girl who looks like she’s actually in high school, it’s unsettling.

In and of itself, we have no problem with Landry, Julie and Saracen being seniors, as this would be their final year according to the first season. But it just doesn’t make any sense when they’re in the same class as the third year seniors (who are all set to graduate on time). The three of them along with Street were so isolated from the sophomores at the beginning of the series, grouping them together just creates a different tone and tenor to the show and it feels too contained. Like it’s no longer a series that encompasses small town life but rather just these specific characters.

Anyhow, outside of the dismissive side comment here and there, we’re not going to focus on this too much more. But for a series that at least used to pride itself on consistency this is a glaring oversight. We will readily acknowledge that this isn’t entirely their fault. With constant uncertainty as to whether they were coming back or not and the writers strike cutting their second season short by seven episodes, planning for a future that had no guarantees wasn’t exactly a priority when you have no idea if it’s even necessary or not. But the series has taken a hit, whether anyone wants to admit it or not.

Not to say there wasn’t anything to enjoy about this episode. Specifically, with the one character whose age

I really hope a miraculously recovery isn't in store for us.

they seem to be consistent with (and only for budget reasons): Smash. Supposedly during the playoffs last season (which we have a difficult time believing they even made) Smash sustained a brutal knee injury (which they have a flashback to on the series’ website). Now attempting to rehab and re-earn his scholarship, he’s finding that pursuing a career or education centered around football is becoming more and more of a pipe dream than he’s willing to admit. The posturing and demeanor of the character is morphing from Smash, the stud high school running back into Brian Williams (not the NBC News Anchor), the lowly post high school grad who willingly admits that his best days are behind him.

In fact everyone seems to be acknowledging this except for coach Taylor, whose return from TMU is still about the most unceremonious reunion anyone could have envisioned. Since he’s returned his team’s been an utter disappointment, Saracen and Riggins are no longer getting along, his protege of sorts (Street) has moved on to greener pastures for someone in a wheelchair (he will be making an appearance this season, so everyone relax) he’s been saddled with the additional responsibility of being the AD and now his running back that ruined his own career on his watch wants to quit football. Regardless of the sanity of this decision, Taylor (probably wrongly) is motivating him to keep on truckin’. Why? “Because something good has to happen”.

We found this comment odd but understandable. In a way, if felt like for the first time in the history of the series the writers were taking a meta approach to their writing. One of the characters acknowledging the excessive amount of drama that inflicts this sleepy little town of Dillon, Texas isn’t something I ever recall them doing. But understandable in the fact that ever since winning the state title at the end of season one, essentially nothing has gone according to plan. Sure, there was adversity in the first season, but there was definitely a happy ending. Something we haven’t gotten in the past sixteen episodes.

Meanwhile, with current Dillon football, Saracen has yet another player threatening his status of starting quarterback. This time instead of the brazen and unnecessarily hostile Katrina victim, it’s a freshman upstart that’s basically Peyton Manning. Nevermind that they were decimating their opponent in their first game, JD McCoy (a reference to Colt McCoy, I’m sure) threw a single touchdown pass, so obviously they need to make a controversy out of it.

Point being, I guess, is can’t they find another in-house dilemma than putting hapless Matt Saracen through the ringer for a third season? Give us something defensive oriented or issues with synergy on the offensive line. Because we’ve already rehashed this Matt Saracen as world-weary good-guy about a thousand times. All I’m looking for is a couple of scenes where his plate isn’t full and he and Landry are casually talking about something a tad lighter.

On the other end of the spectrum (the end that gives this series a lot of its supposed universal appeal), Tyra is now attempting to apply for colleges, something that is proving more daunting than she feels Tami led her to believe. Given her past academic discretions (which would have only been her freshman year according to this show’s revisionist history, but we won’t dwell on that) her cumulative GPA is a paltry 2.6. Not exactly anything to write home about and certainly not high enough to get into the Texas’ premiere state universities, but obviously she could gain admittance to a lower-tier four year school and not a technical school or community college.

So what exactly is the problem other than the writers are getting lazy and needed some plot contrivance to satisfy Adriana Pallicki and her agent? Frankly, I’m stumped. Considering the original plan was to show progress in high school, enroll a two year university then transfer to a UT or something in state but outside of Dillon, I’m not certain what the dilemma is now. Other than they need to make someone villainous and that would be her hapless guidance counselor, who couldn’t have looked more indifferent to her incredulous little “don’t tread on me” speech about going to college. He was just offering her the harsh, short-term reality. Not telling her to apply at the Landing Strip and take out a lease on a trailer because it’s over for her. So reactionary.

Really, I’m not sure what this series’ objection to traditional enrollment into college is exactly. Smash and Tyra (and Street for that matter) could all still go to school despite recent setbacks. The majority of people who attend college are paying full tuition and taking out student loans, which are available to pretty much everyone.

I guess this makes Tami more integral to the plot, since she serves as a mentor for Tyra. Having one as principal and the other as a semi-troubled student makes it easier to get them on camera together. But do we need another leap of logic in making Tami principal? Someone with presumably no background in education and only a year and a half as guidance counselor doesn’t usually get fast-tracked like this. Not to mention that the outcome from this newfound position is obvious: her and coach Taylor clash over how to best finance donations to the school but have yet another wistful moment in which he apologizes because he’s always wrong, which she gracefully accepts; and this is the new dilemma between her and Julie, because Julie can’t be mad about her new sister forever.

Any excuse to post photos of Minka Kelly is all the reason we need to be happy that this series is back.

Also virtually unrelated to football, they got Lyla and Riggins back together. Predictably. And rehashed the thousand reasons why they won’t last and weren’t dating in the first place but gave them some resolution. Namely: Riggins now does everything he can to appease her. Instead of drinking every night of the week, I presume he’ll study with her on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I’m not really sure what the specifics were, but it clearly won’t last. She’ll end up at a top-tier academic school (if not Rice then somewhere outside of the state lines) and he’ll probably go onto a Sunbelt or WAC school to play football if he doesn’t just stay in Dillon and work at a liquor store.

While I ultimately have no problems with them continuing this subplot, I guess I’m wondering if there are no other kids in this school for these people to date. I mean, we’ve had Tyra date both Landry and Riggins, Lyla date Street and Riggins, and Julie date Saracen. Outside of Landry with the semi-bookworm and Street with his post-injury dalliances it’s been pretty well contained. This is why we need Smash for more than four episodes, so we realize there are other people in this town to be involved with romantically.

Other notes:

-Older Riggins has been dating Tyra’s sister (her name escapes me at the moment) and they are now engaged. No question this is going to turn everyone’s life upside down.

-Lyla has moved in with her dad. Which means Santiago has been displaced. Which means that the series is going to pretend he never existed. Beautiful. He’s the male, Latino version of Waverly. Must be an honor. It would seem Buddy Garrity is at least partially deaf, if he couldn’t hear the zoo noises emanating from his daughter’s bedroom with in that tiny apartment he lives in.

Still enjoyable, but deeply flawed from a structural standpoint. We assume that as time marches on we’ll be able to overlook all of this. This series still offers well executed seminal moments better than any other drama on television (Taylor’s talk with Smash), and it compensates for those that don’t quite register with us (Tyra telling her brash guidance counselor to go fuck himself). Our favorite storyline was always Jason Street’s, so we’re optimistic that his send-off will be worthwhile. But right now we’re still adjusting with what seems like a few too many liberties taken with a series that has been led down a bumpy road.

Flight of The Conchords premiere recap later.