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Friday Night Lights

Jumping the Gun

Season 2, Episode 11, Aired Jan 11, 2008

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8.3

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Coach Taylor and Tim Riggins are at odds when it comes to Julie, and Tim needs some advice on the situation. The Panthers' biggest game of the season is coming up against Laribee High School and all the attention seems to be focused on what Coach Taylor will do to prepare for it. Smash is running into obstacles when everyone wants a verbal commitment to their college programs, except the one he wants.moreless

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Cast & Crew

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GUEST STAR
Jim Matthews

Georgia Recruiter
GUEST STAR
Louanne Stephens

Grandma Saracen
GUEST STAR
Brian Thornton

Coach Dickes

Scott Porter

Jason Street
Kyle Chandler

Eric Taylor
Connie Britton

Tami Taylor
Jesse Plemons

Landry Clarke
Adrianne Palicki

Tyra Collette
Zach Gilford

Matt Saracen

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Fan Episode Reviews (4)

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Julie admits to the truth about Tim and Dillon finally has their game against Laribee

8.5

"Great"

By JaCkKbAuEr2424, Nov 20, 2011

I'm not sure why the score is so low for this episode compared to the rest this season. I really enjoyed this one and thought it had some great moments to make up for the way we've focused so much on Landry killing the rapist. We're finally getting back to the football stuff.
The main football plot going on revolved around the Panthers finally facing off against the Larabee team. Last episode showed how much tensions are increasing so it was fun to see the game finally happen. The moment where the coach from the other team tackles Riggins was out of left field, and when we get the explanation, it's a sad moment where Coach Taylor sort of realizes that there's more important things sometimes than the game of football.
We also get more of Smash and the college recruitment stuff. At first, I was enjoying it, but right now, it felt like a retread of stuff we've already seen. I liked it, but at the same time, it didn't feel high stakes at all.
I mentioned in the previous review that the Julie/Tim plot was ridiculous, only because it seemed weird that Tim or Julie wouldn't just come out and say what was going on. It seemed absurd that Julie would let Tim get crapped on by her father just to avoid getting in trouble, and vice versa for Tim. That being said, I was pleased with the way the writers resolved the issue. It was a simple resolution, but it allowed us to see Coach Taylor sucking it up and apologizing for being wrong.
Not everything was great in the episode though. Did we really need the scene where Tim and Billy steal the money from Tim's old roommate. Not only was the scene where they find it completely unbelievable but it seems like we're being set up for a Landry/Tyra/rapist type situation in terms of something happening that isn't believable. But whatever... I still have faith that the show can come back.moreless
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Smash tries to decide what college can get him to the NFL. Julie confesses to get Tim off the hook. Coach learns why the opposing coach has been so disrespectful to him and his players.moreless

10

"Perfect"

By JeffAtl, Jan 13, 2008

This is absolutely one of the best acted/written shows on television. This episode proves it once again with Kyle Chandler (Coach Eric Taylor) stealing the show. Smash Williams struggles to figure out what college can offer him the most perks. While Smash is getting bombarded with phone calls, recruiters are going so far as to approach his mother in the grocery store. Coach Taylor gives Smash a much needed dose of reality in his office to help him make the right choice. Julie confesses to her father that she was the one responsible for what happened the night she got drunk and was caught in a compromising position with Riggins. She explains that he rescued her from a potentially bad situation with another boy. Tim and his brother steal 3,000 in hidden drug money (to pay the mortgage) from Tim's roommate as Tim is leaving to go back to his now unemployed brother's house. My favorite scene is when Coach Taylor, being the honorable man he is, goes over to Tim Riggins house and apologizes. He proceeds to tell Tim what an honorable thing he did as a friend to protect Julie. The football game turns into a high scoring matchup. Just as Riggins is running down the sideline toward the end zone for what would be the winning touchdown, the other coach levels him on the field. The game is called. When Coach Taylor asks him why he hit his player, the other coach informs him his wife has 3 months to live. This episode is what Friday Night Lights is all about. Friday Night Lights has strong acting, great writing, and a perfect cast. I have to say I think NBC is doing viewers a disservice by throwing it on Friday nights with 4 new episodes coming in the midst of a writers strike. Why not put it on a popular night in primetime and get a good following? This doesn't bode well for the show's future, and its unfortunate, in my opinion.moreless
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Whoa only 4 eps left people. Lets me start by saying that this ep was waay better without the Landry/Trya crap A lot of good Smash stuff that was related to football while the Riggins stuff balanced the drama.moreless

10

"Perfect"

By zak7khan, Jan 12, 2008

Billy's back after losing his job and girl (the older woman who slept with Riggins in S1, with their house about to be reposessed unless they cough up 2000. Enough of thatJulie def remembers the night before and is afraid to tell her dad. She goes to Riggins house and tells him she's sorry that she couldn't tell her dad. He says he's fine with it. Let me stop there and say this is why I love the show. They pay detail to the details. When she knocks on his door they show him walking to the door, checking the window etc.. and when Julie's apoligizing they show how nervous she is. When she leaves her friend honks her horn and waves at Riggins. It let's the show seem more lifelike. I loved the Julie/Riggins scene very cute. (Can't find it in my heart to hate her) Later on just before the game she tells all to her dad. He says damn and goes off to the game. At the game the last play is with Scaracen throwing the ball to Riggins who charges through. Before he can make the touchdown the the coach from last week in a moment of insanity tackles Riggins to show his players how its done. The game if forfeit and the Panthers win because of Coach inteference. Coach Taylor confronts the other coach who tells Taylor that his wife only has 3 months to live and he doesn't have a game plan for it and doesn't want to use that as an excuse for his actions and apoligizes to coach Taylor

Riggins and big bro billy go to ferret mans house to pick up Riggins stuff. Thay find 3000 (ferret man is a drug dealer) and decide to steal it in a moment of desperation (pay the mortgage). Of course this will come back to bite them in the ass cause who ever steals money and gets away with it in a drama. Plus as Riggins stuff is gone he will put 2 and 2 together though Riggins reckons ferret man will be too high to remember he had 3000. Coach then swings by Riggins house and apoligizes telling him how proud he is o Riggins not just as a coach but as a father for not complaining about the crap coach has laid on Riggins since Mexico (did not mention Mexico though) and that he didn't tell coach about Julie's drinking and that he ws an honourable man. Man Riggins has got to be the most multi dimensional character on TV. I mean he's nice to everyone an forgiving (coach, Julie and Billy) and yet he steals money even though ferret man is a jerk, drinks and is a man whore. I love it though.

Let's talk about the smash baby! Smash is getting loads of offers right and left from colleges and is helped through it by his girlfriend who happens to be white (hear he'll be picked on by Riggins/new jail guy 'Sanatos' is it? and his family will not be comfortable with interacial dating) Anways it's mostly about him agonizing about where to go while his mom is secretly afraid to let him go though Smash doesn't realize it. She lets her fears be non to Mrs Coach who comforts her and saves her from a scout whose pestering Mrs Williams. Smash want's to go to TMU who are lukewarm to him in contact so when Chip (the other teams douche bag QB1) asks if Smash will be joining him at TMU Smash tells him he'll be going to Alabama. Smash then has a coversation with coach who tells him to listen to his mother and respect his mother. A TMU scout comes to Smash in the diner and gets a verbal agreement from Smash to join TMU. He buys his mom some flowers and tells her the news. She seems happy enough.

Meanwhile coach Julie that he's not angry at her but dissapointed because she lied to him and is hurt by it, but he tells her he loves her and people make mistakes. Cue Mrs Taylor and a Taylor family movie fest. Oh yeah and the sister of Mrs Taylor is kicked out by coach after she tapes over his game for an episode of the office that was hilarious when the start credits of the office roll up.moreless
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Another wonderful episode :)

10

"Perfect"

By maaarin, Jan 12, 2008

We didn't see Tyra, Landry, Lyla, Buddy or Street, but still, this was another great episode...

This was a very sad and frustrating week for me, because a lot of shows have aired their finale pre-strike episodes (Grey's, Housewives), so being able to enjoy a few more episodes of FNL, a having watched this week's episode really lifted my spirits...

It was a Coach-centric episode, when you think about it, because he was practically in every single storyline... He had to deal with the other team, their coach and the upcoming game, and also he had to deal with Tami's sister - loved it when The Office started playing on the tape :D, but still, I'm sad to see Jessalyn Gilsig go, cause I've loved her since Boston Public, and she was so great here as well... Then, coach had to deal with Riggins, and I was so relieved when Julie told the truth, cause I really felt bad for Riggins... And finally, Coach had to deal with Smash - and the scene with Tami and his mother was really well written and nice...

After a kinda rough start this fall, FNL is, in my opinion, finally getting back on track... Yes, there are a few more not-really-FNL-style subplots going on (the drug money?), but still, this show is my absolute favorite. :)moreless
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- When Coach Taylor and Coach Dickes are arguing after the game, Coach Dickes polo's buttons are open and closed depending on the camera.
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