Back Under the Lights

Exclusive as it is to DirecTV—at least until NBC airs it months from now—I had to miss the official season premiere of my beloved Friday Night Lights this past Wednesday because my satellite service has been down most of the week (somehow the dish got out of alignment). Luckily, I got it back yesterday and was able to catch The 101 Network’s encore of the premiere, a sort of rebirth for the show as it continues to defy television trends and does what so few are capable of doing: let its characters dictate the story.

Probably stemming from the fact that it has always been an underdog forced to fight for its spot on the schedule, Friday Night Lights embraces change brilliantly, from letting its characters move on gracefully when needed (last year it was Smash and Jason who got heartfelt sendoffs, this year Saracen, Tyra, and Lyla will get the same treatment) to giving those who are staying put tough decisions to make. Mistakes are plentiful in Dillon, Texas, as are triumphs, a mixture that makes this show so beautiful to behold.

The main focus of the premiere was Coach Taylor’s (Kyle Chandler, again showing why he is so deserving of an Emmy) new job at East Dillon High, an other-side-of-the-tracks type place that is the subject of much debate around town. Redistricting is causing some students to be transferred to the neglected East Dillon, and some don’t want to go peacefully. Coach’s Lions turn out to be a ragtag group with little talent and even less heart. Of course, there are a few bright spots; he has Landry (Jesse Plemons) on his squad again, and a juvie named Vince (new addition Michael B. Jordan), brought in as part of a second chance program for problem teens. Coach is usually a pretty evenhanded guy, but his frustrations—over being forced out of his job with the Panthers and over the lack of dedication his new team is showing—gets the better of him in a scene in which he screams at his players to “get the hell out of my house” if they don’t want to be there. It is a powerhouse moment for both Coach and Chandler, one that undoubtedly sets the stage for more tension to come.

“Never Out of the Fight” is the motto painted on the locker room wall, a remnant of the previous Lions regime. But it’s Coach’s own motto, carried over from the Panthers, that brings goosebumps. While “Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose” doesn’t have quite the impact when it’s chanted by a group of guys who don’t yet believe in themselves, it does provide a layer of hope that maybe this team has a glimmer of potential. Once out on the gridiron, though, the Lions don’t just get beat, they get beat up, stammering off the field at halftime bloodied and bruised. This leads an angry Coach to do something he never even would have considered doing with the Panthers—forfeiting the game. It’s the kind of decision that you just know is going to wrangle and eat at Coach, this man who, especially when it comes to football, is so prideful and determined.

In his pregame speech, Coach says to his team, “There’s a joy to this game, is there not?” And while it may not have been evident once the team took the field, I couldn’t help but think that there’s a joy to this show. Outcomes aren’t always easy in Dillon, predictable is not in the picture. What you get instead is humanity, emotion, and a sense that everything is going to be all right, even when you know deep down it may not be. What you get instead is real.