Friday Night Lights S3E1: I Knew You When

“She went to bed with Jesus and woke up with you.”

I’m not sure how much time has passed here – three months(?) – but some fairly ridiculous things have taken place in Dillon, TX.

1. Tami has gone from guidance counselor to principal. Um, what? Don’t you need experience, or qualifications, to be principal? She quickly discovers that the school has no money, being forced to lay off teachers – and just as quickly realizes that her husband has a brand new computer. So, she takes the money that Buddy has donated for a Jumbotron and uses it to pay teachers instead. This won’t go over well.

2. Smash wrecked his knee at State, and thus his dreams of college football are gone (again). Coach Taylor won’t give up on him, though. Even though there would be nothing wrong with Smash quitting football, since his doctor says he will never get back to where he was before the accident. Plus, in the real world football isn’t everything.

3. Riggins has taken Smash’s old position, going from fullback to tailback. I don’t know much about positions, but Riggins is so much bigger than Smash. Is this realistic?

4. Lyla’s mother and younger siblings have moved out of Texas, so she is living with Buddy. Santiago is nowhere to be found in his happy little family.

5. Street is neither seen nor discussed.

6. Lyla and Tim are sleeping together, but telling everyone they’re “just good buddies.” In the end, he somehow convinces her that he will make a good boyfriend by telling her it’s ok for them to keep their dalliance a secret, and she kisses him in front of everyone. Buddy is not pleased.

7. Landry and Tyra have broken up, though they spend all of their time together.

8. Tyra’s new guidance counselor tells her she doesn’t have a chance in hell of getting into a four-year college, which basically gives her the same storyline as Smash.

9. Julie is as useless as ever.

10. New freshman J.D. McCoy, touted as “the next Jason Street,” is apparently going to give Saracen a run for his money. His father has moved the whole family to Dillon specifically so that Eric Taylor will coach him. Coach Taylor is not amused.

11. Billy (Riggins’ brother) is engaged to Mindy (Tyra’s sister).

12. The team doesn’t deserve smoothies.