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Episode recap: Friday Night Lights, "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall" (S.3, E.11)

by Freeman Montaque
03.29.2009

I don’t know if you’ve heard the news, but the television gods have answered a big prayer: Friday Night Lights has just been renewed for two more 13-episode seasons. A-men. But there’s a catch: Adrianne Palicki (Tyra) and Minka Kelly (Lyla) will not be back. That sucks. Not only are they terrific actresses and essential assets to the show, they’re both ridiculously hot. Oh well. I would have settled for one more season, but two! You’re just spoiling me now.

Anyhow, in tonight’s episode, things escalate a bit, which is putting it mildly. The least dramatic story point is probably the one that involves Landry and Tyra. Billy and Mindy are getting things set for their wedding in December (which will be an outdoor wedding, of course). Tyra seeks a little help from Landry, and even though he appeared to be done with her last episode, nobody actually thought he was. Not even him. He provides some much needed support for Tyra wants he finds out that her SAT scores went up 100 points, even though they needed to go up 100 more. But it’s Tyra’s mom who acts as the shoulder to cry on once her daughter faces the fact that she may never become truly happy like her sister. It’s a touching, sincere moment that could not have played out any better than it was.

Lyla is facing a similar situation. She and Tim seem to have reversed roles: she’s a lot more nonchalant about life, he’s the responsible beau. Just like Tyra, Lyla has a bit of a breakdown after Tim brings her to a church, explaining how she has no family. Of course, this is where he comes in and lets her know that she’s family to him. Near the end of the episode, he tells her that he is madly in love with her, and it picks up her spirits a bit. Well, if that wouldn’t, I don’t know what would have. The tables have turned slightly with Tim and Buddy, too. Now that he’s been cut off by his daughter, Buddy scrambles to pump information from a kid he typically lacks respect for. Usually, whenever there’s a scene with Riggins and Buddy, it’s a humorous one. Instead, what we have is a brief, heartfelt interaction between the two that feels so authentic you want to hug the television. 

Tami makes a tough decision as principal, passing a plan that would redistrict some of the Dillon players, which of course means that Eric’s football team will be a little screwed after State. Led by Buddy, the booster club members (who are kind of a scholastic mafia), decide to plan out what they’re going to do behind the backs of both Eric and Tami. Just when you want to feel for Buddy, he brings out that other side of him that gets under your skin. 

The Saracen household may be going through some significant changes of their own. Matt’s grandmother Lorraine falls out of a moving car as Matt’s mother is driving. She doesn’t die – thank you, FNL writers! – but her mental health is fading fast. The doctors recommend putting her into a nursing home, and Matt flips out, blaming his mother for his grandmother’s current condition. It’s only when Lorraine freaks out about where her slippers are (while she’s wearing them) that Matt realizes he can’t do this alone, and takes back what he said to his mother. Kim Dickens is so natural in her portrayal that you forget she isn’t a part of the original cast. She holds her own in scenes with Loanne Stephens, who has a tough time NOT being amazing. 

Finally, there is the McCoy drama. I have to say, I didn’t think much of the McCoys at first. But episode after episode, they become increasingly more interesting. Joe McCoy has been a freak from day one, but he blows his top tonight. His eyes become characters all their own, burning bullets right through the screen. The show is near over, with the Panthers playing the game that could take them to State. J.D. is not doing what his father wanted, and Joe’s expressions morph from unpleasant to monstrous. The Panthers have a chance to tie and go into overtime, but Taylor brazenly decides to go for it, and it pays off. Dillon wins in the last few seconds (they don’t win any other way!). Instead of rejoicing with everyone else, Joe becomes even crazier than before.

Then, the ticking time bomb that is Joe McCoy finally explodes, in a big way. The thing is, you know it’s coming, but it doesn’t make watching it any less disturbing. After being told to “screw off” by his son, Joe throws J.D. up against a car, and begins to beat on him endlessly.  It may be the most powerful scene the show has produced. Ever. All you can do is stare, eyes wide open, mouth agape.

Yeah, not too hard to see why you’d want to bring this back. Glad to see it’ll stick around a little while longer. I mean, it’s only the best show on television right now. No big deal.