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Episode recap: Friday Night Lights, “Underdogs” (S.3, E.12)

by Freeman Montaque
04.06.2009

The penultimate episode for the third season of Friday Night Lights begins in the complete opposite way the previous episode ended. All are gathered in the gymnasium for a lively pep rally demonstration. J.D.’s parents are even in attendance, standing next to one another, taking in the celebration. It’s as if the fight between J.D. and his father in the parking lot of Applebee’s never even happened.

Yeah, that lasts for about a minute.

Tami is forced to call Child Protective Services. And even though he’s aware of the schism it’s likely to cause with J.D., Eric backs her. It doesn’t take long for J.D. to confront Coach Taylor about calling the cops on his dad, and for the first time, we see a different side of J.D. He begins to act out, talking back to the coach and pouting. Katie McCoy isn’t exactly happy with Tami’s decision either, and she tells her, point blank, that she wants nothing to do with her. Ouch. I guess that’s what you get when you try to do away with an abusive father.

Lyla meets with her dad (finally), informing him that she will move back in with him because the Riggins boys are too disgusting. Yeah, shocker there. But that’s not the major point of the conversation: Lyla plans on going to San Antonio State with Tim. Getting in but not being able to attend Vanderbilt, she says, is like fate. Yeah, or it's like your dad blew your entry to a good school on something stupid.

During practice, Coach Taylor takes the time to recognize someone for what they’ve done both on and off the field, and that nerd – I mean, person – is Landry, who is still, after a year on the team, referred to as Lance by Taylor. You gotta love it. What this means is that Landry will play on special teams for the big game. And so of course, in true Landy-style fashion, he sleeps in (way in), and misses the team bus.

Then comes good ol’ Tyra, who doesn’t plan on even going to the game because she wants to work on her post-high school studies. But Landry eventually convinces her to drive him to the game. Along the way, we discover that what changed Tyra from a pessimistic bad girl to the studious example she is today was Jason Street’s freak accident. And then, there was the friendship she formed with Julie Taylor. And, of course, there was Landry. This statement, combined with the kiss they share in a hotel, suggests that no matter how many times they claim to be done with each other, Landry and Tyra are meant to be. It’ll be interesting to see how that plays out next year, if Adrianne Palicki does in fact bid Dillon adieu.

Finally, there is the big game. The Panthers aren’t doing great, and the once sweet, soft-spoken J.D. shows what a diva he can be. It’s shaping up to be a blowout (27-0). So it sets up the next big change: J.D’s out, Matt’s in (and Landry comes in and gets an incredible block). There was once a time when Saracen was the kiss of death. Now he’s the glue that holds the team together.

The Panthers end up taking the lead with time left, which rarely happens. Just 6 seconds left, the Titans go for a field goal, their kicker hasn’t missed one all year. . .and he doesn’t here. Just like that, it’s over. Our boys don’t win. Sad as it is to watch, it’s a giant relief to see the show, once again, steer clear of the path of predictability. But that’s what happens when you’re the best show on television, year after year after year.