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OT: Friday Night Lights fans: Can you help me out here?

April

Veteran

I recently started watching FNL on Netflix, in spite of the fact that I don't enjoy anything about football. I'm very picky about TV and I'm really hoping this could be "my new show."

However.

I'm having a serious problem with the actress playing Lila Garrity, the young cheerleader whose boyfriend is the recently-disabled quarterback. I literally cringe when she's on the screen.

I'm desperately hoping someone who watched the show can help me out with this -- is there any chance her character disappears somehow? Early admission to college? Running away to become a missionary? Abducted by aliens?

General

21 replies

Latest reply was from Angie

Anonymous

Nope, sorry! I got used to her. She becomes less annoying as the season goes on. Sounds like you're still in the parts where she's in denial and trying to be the perfect girlfriend. The series is worth gritting your teeth and putting up with her!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

We just finished watching all 5 seasons of FNL's and it's right up there with BSG, The Wire, and Breaking Bad - the best TV shows ever made (along with Seinfeld). FNL's was better than Mad Men in my book. It was a BRILLIANT, BRILLIANT show!!! And I am as sporty as Karl Lagefeld. I had serious TV depression when we watched the last episode ever made. I did NOT want it to end.

Lyla is in and out the entire 5 seasons. Sorry :(. She's not that bad. I promise.

I LOVE Matt, Tim, Coach and Mrs. Coach - in that order.

April

Veteran

So you're saying that the weak link in FNL is not going to conveniently vanish. If I'm going to watch the show, I'll have to overlook her lack of acting skills, grating voice, and self-conscious, "look how pretty I am" prancing.

Sigh.

Oh, Angie -- The Wire! Best TV ever made...

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Agreed :). Although Greg just put Breaking Bad above The Wire a few days ago because it's more consistently good. Greg did NOT like Season 2 at the Dockyard.

Seriously, keep a punching bag close by for Lyla moments. I had to do that with Julie, the Coach's daughter. FNL's is an extremely good show. Season 4 was unbeatable.

April

Veteran

A punching bag -- excellent idea.

I will quote Joe Klein: "The Wire hasn't won an Emmy? The Wire should get the Nobel Prize for Literature!”

DS just became grown-up enough (in my view) for Breaking Bad, so we've been re-watching all the past seasons to catch him up. It's definitely in my TV pantheon.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I'm going to start this show as soon as I finish The Wire -- I'm in season three now, and it's so embarrassing that I haven't watched it earlier! I know people who worked on the show, even one of the writers, so I'm so ashamed. In my defense, when it came out we didn't have HBO at my house.

Oh, and Breaking Bad has me totally hooked. I don't know how I'm going to make it through the end of the season not being able to watch, since I'll be out of the country!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

It's never too late, Janet. Season 4 of The Wire with the kids is the best. Heart wrenching. I agree with Joe Klein

We watch all these shows on Netflix April, because we prefer to watch many episodes after one another. It's better than waiting for one episode a week. The last 2 seasons of FNL's were so good that we got through a season in a weekend. Sublime. I was SO in love with the characters. It makes me want to visit TX.

If I want to watch the entire series again after seeing it once, I know it was a brilliant show. That's what happened with BSG, The Wire, FNL's and Breaking Bad. So glad that your son is enjoying Breaking Bad

Mind you, it took me 9 episodes to get into The Wire because I couldn't for the life of me understand what they were saying! And then the penny dropped

FNL's probably has an even greater meaning to you April, because Mrs. Coach is a Guidance Counselor. And the US school environment is something that you are very familiar with. I learned a lot from watching that show.

April

Veteran

Same here, Angie. It's killing me to watch the current season of BB in real time -- ONE episode a week? -- especially knowing that they're going to make us wait until next summer for the final ten episodes.

Steph

Veteran

I had to come out of retirement to post because I love FNL so, so much. I honestly think it is the best show I have ever watched on television (Angie, as you know, I am a big BSG fan as well). I actually didn't mind Lyla, and thought her character had to deal with a lot of difficult issues. I also think a lot of the characters grow as the show progresses. Having said that, she is a main character for the first three seasons, but then is not on the show regularly the last two seasons--she only comes in every once in awhile.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Great to see you post again, Steph! Yes, I remember how much you loved BSG :). You will probbaly enjoy Breaking Bad and The Wire.

I agree with everything Steph says. The characters of FNL's grow so much during the show - and Lyla grows too. The chemistry between the lead characters (my top 4 mentioned earlier in particular plus Buddy Garrity) is one of the best I have seen on screen. Mesmerizing and so very unexpected. Watching this show has been one of the highlights of my year.

April, in Breaking Bad, every single character has a dark streak, and that's powerful. Bryan Cranston needs to win an award chop-chop. And we will be depressed together when we have to wait for that final season next year.

All this talk of TV shows, I might just add that I like non-typical "chick shows", just to set the scene. I was not a SATC fan at all. I can't stand romantic comedies. I am a real boy when it comes to movies, music and TV shows. So take that to heart when I go on about FNL's

April

Veteran

I think that's why I'm so picky about TV, Angie -- I can't stand most of the shows that are recommended to me by girlfriends. So high five on that.

Although I'm not very intrigued by sci-fi, all this talk about BSG is making me think I should check it out.

Incidentally, there is a terrific review of BB in this week's New Yorker: http://www.newyorker.com/arts/.....n_nussbaum

And yes, DS is finding it very compelling and is upset that he's coming to the end of the prior episodes. We have had sort of a competition going with SO to see who can find the most ways to work Breaking Bad quotations into a conversation and see if the others catch the reference.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

April, it's time we had tea and yakked again. High five, back

Like I said in my blog post a few weeks ago, I was NOT a sci fi fan at all. But BSG changed that. The story is so very compelling, and something dramatic happens in each episide. It's not "nice-y, nice-y Hollywood-feel-good nice-y, nice-y" at all. It's dark. And the roles that women play are extremely empowering. Nothing short of absolutely brilliant, with lots of NORMAL life in space too. I have a feeling that you would love BSG. It has converted Inge too - and she felt just like you and and me about sci fi.

I love the Breaking Bad game that hubs and DS play!!! That's cool

I will expect a weekly FNLs update from now on

I could talk about these 4 shows all day - I was THAT affected and obsessed by them.

I like Mad Men, Spartacus (Australian production), The Killing, Band of Brothers and Downton Abbey too. But they do not make my top 4. They make my top 10.

April

Veteran

Angie, another one I ripped through this summer was The Shield, which I knew nothing about when it was actually running on TV. Much like BB, it starts off with everyone seeming like one thing. Then as it goes on, the dark side of the "good" characters and the goodness in the "bad" characters emerges.

It also had a character who was a Lyla for me, but it's such a seriously gritty drama that I just tuned her out.

P.S. Yes -- tea!

MNsara

Veteran

Hooray for the thumbs up on these series! I've added FNL and BB to my netflix queue. I think my daughter has The Wire, so I'll borrow.

I'm *beginning* to look forward to the wintery evenings when we look forward to sitting down to some GOOD shows We've watched up all the Doctor Who to date, and nothing else has grabbed us so far.

How did I totally miss BSG? If I was raised on Star Trek, was BSG marketed to a different demographic? And if I want to start watching, do I start with the 27 episodes from 1978? or the 4 seasons from 2003-2008? and where does Galatica 1980 fit in?

TIA

Janet

(website)

Veteran

You fans of The Wire, did you watch Homicide: Life on the Street back in the day? Same creator, David Simon, and some of the same writers and even actors. Another brilliant show set in my hometown. I will forever love Andre Braugher for the role of Frank Pembleton.

I also have to add add Treme to my list of recommended shows -- about post-Katrina New Orleans. You'll recognize Bunk and a few others from The Wire.

April

Veteran

Janet -- I *loved* Homicide when it was on, and Frank Pembleton was one of the great characters in TV history. I did try to re-watch it after we finished up The Wire and I was jonesing for an intense drama, but I found it slightly dated the second time around. (It could have been the clothes!)

I have Treme in my queue and will have to check it out now that I have a YLF recommendation. I don't get HBO so I never see these things first-run.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

The Shield looks great, April. Thanks! It's going into our Netflix queue.

Janet, I feel just like April about Homicide.

Sara, you shan't be disappointed. My little London nephew was glued to the screen of Doctor Who about 4 years ago. It was the best show on earth to him back then.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I haven't re-watched Homicide recently (it's been years!) but I wondered how it had aged. Plus it was on network TV, hence no profanity and nothing graphic -- it probably appears way less gritty and realistic than the current cable shows!

I'm going to check out The Shield too, thanks.

Inge

(website)

I'm VERY curious about Friday Night Lights now and I'm going to check it out asap.
Angie, I think there's been a little mix-up, I've actually loved sci-fi - books, movies and TV series - ever since I was a kid (it all started with the original Battlestar Galactica series and things like Buck Rogers, The Powers of Matthew Star...;-) But you are right that I too LOVED the new BG series, with all the strong roles for women, LOVED it and I'm definitely going to watch all episodes again soon.

Janet: I was glued to the television when Homicide came on each week. It would be interesting to watch it again.

Caro in Oz

Veteran

I loved FNL & I'm Australian!! Also loved The Wire, The Killing & BB. Love Dr. Who too.....but I also love rom coms - especially old ones - Katherine Hepburn, Carole Lombard & Bette Davis.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Oh! Sorry, Inge! My mistake. I hereby join your Kingdom of sci-fi