Kyle Chandler

Friday Night Lights' Kyle Chandler Talks Goodbyes and Next Season's Game Plan

• Apr 10, 2009 10:00 PM ET
• by Erin Fox
• 23 Comments

Kyle Chandler

*The end of our Q&A contains plot information from the finale!

All good things must come to an end — that is, until next season. Friday Night Lights' third-season finale aired Friday, and dealt a shocking blow to Coach Taylor (Kyle Chandler). The twist came after an already emotionally-packed 13 episodes that included Coach dealing with a new baby, seeing his wife become principal of the school, finding out his older daughter was sleeping with her boyfriend and facing the combative, over-involved parent, Joe McCoy.

TVGuide.com sat down with Chandler to talk about his alter ego's journey on and off the field this past season, saying goodbye to some amazing characters (and actors) and what could be in store for Coach in Season 4.

Kyle and Connie Tease a Friday Night Lights Triangle

• Feb 1, 2008 09:20 PM ET
• by TV Guide News

Connie Britton and Kyle Chandler by Jean-Paul Aussenard/ WireImage.com

Thursday night served as a reunion for cast members of NBC's Friday Night Lights as they hit the red carpet prior to the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' "An Evening with Friday Night Lights," held at the Leonard Goldenson Theatre in North Hollywood. Talk was all about love triangles on the show, not only between the characters of Landry, Tyra and Jean, but one that involves Coach Eric Taylor and his wife Tami as well. "My wife's old boyfriend comes into town, and he is played by Pete Berg," Kyle Chandler told TV Guide. Berg, who executive-produces the series and directed the film it was based on, returned to his acting roots in what, for the moment, will serve as Season 2's final new episode."I love that it's somehow come out as a love triangle," laughs Connie Britton, who plays Tami. "There's nothing like a tiny bit of jealousy or past history to turn two men into complete babies."Though the episode may only result in Chandler's character dealing with his inner green-eye... read more

A Can't-Miss Friday Night Lights

• Feb 1, 2008 07:13 PM ET
• by Matt Roush

Zach Gilford in Friday Night Lights by Bill Records/NBC Photo

You want to know why we fans of Friday Night Lights go on and on about this show, despite its sad ratings and aggravating lack of presence on the various clueless awards show? I’ll tell you why we go on and on about it. Tonight’s episode is why.This hour is on par with the best of the first season, and that’s saying something. It’s some of the finest TV you’re likely to see all year. I’ve watched certain parts of this episode several times, and each time it takes my breath away with its emotional power. Friday Night Lights is one of those rare series that breaks your heart and lifts your spirit all at once.Even one of TV’s most familiar subplots, a parent preparing a child for a driving test, has unexpected depth—thanks to the subtext of the relationship between Tami Taylor (Connie Britton) and daughter Julie (Aimee Teegarden), which has been fraught with conflict all season. The distracted mom and the rebellious teen: seen it before, but rare... read more

Who Do You Think You Are?

• Jan 19, 2008 06:01 AM ET
• by leahfriedman

Hello FNL fans, Leah is on vacation, so I’m filling in. If you don’t know me yet, I’m Casey. So much happened tonight! This episode felt like a stepping stone to greater, not always better, things to come.I’ve been sick all week, so please bear with me. Some people may think this episode was dated, but in the real and present world, race and gender still matter to many. I liked how this episode touched on those issues. I’ll start with the Taylor’s. I hated seeing Shelley go last week, but it gave FNL another opportunity to tackle family values and issues. Some people, like Mac McGill, believe a woman’s place is at home. But as Coach Taylor pointed out, “That just sounds stupid and ignorant when you say it aloud.” Thank you Coach! I am one of four children and both of my parents have worked full-time jobs for their entire 28 years of marriage. My mother’s a flight attendant. I’m still dumbfounded by people‘s rea... read more

"Let's Get It On"

• Nov 3, 2007 03:51 AM ET
• by leahfriedman

You mean Landry? Jesse Plemons, Kyle Chandler by Bill Records/NBC

Guest blogger Casey Marsella (Heroes) here! Leah couldn't make it tonight, but I'll do my best to recap this amazing show!Landry! Landry! Landry!Jesse Plemons made Dillon (and FNL fans) stand up and cheer tonight. His performance is what I love about this show. I’ve always noticed that the people who seem "out of place" are usually the ones most comfortable in their own skin. Landry used to be the goofy, one-liner sidekick, but he was always sure of himself. Tonight he proved that. His halftime speech was the highlight of the episode: "We can win together or lose alone." It was the perfect lead-in to: Clear eyes. Full hearts. Can’t lose!So, who’s together and who’s alone?Let’s start with the Taylors. Tami is thrilled to have her husband back, but not enough to give him the "green light." Coach was gently shot down and forced to sleep on the couch so Tami could finally get a good night’s sleep. The next day, the bags under his eyes initiated an unwanted ... read more

Let's Talk Friday Night Lights! The Coach is Back in Town!

• Nov 3, 2007 01:00 AM ET
• by leahfriedman

He's back! Kyle Chandler by Bill Records/NBC

Guest blogger Casey Marsella here! I'll do my best in the absence of Leah, so here we go...Coach Taylor returns to Dillon! His first priorty is his family at home. Julie finally came to her senses last week. Let's hope she lightens up to her new sister soon. Coach Taylor's other family also needs some help. Will Matt and Smash come to blows again? When will Riggins and Street return home? And if they do: Will they be part of the team again?Tyra was congratulated for her detailed description of a rapist found dead... but where's the watch?Check back for my full recap after the show! read more

I felt compelled to write ...

• Oct 29, 2007 04:00 AM ET
• by Matt Roush

Question: I felt compelled to write because of Martin P.'s recent comment about his Texas friends who avoided Friday Night Lights "like the plague." I've lived in Texas my entire life, and I do understand his friends' concerns. I usually cringe when TV shows or movies employ characters supposedly from Texas, because usually the accents, attitudes and, honestly, everything else is completely off. However, I am happy to say that the powers-that-be at FNL have been spot-on. I went to college in a small town very much like Dillon and probably very near to where Dillon is supposed to be located, and from the pilot onwards, I was nostalgic. The accents are perfect. The genuflecting to high-school football is perfect. The slice-of-life approach to family, faith and friends is perfect. I live about an hour from where they film, and so from the opening credits, I just grin, because I recognize the roads and open country and various locales. This show gets it right, and it makes me proud to be a ... read more

He's Back, Baby!

• Oct 27, 2007 02:41 AM ET
• by leahfriedman

MacGregor is out and Taylor is in. Chris Mulkey by Bill Records/NBC

Episode Recap: "Backfire"Who didn't have a little flutter in his (or her) heart when Coach Taylor, back in his Dillon Panther blues, stood up in front of that room like nothing had changed and said, "Let's go. Let's have some fun today"? What a way to end an episode that already just seemed to fly by.Aside from that weird, Mafia-like threat from Coach MacGregor ("I have a family, too, and you just remember that. I'll be seeing you again"), Eric's homecoming was nothing less than joyous. Julie and Tami are well on their way to patching things up, especially now that it looks like the grungy Swede might be out of the picture. Matt Saracen has someone back on his side again, and Buddy should probably be considered the town hero.Ah, Buddy. We may have just been witness to the only game in Panther history that Buddy honestly wanted his beloved team to lose. It was quite a sight to watch him hold back a grin as Smash got blocked again and again, leaving Dillon with a humiliating loss on t... read more

Brawls On and Off the Field

• Oct 20, 2007 02:05 AM ET
• by leahfriedman

Eric hopes he can get his old job back. Kyle Chandler by Mitchell Haaseth/NBC

Episode Recap: "Are You Ready for Friday Night?"Is this show about football or hockey? There was so many smackdowns (verbal and physical) tonight, that I think I'm forming bruises in sympathy. What does it say about a show when the characters who are doing the best at the moment are the ones who recently committed murder?That's right, you Tyra and Landry fans — the deed has been done, is probably going to be done again. And it seems like they're genuinely in love. Dillon's former bad girl — who seems to have passed on her particular brand of anger to Julie, but more on which later — is in a relationship with a guy that respects her and won't take advantage, so it's just too bad that the entire foundation of their love is that they killed someone. Their watch-shopping scene was the sweetest and lightest of the night ("it really doesn't look anything like [the old watch] except that they are both watches and have hands and tell time"). Definitely a welcome respite fro... read more

A Plague of Consequences Strikes Dillon

• Oct 13, 2007 02:05 AM ET
• by leahfriedman

Matt tries to figure out how to deal with the women in his life. Zach Gilford by Bill Records/NBC

Episode Recap: "Bad Things"Regular readers of this blog know that this show make me cry on a pretty regular basis. Tonight's episode was no exception, though I'm not sure what part was most affecting. You'd think it would be Jason still coming to terms with his paralysis after recovering some muscle function, but that's really just par for the course on this show. As usual, Connie Britton's flawless portrayal of a new mother with a crumbling psyche was wrenching to watch. Was there any scene in which she wasn't desperately trying to swallow her sobs? And the thing is, it all seemed so completely organic — there was no screaming or a melodramatic "Why me?" moment. It's hard not to love a show that allows its characters to fully comprehend the ridiculousness of their choices, and when Glenn (the guidance counselor in need of guidance) asked Tami why exactly she and Eric were living apart, her acknowledgement of, "I don't know, that was just my idea, it was just a stupid idea," wa... read more