April 11, 2007: Those Are the People I Want in Your Hearts
"You feel different?" "I do. I do." I do, too. Has there been a more sheerly exuberant episode of television this season than this? In a way, it was the perfect capsule of this show: Even if someone had never watched this show before, they could fall instantly into its rhythms and story lines just in this one hour. In fact, in looking at the whole season, both the pilot and the finale could be viewed as perfect one-offs. When I said last week that I thought the writers would be bringing their best game, I wasn't expecting for it to be the blow out that it was.
Is it possible for a show to be both more than the sum of its parts and have those parts be almost more important at the same time? As wonderful as the episode was as a whole, the individual scenes themselves were so fully developed, they could have counted as one-acts. The pre-game dinner, for instance, with Buddy's "Eric, I just came by to tell you that I'm gonna miss you, and that you're a fine football coach. That's what I came to tell you," summed up their relationship so well, the background that we all have from watching the rest of the season is almost (notice I said almost) made unnecessary.
I was so glad that after last week's promos spoiled Tami's big secret, they "revealed" it right at the beginning. I can think of nothing more patronizing than forcing us to pretend we didn't know, and making us wait 40 minutes to find out. Of course, a baby certainly makes me wonder how next season will play out (assuming we get a full one and not just those
six additional scripts). Will we jump ahead to the next football season? Summer? Have a football-less season dealing with Coach and his family? Of course, Jason pointed out to us that football is a full-year commitment, so who knows?
Jason, in fact, seems to be a wonderful coach. As much as Coach Taylor has helped, I don't think that Matt would have been ready for this game without Jason's encouragement, and Matt ended up designing the game-winning play. Of course, the game itself was a cliché, but it was the best kind of cliché that turns even those of us who are well worn cynics of the Northeast into blubbering idiots. All Smash had to do was play through the pain of a dislocated shoulder and I was a goner. Actually, I was already gone after Coach's halftime speech.
On the other hand, I also got teary when Tyra's whole family was in the car with Landry - but only because I was laughing so hard. Here are some of the best lines from that car ride:
" "I don't know what's in these things but I just feel sort of tingly all over!"
" "My lord! Is that Tyra? Did you bring the booze?"
" "I think it's safer if we just keep the radio off."
" "Shoot, I forgot Tampax!"
" "Oh, wait a minute, did anybody fart?"
I can't be too critical of newly minted BFFs Tyra and Lyla. Now that they've come to an understanding about what is acceptable to do to someone's boyfriend, and how much they hate Panther football and football players, I think they're going to be really good for each other. We'll just have to wait and see.
In fact, waiting is just about all we can do. Next season is still up in the air - for the Taylors, the Panthers, as well as for us. As much as I want it to be a big hit so that we can have more of it, is it wrong to want to keep it to just those of us in the know? It's so full of wondrous joys (I swear I got goosebumps when the team walked out onto the field at Texas Stadium) and the intimacy of a small town (ditto on the celebratory parade) that I don't want it to become this event-of-the-week type of thing. It's too genuine for that kind of sensationalism.
So, do as Street said and have a great day. Enjoy it while it lasts. The Panthers won State. Soak it in.
