Friday Night Lights, 3.3 Recap

How the Other Half Lives

Ambition, desperation, class differences and family loyalty abound in this episode. Tami is stressed about hosting the annual coach’s BBQ because she’s really busy, not getting help from Eric, and their house is too small. The butcher isn’t helping by messing up her ribs order, giving her 2 instead of 20. Newcomer Katie McCoy, mother of JD, the hot new 15 year old QB in town, happens to overhear her meat woes.
 
They bond, and Mrs. McCoy hijacks the party to her enormous mansion that Eric thinks looks like a sanitarium. Coach is basically emasculated by this, losing his dignity, his team’s respect, and most of all he’s worried about Matt’s self-esteem. But the mansion has valet parking, a pool table, and a trophy room for JD’s awards, which Matt and Julie poke fun at. JD overhears, and says his bronzed diaper is downstairs if they want to see it. No one laughs.

Matt and Julie are hanging out, mainly instigated by her. Landry’s only scene involves him telling Matt that he needs to get his image out there, like JD’s, who’s on the cover of some magazine. Smash is offered a regional manager position with Alamo Freeze, which include a $10K raise and a car. He tells his momma, who’s taking weekend jobs to cover the bills, that he’s not going to the tryout at Texas A&M so he can take the job and help out; she blows her lid and tells him he damn well better, that she wants to see him play again.

Tim and Lyla are in love. As Billy puts it, Tim is whipped, and he’s pretty adorable if a bit scary as the possessive boyfriend. He’s also on a sharp learning curve, having to be considerate and responsible. A classic scene between them takes place in the library, which is obviously freaking Tim out because he’s, well, in a library trying to study. He’s really paranoid, or looking for any reason to not study. He points out a guy at “7 o’clock, creep”. Okay, the guy is kind of eyeing T&L, but they’re talking and being a nuisance. And the sight of Tim in a library is, face it, like a gorilla in Tiffany’s. How could you not stare?

Lyla tells Tim he needs to study for his test so he can get good grades, and get a scholarship to a school near wherever she will be. Wow, that is pretty serious and optimistic on her part. Impressive. He counters by saying he wants her to hang out with him the next night, with the Collette ladies, who she says don’t like her. He tells her he’ll tackle any of ‘em if they cross Lyla. What a gent! He uses his seductive arsenal – the low voice, pencil behind the ear, the bedroom eyes, the dimple, the starting to make out horizontally in the library while all the freaks watch. It works.

Next night, at the Riggins’, Mindy reads aloud her wedding vows (boy, they’re moving fast here with the Riggins/Collette wedding), which Lyla recognizes from Finding Nemo. She laughs, thinking it’s a joke. Billy and Tim go outside to tend to some dude in a van  about Billy’s “business,” ditching the Collette/Garrity rivals inside. They all storm out of house in like 10 seconds after apparently going at it. Lyla accuses Tim of not blocking for her, nearly driving over his toes.

OH NO. Billy recruits Tim as his wingman in his boneheaded plot to steal copper wire to make some money. He sounds convincing, saying there are no more rally girls or football games for him. But surely Mindy makes good money at the Landing Strip? Guess he doesn’t want a sugar mommy. They go to boost the wire before the team BBQ, nearly get mauled by dogs and narrowly escape a police driveby, and then Billy pleads with Tim to help him take the remaining wire. “It’s the last thing I’ll ever ask of you, I swear,” he whines pathetically and unconvincingly. Tim honestly looks like he might say no, and you can just feel him crumple under the weight of fraternal loyalty. He now realizes he might have a future, and sees Billy really doesn’t, and doesn’t want to disappoint Lyla. But this makes him miss the BBQ entirely, blowing off a PO’d Garrity and her dad.

Eric gets the thumbscrews from the boosters, who want JD playing in a new spread offense. He sticks with Matt in the game though, even after he gets beaten to a pulp, with blood running down his face. Practically expected the Rocky theme to start. Final potential winning play, he tries taking it in himself and very nearly makes it. Cue the saddest shot ever, Matt sitting on his heels in the endzone, devastated. Coach’s house gets “for sale” signs on the front lawn, nice subtle “thumbs downs” from the Dillon folk.

Tim goes to apologize to Lyla, after being greeted by her guard dog of a father. Who you really can’t blame, although he’s not exactly on higher moral ground, having dallied with Billy’s future mother in law, splitting up his marriage. (Don't they have phones in Dillon? I know, it’s not nearly as picturesque and dramatic…) Lyla is mad but pretty reasonable, given the situation, and says everyone warned her about Riggs, but she truly knows him and he’s a good guy, right? with which he agrees. “Don’t make a fool of me,” she tells him, and he says firmly, “I won’t.” They part warily but still committed. And it really does feel like her love and belief in him might just bring out the best in him yet.

Closing gorgeous signature FNL sequence to a Death Cab for Cutie song (I think), showing Julie/Matt bonding slowly, and the Taylors exhausted and hunted in their bedroom, but together. Also, Tim takes a beer to Billy, who’s covering up the wire next to their empty pool; they both sit on its edge silently, but strongly  connected. Still no mention of Jason… Will we ever find out what happened to him, Erin and the baby? And next week, more clarification on the break up of Landry/Tyra.