A HARD RAIN'S GONNA FALL

Tim & Lyla have totally swapped personalities by now. Lyla’s playing video games with Billy, and Mindy says she used to think Lyla was prissy but she’s actually alright. Tim beams a little, stands, does a cute stretch, announces he’s clocking out, hitting the sheets, and asks Lyla coyly if she wants to come in a sweetly fake way that really means “let’s go have sex now.” She grimaces at him, saying she needs to finish a rematch with Billy, and asks for another beer. Her priorities are seriously messed if the list doesn’t start with 1) Tim/Sex.

Next morning Lyla is pretty much dead meat, having had a few more drinks after Tim said goodnight. She's lying in bed, not responding to Tim’s prodding, calling her "Beerwolf" and even lying on her adorably, hotly whispering in her ear to get up and go to school. He says okay, he'd stay home too but she wouldn't get much sleep. Meow. But she doesn't want company. “Train’s leaving the station,” he repeats, but nothing works. Wow. She’s Riggins and he’s Garrity.

Tim gets cornered by Buddy after practice, telling him to get in the evil black SUV, Soprano-style. Says he needs his daughter back, and what should he do, Tim Riggins? Heh. Riggs says he needs to wait a little longer, then awkwardly asks if he has to walk back to his truck (he doesn’t). Poor guy, so used to being Buddy’s whipping boy. Though clearly he’s gaining authority, with his cleaner lifestyle and newfound desire to do okay in school now that he’s headed to college. And of course the trump card, he has Lyla’s love, and Lyla.

Mindy’s become pretty prominent, which is interesting, as she began as a caricature redneck stripper. Tyra’s throwing her a bridal shower, and Mindy wants it to be… a classy tea party. Heh. Tyra lassos a reluctant-but-inevitably-helpful Landry to assist. As they’re setting up the terribly proper tables outside, a storm blows through, some kind of omen about Mindy’s marriage, or maybe Tyra & Landry. He’s wearing his 85 jersey, ogling and getting ogled by the chicks with stripper noun names filing in. Instead of tea, looks like something harder is going in those cups. What’d ya expect?

Tyra’s still eating humble pie after the Cash incident. But looks like the gig she got for Crucifictorious might become a regular deal, gaining her some trust from Lando. He definitely holds the cards now in their complicated deal. And Tyra and her mom have an emotional scene that manages to make Angela sympathetic – no easy task. She tells Tyra that Mindy’s never ever surprised her, but Tyra always does, and that’s a good thing. But Tyra fell 100 points short of her goal for the SATs, so her college future is still unsure.

Lorraine is getting increasingly frail, mentally. She’s yellling for her slippers which are already on her tootsies. She’s even freakin’ out Matt, which is hard to do. She tries to get out of the car driven by Shelby, Matt’s mom, and takes a bad spill. The doctor implies they should consider putting her in a home, and Matt defiantly says no but secretly realizes it’s inevitable, especially if he goes to college. He also thinks his mom might leave if Lorraine goes to a home, for the first time showing some sentiment toward her.

Poor little rich boy JD can’t cut a break. Madison, his new girlfriend, is successfully distracting him at practice, causing Coach to tell him “on your own time”. His dad Joe has become the certified psychopath that we all suspected, calling Madison’s parents to warn her off, which doesn’t ruffle the not-very-innocent minx at all -- it seems she’s done this before. Joe coaches JD in the car on the way to the game to keep the ball on the ground since it’s gonna be slick from the rain. Some innuendo passes between mom and son about the thing being slippery when wet. Already adding to the icky feeling that often emanates from the McCoy clan.

Game! Semis. Rain. Adversity. But JD pulls out a win with a completed pass to Riggs. But Joe gets all up in JD’s grill because he threw the ball and didn’t follow his orders to run it. JD snaps, and punches are thrown. Yikes. Where do JD and his mom Katie wind up that night? Yep, the Taylor B&B. Katie looks truly awful, mascara running down her cheeks like ole Tammy Fay. (I have to say that Janine Turner’s pop-eyes and deep cleavage may support her character, but they are a bit grating.) JD now officially hates his dad, their house, everything. Still... STATE, BABY!

Lyla finally returns home, but only for a minute, long enough to open her mail. She was accepted at Vanderbilt but now can’t afford to go, and gets all mad again at Buddy. Tim takes her to the first church she went to with her family, and the choir is singing "Hark the Herald Angels Sing." She doesn't understand (or rejects) why he brought her there, running out and swearing. Outside, she's disconsolate and tells Riggs she has no family, they left her, she let them go. And he cradles her in his muscular arms against his ripped chest and tells her she does, implying that he’s… her family! Sob. How far he’s come from the Stratton sisters. (Also must point out here the Jesus reference in the carol as Tim is being her saviour...)

After the game, Tim & Lyla are in his house. She tells him he should go party; he says he’d rather celebrate with “his gal.” Shucks. Then they have a meaty conversation, to the effect of:

T: You’re not having much fun here.
L: Yes, I am, but you can’t solve all my problems.
T: I’m not here to solve your problems, only to support whatever you decide. I’m a pretty darn good boyfriend, but you need to stop with the self-pity; you’re better than that. There are plenty of scholarships out there -- with your grades it’s a given. And if not, San Antonio State and I would love to have you. (Pause.) Wait, did I just say I love you?
L: (Shakes head, no expression.)
T: Because I’m kinda madly in love with you. (squish, drip – my heart melting and leaking out of my chest).
L: I love you too.
**kiss** (swoon)

They are kinda like family now, both “orphans” of a sort, definitely a long-term couple over the physical lust stage which is sort of sad (I mean, we’re talking about two gorgeous people here, folks) but realistic, and resigned to face problems together. Tim’s sweetness, patience and support are amazing, and it would not be a surprise if they married and became, yes, the next Eric & Tami of Dillon. Ya think? After all, he’s pretty much held a torch for Garrity since the beginning of the first season. Even if you thought it was affection misplaced, she has become his foundation and encouraged him to be the good Tim – more boring, but definitely husband material.

Next ep: Joe McCoy faces child support services questioning. Matt and Tim play frisbee in one of those “so long, farewell” scenes we’re getting sadly used to.

Thank you all for the reminders of things I forgot... ALSO, Dillon (with Eric & Tami in the middle) is up in arms about the potential gerrymandering of school districts, which would possibly be detrimental to the makeup of the Panthers. A take on true events chronicled in Buzz Bissinger's book.