Friday Night Lights 4x06

Stay

By Katherine Keller
January 18, 2010

We open to Slammin' Sammy's voice on the radio announcing that EDH's game this week against the McNulty Mavericks will be televised, and that McNulty has been crushing opponents this season. We see a montage of the town, of Luke taking a run, of Vince getting his hair cut. (Vince calls ANG by his name, but he mumbles it so I can't tell what he said!) ANG tells him that it's one thing to suck, but another to suck on TV.

And that's also the mood in the EDH coaching office; the entire coaching staff sits down and tries to figure out (A) what they're going to say to the media, and (B) what they're going to do against McNulty. Coach emphasizes to Coach Stan (who's extra bouncy today) that they are going to talk briefly to the media. When they hit the field (no longer a dirtpatch) as Coach Taylor fields questions, Coach Stan steps forward and guarantees a victory. I can't decide which is funnier, the look on Coach Taylor's face or Coach Crowley hustling Coach Stan out of frame. The press conferences later in the game are just as funny, Landry and Tinker (aka "Tank") give priceless answers.

As Julie and Matt suck face in the car, she mentions tickets to the Austin Indy Music Festival, and Matt agrees that yeah, they should go. Only, it means Julie has to miss school during exams. Which she does, even though both her parents have forbidden it. Tami spends most of the episode being upset and pissed that Julie's not returning her (very angry) voicemails. Coach is much more sanguine about the whole thing, because he trusts that Matt and Julie won't do anything really stupid while they're there, and frankly, it's too late now to do anything about it. When he wakes up one morning and realizes that Tami has spent the whole night up worrying, he takes her in his arms and comforts her, because he realizes that the root of Tami's anger and fear is that someday Julie will be leaving home and it's going to be hard when it comes. (And, as an aside, what about all the football-related hate she was getting a few episodes ago? I seriously doubt it and McAikman vanished in the breeze.)

Tim grumbles when there's a knock at his door. It's Lyla. "Nice place," she says, and the tension crackles between them as Lyla reveals that Tim stopped calling her and she can't believe he gave up on his scholarship. Tim replies by planting one hell of a kiss on her. Lips locked, they stumble back into the trailer and into bed. If the trailer's rockin', don't come a'knockin'.

Matt and Landry throw the football around, and despite all of Matt's attempts to teach Landry to throw a football, Landry still sucks. (Oh the irony — Jesse Plemmons was his football team's QB.) Matt reveals they're getting a $100,000 death gratuity, so Grandma's set for the rest of her life. "Well, that's good, but what about you?" Landry asks, concerned because he and Matt have been friends since the age of five. (Groan! Unexplained retroactive continuity is bad enough, but to goof it up is worse.)

"Will I see you later?" Tim asks (we have Kitschnipple and boxer briefs, woot!) as morning-after Lyla puts on her boots, revealing that he'll be ready to go again in five minutes. (SHAZAM!) He pulls her, laughing, back into bed, and things are just getting interesting when, knock-knock, Becky's at the door. Lyla teases Tim about having a girlfriend. Tim opens the door and, well, Becky's somewhat taken aback when she sees the competition. So much for getting a ride to school. As she leaves, Tim emphasizes to Lyla that Becky is his landlady's daughter, period.

Down at Ray's BBQ, Vince hits on Jess (who slapped the crap out of Landry earlier that day when he mentioned "there's this other girl ..."). She's unhappy and quietly tells him to leave. Her dad comes over and makes it crystal clear that Vince needs to leave. Luke strikes out too when he comes up to Becky with a bag of gummi bears. She unloads on him that their "little thing" (so they did get up to something in Luke's truck!) was a mistake, she doesn't want to be his girlfriend, she doesn't want anything from him, and would appreciate it if he didn't talk about her to all of his football buddies. Luke, who didn't kiss and tell, is upset at the blowoff.

Coach Taylor's plan for teaching the Lions to take on a tough defense like McNulty's is for them to spend the rest of the week scrimmaging 11 on 13. And who would be the two extra players on defense? Oh, that would be Tim and Billy Riggins. "You boys ever play a couple State Champions?" Billy asks as he and Tim trot on the field. Skool is in session. Vince takes the snap and is bowled over by Billy just as he pitches the ball towards Luke who gets hammered by Tim. "Attaboy, Fours!" Tim says as he helps Luke to his feet. (Oh Timmy, never change!) "It's like running into a brick wall," Luke says after Tim and Billy crash into them yet again. "I know," Vince groans back, "I can feel it." But eventually, Vince figures out how to get the ball to Luke before the wall of Riggins crashes into him and Luke makes it into the endzone. This is a good idea, but what's the plan to shut down McNulty's offense?

Tami's so worried about Julie that she goes to EDH and asks if Landry has heard anything. He knows nothing. The next day (do not try to make sense of the timeline this episode) he calls Matt, and Matt discovers that Julie did not have permission. Julie reveals that, though she loves him and does not want him to leave, she's tired of being the reason he's staying in Dillon. For the record, I think this retcon sucks. Having it be Grandma was such a beautiful and wonderful reason.

It's a rainy afternoon and Becky's got her heels on, clearly practicing being on stage and ... what a statement of how isolated her life is, yet at the same time it's a beautiful shot of how ambitious she is. Lyla shows up but Tim's not there, as she turns to go, Becky asks her about college. Lyla tells Becky she likes college, but was a little homesick and that this is just a visit home, not a visit for Tim. Hope springs eternal for Becky, who thinks that Lyla is "lucky".

Coach Taylor hands Luke and Vince a DVD of McNulty games and tells them to go watch it together. Where? Anywhere you can find. Cut to the biggest screen TV down at the local Sears! Luke and Vince are dutifully watching the game when JD McCoy and his little crew of toadies show up and start giving them a hard time. The whole scene is just laden with class issues. "I'm surprised you haven't stolen one of these," JD says to Vince, who gets up and gets right in JD's face. It's about to get ugly when Coach Stan wanders up, "Can I help you boys?" But as soon as he sees it's JD McCoy, he tells him and his hangers-on to clear out, in a completely crazy Coach Stan sort of way. Luke and Vince, who had no idea Coach Stan lived and worked on the east side, have ear-to-ear grins.

As they leave the grocery store, arms full of bags, Vince's mom is proud and happy that Vince is going to be on TV. "I've got to find something to wear to the game," she says, looking at her ratty jeans and shirt. Vince has an "uh-oh" look on his face and tries to talk her out of going. Oh, that's okay, she's got a ride and everything, she really wants to see him play. Vince still is unsure about the whole thing and she, realizing what this is really about, says, "I won't make no scenes or nothin'. I'll be cleaned up." I like that FNL is taking the time to make her a more developed character. I know that this won't be an overnight, miraculous recovery, and I'm sure that Vince has seen her climb on and fall off the wagon several times before, but it's good to see this glimpse of the other part of her, the part that Vince loves so much.

Tim talks to Lyla about how, right now, Riggins Rigs isn't doing so hot, but give it a year or so, and the business will be healthier and it's going to need a full-time office manager, and that's where Lyla comes in. She listens his pitch with a patient smile and teasingly replies that it's tempting. Then she realizes Tim's completely serious. "What do you want?" she asks. "You," Tim says. With a bittersweet smile, she asks, "What else do you want?" After a long pause, Tim replies, softly, "You." But they both know it's not going to happen, not anytime soon, which is what makes the scene so quietly powerful.

Game time! We open with a montage of people in the stands (which includes Buddy Garrity and Vince's Mom), the bands, the TV crews setting up, and the cheer squad. The EDH wildcat offense, with its emphasis on draw plays, shovel passes and fakes works to confuse the McNulty defense, and EDH marches steadily up the field, Vince clawing his way into the endzone. It's the first time McNulty's given up a touchdown in four games. The Lions' defense must do equally well, because as time winds down, the score is 14-7, McNulty, but the Lions have the ball. As time runs out, Vince takes the snap, but gets a little rattled (the way a rookie QB would) and gets sacked. Despite the loss, people are still clapping, and Coach couldn't be prouder of the way the Lions played.

In Austin, as the Heartless Bastards play (and kudos for showing the band playing!) Matt asks Julie if she wants him to leave. She says no, but the seed has been planted. Speaking of leaving, Tim sees Lyla off at the bus stop, saying, "Goodbye, Lyla Garrity," in a way that's both solemn and playful. As Tim watches her go, the look on his face is resigned, a lot less emotional than when he saw Jason off in S3. (Why no mention of Jason so far this season?)

In the car in front of her house, Julie kisses Matt. "See you later," he says as she goes inside to face the music. Once inside Julie promptly bursts into tears about how she's afraid that Matt is leaving her. Tami's the perfect mix of anger and compassion. (Part of me wants to step into the frame and ask WTF did Julie think was going to happen? Hell, she was planning to leave him in a matter of months for college.) In his car, outside of his house, Matt listens to Grandma and his mother talking through the window. They've learned to get along.

Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" cues up as Tim joins Becky on the porch of her house. He cracks a beer and begins drinking. "How's Lyla?" she asks. "Gone," is the curt reply. Oblivious, Becky continues, "Do you have a broken heart?" (A part of me cringes, and another part of me laughs, because it's such a perfect thing for her to say and not get why it's wrong.) No, he doesn't. "Was she the love of your life?" Tim's look of "did I really hear that?" is priceless. Becky, being Becky, presses on into a long spiel about how there's more than one possible soulmate for everybody, and how different people make you happy different ways. (I want to step into the screen and tell her to take her own advice, and that where Lyla is concerned she should quit while she's ahead and keep her mouth shut.) When she takes a breath of air, Tim gives her a look and says, "Becky ... shut up." Pause. "Please." Comedy gold. I rewound this scene and played it back several times.

The episode ends with Matt driving his car through the beautiful Texas countryside. I really hope that this is just him, taking a very long drive to clear his mind and think, and not him leaving Dillon because he has nothing in the car except a map and I can't believe he'd be so stupid as to not say a word or pack a single thing.