I love Texas, and I love football, but neither of those is why I love Friday Night Lights. More than any other character on television, I relate to Eric Taylor, coach of the mythical Dillon Panthers. The man's career depends almost entirely on factors completely out of his control, but he works under the intense scrutiny of a public which holds him solely accountable for his team's weal or woe. Especially good is his relationship with his wife, Tami, who out of necessity is the only person in his life who understands what it's like to hold his job, and at the same time keeps him grounded in home and family. Their entire relationship is revealed in between the lines, when the camera lingers on their faces a few seconds longer than in most shows. That's where you find the reality of almost all marriages.
The football part is fun, but what makes this show work is the characters. Season one was just about perfect, although the Panthers went through more trauma in a given episode than most high schools experience in a decade. With season two, I was afraid the show had jumped the shark: the writers tried way too many story lines, each with ridiculously high stakes, and just when everything was at the point of maximum chaos, the writers' strike left everything hanging. Season three just came out on DVD, and so far (two episodes), so good. Lord willing, the writers will keep the plot under control and let the characters continue to develop realistically. That's what keeps me and Mrs. Curmudgeon watching, and the critics seem to agree.
Although sometimes I wonder how many of those critics realize producer Peter Berg intended the whole thing as a metaphor for the professional life of the pastor of a small presbyterian congregation. But no, that's just too obvious.
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