OK, yes it is about American football but it’s only about football as much as The Sopranos is about the Mafia. Like The Sopranos, it’s the stuff behind the scenes that properly matters; the family relationships and friendships. Set in the fictional town of Dillon in Texas, Friday Night Lights is an adaptation of the book (and also the film) of the same name. One of those towns that sets aside its Friday evening to come together and watch the local team, the Dillon Panthers, everyone in Dillon knows each other thus creating many of the tensions that drive the series forward.
Season 3, which Sky Atlantic have just caught up to, focuses on the aftermath of another Panthers failure as they miss yet another State Championship title. Coach Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler) struggles with this new pressure while coping with his new-born baby. QB Matt Saracen is under more pressure too, as his position is threatened by freshman J.D. McCoy, a new arrival with a natural talent and a more than persuasive father. After confrontations with his mother last series, Smash Williams gets a tryout for Texas A&M. The rest of the players try achieving their scholarships for college while juggling relationships, many of which are strained by such a task.
But football takes a back seat here, the main focus being the relationships. It provides nothing more than a catalyst for the show and for these relationships. Many episodes don’t even feature any football whatsoever but, when they do, the atmosphere is electric as the entire town descend on the stadium to watch the team. With fantastic, engaging characters (with some of the best sub-plots of the previous series being devoted to the smaller characters), Friday Night Lights is definitely a touchdown.
