Whenever I'm asked what my favourite TV show is, my answer is always, without hesitation, Friday Night Lights. It's been almost a year since the final episode aired and it got me wondering whether the show is actually as good as I remember. Over the years, I've collected all 5 seasons of Friday Night Lights on DVD but I've never had the urge to watch them. They just sit on my shelf untouched. I feel like a bad FNL fan; I don't remember specific episodes, I don't even know what year the Panthers won State.
With a two week winter break, I downloaded way too much and reached 75% of my bandwidth capacity. To resist the temptation to start another TV show, I decided to re-watch Season 1 of Friday Night Lights. I know it's been said a million times but the show is about so much more than just football. A couple episodes in and I fell in love with the show all over again. The reason why I can't remember what happens in each episode is because FNL is not like a regular show. The plot is secondary. It's all about the characters and following their lives and the choices they make and seeing them grow. You become a resident of Dillon, Texas and you can't help but get caught in the hoopla and cheer for the Panthers.
I've started to grow an appreciation for more of the characters after the re-watch. I still love Matt Saracen and all of his shyness and awkwardness and it's impossible to resist the charm of Tim Riggins and Coach Taylor. This time around though, I've started to care more about Jason Street and Lyla Garrity, characters that used to somewhat annoy me. To have your entire hopes and dreams crushed in one moment is absolutely devastating and I can only imagine how much strength it takes to move on and stay optimistic.
No other show has as much heart as Friday Night Lights and no other show has made me cry this much - there's been tears for the sad moments but also for the happy moments and the inspiring moments. I'm not talking about just a tear or two but completely ugly sobbing tears.
Friday Night Lights deserved all the awards. Every single one of them. I'm looking forward to continuing my re-watch.
this.
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