Entering its fifth season, “Friday Night Lights” is proving yet again why it holds the critics’ claim of being the best show on television. It is not just a show about football. It is about the people that make up this extraordinary town. It could be any town in America. It just happens to be Dillon, Texas where football can make or break any young athlete’s chances at a life outside of Dillon.
Football may not be the end all, be all of dreams come true, but it can provide a way to make a career beyond high school. It also provides the life lessons most kids need in order to succeed in adult life. They may not all go on to be football stars, but it does give them the good habits for life — to work hard, strive hard and push hard for your dreams. It teaches these kids to not only dream, but also instills the drive to achieve those dreams. Life is hard. So it is crucial to gain the skills to survive. High school only lasts four years. Then what?
If you live in Dillon, Texas, then you are lucky enough that Coach Eric Taylor and Tami Taylor are going to do everything within their power to make sure you get a chance to attend college and make your dreams a reality.
The fifth season follows the continuing journey of Coach Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler), Tami Taylor (Connie Britton), Julie Taylor (Aimee Teegarden), Landry Clarke (Jesse Plemons), Vince Howard (Michael B. Jordan), Jess Merriweather (Jurnee Smollett), Luke Cafferty (Matt Lauria), Becky Sproles (Madison Burge) and Buddy Garrity (Brad Leland). Then the new kid on the block this season is Gray Damon, playing Hastings Ruckle, a basketball star turned football wide receiver.
As the final season concludes there will hopefully be appearances by past alum, such as Tim Riggins (Taylor Kitsch), Matt Saracen (Zach Gilford), Jason Street (Scott Porter), Smash Williams (Gaius Charles), Lila Garrity (Minka Kelly) and Tyra Collette (Adrianne Palicki), all who have either gone to college or moved on in their lives.
Returning to its roots of taking a fragmented team and showing them how to work together to succeed has been a magical formula which resulted in a heroic West Dillon Lions winning over the East Dillon Panthers at the end of last season. It remains to be seen if the West Dillon Lions can now take the championships after such a major victory. Proving that the motto “clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose” is not just for the West Dillon Panthers, the East Dillon Lions are capturing our hearts and laying claim to a legacy.
With plenty of human drama, “Friday Night Lights” continues to be a riveting and rewarding journey as we follow their stories and are allowed to share in their joys and triumphs over adversity.
“Friday Night Lights” stars Kyle Chandler, Connie Britton, Aimee Teagarden, Taylor Kitsch, Zach Gilford, Jesse Plemons, Brad Leland, Michael B. Jordon, Matt Lauria, Madison Burge, Jurnee Smollette, Derek Phillips, Alicia Witt and Steve Harris.
Be sure to catch the 5th season premiere of “Friday Night Lights” on Wednesday, October 27th at 9 p.m. on DirecTV.
Related article (SLIDESHOW): http://www.examiner.com/museum-of-tv-and-radio-in-los-angeles/friday-night-lights-returns-for-its-final-season-on-directv-on-october-27th
