Friday Night Lights: The Confession (Episode 109)

Friday Night Lights S2 Cast

I don’t mind saying I’m totally intimidated every time Ran asks me to cover a FNLs recap. I mean who can even come close to that wit, I ask you? My own style tends to lean towards making fun of the characters and lots of cussing, which is probably to compensate for said lack of wit. They packed a ton in this week’s episode, so, let’s dive in!

“I WANTED TO KILL HIM, SIR”: Oh Landry, you are one stubborn son of a bitch. But, you’re shooting yourself in the foot, son. Listen to the nice Detective. He’s trying to save your geeky ass. And I don’t mind saying I’m quite perturbed with Landry for putting Papa Clarke in the position he’s in now. When ‘probing’ questions about whether Landry felt his or Trouble’s life was in danger, so they can cop a self-defense plea, fail, Detective Tamber goes out to talk to Papa, who’s waiting very uncomfortably out in the hallway. Landry follows, interrupting and being totally pissy about the whole thing. “We weren’t done in there. I came here to confess!” I realize, at this point, he actually does want to go to prison. He feels he deserves it. But when has a teenage boy EVER known what was good for him?

So, Papa Clarke does what any self-respecting parent would. Drags his son home, kicking and screaming. And you know the old man is desperate when he goes to talk to Trouble. Knowing the truth about Trouble’s relationship with his son has gone a long way in softening him up toward her and he gives her a slip of paper with a good criminal lawyer’s name on it.

Presumably, it’s the same lawyer we see Landry and his dad talking to later. Once more, Landry doesn’t want to hear about how they ‘frame’ his defense and the logical reasoning behind that strategy. Regardless of the fact that he did do what was necessary to protect someone from serious injury or death, Landry refuses to see it any way other than he murdered someone.

It was with great relief that I discovered that Landry’s love for his father, his family and even Trouble is greater than his desire to be punished. In the end, after a heart to heart with Papa Clarke, when he’s told exactly what it will do to his mother, to everyone who cares about him, if he goes to prison, Landry gets in line and does what they ask of him. During the taped confession, it’s crystal clear he is reluctantly aping the words of his lawyer. He did it in self-defense. But he’s not happy about it. When the verdict comes in and Detective drives up to the Clarke’s to deliver the news, they find out that there will be no charges pressed. Landry tells Trouble, who is so relieved and thankful it’s hard to feel anything but love for these two right now. But in the end, it’s blatantly obvious that Landry is still troubled and I somehow think he’s not going to be able to put this behind him. He’s been irrevocably changed and I think it’s going to be some time to come before we see the old Landry again, if ever.

WHEELLOVERS.COM: Watching Jason Street and Herc interact is always painful for me. Mostly because I know no good is going to come of things when they concentrate on these two together. Sadly, this week was no different. Herc’s introduced Street to WheelLovers.com where women post personal ads aimed toward men in wheelchairs. You just know this is going to be bad news. Now, I never judge kinks. Ever. But, I knew the creators weren’t going to be nice to Jason on this one. Sure enough, on his first date with Isabella, who is pretty enough and seems normal enough, takes a nose-dive fast when she tells Jason, over Margaritas, that what really gets her going is pee. I’m pretty sure Jason’s face looked like mine when I first heard there were people who actually don’t like this show. How can that be? No, seriously…I must have heard wrong. When Isabella excuses herself, Jason wastes NO TIME in soliciting the waitresses help in getting him out of there. It’s funny, pathetic and down right creepy all at once when Isabella comes back to find Jason had skipped out on her, then takes it out on the waitress with a glass of water in the face. Wow, you got off easy on that one, #6. That was one Psycho Bitch.

His next date seems to go better. So much better that Jason comes rolling in after sunrise only to be met by a frantic, near-hysterical mother who’s been waiting up for him. I was totally impressed with the calm way he handled the whole thing, though. He agreed, solemnly and sincerely that she was right. He had no call to worry her like that, and it won’t happen again. Yep, you know where this is going, don’t you? He’s moving in with Herc. *cringe*

GROUNDRULES: Matty apparently learned nothing from the break-up fiasco last week. He is still listening to Smash and taking his lame-ass relationship advice. Carlotta has the cutest crush on Matt after their night together (which was interrupted at a pretty hot point by Grandma looking for her Snackwells) because she goes to the burger shop the next day just to see him under the guise of getting Grandma a burger. And can I say just how cute I find it that Matt seems so at ease teasing her in ways I don’t think I’ve ever seen him do with Julie and certainly not Lauren. I had a total moment of Awwwww, our little boy is growing up.

However, he’s still not smart enough to ignore advice from Smash, who tells him he needs to lay down some ground rules with Carlotta so no one gets hurt. I know Smash means well, but seriously, I don’t think that boy thinks about anything before the words fall out of his mouth. Anyway, Matt goes home after the game and starts this earnest discussion about rules and how he doesn’t want to see anyone get hurt and Carlotta blithely blows that off and shuts him up with a good kiss to the face. Oh yeah, you might be growing up Matty, but you’re still no match for a mature woman who knows what she wants. And apparently, what Carlotta wants is to teach Matt how to make Mole.

RETURNING TO THE HERD: It looks like Guy has become Tim’s own personal stalker and that’s just wrong in so many ways. It appears that part of the price for Tim being able to rejoin the team is to help Coach out with his other duties as head of the athletic department. Riggins only tries once, very weakly, to use ‘the look’ and joke his way out of it, but he knows he owes it to Coach and his team and takes the tasks of washing the girl’s soccer uniforms, scoring the girls gymnastic meet and doing other lowly jobs all in stride. During the Gymnastic competition, Guy shows up (What the Hell?) and this is after stopping off at football practice the day before with the sole purpose, it seems, of poking at Tim for getting back in the football saddle. But there’s also an underlying threat that I’m pretty sure Riggins is smart enough to see. He knows what Guy does now and he better not talk. Then at the gym, Guy totally embarrasses Tim by whistling and yelling at the girls from the sidelines, pissing Coach off in the bargain. This guy really creeps me out. And I think he does the same thing to Tim.

I’m proved right when Tim is awakened at night with a freaking shotgun in his face and a seemingly pissed off Guy who doesn’t like that Tim has neglected his ferrets. I doubt Tim has ever worn such a look of pure terror on his face as he did in that scene. Taylor nailed it and I swear I thought he was going to cry! Bravo! Once Guy laughs it off as a joke (only not!), he wants Tim to come down and join his impromptu party made up of the cast of Deliverance. No really, these guys make Darrel, Darrel and their other brother Darrel look like brain surgeons.

When he starts getting dressed to go out to get Vodka (yeah, right) I just knew he was out of there, like forever! Sure enough, when Tami is running around the next morning in a panic, trying to get ready for the christening, she makes Coach go talk to Tim who is sleeping in his truck outside their house. Tim gets a sleeping bag for his trouble and we’re all left wondering where he’ll wind up next. I’m sure he’s thinking his life is well and truly fucked right now.

FAMILY PORTRAIT: The theme this week definitely seems to be about family. Tim’s lack thereof, the love and support of Landry’s, and the slightly screwed up ‘family’ of Santiago and Garrity, which came to a head this week with Santiago, poor boy, having a total meltdown when he finds out he might get some serious play time at this week’s game. Garrity gets kudos for knowing just what Santiago needs to hear, despite the kid’s heartfelt “I hate you” on their way to the field. And the little make-up scene after the game just made me grin from ear to ear. Santiago was a guy gravely in need of some reassurance and self-confidence. Something he got in spades when Coach put him in and he kicked some major defense ass and helped them win the game.

And then there’s the Taylor’s. Julie and Tami continue their destructive yelling habits and it’s so clear to everyone but those who live under that roof that they both just want a little respect. This week Tami’s planning baby Gracie’s christening and she’s all a dither with tasks for Julie and her own minor freak-out about everything going off without a hitch. Poor Julie (who I am finally have some sympathy for) resorts to going to dad for intervention. Of course, when he tries to talk to Tami, he’s totally shot down and she expresses a fervent hope that he told their daughter to just suck it up.

After screaming match #2, things finally come to a head. For once, Shel steps aside and lets Julie and Tami have a much needed mother/daughter heart-to-heart in which they both finally seem to understand what the other needs. Tami makes a concerted effort to truly open up to Julie about her expectations and desires and Julie finally apologizes. The closing scene of Julie holding the little Bug over the baptismal font, as is her place as Godmother, laughing down into the baby’s face, was the perfect ending to that thread.

Whew! The next recap (which won’t be until after the first of the year if the announcer at the end of this week’s show is to be believed) you get Ran back, who is hopefully basking in sunny Phoenix this week!