Friday Night Lights: Thoughts on "The Son"

On the Playlist: I'll Cover You (Reprise) - RENT Cast

Whether you have a #33 Panthers jersey in your closet or you’ve never seen an episode of Friday Night Lights in your life (and if you belong to the latter category, you’re missing out), watch this scene. Trust me. And, you might want to have tissues ready.



The fourth season of Friday Night Lights aired on DirecTV before it aired on NBC, so I’d already seen Friday night’s episode, “The Son”. The first time I watched it, I cried throughout the entire episode. Then, the scene I posted above came on, and I lost it at, “He doesn’t even have a face.” Even though I knew it was coming, I cried at the same scene last Friday, too.

If you don’t watch the show, let me catch you up. The episode before this ended with a cliffhanger; we found out that Matt’s father had died at war. Throughout the series, Matt has struggled with his relationship with his father, as he felt as though his father abandoned him for war (fans, remember the “everybody leaves me” scene? There’s another one that I bawled at). So, when we found out that Matt’s father died, we really didn’t know how he’d react. Of course it’s sad when a parent dies, but what happens when that parent is a jerk? Plus, Matt’s famous for usually doing the “right thing.” So, will he ignore how he truly feels, and just play the part he’s supposed to play?


This scene is my favourite scene in the history of Friday Night Lights, which says a lot as the show is always brilliant. Matt is, and has always been, my favourite character, and this was the perfect moment for him. First of all, hearing Matt say “I don’t think I’m ok” is something new. He’s always strong and selfless, because he has to look after his grandmother, because his dad left. Then, to hear him confront and deal with his true feelings for his father was like—excuse the cheese of what I’m about to say, I’m not as eloquent as the FNL writers—seeing into his soul. Then, of course, there’s the killer, “He doesn’t even have a face.”

Cue the tears.

Friday Night Lights, I think, is a character-driven show. The plot isn't bad (well, let’s forget about when Landry killed someone; the writers sure have), but the characters are the heart of the show. This scene proves that Matt is a well-rounded, three-dimensional character, who is near impossible not to care about. As a writer, I aspire to write characters that are half as developed as Matt (or Tim, or Coach Taylor, or Landry, etc.) is.

Panthers/Lions fans, what did you think of “The Son”? Did you cry? Do you think it’s one of the best episodes of the series (or, like me, the best)? Will you join me in outrage if Zach Gilford doesn’t get an Emmy for his performance in this episode?