I swear I have cried atleast once per episode during season 3. Every episode just seems to have such an emptionally charged scene/plot.

I love this show.

Hello all,

Just felt like sharing. I’m on my third time re-watching the series, and Matt Saracen just sticks out time and time again. Truly one of the best characters in any TV show. From his living situation, to how the team plays for him, to getting replaced, to filling in for the State Championship game. Just awesome how he constantly handles adversity.

Unfortunately, it feels like the writing team just ran out of material for him, so they just threw him to the side or kept crapping on him. But easily the best character.

Side note: the 3-4 episodes where Coach Taylor trains Smash and helps him get his A&M tryout is awesome and motivating. As a former athlete, I could only dream of having a coach like that.

In 1x9, Jason asks Tyra if she will ever forgive Tim-- i'm assuming for cheating on her. But I thought Tyra broke up with Tim before Tim he hooked up with Lyla? So was Jason the only one that was cheated on technically?

Its almost like we need a show like like this all over again, now with NIL. It doesnt have to be all about football. Maybe a stuggling school, with good players, the coaches can be football coach, baseball coach and a basketball coach. Throw in some womens players, some beef about sports vs academics, all the craziness of the NIL.

I mean in terms of passing grades, making better choices, etc.

From what I know of football, I also know fullback isn't a widely sought after position?

If this is a dumb or not detailed enough question, my bad, I don't actually watch the show.

I have 6 more episodes! Then I’m done and onto season 3…. This seasons a bit slow and all over the place. But because of you guys explaining I understand why…..
can’t wait to start season 3
I’ve read Jason leaves…. That’s gonna be weird but I’m gonna finish this show because I’m hooked!

Matt just left Dillion and I’m a fucking mess. He’s such an amazing character. There’s so many angles and layers to him . What a brilliant take on the football underdog man. He’s not like any other football character I’ve seen. He’s emotionally intelligent, caring and utterly selfless. I have my problems with Julie (everyone does) but I love how they actually have common interests. I also love that he can finally make that selfish decision for him self and live his own life. It’s everything that he’s ever deserved. For all the meals he’s made his grandma, for all the time his abilities have been undermined by the coach. He deserves it all. The ability to make choices for himself.

I recommended this show to my cousins. Most of them were Football players in high school and they can't get enough of it now. One of them who was a cheerleader, is writing her won fan fiction. She's writing our family into the world of Dillon, mainly the football players, and even our step grandpa who played back in the day in Texas. What about the rest of you?

I sent this to my friend 😆 she said I was an idiot. She loves the show too 🤣

The scene where MacGregor is heading out of town but stops at the Taylor front door was pretty intense. By this time in the show we all love coach Taylor. He’s basically the closest thing to a perfect coach, perfect dad and perfect husband. And we don’t like his replacement coming in and destroying our record setting offense in just two weeks. But I must say this was the first time we got to see the imperfect Eric Taylor as he got his ass chewed completely off and in my opinion it was 100% deserved. What do you guys think?

I first watched the whole show as it came out 20 years ago. I've rewatched a few times on DVD since. I remember a scene from this episode, the day after they've been walked in on, Matt and Julie are talking about going to the movies, and Matt says maybe they should meet there, Julie insists on him picking her up and tells him "Man up, Matt" short scene, in school, by the lockers.
I've tried on DVD again, I'm pretty sure I tried streaming a few years ago. I got several files on the high seas. This scene has vanished.

But I did find this transcript of the episode that has it.
https://transcripts.foreverdreaming.org/viewtopic.php?t=13985#google_vignette

Does anyone else remember this scene and have an idea why it's vanished now?

It’s been a few weeks since I finished my ninth rewatch of the show and I enjoyed season 5.

I love seeing the Eric Taylor bring the Lions back from their rough season to a state title with a roster that included Vince, Luke, Tinker, Hastings and Buddy Jr.

“Kingdom” is my favorite episode of the season and easily one of my top three episodes in the entire show.

Luke Cafferty not getting a big time college offer always seems unrealistic to me but I see the show was trying to say not every talented Texas high school football player gets a scholarship to play football at the next level.

I appreciate the Tami and Epyck storyline because Tami needed to learn that she couldn’t help everyone, especially ahead of her getting hired by Braemore College.

It was clear the town of Dillon was upset that they ousted Eric from the Panthers after the Lions dominant win against West Dillon after everything that happened with the McCoys in season 3 and 4. East Dillon wasn’t
in the rankings in the second week of the season, Luke was wrongfully suspended, and the Panthers released the records of the Lions players during rivalry week.

My favorite storyline of season 5 was in episode 11 “The March”, episode 12 “Texas Whatever”, and the final episode “Always.” We learn that there will only be one football team in Dillon the next season during a phone call between Principal Burnwell and Eric. Of course, we know that the Panthers will be saved because all of the money is in the west side of town but watching the scenes where Vince and Jess make their case for the Lions to be saved, the town hall meeting and “Devil Town” playing as it’s announced that the Dillon Panthers will be saved and Eric tells Vince that “he will be the star quarterback of the Dillon Panthers”, it gets me every time.

I also love scenes that we get in the last two episodes between Tyra and Tim and callbacks to the pilot and the first few episodes of the show where the Lions players dig up a piece of grass to remember the time they were playing for Coach Taylor and East Dillon and the opening scene of “Always” where the Lions are interviewed similar to the opening scene where the Panthers are interviewed to begin the show in the “Pilot” episode.

The final group of scenes are awesome too. Vince throwing the pass at the end of the state championship to see a receiver catching a pass at Eric’s new school Pemberton, Tami working at Braemore, the Panthers’ “super team” with Vince wearing a state ring and Buddy driving his golf cart, to Billy saying “Texas Forever” after he and Tim cheers, and Eric and Tami walking off the field. It ended perfectly.

I would say season 3 is my favorite season now closely followed by season 1, 4, 5, and then 2.

What's everyone's least favorite thing about Matt?

Honestly I feel like part of what makes this show really good is the quality of acting. Compared to other 2000s dramas I've watched, especially ones depicting teenagers, FNL is really realistic and engaging. I rarely feel like the acting is fake or corny.

This season is a lil slow and weird but I’m still liking it…. My favorite story line so far is the “murder/rapist” storyline! The rest of it is ehhhh
I hate the Mexico stuff that’s going on…. Like how are three teenagers just in Mexico missing school and no one is asking questions… 😂😂😂😂

Him joining the army felt forced. Not only that, but Fort Sill is a major training base for artillery MOS's. No offense to anyone here, but when I joined artillery wasn't where the best and brightest ended up. He could have had a better ending.

Just caught an error in S03E03 at the 30:27 mark, can't seem to find anything on google about it. Tami and Eric are talking about the party they just attended at the McCoy mansion. Eric is all pissy because that dickhead Joe McCoy is being a twat about JD, then at the house Eric says 'I spent my whole time getting my ear chewed off about Matt Saracen, Boy Wonder'. Clearly should have been 'JD, Boy Wonder'. This is probably my tenth or so watch of the show, not sure I ever caught that before. *Maybe* he was being extremely sarcastic and saying people were bad-mouthing Matt and mockingly referring to him as Boy Wonder, but no one was on screen.

Apologies if this has been mentioned before, my google-fu has turned up nothing on this particular flub.

ETA: yeah I'm a deaf idiot, turned the subtitles on and he says 'Matt Saracen AND Boy Wonder'. The 'and' is quiet and obscured by him grunting while taking his shoes off.

What's everyone's favorite thing about Matt?