With only one original episode left, it might be a little late for me to say that “Friday Night Lights” has finally returned to at least a semblence of its former greatness. Now that Landry/Tyra murder storyline is finally over, the show has slowly attempted to return what made it great to begin with: stories centered around the daily choices we have to do the right thing. In recent weeks, Coach Taylor had to turn the other cheek, repeatedly, when another coach made his life particularly difficult. Smash had to decide what to do when he goes on a date with a white girl and realized racism isn’t exactly dead in DIllon. Riggins did the right thing when he took Julie home after she got drunk at a party, but he found himself in trouble anyway.
“FNL” has also returned to the other theme which I have always said makes the show special: the examination of an entire generation of fatherless teens trying to raise themselves. The audience sees this with Buddy Garrity adopting a teenage boy fresh out of jail, with the relationship between Riggins and Coach Taylor, and even in the relationship between Smash and his mom.
Though there are still some missteps — Lila turned Christian d.j. on last Friday’s episode is a great example– it is clear that the Dillon Panthers are returning to winning form. Too bad the Writers’ strike may be the latest reason this series won’t have another championship season.