Reviews

What to Watch on Netflix: Friday Night Lights

If you've ever had a human emotion in your life, you should check out our Netflix Pick of the Week: Friday Night Lights.

By Carly Rhodes | April 2, 2015 | | 0

Our Netflix Pick of the Week column typically aims for the underrated shows in the library, but our first few entries of 2015 will highlight some of the service’s the most popular binge-watches. Click here to see our past Netflix Picks.

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This month’s must-see Netflix TV is Friday Night Lights because it has something for everyone and if you don’t like it, we can’t like you. The NBC drama has sports, high school drama, heartbreak, great music, and even better relationships, including the best married couple I’ve ever seen portrayed on the small screen. I’m looking at you Coach and Tami Taylor!

Premise:

In a small Texas town where football is everything, we follow the lives of the Coach of the Dillon Panthers, his high school counselor wife, and everyone they interact with. In the first episode the star quarterback gets hit so bad it leads to his paralysis which ends his short-lived career and life as he knows it, while giving a second-string quarterback the chance of a lifetime.

This one event alters the course of the lives of the players and their friends. Tami and Coach are there to help them along the way because they are more than just their day jobs, they become everyone’s godparent, aunt, dad, best friend, etc. Come to think of it, the only kid at Dillon High with a good parent was Smash and even he only had one.

Seasons:

Friday Night Lights ran for five seasons. The first three seasons are perfection. At the top of the fourth season there are some big cast changes but some great additions like Michael B. Jordan and Matt Lauria. And to be non-biased I have to say that the fifth season jumps the shark a little bit. But by then, you will be so in love with these characters and invested in their relationships with one another that you’d watch them wait for the bus.

Why You Should Watch It:

If Tami and Coach Taylor isn’t enough of a reason (and how could it not be, they are played by the amazing Connie Britton and Kyle Chandler) then I’ll give you the only other reason you need: Taylor Kitsch. The way that man says ‘Layla’ will do more to you than that Eric Clapton song ever could. Kitsch plays the loveable bad boy Riggins, who gets drunk before school, has questionable hygiene, and is the archetype of what every guy wants to be and every girl wants to date in high school.

The music is also top notch and so is the shooting style of this show. It was shot entirely in Texas instead of LA soundstages, and the actors weren’t given hard marks to hit so it’s shot very fluid and feels documentary-like.

This Series Is For You If:

If you’ve ever loved someone who hasn’t loved you back, or fallen for the bad boy, or the nerd, or been bullied in school, or had a great mentor, or if you’ve ever had a human emotion in your life.

Final Verdict:

I could give you some plot points to tug at those heartstrings, but other than the main event in the first episode, it all unfolds so perfectly that I don’t want to ruin it for you. No matter if you were on top or bottom in your high school, this show is relatable and heart warming.