Seven feet away, Lyla and Jason are rockin' some delicious milkshakes. Jason is complaining about the fact that Buddy set up his daughter on a date and that she always does exactly what he tells her to. Lyla, who has apparently built up an immunity to Jason's brooding, replies that she won't go if he doesn't want her to, but of course he relents and says it's fine, which of course means that it isn't. Another seven feet away, Lyla's friends (I guess she made new ones since three weeks ago) beckon to her, and she abandons Jason for the less depressing table. So every single person in Dillon is in the Arctic Freeze tonight. Oh God. Who's watching Landry?!
Tyra sees an opportunity and swoops in to chastise Jason for taking Lyla back. Jason matter-of-factly (and even touchingly) says, "I love her." Sigh. He loves her, there's no getting around it. The kid has made up his mind. Lyla returns, and Tyra gets up as if to leave but instead just pulls up another chair. Haha, awesome. She starts grilling Lyla about the receptionist position, as if Lyla would have any idea how much typing is required. I doubt she even knows what her father does for a living.
Ah, dinner at Mayor Rodell's. More fun than a barrel of neckties. The Mayor is gabbing away about something or other, and sits down on a couch opposite the Taylors. Also on that couch is another woman, who puts her hand on the Mayor's knee. This is funny for two reasons. One - it is clearly making Coach extremely uncomfortable, which he illustrates by constantly attempting to loosen his fashionable tie. And two - the first time I watched this I must have missed the hand on the knee, because I wrote in my notes "Mayor - lesbian?" as a joke. But the joke's on me! Ha-HA! Anyway, Lady Mayor asks Tami to join her reelection campaign team. Tami is surprised and flattered, and Coach looks as if he's going to be sick.
Smash returns home and attempts to run up to his room, but that's just not happening. Mama tries to talk but he blows up, yelling about how stupid she was. He yammers on about how he's going to get kicked off the team and lose all of his scholarship offers. Oh, and one more thing: "You ruined my life, Mama." WELL. Mama explodes, shooting back that she's trying to save his life, and that the reason she went to the coach was because she didn't want to believe that her son was stupid enough to have done this himself. Smash lays some more misplaced blame upon his poor mother, who finally has the good sense to kick him out of the house until he can learn some manners. Imagine if Mama Williams and Dr. Bailey got together for a Happy Hour or something. I'd pay to listen in on that. There'd be so many OH HELL NOs and MMHMMs flying around, someone would lose an eye.
Now might be a good time to dismantle that Smash Shrine.
The next morning, Smash shows up in Coach's office to tell him that he made a mistake. No, says Coach, this wasn't a mistake. It was a "stupid dumbass cowardly act." Poor Coach, you can tell this is very hard for him. He continues to yell and demands that Smash tell him all of the shady details. The scene ends there but I have a feeling the whole conversation wrapped up with the worst thing a teenager can hear from a parent figure: "I'm not mad, I'm just disappointed." Gah. It hurts just thinking about it.
"This is why we can't have nice things!"
Tyra returns home from school to find her mother curled up on the couch, yet again. She asks if she called about the receptionist position, and Mama Trainwreck replies that she doesn't think she can make it without Punch-Happy Bob. Tyra patiently asks again about the job, so Mom moans that she did but so many people applied she couldn't even get an interview. This sucks but all I can think of at the end of the scene is how long Tyra's neck is. That girl is a giraffe.
Coach makes the unhappy announcement to the team that Smash will not be playing in Friday's game, and that everyone WILL respect his privacy and not ask him about it. Because if there's one thing teenagers are known for, it's their aversion to rumormongering.
« Recap: Maui Fever: Surf's Up, Ho's Down | Main | Recap: Top Chef: Ya Gotta Get a Gimmick »
Comments (16)
I know I had some comments but all I can think about are the previews for next week where little Matty appears to be getting his topless bump and grind on with various football-lovin-groupies!! Ahhhhhh!
1 of 16 | Posted by dainsey
|
Posted on January 27, 2007 10:54 AM
I agree, not the best FNL epi ever but the show still has my vote. Thanks for the great recap, loved the screencaps!
2 of 16 | Posted by sweetleaf
|
Posted on January 27, 2007 6:22 PM
"Imagine if Mama Williams and Dr. Bailey got together for a Happy Hour or something. I'd pay to listen in on that."
Now that would be MUST SEE Tv.
I love Mama Williams - I can't imagine how Smash has turned out to have such a colossal ego with a Mom like that. I love when she threw him out - yeah Mama!
Was anyone else disappointed when Coach and the Mrs. were in bed smooching and that blasted doorbell rang? I love when they get kissyface. She was so cute in his office - she is the one person who can totally stand up to him and he is helpless to it. It's great!
3 of 16 | Posted by TinkerbellAPixie
|
Posted on January 27, 2007 10:48 PM
I just love love love your recaps of this show!
I had all kinds of witty things to say as I was reading this, but they have all left my brain.
Thanks, anyway!
4 of 16 | Posted by angieb
|
Posted on January 28, 2007 6:07 AM
Your recaps continue to impress! I thought this was a good episode, it was nice to see Smash cool the ego a little! Props to Momma Smash for being a good mother.
Buddy Garrity is such a sleaze! Tyra's mom probably can type like 2 words a minute. And I love how mom of the year suggests getting drunk to her teen-age train-wreck-in-training daughter! That was pushing it a little for me. Not that I'm a prude or anything...!
Jason proposing to Lyla shocked me too. I'm sure Buddy will be impressed.
Screampillar, I thought the same thing about FNL's time slot...American Idol is gonna kill it. I HOPE they give this show a chance!
As for the previews of next week's show, looks like Matt will have some explaining to do!!
5 of 16 | Posted by Jojobear
|
Posted on January 28, 2007 10:47 AM
I may be completely wrong...but I don't think that Coach Taylor told Smash that the kid flipping burgers was caught with drugs. I think he was trying to tell Smash that that kid flipping burgers was on that Scout's top 100 list and never amounted to anything...sort of as if to say...Smash, you don't need that list in order to be successful becuase it obviously doesn't mean anything. The reason Smash started doing drugs in the first place was because he didn't make it on the scouts list and felt pressure... I could be way off base, but I think that's what he meant.
6 of 16 | Posted by aloveaffairwithtivo
|
Posted on January 28, 2007 2:39 PM
aloveaffairwithtivo - I took it the same way you did. I took it to mean not to let someone else determine your worth. He was doing just fine on his before he took the steroids -and it was only because that guy told him he was small that he risked losing everything.
7 of 16 | Posted by TinkerbellAPixie
|
Posted on January 28, 2007 4:12 PM
Great recap! I love this show and hope it stays around for a while.
8 of 16 | Posted by sluggerbun
|
Posted on January 28, 2007 7:00 PM
This show cannot go down with My so called Life, Freaks and Geeks, etc as one of those shows that everyone who watches loves, but really no one watches. NBC keeps talking about how much they love the show but puttingit on against AI is destined to kill it.
And please no my dear Matty, do not go the way of the groupies next week. You and Julie are the cutest things ever!!!
9 of 16 | Posted by dent
|
Posted on January 29, 2007 7:59 AM
I'm hoping that this time slot is OK for FNL. It seems like AI is going to be on at 9pm instead of 8pm, so we may be alright.
That said, this wasn't one of my favorite episodes, but the Taylors rocked it! And Smash's mama too.
10 of 16 | Posted by helloooeverybody
|
Posted on January 29, 2007 1:35 PM
OK, I love this show, but one thing has been bugging me since I watched it.
When Jason and Terc were driving by the restaurant with Lyla and that guy, they were in Terc's pickup truck, with their wheelchairs in the bed of the pickup. Now, how in the world do the two paraplegics get the wheelchiars out of the back and get into them? Really - does anyone know this?
11 of 16 | Posted by lawyergal
|
Posted on January 30, 2007 5:55 AM
Sorry I'm a little late to the party here, but just watched the show on the DVR last night.
Not the best episode, but FNL is like sex or pizza, even when it's not the best, it's still pretty damn good. Another great recap Screampillar.
lawyergal (#11), the only thing I can think of is that Herc's pickup could have a hydraulic liftgate or ramp for the loading and unloading of the chairs. They were careful enough to show Herc driving with the aide of a special steering wheel so I can't believe the writers/director would have been so lazy as to just throw 2 heavy wheelchairs in the back of a pickup without giving it any thought.
By the way did anyone else get the distinct feeling that Dillon's "alternative lifestyle" mayor wants to get in Tami Taylor's pants? (not that I can blame her).
12 of 16 | Posted by JasonR
|
Posted on January 30, 2007 6:51 AM
BTW I am liking the plotline for this week's episode. It is completely reasonable that Matt would be a little corrupted in his meteoric rise from mild-mannered nobody riding the bench behind the superstar QB Street to mild-mannered town hero. That's the great thing about this show. The characters are all flawed but all seem to be doing the best they can. Well, Tami may be a complete saint. Just when you think a character is completely destestable they show some good qualities: Riggins, Lila, Buddy, and even Smash.
Such good writing. I'll be so bitter if this show doesn't last. I'm hoping NBC sticks with it and that it will pick up some viewers over the summer in reruns and there will be some Emmy nominations in August that will bring more attention.
13 of 16 | Posted by JasonR
|
Posted on January 30, 2007 6:58 AM
thanks for recapping this show. i only tuned in because the actress who plays tami taylor (connie britton) went to my church and my high school (i can still remember going with my family at age six to see her play the lead in the high school's production of 'hello, dolly!'). turns out it's a great show. the dynamic between connie and kyle chandler is so genuine and believable, the saracen kid is a grandmother's wish -fulfillment fantasy, and thus far the show really hasn't over-sentimentalized or exploited the very real issues of drug abuse and crippling injury in high school sports.
--loved the confrontation between buddy and jason. the actor who plays buddy does a fine job of toeing the line between being the meddling blowhard and the loving dad who just wants the best for his little girl. tough to watch, but honest and direct.
--smash's mom rules. 'nuff said.
--the sapphic-mayor twist was a welcome surprise, showing that FNL's writers can take this seemingly predictable concept in interesting directions.
--is it just me, or does that riggins boy always look like he just finished bathing in oil? somebody get that kid a haircut!
14 of 16 | Posted by jack
|
Posted on January 31, 2007 6:57 AM
I just started watching and I am in love. This show is amazing.
I must also express my love for Screampillar! Your recaps capture everything I'm thinking and morning, and the screencaps? Priceless!!
Thanks for making a great show even better.
15 of 16 | Posted by ellebella
|
Posted on January 31, 2007 6:29 PM
and by morning i meant more!
16 of 16 | Posted by ellebella
|
Posted on January 31, 2007 6:33 PM