The last episode of Season Four brings us limping toward the goalposts just like Luke Cafferty. I'd say that after the highs of "Son" and my personal favorite "Stay," the season has kind of wandered. What's with Jess's mom? We don't know. What's so dramatic in Jess's and Vince's past? We don't know. Why is Tim Riggins acting like he lives in a Faith Hill song? Why won't Becky just go away? WE DON'T KNOW. But maybe I'm feeling vulnerable and testy because the heart of our family, Tami and Eric, have gotten so beaten down in these last few episodes.
In any case, the season ends on the big game between the Lions and the Panthers. They're calling it the Big Cat Clash, and the whole town is ready to skip work and close down shops to watch. The game takes place at West Dillon's Hermann Field since East Dillon's field is still destroyed from the privileged Panthers' jerk decision to take their trucks joy riding all over it. But as hard as they tried to make the field uneven, the Panthers can't hold the Lions back. Vince plays the best game of his life, Coach lets the injured Luke onto the field for a few gorgeous plays before the kid is led off the field limping again, and the game comes down to a final 47 yard field goal. Landry choked on his first extra point attempt, and Coach had shied away from using the kicker since, but Eric sends him out there with nothing but confidence that he can get it done, and SURPRISE he does. Lions win!!! It sure is nice to see Coach Taylor smile and shrug off those pounds of weight he's been carrying on his shoulders all season.
Tami wins her own kind of game, as she decides at the last minute that she will NOT apologize for counseling the scared and pregnant Becky. What was meant to be her public apology turns into her simply stating that she always always keeps the interests and welfare of her kids at the forefront. The Board -- because school boards apparently run on kindergarten playground ethics of "say you're sorry even if you're not" -- votes to put her on administrative leave. Tami's lawyer assures her that this is the first step in her firing, and advises her to sue. But Tami just wants to do the right thing; and what she feels is the right thing right now is for her to step down as principal and be given the job of heading the counseling program at East Dillon. Okay, sure! I wonder what the person who currently has that job thinks of that? (I'm assuming they'll "explain" to us that the position was open sometime at the beginning of season).
Tim and Billy are in hot water for their little podunk chop shop operation. Their lawyer thinks he can get them a deal where they'll serve 1-5 years. And just in case you were wondering whether or not they could possibly be serious with this Tim Riggins martyr storyline, they have Tim decide to take the fall for his screw-up new father brother, and film him walking slowly into jail and punishment, hair flowing behind him like he's Jesus of Nazareth. Sigh.
Matt comes back for Thanksgiving, without giving Julie any fair warning. Surprise a minute, this kid. She's upset to see him, but finally comes around, and they have a warm farewell while sitting at the lakeside where he "deflowered" (Julie's words!) her. Matt has bought Julie a ticket to visit him in Chicago, but she tells him she can't come up. She thinks if she does, she'll fall in love with the city and follow him there, and never follow her own dreams. Matt realizes that she's breaking up with him, in a less ambivalent way than he did when he left. They're obviously on good terms, and we can all fantasize about how, seven years from now, they'll reconnect and get maaaarried.
Watch the episode here, discuss it in our forums, then see FNL's Best and Worst Plays!
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Mayor Lucy presides over a big pep rally in front of Dillon City Hall. Half of the crowd is in black and red and chanting "Lions! Lions! Lions!" and the other half are sporting tails and pitchforks. I jest. They're wearing blue and chanting "Panthers! Panthers!" Mayor Lucy coins this week's game their very own "Subway Series," the "Big Cat Clash." She hopes this will be the beginning of a long tradition... of what exactly? Heartbreak? Hatefulness? Evidence of severe inequality? She asks the teams and fans to come together and tries to start a chant where everyone shouts "Go Cats Go!" Except nobody's falling for that shit, and so the Lions keep chanting "Lions! Lions! Lions!" and the Panthers keep chanting "Evil! Evil! Evil!" Coach Wade, in his blue windbreaker, raises his arm (hmmm, like Hitler?) and points his number one finger in the air. Coach Taylor smiles and puts his hands on his hips, chest thrust out, cape flowing behind him. So Hitler, or Superman -- you decide who to root for.
Tim and Billy talk to a lawyer at their kitchen table while Mindy feeds Stephen a bottle and glares at them. The lawyer wants to know how many cars there were; Billy is vague, "Uh, more than five." Billy protests that they didn't steal the cars; the lawyer tells them the charge isn't theft but trafficking in stolen goods. Tim wonders how much time they'll do; the lawyer goes over their past fairly clean records: they both have a drunk and disorderly, Billy has two petty theft convictions. Mindy gets up and is like "You have TWO petty theft convictions?!" Billy gets mean for a second and reminds her of her not-so-angelic past: "Remember where we met." Mindy just groans "Nice" but wait, so now that she has a baby she is suddenly ashamed of and anti-stripper? That seems strangely Republican of her. The lawyer tells Billy and Tim that he thinks they can make a deal so that they'll serve 1-5 years. This is not good news, especially for the guy with the cooing newborn.
Grandma opens her front door and finds Julie there. They hug and love on one another a bit, Grandma is happy to see her. Julie tells her that she just came over to see if Grandma needs a ride over to their house for Thanksgiving, since Shelby is out of town. Grandma says that, well, nope, cuz Matt's got that rental car, so they'll just go over in that. Julie is confused, "Matt's in Chicago" she says right when Matt comes ambling into the frame behind Grandma. Matt Saracen!! Hello Matt Saracen!! Julie's smile disappears. Grandma excuses herself to go fuss about a leek and onion casserole, and Matt mutters to Julie, "It's actually better than it sounds." I bet Julie would like to tell him that there are lots of things that are better and easier than they sound at first: you know, like picking up a phone once in a while.
Voiceover of Coach saying that "Friday night you will be challenged like you have never been challenged before." Shots of Coach standing in his office staring at piles of scribbled plays on his desk, scribbled plays worked out on the white board. His voiceover continues, "Do we have the resources they have? The booster dollars they have? No, we don't. Are we playing on their field? Yes, we are. However, there is more than one way to skin a cat." The camera goes out onto the field to watch the Lions practice, Coach pacing the sidelines as the voiceover tells us that the secret is in preparation and focus. The Panthers are over there on the West Side preparing for Thanksgiving and their "fancy soirees," thinking about the playoff game after their game against the Lions. They're distracted. The Lions are thinking of only one thing: making J.D. McCoy cry. We're now out on the field, the kids taking a knee before Coach as he gives them a pep talk. Coach tells them to look around and ask themselves "What kind of a man am I?" On Friday night, they'll form a bond with one another that can never be broken. Coach asks, "Do I think we can beat the Dillon Panthers?" and then gets all tricky rhetorical on his boys, "I don't think we can beat the Dillon Panthers... I know we can beat the Dillon Panthers!" The kids get rowdy in agreement, jumping up and down on their shit kicker of a dirt field.
Credits. Morning. Coach comes around the corner into his bedroom while we hear Tami mumbling to herself. We follow his gaze, finding her standing in front of their little dinky vanity rehearsing her apology speech. She sees him there and tells him to go away, it's bad enough that she has to "apologize," she doesn't want him seeing her practice. He tells her that she'll get through it, and she wonders "Am I? Should I?" before agreeing with him. He quietly asks her if she needs some coffee, and she nods yes.
Jess locks up her Landry-gifted bike as Landry comes up to her. Landry hands her a "brand-new Crucifictorious demo, rough." Jess's hair looks kind of busted in this scene. But not as busted as her obviously guilty heart. Landry tells her to listen to the CD and try to figure out which song is for her. She glances down and asks, "Song for Jess?" Landry mumbles about that just being the temporary name of the song. Temporary, like their relationship so obviously is. Jess just can't wipe the guilt off her face and she finally comes out with it, her voice breaking, "Landry? The other night? I, I... I have feelings for Vince." And, ouch. Landry, taking another one on the chin.
Matt walks around the supermarket with Julie. He tells her about where he lives in Chicago. Greektown? With all the yuppies? Please. This boy needs to move to Pilsen. He talks about how he lives above a coffee shop, and when he walks up his stairs, he gets a caffeine high. Julie tells him what a stupid theory that is, you can't get a caffeine high from smelling coffee. Zach wonders if he needs yellow or white onions. Heh. You see what I just did there? Called Matt "Zach." Because I cannot differentiate between TV and real life. Real life, where I am obviously BFF with Zach Gilford. Julie sullenly tells him to get white onions. Matt gets in her face and says "Hey, hey. I miss you. A lot." Julie, near tears, says that most people would say goodbye to their girlfriends; Matt tells her that he had to get out of Dillon, and if he saw her, he would never have left. Awww. Julie tries to resist softening up by sarcastically saying his apartment sounds real nice. He asks if she wants to see it. Because he's bought her a ticket to visit.
The Lions get off the bus to practice at Carroll Park. Landry catches up to Vince and decides to "thank" Vince for giving Jess and Landry his blessing. "Good to know your word means a lot." Landry storms off before Vince can say anything to him.
Tami walks into a buzzing room full of school board weasels, reporters, angry anti-choice parents. Superintendent Paul introduces Tami Taylor, who is going to make a statement. Mrs. Cafferty is in the audience. Tami walks up to the microphone, opens her portfolio and says "Good afternoon." But, after gazing down at the pre-printed words the school board wants to put in her mouth, she decides to go another route: "Listen y'all, I've always put the welfare of the students first." She says that every decision she makes, she makes with that intent, and it's going to stay that way. She thanks them and walks away from the microphone. Crowd shot of angry anti-choice ladies. Who are all kind of made-up hilariously; like one woman towards the front literally seems to have black shadow darkening her evil, liberty-taking-away eye sockets. There's lots of hub-bub as Superintendent Paul tries to move along onto the agenda item: "school lunches." Mrs. Cafferty's angry voice rises above, growling about how that was not an apology and now she wants Tami fired. Coach, at the back of the room, escorts his SERIOUSLY AWESOME WIFE out of the door.
Commercials. Luke is in Coach's office explaining that a Catholic school is offering him a full scholarship for year. He says that St. Pat's has a great program; they might even make it to State this year, so he has to think about it. Coach asks why Luke is even telling him any of this, and Luke replies that he just didn't want Coach to hear from someone else that Luke might be transferring. Coach just laconically says "Okay" and Luke starts limping out of the door. But he stops, because he is full of honor and also has really shapely legs (what? did I just veer off topic?), and comes back and asks Coach if that's really all he's going to say. Coach: "What would you have me say?" Luke wants him to say that he'd like Luke to stay. Coach wonders about maybe saying something about how Luke kept his injury to himself and royally fucked up by doing so, how about we talk about that? Luke sputters that he's apologized for that, but Coach is still pissed. Luke begs Coach to let him play on Friday, and Coach tells him in no uncertain terms that he'll suit up, but he will not be playing. Hey guys, I wonder if Luke is going to play in the game later on?!?!
Matt knocks on Landry's door. Landry opens it and greets Matt with drawn-out silence and then a "Can I help you?" Matt says he just wanted to stop by and say hey, and so Landry says "Hey." But then the floodgates open and Landry suggests to Matt that maybe he might have, like, called or something. You know, called his best friend or whatever? Since Matt's left, Landry's been dumped by a beautiful girl (well, technically, Landry, you got dumped while Matt has been in town), and now has this huge game on Friday that he's sure he's going to choke during, and maybe it'd be too much to ask for Matt to come support him at the game on Friday, and, and, and....And then Landry slams the door in Matt's face. Matt sort of pauses, and then turns away, "It's like a girl," he muses. Oh, Matt. Don't you know? In this era of bromances, EVERYONE acts like girls.
Coach stokes a fire while Tami sifts flour. Those are not euphemisms. Coach tells Tami that Buddy is coming to Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow, and Tami says no! Angela Collette (Tyra and Mindy's mom) is going to be there, and he's going to try to flirt with her. Well, Coach says, he's coming. Oh, and also? Buddy is bringing a turkey. And a fryer. Tami is like "Buddy Garrity is coming to MY house and bringing a turkey AND a fryer? When I'm MAKIN' dinner? Does that make any sense?" Damn, Coach, she's got a point. Coach points out that it doesn't make any sense that Angela is coming, and Tami, her voice ratcheted up, says she knows, none of it makes sense, not the Riggins or Angela or Buddy coming and of course Buddy can come, what's one more guest "when all I want to do is crawl into a corner." And my breath catches and then I start to cry. Tami Taylor, beaten down. Making pie like a sucker because that's what Tami Taylor does: she makes pies for everyone else. Coach realizes how far down her soul has sunk, and he asks her what is happening at this meeting, and Tami says she does not know, nobody is telling her anything, just that they're having a meeting, and she guesses it could be a firing meeting. Coach just says "Aright," and Tami sighs. She tells him that she went there intending to apologize, but she just couldn't do it. Eric tells her that she doesn't need to say she's sorry, and his hair-- very intimate and homey over there by the fire-- backs him up. No apologies needed in your own home.
Billy is freaking out about "this situation" while Tim sits on the couch, cradling a beer and a stuffed animal. Billy's pacing around with the baby in his arms, saying he feels like just leaving the state; the charges are small potatoes, they wouldn't pursue him. He prattles on about how none of this is Tim's fault -- well, even though the guy at the wrecking yard identified him (oh, I get it; the police asking if he's Tim Riggins, number 33) -- that he got Tim into all of this. A knock at the door, and they tense up. Billy gets it, and finds Becky on the doorstep. Billy excuses himself, while Tim goes over to the door and gets confronted by a girl with very bad hair. She gives him the business about how he's a liar and a coward, and all that stuff he said about being a good man was obviously b.s. She tells him that her mom was right; Tim is like every other guy. She turns on her heel and goes.
Commercials. Grey, dreary Thanksgiving day. Camera drives through town; every business has a little something posted on their signage about the game. Slammin Sammy's on the radio, providing some filler about how important the game is for the town and for the Lions. Cut to Coach, presiding over a holiday practice. He's working the kids hard, off to the side, Traub complains that they need a day off. Coach calls him out, and he shouts over, "It's Thanksgiving." Coach, "No, it's practice." The other nameless assistant coach thinks they can drive these plays home tomorrow before the game. Coach, chomping on a big old pen, tells the coach to get a ride home if he wants it so bad. Coach makes the kids run a few more plays, then when Tinker nails one, he sends him home. Tinker takes off his helmet in celebration, and talks about gnawing on some turkey. , he sends the receivers home, then Landry. Landry starts picking up equipment, but Coach tells him to just leave it. Happy Thanksgiving to all, Coach says. And, damn, what a nice feeling this is: getting some real work done, then going home to celebrate a holiday with family and friends. AMERICA!!! Everyone has been sent home, one by one, until only Vince is left. Coach talks things over with him, "Corners are gonna be aggressive, you know." Vince takes his helmet off and asks Coach, "Can I do this?" Vince says that he knows how much Coach wants this, how much he needs to beat Dillon, but he doesn't think he's the guy that can do it. Coach just completely ignores what Vince just said (even though the insight into how badly Coach sometimes needs things from his players is a sharp one) and asks Vince if he has somewhere to be that night. Vince tells him he's having dinner with his mom, and they leave the field together.
One large ragtag Thanksgiving table extended into the Taylor's living room, one small kid's table where Julie, Matt, and Gracie sit (I wonder why Tim Riggins doesn't sit with them). Tami hostessing it up-- "Hot gravy, y'all?" Everyone makes tasty tasty food noises. Grandma Saracen compliments the turkey, it's the best she's ever had! Tami accepts it for a moment before realizing that she's complimenting Buddy's fried turkey. Grandma wonders why everyone doesn't deep fry their turkeys and Tami starts to snark that it's labor intensive, but catches herself, "No, it's good, really good." Angela flirts with Buddy, "He's handsome AND he can cook!" Mindy stares sullenly into space, Billy keeps glancing at her. Matt and Julie talk amongst themselves. Back at the grown-ups table, Buddy explains his super-fantastic turkey recipe, grinning with those chompers of his, and Tami kind of passive aggressively notes that her turkey is a natural one, they got it at the turkey farm, "Anyway, it's just roasted, that's all!" Oh, this conversation is like a cul-de-sac of awkwardness. That is until Billy Riggins stands up and decides to load them all into a claustrophobic rocket ship of awkwardness. He stands up to make a toast which goes on for approximately 23 days. He wants to remind everyone that Thanksgiving isn't just about turkeys and cranberries but about the brief moments on the earth that they get to spend with each other. Because soon they'll all be dead! Thanks to his friends, family, wife, son. And to Tim! They've been together since before time. He doesn't say it often, but he loves Tim, and Tim has always been there for him. Um, happy Thanksgiving? What is this weird combination eulogy-incestuous marriage proposal? He finally catches himself, and thanks Tami and the Taylors (the APPROPRIATE subjects for a Thanksgiving toast) and sits down. Everyone around the table is much less judge-y than I am; they seem moved by Billy's awkward humanity, and, oh, all right, I guess I am, too!
Vince and his mother eat their Thanksgiving meal of Ray's BBQ. Have we talked about how unlikely Vince's mother's hair is, for an addict? Lady's got a high-maintenance Vidal Sassoon bob! She asks if Vince is ready for the game tomorrow; Vince seems nervous about everyone there watching him. There's a lot riding on the game; he's been working hard at this whole football thing and doesn't want to let anyone down. His mother tells him he won't let anyone down. Jess has come into the doorway behind them and caught the end of this conversation. She knocks and comes in, to Vince's mother's delight. Jess has brought them "The best pie in Texas," which Vince forgot. Vince hops up and sits on the edge of the bed, giving Jess his seat at the card table. Jess jokes around about who made the pie, pretending like she did. They all laugh and Vince looks at her like she's a piece of pie herself. Seriously, the look he gives the girl... melty.
Tim knocks on the sliding glass door at Becky's. She comes out onto the patio with him and he asks her for one minute. He tells her that she deserves to be angry and pissed off, but he wants her to be his friend. And to him, that means her being a part of his family. Becky notes that she barely knows him. But Tim tells her that he knows she has her mom, but if she ever needs anything, she needs to know that his family will be there for her. "Where are you going?" she wonders. "Oh, just off to ridiculous TV martyr-land," Tim replies. He asks her to give him a second chance to earn back her trust, and she nods her head yes. He gives her the dinky plastic snow globe that his mother gave him and asks her to hold on to it. He'll be back to get it. Oh, Tim Riggins. When you come back, will you bring a better storyline with you?
Tami and Eric lie in bed. Eric asks what she's thinking about, and she tells him that she's thinking about what will happen if she gets fired. Her eyes are teary as she wonders what that will do to their family. Eric grabs her hand in his and then pulls her into his shoulder, and isn't that just a wonderfully safe place?
Commercials. The camera drives around town; all the stores and restaurants declare that they are closed for the game. What sounds to me like a real Explosions in the Sky song, not one of the approximate ones they often use to fill air, plays in the background. Buddy happily closes up his business to head over; the Lions file onto the bus, shots of the gleaming Panther stadium, then shots of the Lions in their locker room, counting rosaries, Coach staring into space, a small moment of quiet before we head out onto the field, crowd buzzing, the marching band drums punching out beats in that clear fall air. AMERICA! Ugh, except there's Joe McCoy standing around smugly.
The game starts with little ado. The Panthers have possession, and on literally the first play, J.D. McCoy throws for a touchdown. The Panthers go nuts, Tam i-- standing off to the side so that she's not with the Panthers or the Lions (and she's wearing black and grey, nobody's colors)-- looks serious, but on the sidelines, Coach's hair is like "Dude, I'm feeling calm and casual" as Coach leans over to Vince and tells him "I'm gonna enjoy watching you beat him all night long." The Lions cheer squad have finally got some uniforms and pom poms. play, Vince throws for a touchdown, and everyone goes nuts. Joe McCoy is on scowl-duty on the sidelines. Landry comes out for the extra point, gets lots of cheering from Matt, Julie and Grandma in the stands, but... oh, it goes way wide. "Shank you very much" the announcer jokes, and the score is now 7-6, Panthers. play, Panther touchdown. Then another. It's now 21-6. Coach calls his kids over and gives them a play, telling Vince to get the ball to Tinker. Vince is like "Tinker? Is that even legal?" Coach says they'll find out, if Vince can get him the ball. Coach's hair is very "What me, worry?" during this game. He sends them back onto the field; snap, Vince head fakes, and then launches it to Tinker, who's just planted in the endzone. Celebration! For everyone except Landry, because Coach decides to go for two, implicitly offering a referendum on Landry's earlier choke. Vince just launches himself over the defenders into the endzone for two conversion points; it's 21-14, and Coach is all smiles on the sidelines.
Halftime! The Lions are screaming in excitement and celebration in their locker room (all except Landry, who is doing some spectrum-type rocking back and forth). Coach gets their attention and tells them to quiet down and listen. Outside you can hear chanting, "We are! Panthers! " The boys start hitting their helmets, starting their own chant. Vince leads them, getting them psyched up, and they head back out onto the field... where, on the first snap, they go ahead and sack the shit out of J.D. McCoy. HELL YEAH! Second snap, they put so much pressure on McCoy that he chucks the ball into the dirt. McCoy starts stomping around like a little bitch, and the announcers remark on his temper. Panther Coach Wade is screaming and pissed on the sidelines, while Coach is all calm and cool and "Let's have fun out there!" on his side. Eric calls Luke over, asks him if he feels all right. He calls Vince over and he tells them that they're going to run the line. Luke's grin is as wide as all get-out behind his helmet as he realizes he's going in. Coach sends them out, and on their first play, Luke runs like the wind for a first down. Second play, Vince gets Luke the ball in the end zone, touchdown! Luke gets himself up, though with a bit of effort. Coach calls again for two; Luke gets the ball, but gets inside a huge amoeba of sweaty, grunting boys, so when he goes down it's unclear whether he's made it. Until the referees call it: TWO for East Dillon! Luke laughs with the joy of a boy thoughtless of the long-term effects all this nonsense does to his body. Teenaged joy!
It's 24-22, Panthers. Late in the fourth. This is Coach's last try. Vince gets the ball to Luke, who runs it beautifully, but then takes a HUGE hit. He can't get up on his own; Tinker helps him off the field, Coach calls a time out. Luke swears he just needs a minute, and then he'll get back on the field, but Coach doesn't have a minute. He yells for Landry. "Where's my kicker?!" Landry jogs up to him, disbelieving. Coach is sending him out for a 45-yard field goal. Landry says he can't do it, which sets Coach off, "Whaddya mean you can't?!?" He tells him that he's going to go out there, and he's going to kick the damn field goal, and he's going to be happy that it's not a 47-yarder. Jess's mouth hangs open as she watches Landry head out onto the field. Landry gets into position, looking small and vulnerable, the way kickers do. The ball gets snapped, Landry kicks it, and it flies, flies, flies... through the goal posts!!!!! Field goal! Lions win! East Dillon has defeated the Panthers! East Dillon football is alive and well! Shots of everyone celebrating -- Buddy fist pumping, Matt shouting, Tami hugging Eric, Landry hoisted on the shoulders of his teammates. And the best of all, Joe McCoy snarled and scowling. Eat it, Joe!
Commercials. End-of-season montage time. Slammin' Sammy provides some Greek Chorus commentary, as we go around town, glimpsing the field post-game, kids back in school, everyone doing their thing. Sammy doesn't know how to feel, he is conflicted. He went in knowing that a Panther loss would mean the end of the Dillon football season. But seeing the guts and determination of the Lions last night, well, he thinks he's becoming a damn East Dillon Lions fan. Coach is driving in his car listening to good tidings for once. He glances at the Big Cat Clash trophy on the passenger's seat beside him and grins.
Tami is in Superintendent Paul's office with a lawyer. Paul tells her that it's out of his hands; the Board voted to put her on administrative leave for six months, with pay. At the end of that period, they'll reevaluate her case. Tami's lawyer tells her to make no mistake, she is getting fired. Paul denies this, and he and the lawyer talk over one another. The lawyer defends Tami, saying that all she did was help a kid. "That's what she does: she helps kids!" The lawyer implies that they'll be suing, Paul says that a lawsuit could cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars, the lawyer threatens that it sure will be big and costly, "we don't care." At this, Tami jumps in. "Actually, I do care. I care very much." She tells Paul that the whole situation has been horrible, and that she believes that it has been wrong, what they've put her through, and what she wants to do is to make it right. Paul asks what she means, and Tami says "I'd like to go where I'm needed. And I would give up being principal of West Dillon High, if I could go over there to East Dillon and head up their counseling program." Her lawyer asks if that's what she really wants, and she turns to him, as if she's just made this realization, "I think that's what I really want, yeah." I hope somebody reminds Tami to at least take that six months of paid leave first, though!
Matt and Julie sit by the lake, which, ahem, appears to be the same exact lake where Tami implied she and Eric first did it. This is a bit too much for me to process. Anyhow, they sit, wrapped in a blanket, as Matt reminds Julie that this is a special spot, and she squeaks with typical harsh-teen-girl-humor "Because you 'deflowered' me here?" Matt sort of dorkily grins, "It IS special!" and she tells him he's a total nerd. I love teenaged girls sometimes. She tells him that he's a hard person to stay mad at. He apologizes, sincerely, for how he left. And Julie tells him, with difficulty, that she can't go to Chicago, because it won't just be a visit. She'll fall in love with the city, and the neighborhood, and his hallway that smells like coffee, and he'll be there, and she'll never follow her dreams. "And as much as I love you? I need to find my own Chicago." They look at each other, and you guys, this is SO HARD. Teen love is SO HARD!!! Matt kisses her on the forehead.
Mindy and Billy play with the baby on the bed. Tim watches for a while from the door, and then asks to see Billy for a minute. They go out back, near their empty swimming pool, the cement patio and flat-stacked rock facade of the house so perfectly Texan. Tim cuts to the chase, he tells Billy that "I did it. I did it all. You did not do anything. When we closed the shop, I re-opened it. You had no idea this was happening." As Tim keeps laying out "how" it happened, Billy says, "No, no, you can't, no" but doesn't really do all that much to dissuade his brother. Tim tells Billy that he is all that Tim has, and Billy has a family now, he's a father, and he needs to be one. "This is my decision, this is what I've decided. This is what's going to happen." Billy just says "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry" over and over as they embrace. Oh, how I hate this! I hate that Tim Riggins has to give up so much, and I hate even more that Billy Riggins is the one who is taking it from him. I hate the situation, how perfectly small-potatoes it is on one hand, but how devastating on the other. One year in prison doesn't sound like much until you consider spending one year in prison.
Matt knocks on Landry's door. Landry answers, pauses, and then says "Oh, whatever" and turns around. Matt comes in and apologizes to Landry for not calling, but then just says "Look, Julie just broke up with me. It'd be nice if we could be friends again." And, in the sweetest moment ever, Landry just says "Okay. Did you see my field goal?!?" Landry remembers it as a 72-yard field goal, Matt corrects him, though agrees that it was a miracle. Matt sits down at the kitchen counter and Landry asks if Julie's taking that plane ticket. Matt says he's probably going to give it to Grandma or somethin'. Landry's like "Grandma?" and then gives him a "Bitch, please" look.
Tim Riggins pulls his truck up to the police station. Billy gets out, and they embrace. Tim walks toward the station, his face pained and unsure. Steve Earle's beautiful song, "Goodbye" starts playing. Tim pauses and looks down at his keys, which he won't be needing, and which carry a fob saying "33," which he just won't be anymore. He tosses the keys back to Billy and turns back toward the camera, hair flowing behind him like Jesus of Nazareth. And I might take a moment here and say I didn't even totally buy this whole type of thing when Paul Newman did it in Cool Hand Luke and so am having a hard time buying Taylor Kitsch's version... but I will leave it at that, because I really do have so much sympathy for this character, and even though I wish he hadn't been acting like such a "good guy" all season-- I actually do believe that he is a good guy, I just wanted him to take a bit longer to get there.
Head over to the Taylor's, where Julie plays with Gracie in the front yard while Eric puts the Christmas decorations up. And damn straight, everyone in Texas gets that shit up the day or two after Thanksgiving, on the dot, so this is a sweet detail. Tami pulls into the driveway, and smiles as she sees her family. She gives them the "Hey, y'all" we all know and love, and when Eric asks her how she is, she answers honestly, "Doin' all right."
Matt looks out the plane window at the flat Texas land he's leaving behind again. The camera pulls back and shows Landry sitting to him, flipping through a brochure on Chicago. The camera closes in on Matt's face as Steve Earle sings, "Can't remember, if we said goodbye" over and over, and we move closer and closer to Matt's face, having to say our goodbyes, because this is it for us and Matt Saracen, and all I can think about is how Matt Saracen isn't sure here, he loves Chicago and his new life, but he loves Julie and he knows they can't be together now, but he doesn't know what the future holds for him, and you guys, we aren't ever going to know, because Matt Saracen is not a real person, which is a hard, hard thing (TM Tami Taylor) for me to even realize right now, at the end. The end of Matt Saracen for me. Oh, oh, oh.
And that is it for season four. Which was really spectacular in some respects, and a little lacking in others. I'm really excited to get some more Luke Cafferty season, and I'm interested in Vince and Jess becoming slightly less mysterious and slightly more fleshed out, and of course, to Julie Taylor continuing on her journey to become America's Top Teenager. I love these people, and it's always hard to say goodbye to them, and I suppose I'm in denial that I am going to have to do some serious emotional work to get ready to say goodbye to (oh, I can barely stand to even say it) Tami and Eric during the final season. But, adios for now; we'll see each other on the flip side!
Watch the episode below, discuss it in our forums, then see FNL's Best and Worst Plays!
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