Leave the Lights On

Coach goes looking for Tigger at the park. Man he stuck out like a sore thumb didn't he? What's up with Tigger. One minute he is Mr. Team, helping Luke mend the fence and then he's skipping practice. Then later on in the episode he's back at practice and coach asks him to stretch the team out while he talks to Vince. A little inconsistent to start this week off, but still a great episode I thought.

Glen approaches Eric about the Tami incident and man did you catch he look in Eric's eyes while he was forced to listen to that novice ramble on? Eric handles the scene amazingly well but when Glen says perhaps he will see him at one of the gasmes, Eric fires back "oh you'll see me sooner than that."

Eric wanted to knock his lights out but he was a little preoccupied with turning the lights back on at Carrol Park. Buddy thinks he can help Eric out by asking the mayor for some help. Despite being angry with BG about the mailbox incident he mentions that she and him "had a little history, you know, before she started playing for the other team you if know what I mean?" Yes Buddy we always know what you mean.
Buddy can be a goober at times but his heart is always in the right place. He also is a formidable figure in the community that does not back down to anyone. We see this trait as he is the first person to crack the iron posterior of Virgil Meriwether. Buddy shows up to grab some BBQ and Virgil asks "where u comin from, Prom?"

There is no back down in Buddy's game and he orders his usual. He sits down with his food and asks for a glass of water to show he will not be run out by Virgil's lack of compassion like everyone else. Nobody backs down Buddy Garrity.
Virgil mulls over Buddy's proposal and finally yields when he tells him what he'll need to help "take back the park." We met Elden, an ex-gangster-turned-community organizer who previously played D'angelo back on HBO's The Wire. Quite possible the best show ever on television.
Elden agrees a game at the park is a good idea because the kids as he says love their football. Buddy answers right back as if speaking from the pulpit... "Everyone Loves football." I got chills.
The game itself was amazing. But before kick/throw off Landry talks to Vince, to clear the air between them because of Jess. He tells Vince that if he needs to hit him, just do it and get it over with. Vince stares at him a long while, then, as the lights suddenly come on, he nods approvingly, thumps Landry on the chest a couple times as if to say "OK then." Landry confused asks, "What does that mean?" It means get loose Landry cause it's game time.
How great was it when Tami and buddy were greeting the other team as they got out of their cars. "Hi y'all, thanks for comin." And Eric climbing the fence to turn the lights on was classic.
Vince emerges as the leader after getting called out for being on the "wrong side" by the other team. "Lil Vince" takes charge in the huddle and shows he runs this team.
Landry's throwback to Vince was unreal. All that practice in Matt's driveway paid off. We see a young midddle schooler named Maurice picking off Vince's pass and catches Coach's eye. He tell the young man to make sure he comes and finds him next year. got the feeling that Eric is really building something here in East Dillon.

There is a great deal of depth to Vince beyond the game of football. Very emotional scene when he asks Eric if he can put him down as a reference. He seemed taken aback by Eric's cooperation and willingness to help. You get the feeling no one ever gave Vince a shot, but now he's getting his chance with the help of Coach and Virgil. I want to see this kid succeed, but it's hard to shake off your past. We see this when Vince is sweeping and Calvin drives up. One of the guys who gets out of the car with him asks Vince to hook him up with some food. When Vince tells him to go order it from Big Mary like everyone else, the thug gets in Vince's face. Virgil runs out and tells them it's time for them to leave. Virgil tells Vince he knows it's hard, but Vince is better than them. Vince insists he isn't, but Virgil disagrees: "You're here, ain't you?"
Man I really hope this does not end poorly for Vince ala Ricky from Boyz n the Hood.

Back to the domestic side of things. Eric tells Tami, glen came to see him.
"Glen the science teacher? Uh oh."
Eric- "You kissed glen?... No I didn't hit him what are u worried about him for... By proxy I have kissed glen!"

When Eric has to take a rain check on their date Tami says she'll just have to call Glen. Eric doesn't skip a beat and replies, "just make sure he doesn't drink all my scotch."
"Damn" they love each other and I them. I loved it when they pulled their car up to the river and Tami reminds Eric this is where they had their "first date" - not their first date, but their "FIRST" quote unquote "DATE" quote unquote.

Tim asks a distraught Becky if she is OK, but she blows right by him in a huff. Tim replies with his signature "good times."
Loved the scene where he is knocking on the door on "Skeeter's behalf."
"All day, all day. Don't care...there ya go"


Not sure how the Becks preggers storyline turns out but I was surprised to see Tim so lost for words. Gotta think he got a few rally girls pregnant back in the day no? I would imagine he had the clinic's number committed to memory. Luke was a stand up guy I thought. Really like this kid. Loved the scene where she was sitting on his truck and they were talking things out.














There was a great shot of sneakers hanging on the phone wires with the football field/park lights in the background. The practice of tying sneaker laces together and throwing them onto power lines has long be thought to advertise where drugs are sold or to mark gang territory. This image was followed by a close up shot of a fence then pulled away to show the score board. Football provides an escape, a road less traveled for these kids. Eric is taking the journey with them into an unknown place. Vince was shocked to see how willing Eric was to vouch for him just like Eric was shocked at the violence down at Carrol Park. Just because it's a bye week doesn't mean life takes a week off. I thought the show did a great job of injecting some football into a busy episode of side stories and delivered some great and touching moments.

P.S. How bout J.D. callin his math teacher a bitch? Kids losin it.