KING OF THE JUNGLE

Now let me begin by saying I hope you all actually go to iTunes and BUY the new Crucifictorious album instead of illegally downloading it. We wouldn't want to do Landry like that now would we?

Matt in the grocery store reminded me of a younger me, saying he didn't drink coffee and how he had no idea what kind of onions to buy. The wife sends me to the store for some Baby Formula and a head of lettuce and I come home with Metamucil and a head of cabbage.

Loved how Eric gives Tami a wink before she goes up to make her speech and I also loved how there were just as many people clapping at the end as those who gasped in disbelief. Later she says she just wants to crawl into a corner. Well honey, why on Earth with everything you have going on would you be hosting Thanksgiving dinner? Come on now. And then you go and make a roasted turkey and get upstaged by Buddy and his amazing deep fryer. Grandma Saracen just loves Buddy's meat as does Tyra's mom.

Eric begins to get the team ready for Friday. Eric knows there is more than one way to skin a cat. He tells the team, "I don't think, I know damn well, we can beat the Dillon panthers."
He then keeps the team late at practice but after brushing aside pleas from the coaches to let the kids go home, he begins to cut them loose a few at a time starting with Tinker. In the end it is just him and Vince on the field. Vince isn't sure he can give Eric the win he so desperately wants. Eric in turn asks if he has somewhere to go tonight. He doesn't care about the game as much as he does Vince.


The turkey is gone, the stuffing packed away. It's time for some football. The teams are ready, the stage is set and away we go.

J.D. goes up top for 6 right off the bat. Eric unfazed turns to Vince and tells him he is going to enjoy watching him beat J.D. all night long. You can see the look in Vince's eyes change to one of confidence. Vince tucks the ball away on a busted play-action pass and despite carrying the ball like a loaf of bread, hits pay dirt and answers back. Landry comes on and Ray Finkle's the extra point though. Shank You very much Landry.
The Panthers go up two scores and Eric digs into his bag of tricks going double tight, wing left, shift to gun, with a release to Tinker. Vince asks if that's even legal. Tinker hauls in a bomb from Vince, not quite sure how he got down there so fast, but no flags on the play, it's six points. Next Vince takes the speed draw in for the two point conversion and just like that the Lions claw their way back into the game before half time.

The Lions in the locker room hear the Dillon home crowd chanting "WE ARE...PANTHERS!." Vince gets the team "fired up." A great opportunity was missed here to induce some chills on the viewers. Vince and the team's chant was weak and not nearly loud enough. The little Under Armour kid gets his bus full of pop warner team mates more fired up than Vince does his squad. The defense comes to play in the second half though and J.D. gets to see how the other half lives.

Wade begins to lose control and Eric sees his chance. He calls Luke over and tells him they are going to run The Lion. Luke says thank you to coach before taking the field. Love that kid. Vince hooks up with #44 and then Luke pushes the pile into the end zone for another two point conversion.
Luke carries once more on the next possession but reinjures that hip after taking a big hit from the Panther safety. Despite saying he is OK, Eric goes to his kicker, Mr. Landry Clarke. Redemption Time..."LACES OUT DAN!!!"
Eric: "You're goin in."
Landry: "That would be a 45 yard field goal"
Eric: "So?"
Landry: "I can't kick a 45 yard field goal."
Eric: "What do you mean you can't? I've spent three years turning you into a god damn football player. You know what you're gonna do? You're gonna go out there and kick that damn field goal, you hear me? And you know what, it could be worse son. It could be 47 yards, so do us proud, get in there."

With six seconds left and into the wind Landry nails what was officially a 46 yarder to give the Lions the biggest win in school history.
The next day on the radio, Panther announcer Sammy Mead even takes his hat off to the Lions.

Tami comes to a solution and takes a job at East Dillon. Julie tells Matt she needs to find her own Chicago. Landry opens his door to find Matt standing there having just been dumped by Julie. Landry goes "oh whatever" and lets him in.He then asks him, "did you see my field goal? My 72 yard field goal? It was a miracle." Great stuff. Glad to see them kiss and make up after earlier in the episode when Matt after getting snubbed by his best friend mutters "he's like a girl."
A solemn Tim asks to borrow Billy for a second but Mindy whines that it's like her first break ever. Are you kidding me? This is Riggins Brothers business.
Watch the kid for a minute so Tim can go deliver a brutal speech to his big brother. "You are my brother...this is my decision...this is what I have decided...you're my brother...etc." In the history of the show I don't think there has been a more awkward or just flat out more terrible Tim Riggins scene. I was heart broken. I really hope he is taking the bullet here for his nephew's sake and not Billy's. Billy all but blames him for the whole thing earlier in the show.

One bad play does not a career make though. Tim salvages his legacy and reminds us why we love him when he pauses on his way into jail to toss Billy the #33 key chain to his truck. I can't bring myself to think this is the end of Tim Riggins. I just can't and I won't ever discuss it.


The second to last scene of the Taylor's hanging Christmas decorations made me so nostalgic and crave Fall and football season even more. We close with Matt and Landry on the plane to Chicago as we say goodbye to FNL for another season.
Next year marks the series finale and they will have a lot to explore in a limited number of episodes. How can Luke think about transferring after a win like that? Although his mother will not be happy to hear Tammi is coming to his son's school. Luke and Tinker will be integral next year I feel as their friendship continues to grow. Will the show explore Stan, Coach Best Buy's, sexuality and tackle another tough issue? Wonder what Luke's holier than thou mother will make of that. Vince and Jess will test the limits of their feelings and the limits of Big Mary's patience I'm sure. Will we see a return of Smash, Jason Street or Tyra? Will we see Lyla visit Tim in prison and be subjected to the cat calls of other inmates. Will Tim have shaved his head the next time we see him, if we see him at all?
A great deal to think about and even more time to wait and see. Till then as always...Clear eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose.

THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!!!

LABOR PAINS

Sorry for the delay on the recap but so much went down I didn't want to rush.

The week kicks off and the Lions are under fire for the condition of their field. Coach "Best Buy"- We’ve been playing on this field all year and not one Lion has fallen from the Pride

Buddy yells "How bout we just play in Joe's back yard!" When Wade suggests playing on a neutral field. Eric has enough of this nonsense and says they will be ready come game time, then tells the Dillon crew "Y'all know where the parking lot is." In other words, don't let the gate hit you in the ass on the way off my field fellas!














Four days from Thanksgiving five days from Armageddon, but it's already raining fire and brimstone at the Taylor house. Julie is pushing hard for Habitat for Humanity, but her timing could not be worse. Tami-"I know who Jimmy Carter is honey." There isn't enough wine or coffee in Texas to brighten the mood in the Taylor house these days. Eric finds his car has been vandalized but his first thought is of Tami. He asks Julie to take it easy on her mother this week but knows she has her heart set on Habitat. He says if she can cooperate they can talk about this house building thing later.

Eric stresses to the team that the word of the week is "FOCUS." He let's Coach Stan "Best Buy" know that it's going to be a bad week so if he has something to tell him don't leave notes on his desk, tell him face to face after he asks where Tim Riggins is.
Stan- "OK face to face..his brother is having a baby with his wife."

Eric is visibly worn down and tells Luke everyone is practicing at Carrol Park except for him. “You want to gut it out why don’t you gut it out and fill up the Gatorade jug.”

You get the feeling he is taking his frustrations about Tami's situation out on Luke, but he checks himself and shows why he is amazing when he calls Luke back over, apologizes and tells him he just wants him to focus on getting his hip better. Then in classic Eric style he yells for "Lance!" to fill up the Gatorade jug instead.

Landry had already earned coaches ire for the tooth pick stunt but I think he also earned some credibility with the Lions. Even if they had to run Jingle Jangles until he kicked a 40 yard field goal.
Vince dismisses Landry’s condolences for Calvin at first, saying he doesn’t even know his last name. Landry says it’s Calvin Brown and because you’re my team mate...that's why I care. Vince turns and yells “Hey Landry thanks!” He tells Landry he’s a good dude and he is happy he is taking care of Jess because she deserves the best.
Landry brings Jess a new bike to replace the one he wrecked with his car. He greets her standing by his care like a poor man's Jake Ryan from "Sixteen Candles." "I’ve been standing here for about 20 minutes trying to perfect this pose.” Jess in turn makes Landry a play list. “Slow Jams?” he jokes. She tells him he’s supposed to listen to it while he practices kicking, but it might as well be a break up mix from the looks of it. She just can't seem to get past her feelings for Vince.
While in the car on their way to get payback for Calvin, Kennard tells Vince that his pop always said he didn't have "no thug" in him. This from the guy who pulls up and honks outside Vince's apartment to pick him up for a drive by. I don't know where that falls in the realm of "thug life," but it didn't seem to subtle to me. Vince ends up getting out of the car like my man Tre does in "Boyz n the Hood," when Dough and the boys were going to get pay back for Ricky. Vince fairs a little worse though for making the right choice as he gets pistol whipped in the face. I thought his hysterics in the street after the car pulled away were a bit much. Vince has been a compelling character so far, but I think they stretched him a bit here.

Then he returns home to find Jess still sitting outside his apartment and there is no visible swelling or bruise on his jaw. I mean I know he's a self proclaimed "monster" and claims "I'm that guy," but that was a miss on the producers part. You're better than that Vince. DON'T BE THAT GUY.

We didn't want Tim to be THAT guy when he got involved with Billy and the late night chop shop, but he did and he got what he wanted when he was able to buy his piece of land. I was finally able to sleep better after Becky returned Skeeter and the #33 Panthers jersey to him along with some of his other stuff.
Becky says she never pictured Tim as a snow globe kind of guy. His mom gave him that one he tells her. Sort of a touching but out of place moment I felt. The fact that it was a state of Texas snow globe though was a nice touch.


Maybe the thought of his mom, or the experience of seeing Billy welcome little Stephen Hannibal Riggins into the world showed Tim what it is he really wants in life. Tim feels like he has figured out what life is all about. Tim can honestly say he’s happy. Becky tells him she loves him, but he's not THAT happy and has to shoot her down yet again. Tami's lawyer tells her earlier that "there's Law and then there's Life." Tim might have the "life" side of things figured out but the "law" is not done with him and Billy it looks like.


With the #33 jersey in the forground, we see Tim rocking out on his air guitar in the garage and sipping on a cold one as the police come in. The one cop asks him "you're Tim riggins the football star right?" "I used to be," Tim answers back knowing all too well what's about to happen.

Tim should have taken his own advice that he gave to his little nephew when he said "keep your guard up and stay angry." Not a good day for the Riggins brothers as Billy is also knocked off his cloud.
Poor Billy can't catch a break. First off I should never have been surprised to see him rocking briefs when the time came to go to the hospital. He gets thrown out of the delivery room for being too enthusiastic and Tim realizes it's probably due to the five energy drinks he has taken down. I myself got put in Time Out during the delivery of my son for being "too enthusiastic." So I felt Billy's frustration.
Tim fires Billy up to get back in there and i was in total agreement. Who is Mindy to be calling the shots? Tim has been "waiting 37 hours for this!"
Billy takes up the battle cry of "I'M THE DAD!" and goes charging in. The look on his face though when he sees just what he has walked into was amazing. Tim tells Billy he did good, but they both are in a world of trouble now.
The Panthers drive all over the Lion's field and Tami's reputation is also dragged through the mud as she is asked to make an apology for something she did not do. When the board of education official comes to deliver her the statement they want her to read he asks her to step outside her front door to receive it.

Was I the only one who thought she was going to get attacked or at the least egged? My heart was pounding.
Then Coach Wade has the gall to tell Tami, HE is not playing on a fair field here. Eric calls in and tells Wade to call him back so he can talk to his wife alone. At the sit down between the two coahing staffs Eric tells the league director his family's been receiving threatening phone calls, his house has been vandalized, and his field's been destroyed, "so don't patronize us and tell us it's just a damn football game!"

Has there ever been such a thing as JUST A FOOTBALL GAME in Texas High School Football? I wanted to take that bottle of hot sauce someone was using as a gavel and smash it into Joe McCoy's face. Buddy and Co are in an uproiar but Eric just sits there and we see the emotional toll this is taking on him. Too bad Tim is so busy otherwise I'd have him take a run at Mrs. McCoy and post the pictures on the web the day before the game.

We finish this week learning that the game is going to be held at the Panthers field and that Tami is going to make a statement. Eric picks up what is surely another threat against Tami or a prank caller and smashes the receiver to the ground. He asks Tami just what stement she is going to give, but we will have to find out this week.


My heart strings have snapped. We are mere days away now from the big game but I am having trouble pulling myself off the ground and getting to a knee after that episode. Every one of our beloved characters got beat up in some way shape or form. Joe even goes as far as to call Buddy the "Dead Panther." Anything less than a victory this week won't cut it.

Till then I am trying hard to maintain my FOCUS, with the iron clad belief that we WILL NOT LOSE come Friday. I'll tell you all the same thing Tim told little Stephen Hannibal...KEEP YOUR GUARD UP AND STAY ANGRY!

Until Friday Night...

CEFHCL