Friday Night Lights 1.20

[bop_radar]

I watched this episode late at night and slightly drunk, but I'm sure it wasn't just my tired intoxication that made it breathtaking. DAMN, this show is good! (I say that every week.) My brief thoughts:

Lyla and Waverly's friendship was very sudden, but I like it as character development for Lyla (moving out of her sheltered friendship circle)

I was mad as hell when Smash told Lyla Waverly's secret. That was incredibly awful of him: mental illness is still a huge taboo (and Smash's reaction itself has proved just how little information these kids have about it) and I couldn't believe he'd be so cruel. I was all for Waverly calling him to task, but then I really liked his speech to her. I felt there was genuine fear and love in it. I think he adores her, I think he's been given no real information about how to help her and he's secretly terrified. I still completely understand Waverly's rage, but I'm glad the show allowed me to feel sympathetic to Smash as well. I loved the shot of him hugging her desperately. I do love Waverly so!

Tyra. Oh, god, Tyra! That was the most profoundly awful thing. The timing is extra tragic: Tyra's stopped using her body as a way to win her way forward in life and started investing in her intellect; she's no longer just talking about hating football culture (while fooling around with the players anyway) but actually not attending a big game in order to study. That's huge character development! And this is a massive slap in the face from life. On a different show I would have lots of feminist issues with an attempted rape of a tough female character. But I thought this was very well done (Adrianne owns me). It was believable that she did manage to fight him off but was completely and utterly wrecked by the event. And I loved that she burst into tears when Landry took her hand. Tyra is a gorgeous girl and unfortunately there are creeps out there who see girls as objects. She's been able to use her looks as a source of power in the past, but she's now experienced the frightening flipside. I think in the long run this will make her stronger.

And I really felt for Landry too. I'm not a big fan of his character, other than finding him mildly amusing occasionally. But this was a huge burden to throw onto this kid's shoulders. He doesn't know the first thing about relationships or sex himself, and here he's thrust into the role of comforting a girl he personally finds very attractive after an attempted rape. And he'll have some guilt issues himself, I suspect, since he was late turning up. (Though he shouldn't feel this way. Tyra's on her own a lot of the time and this could have happened at any time.)

Tim's heading for a crash (as prophesied by his brother) very, very soon. And he's walking into it as blindly as he walked into the whole Lyla/Jason fiasco. Daft boy!

Lyla's growing some balls! Awesome! I loved her flip-out at Jason. Nice! Own your own feelings, girl. And I think it's really interesting to see her call Smash on never having talked to her before (though Lyla still hasn't quite got the self-awareness to acknowledge that that's partly her doing too). The shooting-range scene with Waverly just scared the hell out of me (another reason I was able to empathise with Smash in the end) because guns freak me.

Jason, though being a selfish prat with Lyla, was absolutely awesome in all other ways in this episode. I love the idea that he'll go the coaching route. Yeah, I could see it coming miles away, but who wouldn't want to watch him coach?! I'm not complaining. And I loved him in the settlement scene: what a terrible thing for him to go through, and for him to shoulder the burden of resolving that situation is huge. The awkwardness with Coach is really painful to watch--I hope they settle down soon.

Matty is shining and I am happy! The scenes in the mud and rain were magic. I fear for him when he finds out he may be losing Julie though.

About the only thing I didn't really get into in this episode was the whole 'we'll build our own field to have a home game' thing. I see the romanticism of that, but I don't feel it. The cows amused me, but I really didn't 'get' that whole 'imagine you're ten years old... I just want to play football' scene between Coach and Mrs Coach. Mostly I was happy about the set-up because it made for the pretty, but I didn't find it a plot that really resonated with me personally. Meh. That's ok. I'm sure there will be more greatness in the final eps! So close!

And because it is Friday with no Smallville (boo!), so I have time to kill, a meme for my f'list:
Comment and I will...
1 - Tell you why I friended you.
2 - Associate you with a song/film/tv show.
3 - Tell a random fact about you.
4 - Tell a first memory about you.
5 - Associate you with a character/pairing.
6 - Ask something I've always wanted to know about you.
7 - Tell you my favorite user pic of yours.
8 - In return please spread this disease in your LJ.

Comments

[queenofthorns.livejournal.com]

I will play. :D

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

1 - Originally, because of your BSG fic and meta and your impressive grasp of (and obvious love for) Lee therein. :-)
2 - Rome *g*
3 - You like blue-footed boobies! (And why not?!)
4 - I remember you being chatty and ranty about Lee (you were going off BSG at the time), and that I was impressed by your thoughtful replies to my squee-ing comments.
5 - Jaime Lannister ;-)
6 - How did you come to LJ/fandom?
7 - Without a doubt the 'Lee Adama mutinies at inappropriate times' icon.

[vibrantharmony.livejournal.com]

Me! I love this kind of meme! :D

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

Harm! *twirls you*

1 - It was through the_mas, but at a more personal level, because you had music!
2 - Mana mana!
3 - You are evol. No, ok, that's just kristiinthedark whispering in my ear ... you make great doodles!
4 - Hmm, again music! You posted some and this made very squeeful.
5 - Captain Jack
6 - Hmm... I'll go random. Do you have siblings?
7 - You have lots of good ones, but I'll pick the one of Aeryn sticking her tongue out in the rain. It's such a cool shot!

[ferdalump.livejournal.com]

Me, Me :) I'm very curious.

Although I fear #4 might be something about a certain post I made about the throwing of rocks at certain people's heads... :( **runs and hides**

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

1 - Lois!
2 - Smallville
3 - You design costumes.
4 - You've stolen my thunder with mentioning the 'throwing rocks' post already (*lol*) so I'll say that I remember you steadfastly manipping Lana out of Lexana shots and replacing her with Lois.
5 - Easy! Lois Lane/Bruce Wayne
6 - So Brois... how popular is it? And do you mind that it's (maybe?) not?
7 - I like your happy!Lois one (from the CW ad?) heaps.

[radioreverie.livejournal.com]

Hallo!

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

Trust YOU to show up! ;-)

1 - I think (may be wrong) you friended me or at least commented on my music choice, and I was all 'Wow! Someone noticed what I put in the 'Listening to...' field?! That's amazing! I thought I was just filling that in for my own amusement!'
2 - Just one? The trouble with people you know really well is it gets harder to pare them down to essentials. I'll go His Girl Friday.
3 - You met Bjork but she was a bitch.
4 - You were making a lot of plaintive posts about how no-one responded to you.
5 - Lois!
6 - Ask something I've always wanted to know about you.
7 - Damn that's hard! Can I pick all your pretty Jonny ones?! I'll pick the exasperated!Jonny one, a) because it's purty and b) because you often are.

[bloodygoodgirl.livejournal.com]

I keep wanting to get into FNL (football and Texas are love) and just keep forgettting.

Meme!

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

DUDE! FNL is absolutely AWESOME. Texas Forever! *waves pom poms* I'm a complete convert. It has shithot boys (with optional morality) and is made of love. It's a travesty that you don't watch it but perhaps you can catch up on DVD when first season is out?

1 - Because you were fun and funny at the_mas
2 - Battlestar of course!
3 - You like crazy crossovers.
4 - Er... hm... battlestar squee? is that too obvious?
5 - Helo! Lee/Helo! *high fives you*
6 - I've got issues with this part of this meme. I don't have a whole lot of things I desperately want to ask people but don't until a meme comes along! Sheesh! How repressed do these meme people think we are?! *goes random* Favourite food?
7 - Now that's REALLY hard, because you have a great selection of amusing BSG ones. But I'm going to go the Lee/Helo standoff of hotness! *g*

[tehjules.livejournal.com]

How could I pass this up? *g*

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

*g* *pats the Apollo icon*

1 - Pretty, pretty graphic work!
2 - PotC, actually, perhaps because you had that gorgeous header for so long?
3 - You like fingerless gloves.
4 - I remember a photo you posted of yourself asleep with headphones on (I may have misremembered it, of course!)
5 - The SPN boys
6 - I'm going to be really self-obsessed and ask if you ever read my posts but don't comment.
7 - I want to choose 'Apollo' because it's Apollo but your MR STFU one is really fun, so I choose that one. *g*
8 - In return please spread this disease in your LJ.

[kristiinthedark.livejournal.com]

ME! YAY!

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

1 - Dude! You were a new Smallville fan with excited squee and I pounced!
2 - Due South
3 - You have an awesome cure for insomnia.
4 - Ohh! Um. Fic? Clex fic? And us becoming big K and little k
5 - Duh! Fraser/RayK
6 - See rant above about how I'd already have asked, dammit. But favourite movie?
7 - Jake and Naomi OTP!4EVA!OMG!

[http://users.livejournal.com/wisteria_/]

I know I shouldn't (because I always get too self-conscious to do #8 in my own LJ), but what the hell. Count me in!

Oh, and I'm rewatching "Mud Bowl" right now. Liking it much better.

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

I know! I'm usually too self-conscious too and I posted thinking 'I'm going to regret this, I'm going to regret this' but what the hell! ;-) I read your 'Mud Bowl' post--I was amused by your football nitpicking, which I'm sure would bug me too if I had the background.

1 - Awesome BSG meta and Kara love.
2 - BSG!
3 - You have a new little neph to knit for.
4 - Oh gods! *blush* I rambled in your journal about Lee when I was insomniac and could not stfu. Then you were gracious about this. *g*
5 - Kara! Kara! Kara!
6 - (Since you prob'ly won't post the meme yourself and since I'm almost as self-centred as a certain emo flyboy) Why'd ya friend me?! *g*
7 - Oh, that's tough! I think the 'beautiful Kara' one by syliasyliasylia
8 - You're excused! ;-)

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

Oh, sheesh! *headdesk* Now I'm kicking myself that I didn't ask you about britpop, because I've been meaning to do that. Though it's less of a question and more of a 'Britpop!! *squeeeee*' ;-)

[snarkist.livejournal.com]

Ooh, awesome! ME!

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

1 - Combo of Smallville and good music taste!
2 - Smallville!
3 - You think Sufjan Stevens is a spunk, and you are right. ;-)
4 - Ohhh... something music-posting related I imagine?
5 - Oh, that's interesting. I really don't have a clear character or pairing in mind for you. But Clex, I guess, since that's a link between us.
6 - So what kinda screenplays would you like to write? (what sort of stories do you want to tell?)
7 - Your Sufjan one because it's so you to me.

[svmadelyn.livejournal.com]

*comments!*

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

1 - supacat told me too. :-p As a veteran fangirl, when I first started getting into SV fandom, she nudged me in the direction of places I could find teh Clex, and your journal(s) seemed like a crossroads for the fandom.
2 - Only one? This meme is tough on the multi-fannish. I'd say SGA, since SV's too obvious.
3 - You have a wabbit! A very cute wabbit.
4 - You were running the SV glee week.
5 - Clex, in an oldtime sense
6 - Did ya set out to become a BNF or did it just happen?
7 - Your Lois/Lionel icon: you're the only person I know who has one.

[mskatej.livejournal.com]

I didn't even know FNL was ON this week. DOH.

And do me plz!!

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

Doh! It is but SV's not.

1 - Crazy!hot Clex smutfic *g*
2 - Smallville (yup, still)
3 - You make awesome lasagne.
4 - Apart from your fic? I remember being in a group chat with you really early after friending you and somehow you and I ended up as team 'good'.
5 - Clark, and Clark/Lex
6 - What do you miss about NZ?
7 - I think it's actually good old ceiling!cat, because it still makes me giggle.

[elli.livejournal.com]

Tries not to look at fnl posts because of spoilers..

can I play?

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

Sure! :-)

1 - Your beautiful icons!
2 - SGA
3 - You live in Germany
4 - It's an icon that comes to mind actually. Of Clark and Lex walking out of the Luthorcorp foyer...
5 - Rodney/John
6 - What is your inspiration for your graphic style? (I mean not the fannish subject matter, but more the style and aesthetic--does that make sense?)
7 - I think it's the Lex one that you have captioned 'just save me dammit'. It's both distinctive and expressive.

[fleegull.livejournal.com]

I had to scroll by the FNL stuff because I haven't seen it yet!

But I'm plenty curious about the the meme!!!

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

1 - Ohh... it was ages ago! Because of SV (and I think because of Erica), but I can't remember the specific instance.
2 - Smallville
3 - oh! oh! you have upper body strength despite skinny arms! ;-)
4 - I remember you posting about fashion and thinking how it was unusual for my friends list--welcome diversity! :-)
5 - Hmmm... there's the obvious Smallville associations (Clex) but actually I associate you with the female characters, particularly Lois and Lana, because you're such a supporter of feminine beauty.
6 - Favourite clothing or shoe brand?
7 - I loved that 'raise your hand if you're crazy' one with Gaius that you whipped out the other day!

[grapefruitzzz.livejournal.com]

Hello!

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

1 - The combination of fandom interests (BSG, DW) was irresistible, plus your sense of humour is for the win!
2 - Doctor Who
3 - You build Daleks out of confectionary. ;-)
4 - Ohh... um, I remember your post about being passively spoiled for a show before you watch it--i.e. Fat!Lee! ;-)
5 - Daleks! Daleks/Loveball? *giggle* Sorry, I need to think of something other than that... recently, I'd say Lee, because you and I have bonded over him.
6 - How do you occupy your non-fandom time? Study/job/blissful inactivity?
7 - I really like your festive penguin in a hat (I've always loved that penguin!).

[literaryll.livejournal.com]

I'm going to be mean and ask you to do this on me even though we just met :P

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

Ok, sneaky! ;-)

1 - I checked out your journal after you commented in mine and was all 'wheee! a smart SV fan! why do I not already have her friended? *glomps*'
2 - Smallville :-)
3 - Um, you're on a search for Clark/Ollie fic that's not all about Lex?
4 - Squeeing on my tragedy essay and cursing me for encouraging a more nuanced view of Lana
5 - Clark/Ollie
6 - Oh, there's lots of things to ask because I'm only just getting to know you! Favourite book? (I always find that interesting.)
7 - I would have said the one you just used, but then I checked out the rest of them, and I decided I liked the 'Such a perfect day' pic because it's from that beautiful beautiful scene.