The Televangelist: ‘Friday Night Lights’ episode 5

One thing I’ve always respected “Friday Night Lights” for is the character of Jason Street. In the pilot, which was based on a true-life situation witnessed by producer Peter Berg, star quarterback Jason Street takes a bad hit in a big game and ends up paralyzed. But the show never ignored him or cast him into the wings (or had him miraculously walk again, egads). As the show’s grown, Street has naturally drifted to the sidelines, as it were, as he becomes less and less a part of Dillon. But “FNL” never shied away from telling the story of a young man who lost his only considered path in life, and the resulting struggles.

Street makes his first appearance of the season this week taking care of the baby he fathered with the waitress Erin. It seems he, his crotchety roommate, and his baby-mama all have an amicable relationship, although Jason yearns for more. It feels like ages since Street was involved with Lyla and the Riggins love triangle, and like Smash, he’s likely to use his greater talents to get out of Dillon pretty soon.  Unlike Smash, however, (who was still able to rely on his athletics in the end), Street is an excellent example of what hard work and a passion for life can give you even when you think you’ve lost it all.

OK, enough of the mushy stuff. It was good to see some football action this week. According to Saracen later in the episode, the Dillon Panthers are 3-1. It’s doubtful they’ll play all the games necessary in reality to go to the state playoffs (and we know they will, especially behind JD-Peyton-Manning-McCoy), but I still applaud the effort in at least keeping up the pretense that there’s a football team around which the show is supposed to revolve.

Speaking of defense, some of our other Dillon residents learned this week of the good that can come out of letting down one’s defenses.