Friday Night Lights 4.02 – "After the Fall" Recap

Previously on FNL: Tim dropped out, Vince joined the Lions, Monty's still a jerk, and Coach forfeited. I still can't quite believe that last one.

All the Dillon boys are having a rude awakening. Tim's getting hassled by the local PD for sleeping in the bed of his truck on private property; Coach is grumpy at Saracen, who's hanging out at Chez Taylor with Julie. He walks outside to get the morning paper and discovers his amazing wife, who's pulling little surrender flags out of their front lawn. Ouch. Over at Dillon High, the team is watching last night's game film and cheering themselves on; JD and Luke high-five each other as Wade notes that they're a hell of a combo. By contrast, over at East Dillon, the team hasn't even shown up for game film, and why would they? Eric stomps to his car as Buddy Garrity, of all people, drives up, telling Eric that he has to show him something. Cut to Buddy and Eric standing in an empty lot with a single mailbox out front. Buddy tells Eric that he's standing at the address listed for Luke Cafferty, "star running back of the Dillon Panthers, future superstar." Coach asks where he really lives, and Buddy tells him: East Dillon, of course. "He's supposed to be yours." Eric looks at the empty lot in disbelief as we go into the credits. I gotta say, I still don't know what that brunette's weird dance move is about.

Taylor Kitchen. Tami fumes over Luke's deception; Coach tells Tami not to tell anyone that Buddy's the source of the info, because Buddy's concerned the town will boycott the dealership. I'd say that's a valid concern. Tami feels terrible for Luke, Coach takes umbrage that poor Luke will have to come to his shoddy team, and I eyeroll because: come on. Julie and Coach leave for East Dillon, so I guess Tami accepted that decision; she tells her daughter to be careful, and Julie eyerolls that it's high school, not a prison yard. Cut to cops circling the basketball court outside the school, wup-wupping their sirens in a warning way. East Dillon's predominantly African-American, apparently, and we get shots of kids hanging out, playing basketball, leaning on the cars before school starts, and Julie tries to find her way around. Elsewhere in the school, Vince slaps hands with a few people as he climbs a stairwell. He stops dead when he sees "LIONS R LOSERS" scrawled across a Lions banner, but doesn't do anything about it; he's angry when he finds little surrender flags stuck into his locker.

Over at Dillon Tech, Matt's art teacher tells him that she secured an internship for him with a local artist who's a "genius", and I start laughing immediately. I know Texas is nothing like Florida, but if my past experience with genius artists down south is any indication, they are pretty damn out there. She tells Matt that he picked Matt, and that it's an honor; she asks him to go to Richard Sherman's house that afternoon. Matt asks why she suggested him for the internship, and she tells him he has what every artist needs: pluck. Oh, saints preserve us. Matt goes to the address, which has rusted metal lying willy-nilly all over the yard; he's wearing a tie and blazer, bless him. Richard Sherman answers the door smoking a cigarette, wearing tattered grey briefs and loafers, and yells at Matt to move some junk out to the back. Hee – I told ya!

Landry tries to park at East Dillon, but loitering students refuse to clear the space. When he tries to leave, he backs up into a pretty, sassy, bicycling girl – Jess Merriweather – who tells him that he will reimburse her fully for the damages. Later, in the cafeteria, Coach corners Landry and tells him that he needs Landry to get the team back together. Landry evenly asks why Coach called the game. Eric starts to play the Coach card, saying that he "doesn't need to explain himself" to Landry, but Lord love him, Landry is completely unimpressed: "Well, I can explain to you that everyone gave absolutely everything that they had out there, and you just quit on us?… I'm done. And everyone else is done." Y'all, when Landry has made his mind up about something, he is just amazing. Coach stands stunned as Landry walks away.

Panthers practice. In the rain, JD throws a pass to Luke (#4), who executes it flawlessly into the end zone. Tami stands nearby, holding one of those big golf umbrellas, and calls Luke over. He is all beaming smiles and "yes ma'am"s, asking her joyfully whether she just saw him make the catch. On top of the world, ma! Not for long, kid. Tami asks him his home address, and he provides the number and street of the empty lot Eric saw the day before. She repeats the question, and he lies again. She tells him that he actually lives in Kilroy, which is zoned for East Dillon. Luke starts to backpedal, saying it's all he ever wanted, and could Tami write a letter to the governor? HEE. Tami is firm that the only way Luke can go to Dillon High is if his parents move. I wouldn't be surprised if Monty bought his parents a house, frankly. Tami sincerely apologizes – she knows better than anyone what football means in this town, and how kids grow up dreaming of nothing but one day playing for the Panthers – but tells him that he has to pack up his stuff and attend East Dillon High starting the next day. Luke utterly loses it, begging and crying and bargaining that he will get an A in every class, slamming through all the stages of grief at once. When Tami insists that this is the only way, he says he's fine, and even thanks her for her time; she turns to go, but he calls her back, apologizing for lying to her. At first I thought this was another appeal, but it's not – he's genuinely remorseful, and Tami graciously accepts the apology immediately. She is such a class act; I like Luke a little more for recognizing that. Luke finally twists away, openly crying but still thanking Tami (you southern boys kill me). He runs to tell Wade he has to pack up his stuff.