Friday Night Lights

At Riggins' Rigs, Tim works under a car on a transmission as Billy fusses at him. It's like graduation never happened, y'all. Tim asks when he can expect a paycheck; Billy starts the long list of how his life sucks, and Tim holds his fingers to his head and shoots himself. Billy picks up the phone, but when Tim says he needs the violin Billy keeps playing, Billy bellows for him to SHUT UP - and then has to clarify to the customer on the phone that he wasn't talking to her. Heh. He hangs up and sends Tim out on the call for a tow. When Tim arrives at the address he sees, you guessed it, plucky singing girl: "Hey Tim-Riggins-who-used-to-be-a-Panther!" Sigh. She climbs into the tow truck, saying she just needed a ride. Instead of kicking her ass out, Tim tells her not to ever do this again. Well, that'll teach her, Timmy.

Dillon High. Monty and his little golf cart corner Tami as she arrives, asking what it's "gonna take." Tami asks if they're actually coming to her in the school parking lot with a bribe, but Monty says of course not: the problem is that if this "goes down, you might get lynched." Tami practically channels my beloved Julia Sugarbaker as she responds: "Oh that is so sweet you are so sweet to think about me I appreciate that so much I can take care of myself thank you." That, ladies and gentlemen, is drop dead you bastard in southern-talk. Or, you know, something similar. Wade tries a different tactic, explaining that if Luke was zoned for East Dillon, then last Friday's win is a forfeit. "We might not make state." Y'all, Wade stole Billy's violin! Tami is unmoved until Monty asks Tami to go home and ask Eric who put up that mailbox, because the Panthers have been using that address for years. Why would they need to do that if Dillon High was the only school? Monty threatens to "do some diggin' around, and things might come up. Wins could be forfeited. Rings could be lost."

Matt, on Panthers Pizza patrol, complains about Richard Sherman to Julie. Julie laughs at the craziness, but tells Matt that he needs to show Sherman who he is as an artist. Later Matt shows a thankfully dressed Sherman his work, and Sherman flips through it silently, closing Matt's portfolio and telling him he needs something carried in from the front. Well, that went well. Interestingly, this scene is not as weird as the one where Coach is filling up his gas tank as a man asks him for directions, and then proceeds to lecture Coach on how he has lost his inner pirate. Coach stares at the guy blankly as he goes on and on about sword-swinging and whatnot, and finally the guy ambles away. Inner pirate? Really?

We've seen Coach drive to Smash's neck of the woods before, but I think it's fair to say that this time, he's in the hood: police sirens, gangsta music, a run-down apartment building, lots of people loitering around. He knocks at an apartment door, and the woman who answers looks rode hard and put away half-dead: it's Vince's mother. Smash!Mama might not have had the home that Tami Taylor does, but she fought tooth and nail for her boy; all the fight's gone out of VinceMama. She looks high to me. Vince walks around the corner and sees Coach at his front door. Coach asks where Vince might be: "I'm just tryin' to help your son." The mother whispers, asking if Coach has twenty bucks. DAMN. Coach hands over the money, and she gives him an address. Yikes. Coach's day of People Telling Eric Things That Are True and Not What Eric Wants to Hear is not over, however, because as soon as he comes home Tami has some questions about certain mailboxes, and how long they've been there, and how long Eric's known about it. Whoopsie! Tami asks him point-blank if he knew about it. Eric deflects that he doesn't get messed up in zoning business, and then starts venting that Landry's telling him to go to hell (not at all what happened), his team's not showing up, and woe is Coach. Tami apologizes, but says she wishes that he hadn't lied to her. Eric can't hear that at all, and that's partly because his conscience has always been twitchy when it comes to the backstage wranglings of Buddy and the boosters, and he decided not to say anything about the gerryrigging of the redistricting line when he thought he'd still be coaching the Panthers and was worried about supporting his family, and that's a lot to have to admit to all at once, so he just starts yelling and then he storms out.

Next day. Coach pulls up at the address Vince's mother gave him; it's a basketball court, where Vince, Bling and some other guys are playing a pick-up game. Bling snarks at Coach, who just focuses on Vince, telling him that he's good on the field, he's throwing a lot away by leaving the team, and as a last-ditch effort, Detective Shaw keeps calling to check on his progress. Vince is singularly unimpressed and doesn't acknowledge Coach at all, but watches him drive away.

Ray's BBQ, which is featured in the credits. Ray is apparently none other than the awesome Steve Harris, for whom I have always had a soft spot. Jess Merriweather - she of the Landry-destroyed bicycle - tries to be waitress, busgirl and janitorial services for the busy restaurant all at once, while Ray cooks up BBQ for the patrons. Landry, who's studying at his table, watches Jess struggling, totally in the weeds, and gentlemanly picks up some napkins that fall from her tray. He brings them back to her and Ray, quite the grumpus, asks him what Landry's problem is. Landry stammers that he was just trying to help, and they go to school together, and... his words trail off as Ray just glares at him. Landry introduces himself; Ray hands him a bag of garbage and tells him that since he's feeling so helpful, he can take it out back. Hee. Landry: "...okay..." and off he goes with the bag of garbage. HA! Ray gives Jess, assumedly his daughter, the stinkeye, and she quickly goes out back for some sauce. Ray turns around and sees some customers: "Whatchoo want?" Heee! He's the soup nazi of BBQ. Oh, I've missed you, you adorable little scamp.

Lions locker room. Eric tells his assistant coaches that they're going to call a "special practice" on Saturday night, and if it doesn't work, they're going to start over. Stalker coach asks him what that means, but Eric's not listening; he walks out to his field and closes his eyes, gasping for breath, stunned at what his life has become. He looks like he's having a panic attack. Which is when Tim Riggins walks up, smiling at the sight of Eric, and says hello. Coach brightens at the sight of Riggs and asks why he's not at college; Tim sidesteps and says he's working with Billy. He tells Eric that he looks different. "It's the color," Eric says, alluding to his Lions cap. "Yeah. It's pretty red," Tim says, and I swear upon hearing those words that Eric suddenly just relaxes, like, Yes, it is pretty red, it feels so weird but I can't say that, you know? "I heard about the forfeit," Tim says quietly. "It's a shaky start, so... I mean, I'd love to be a part of it. If I can help in any way..." Eric stares at Tim silently, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "You offerin' your help to me?" He asks, like he doesn't already know the answer. I love how he understands so well how his boys think, how they need to hear things said out loud. Tim yessirs and Eric claps him on the arm, walking past Tim, telling him to come with him. Tim stands there grinning for a half-second, and as much as I wanted Tim to go to college and open up his world and mind a bit, I do love it when these two actors have scenes together. Tim trots after Coach, just like he always has, and it's absolutely beautiful.