Some thoughts on Friday Night Lights, Episode 21: "Best Laid Plans"

Colt was great, and he gave Tim something to do as well. That sequence in "Decoy" was amazing.

Yeah, agreed on Raylan and Rachel. Those scenes not only emphasized the Raylan's emotional state, but also the bond the two share, how highly they think of each other. "You might see it that way…if you were a son of a bitch."

That moment was played perfectly by Searcy and Olyphant, and it was the perfect scene to set up the rest of the character interactions throughout. Both guys conveyed the conflicts, inner and external, they were facing just in those few minutes, and it was a nice teaser for what's to come.

They played Scrabble!

Raylan vs. Boyd, competing for Tim's affections.

"I won't give up on my dream!"

I really enjoyed the Abby-Jess dynamic here. It's always great to see Linda Cardellini, and while the show is becoming a bit overstuffed, she did a nice job of taking on some of Jess and Mrs. Day's qualities while still playing an opposite.

I am not watching some kid get circumcised.

We gotta get a list of attempts at incorporating "wingman" into the conversation.

Sure, but then they also do that thing where if they would continue the search and corner the bad guy, he'll somehow get away again and end up on a spaceship or something.

*Stab* CancerAIDS. *Stab* CancerAIDS. *Stab* CancerAIDS. *Stab* CancerAIDS. *Stab* CancerAIDS. *Stab stab stab* CancerAIDS.

This show is going to continue to draw ludicrous character connections, all to, you know, "raise the stakes". A few weeks from now, we'll have the following conversation:

"I'm a federal agent!"

You know, even if we're talking about merely direction, I'd take Michelle MacLaren any day over Fukunaga, and for that matter, every other television director out there.

Michelle MacLaren herself makes most directors look amateurish.

Friday Night Lights-Mud Bowl (Season 1, Episode 20)
“It's a football game. What you need for a football game is a football field, 22 kids, and a pigskin.”

Yeah, the spectacle of the final sequence is already a sight to behold, but when you consider how the show's characterized these characters to lead up to this point, it's even better.

Miserable assistant: Wow, those bikers on True Detective were really great.
Kurt Sutter: Fuck those True Detective pussies, we're going to top that next season by adding a lot more blood and guns.
*Fails miserably*
*Continues to insult TV reviewers on Twitter*

Even though the camera work was just top notch, McConaughey was just as essential to that scene. He carried it with so much energy, and he really sold the tension and the buildup to the frenzy that ensued.