Friday Night Lights 5.2: STATE!

That's what Coach Taylor wrote on the blackboard at the end of last night's episode 5.2 of Friday Night Lights on NBC - "STATE" - as the Lions were about to go out and play their second game.

The episode, football-wise, was about how the retrograde forces in Texas high school football - the team beaten by the Lions in episode 1, the Commissioners on whatever committee only happy to do the losers' bidding, the powers that be, those threatened by the Lions - are not going to sit back and accept the Lions as winners.   So the Lions don't show up in the rankings, even though their victory last week moved the loser down in the rankings.  And Luke's fine tackle is ruled otherwise, with Luke suspended for this next game.

In that context, Coach writing "STATE" on the black board was a perfect gesture of defiance to top off the episode.  We'll soon find out if the word was more than a gesture - if the Lions really have the stuff to get to the top this year.

Otherwise, Julie's at college, flirting with her teaching assistant (a boring history of Texas class, apparently required of all students), Tami's finally raising a little interest in the East Dillon faculty, and Becky sweet steers Luke away from getting into a fight with the new guy - the basketball player - on team.    But she demurs from spending any more nighttime time with him - she's still hung up on Tim Riggins, and Luke did make her pregnant.

Volatile ingredients for the season, and I haven't even mentioned Vince getting all those letters of interest in his junior year from colleges ...

See also Reasons to Watch Friday Night Lights and Friday Night Lights Final Season: Sneak Preview Review and Friday Night Lights 5.1: Football and Family

And coming this summer, my "Friday Night Lights, NBC, and DirecTV: How an Unlikely Partnership Saved a Great Show and Pointed the Way to the Future" in this brand new anthology ...