Friday Night Links

Clear eyes, full hearts... CAN'T LINK!

I love this examination of the technique of shooting Friday Night Lights. The directors and show runners aim for realism above all, so dialogue is loose, and all scenes are shot with three cameras, no rehearsals or blocking. No sets, no lighting either. (Spoiler free, basically. But wait til the end of season three if you're super paranoid).

Variety's review is great. And spoiler free.

As "Friday Night Lights" nears the conclusion of another winning season -- little seen, but enormously satisfying -- the parallels keep growing to another program that ranks among TV's best of the past decade, "The Wire."

And

The main frustration vis-a-vis "FNL" has been that the series has garnered scant attention for an element that should be universal: quite simply, the best marriage ever featured within a TV show. The central couple played by Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton are loving, playful and sexy, yet also not immune to sparring about everything from child-rearing to money issues. Lip service is often paid to "family values," but here's a program that genuinely captures the value of family -- frequently by bringing the Taylors and other caring adults into the lives of teens lacking such role models.

Pajiba looks at Friday Night Lights season one and declares it one of the Best 20 Seasons of the Decade. (Spoilers for season one).

After two years of persuasive arguing — it’s not really a show about football, it’s the best family drama in the history of television, Taylor Kitsch often removes his shirt — there’s nothing left we can do to convince you to watch “Friday Night Lights.” At this point, you’ve either given into the brilliance of “FNL” or you haven’t, and I doubt anything I write here will sway you otherwise.

Here's a review from Dan Carlson, who doesn't like sports. But he loves Friday Night Lights, because it's not really about sports. (Spoilers for season one).

But "Friday Night Lights" works for me because it's not just about the game, but about the people playing it. I'm not just marveling at the grace of a fourth-quarter Hail Mary pass to win the game; I'm rooting for sophomore Matt Saracen to step it up and become a leader.

And here's Connie Britton (aka Mrs Coach) speaking before the start of season three (definite spoilers).

Fun!