"Where's The Me Time?"

Friday Night Lights is my favorite show. Unfortunately it is always on the edge of cancellation thanks to low ratings. The show tracks the life of several beautifully drawn characters in Dillon, Texas, a small town obsessed with its high shool football team. Every week, the show deals with faith, love, family and friendship in an honest and extremely entertaining fashion. The characters are what make the show special. Not to mention the depth and humanity that characterize them all. To introduce the uninitiated, I thought every Friday I would write a profile on a character from the show.

I decided to start with Tim Riggins, who is probably the fan's favorite. Riggins has been the biggest surprise of the show. The first few episodes he seemed like he was going to be there as window dressing. A guy who only seemed to care about the latest rally girl in his bed and where his next beer was coming from. 

As the show progressed, Riggins like all the other characters, began to show a depth not often found on network television. His relationship with his best friend Jason Street and with his best friend's girl, Lyla Garrity, showed their was a complexity beneath the surface. As the show continued Riggins who never expects too much from himself, always managed to stay on his feet no matter how hard he was pushed. As he survived hardship after hardship Riggin's carefree attitude and sense of humor emerged as a kind of poignant bravery.

Riggins generates a lot of laughs to go along with all that complexity. The humor is always based in reality and is consistently true to the characters. That is another great strength of the show. 

  

season three has been a real showcase for Taylor Kitsch, (Who is destined to be a movie star) the actor who plays Riggins. His character's romantic relationship with Lyla Garrity has given Riggins a whole new emotional depth. His decisions effect someone else now and it has been fascinating to watch a character so set in his ways, try to bend to be the kind of guy his girlfriend needs him to be. Their odd couple romance has been a real treat. That may be the best thing about Friday Night Lights. These fictional characters constantly surprise you. They change and grow in ways that make them as human as the people that make up the shows small but dedicated following.

Friday Night Lights is finishing up what will most likely be its final season Friday's at 9 p.m. on NBC. I understand that it isn't the coolest time to watch T.V., it is Friday after all. But maybe some Friday before you go out surf over to NBC while you are getting ready to go out. Or you can watch all the show's episodes for free online here. I encourage you to take a trip to Dillon, you may just find yourself wanting to go back. Tim Riggins is just one of many great characters you will meet.

Next week I'll be talking about the indelible Landry Clarke.