Friday Night Lights - Episode 4.13 - Thanksgiving - Recap

Here we go the season finale. When we last were in Dillon Tim and his brother Billy are heading to jail, Coach has to play his former team the Dillon Panthers, and Principal Taylor is going to lose her job if she doesn't publicly apologize for helping Becky with her abortion.

The Clash of the Cats


There's a public pep rally for the big game, called the Big Cat Clash. Both teams and a bunch of media are there as the mayor tries to smooth things over with the teams; she has both coaches shake hands and the captains from both teams shake and smile for the cameras.

O Brother Where Art Thou Parts
Tim and Billy are at home talking with their lawyer. The prospects for them getting off aren't good. He says they're being charged with trafficking stolen parts; He can make a deal but they'll still be looking at 1-5 years. Not good news.

All my Xs and Os live in Texas
Julie visits Matt's grandmother to ask if she'd like like a ride for Thanksgiving. She says no, she has a ride already... Matt's going to drive her then out of nowhere Matt Sorensen walks out (Holy Sugar Shack!!!!)

We see Coach studying the Xs and Os. Then we see him talking to the team at practice, everyone on one knee listening: While those Panthers are having their fancy parties during Thanksgiving, we're going to be here physically and mentally preparing to beat them. It's time to ask yourself what kind of man am I. Friday night will be a bond between you men that will never be broken. Lastly, he says I don't really think we can beat the Dillon Panthers, I KNOW we can beat the Dillon Panthers.

-Opening Credits-

Coach walks in on Tami practicing her apology speech in the bathroom mirror. Coach says she's going to be fine and make it through. She wonders if she's doing the right thing; Coach doesn't have an answer for her.

Luck Be A Lady Tonight
Landry has been, well, unlucky with the ladies. But lady luck sort of smiled on him with his relationship with Jess, one of the cheerleaders on the Lions. But when Jess admits she has feelings for Vince, our Landry gets punched in the gut. Craps.

Come On Babe, Why Don't We Paint The Town
Matt and Julie are grocery shopping while Matt goes on and on about his apartment and his new life; its as if Matt is trying to sell Julie on Chicago. It turns out that he is when he says he truly misses her and he bought her a ticket.

Let's Turn the Tables with this Microphone


We got a room full of parents, school faculty and press all watching as Tami is about to give her apology. She steps up to the microphone and gets out a couple of words then stops. She starts again and says that she's always put the students first and any action that she made was with that intent. She says thanks and walks off.

Tiny Tim
A quiet Tim listens as Billy thinks up bad ideas: maybe we could just get in a car and drive away. Becky then shows up and knocks Tim down a few pegs lower that he already is. Becky calls him a liar for saying he turned his life around. She says he's just like every other guy out there and she gave him too much credit, which was her mistake.

Thanksgiving
Everybody is over at the Taylor's for Thanksgiving dinner including Buddy who brought along a turkey and his Deep Fryer. Tami doesn't like the idea, especially since she already is making turkey, but Buddy's fried turkey is a hit, lol. In the middle of dinner Billy gets up and makes a toast. He says Thanksgiving is really about the moments we share cause one day it'll all be gone and we'll be dead just like that turkey on the table. He looks at Tim and says that he loves him and that he's always been there for him no matter what. Realizing how emotional he's getting, he thanks the Taylors for having them over and sits back down.

Becks
Tim shows up at Becky's house and she reluctantly listens. He says that he understands that she's angry and he wants her to promise she'll give him a chance to win back her trust. She says that she will give him that chance then Tim gives her the snowglobe that his mom gave to him and tells Becky he'll be back for it when the time's right.

The Pride of Lions
In the big game the Panthers get off to a quick start, scoring easily,
but the Lions come right back and score; things are going good until Landry misses the kick after the touchdown. Then things go the Panthers way; they score again--and again and the Lions are in a hole. Coach comes up with a trick play that has Vince make a touchdown pass to the big and lumbering Tinker, who was left all alone. After the touchdown, Coach goes for 2 points instead of Landry's golden boot. They convert the 2 point play and head into halftime still down but with some momentum. At halftime Coach hands things over to Vince who leads the team in a rallying cry and everybody is pumped for the second half.

The Lions start the second half making a defensive stop that gives them the ball in good field position. Coach asks Luke how's he feeling and when he says good, Coach puts him in and he immediately makes a big run. On the next play, Vince makes a great pass to Luke and they score. They go for 2 points again and they convert. Score is 24-22, Lions still trailing.

Later Luke makes another big run but he takes a hard hit and gets up limping. There is basically no time left on the clock so Coach calls in Landry to kick a field goal--not just any field goal but a 45 yard field goal. Landry, whose been down after missing his first kick attempt, isn't confident at all to say the least, but he gets out there and lines up for the kick with the game on the line. The ball is snapped; the kick is up and its headed in the right direction, but does it have the distance? It's going, still going. The ball splits the uprights and the East Dillon Lions defeat the Panthers. Landry Clark made the kick of his life. Landry is carried off the field on the shoulders of Lions.

The Board Game
After the statement Tami made she's called in to speak with the head of the school board. He says the board has decided to put Tammi on administrative leave; she'll still be paid and in 6 months they'll revisit the situation.
Tami says she wants to go where she is needed and she's willing to give up being principal to head up the counseling program at East Dillon High. (Way to go Tami!)


I Move On


Matt takes Julie to the spot where Julie says he "deflowered" her. She tells him that Chicago sounds great and that she would be happy there, but she needs to find her own Chicago.

Billy, the kid
Tim asks to speak with Billy outside and he lets him know he's going to take the blame for the stolen car parts. "I did it," Tim says. Billy says that I can't let you do that. Tim, so emotional he can barely get the words out, reminds Billy that he's a father now and needs to be with his family. Billy is just crying and he grabs Tim and hugs him with everything he's got.

The End Zone


Billy drives Tim to the precinct where Tim walks in alone. Tammi comes home from her meeting and sees Coach putting up some Christmas lights outside. Matt on a plane to Chicago with his good friend Landry.