Friday Night Lights Season 2

I didn't see Season 1 of Friday Night Lights when it originally aired; we watched it on DVD. Other than Lost, I felt pretty confident that Friday Night Lights was the single best televised drama ever. And I didn't even like the movie. But something about the show, at least during Season 1, rang so true and felt so real that it was compelling beyond belief.

This week the wife and I sat down to watch Season 2 of Friday Night Lights. My wife has decided she doesn't even like the show anymore. I'm still fond of it, but it's not the same show as it was in Season 1. This is my opinion after watching the first three episodes. The plotlines seem contrived, as if the people making the show realized that the ratings for Season 1 weren't very good, and maybe they should change something to make the show more compelling.

Some of the changes so far:

Riggins has turned into an asshole. One might argue that he was an asshole in Season 1 too, but I didn't think so. He was likable. So far this season, he seems almost like a caricature of who he was in Season 1. I cringed when he told Lila that she was still he best he'd ever had. Ugh.

Landry joined the football team. And murdered someone. Landry's probably my favorite character, and I was really rooting for him to hook up with the hot blonde. But I don't think having him join the football team was necessary. And the murder plot is just over the top. This is like soap opera stuff.

Lila's become a born again Christian. Ugh. Strange plot development here. Not sure what I think about that, but my initial reaction is that I don't like it. At all.

Saracen and the coach's daughter broke up. This is so lame. They spent all of Season 1 getting together, and before we actually get to see their relationship develop, they've already split up because of "the Swede". Very strange.

Buddy has become pathetic. Buddy is another of my favorite characters. But in Season 2, he just seems to be falling apart. I just pray that he doesn't eventually wind up in AA meetings.

Connie Britton's breasts are proudly displayed in every episode. She's a lovely woman, and she certainly has a right to be proud of her bosom. It just seems like every episode so far has included several gratuitous shots of her leaning forward displaying cleavage. In one episode she walked all the way to the school in 105 degree heat so that she could sweat, and her breasts could glisten. Don't mistake me. I like it. It just seems gratuitous.

There are more changes so far (like Coach Taylor's daughter becoming a selfish little brat), but maybe later in the season the show will improve. I sure hope so. If they decide to make Season 3 even more interesting, the show will have probably irreversibly jumped the shark.