Friday Night Lights (season 2)
Encyclopedia
The second season of the American serial drama television series Friday Night Lights
commenced airing in the United States and Canada on October 5, 2007 and concluded its 15-episode season on February 7, 2008. While initially renewed for a 22-episode full season, the show ended production for the season after filming of the 15th episode due to the 2007-2008 Writers Guild of America strike. Its future was once again in doubt as it did not return to production once the strike ended and continued to suffer from low ratings in its new Friday at 9:00PM time slot. However, NBC announced in April 2008 that the show would return for a 3rd season with first-run broadcasts airing on DirecTV's The 101.
The season continued to focus around the Dillon Panthers as the pressures and challenges on and off the field reached new highs after the team won the 2006 Texas 5A State Championship and lost head coach Eric Taylor
to a new college job at TMU.
, Imagine Television, and Film 44 and was aired on NBC
in the United States. Peter Berg
, Sarah Aubrey
, David Nevins, Brian Grazer
, and Jason Katims
continued to serve as executive producers, with Jeffrey Reiner
and John Cameron
serving as co-executive producers. Staff writers included Katims, producers David Hudgins
and Bridget Carpenter
, consulting producers Kerry Ehrin
, Patrick Massett
, and John Zinman
, supervising producers Carter Harris
and Elizabeth Heldens
, and Aaron Rahsaan Thomas
. Regular directors throughout the season include Reiner, Allison Liddi, Jonas Pate
, and David Boyd
. Theme song music was composed by W. G. Snuffy Walden. Tracks from Explosions in the Sky
were also used throughout the season. Katims served as showrunner.
portrayed Eric Taylor
, head coach of the Dillon Panthers. Connie Britton
played Tami Taylor
, wife of Eric and guidance counselor of Dillon High School. Gaius Charles
played Brian "Smash" Williams, the cocky running back and star of the team. Zach Gilford
played quarterback Matt Saracen
. Minka Kelly
played Lyla Garrity, former girlfriend of now Panther assistant coach Jason Street
played by Scott Porter
. Taylor Kitsch
portrayed Tim Riggins
, fullback, resident bad boy, and best friend of Street. Adrianne Palicki
played bad girl Tyra Collette. Jesse Plemons
played Landry Clarke, Saracen's best friend. Aimee Teegarden
played Julie Taylor, daughter of Eric and Tami. Supporting characters who also returned include: Brad Leland
as Lyla's father and head of the Dillon Panther's Booster Club Buddy Garrity, Derek Phillips as Tim's brother Billy Riggins, Louanne Stephens as Saracen's grandmother Lorraine Saracen, Liz Mikel
as Smash's mother Corrina Williams, Kevin Rankin
as Herc, Blue Derkert as Panther coach Mac MacGill, and Dana Wheeler-Nicholson
as Tyra's mother Angela Collette.
New guest stars this season included: Glenn Morshower
as Landry's father and Dillon police officer Chad Clarke, Daniella Alonso as Lorraine Saracen's new live-in nurse Carlotta, Jessalyn Gilsig
as Tami's sister Shelley Hayes, and Chris Mulkey
as Coach McGregor.
Tensions reach a boiling point during the first game of the season. With Taylor watching, Coach McGregor angers Boosters by switching the final play, resulting in Smash and Matt getting into a physical confrontation. Tami loses it with Julie and slaps her across the face during a late night argument. Street quits his position as assistant coach, fed up with the team and learning that his condition will not improve even after regaining full motor control in one of his hands. After losing the second game and seeing another physical confrontation between Smash and Matt, the Boosters fire McGregor and offer Taylor the position if he leaves TMU. Taylor, seeing how bad things are at home with his family and team, leaves TMU and returns to coaching the Panthers.
+ Score was not revealed during episode.
++ Score at the end of the third quarter. Final Score wasn't revealed
+++ Score 28-13 (Fort Hood) at the end of the second quarter. Final Score wasn't revealed
++++ Panthers' awarded the victory after opposing coach interfered with game play
+++++ Revealed in episode 1 season 3 that the Panthers got into the playoffs, but Smash got injured, and they lost to Arnett Mead.
Friday Night Lights (TV series)
Friday Night Lights is an American sports drama television series adapted by Peter Berg, Brian Grazer and David Nevins from a book and film of the same name. The series details events surrounding a high school football team based in fictional Dillon, Texas, with particular focus given to team...
commenced airing in the United States and Canada on October 5, 2007 and concluded its 15-episode season on February 7, 2008. While initially renewed for a 22-episode full season, the show ended production for the season after filming of the 15th episode due to the 2007-2008 Writers Guild of America strike. Its future was once again in doubt as it did not return to production once the strike ended and continued to suffer from low ratings in its new Friday at 9:00PM time slot. However, NBC announced in April 2008 that the show would return for a 3rd season with first-run broadcasts airing on DirecTV's The 101.
The season continued to focus around the Dillon Panthers as the pressures and challenges on and off the field reached new highs after the team won the 2006 Texas 5A State Championship and lost head coach Eric Taylor
Eric Taylor (Friday Night Lights)
Eric Taylor is a fictional character in the NBC/DirecTV drama television series Friday Night Lights played by Kyle Chandler. He is introduced as the head coach of the Dillon High School football team, the Dillon Panthers...
to a new college job at TMU.
Crew
The season was produced by NBC Universal TelevisionNBC Universal Television
NBCUniversal Television Group is an American and global television production/distribution company and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal.The company is composed of six divisions: Universal Television , NBC Universal Television Stations, NBCUniversal Television Distribution, NBCUniversal...
, Imagine Television, and Film 44 and was aired on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
in the United States. Peter Berg
Peter Berg
Peter Berg is an American actor, film director, producer and writer. He is known for directing films such as Friday Night Lights, The Kingdom, The Rundown, Hancock and Battleship. He also developed the television series Friday Night Lights, which was adapted from the film he directed. As an actor...
, Sarah Aubrey
Sarah Aubrey
Sarah Aubrey is an English-Australian actress. She has had guest roles in episodes of All Saints, Water Rats, and Above the Law, along with numerous TV commercials...
, David Nevins, Brian Grazer
Brian Grazer
Brian Thomas Grazer is an Academy Award-winning American film and television producer who co-founded Imagine Entertainment in 1986 with Ron Howard. Together they have produced many acclaimed films, including Apollo 13 and A Beautiful Mind .- Career :Brian Grazer began his career as a producer...
, and Jason Katims
Jason Katims
Jason Katims is an American television writer, producer, and playwright. He is best known for Relativity, which he created and wrote for; Roswell, which he developed, produced, and wrote for; Boston Public, which he co-wrote; Pepper Dennis, a short-lived dramedy starring Rebecca Romijn on The WB;...
continued to serve as executive producers, with Jeffrey Reiner
Jeffrey Reiner
Jeffrey Reiner is an American film director, editor, television director and producer.Since the late 1980s, he has amassed a number credits in the film and television industry...
and John Cameron
John Cameron
-Life and academic career:Cameron was born at Glasgow and received his early education in his native city. After having taught Greek in the university for twelve months, he removed to Bordeaux, where he was soon appointed a regent in the college of Bergerac. He did not remain long at Bordeaux, but...
serving as co-executive producers. Staff writers included Katims, producers David Hudgins
David Hudgins
David Hudgins, , is a television writer and producer. He has worked on the series Everwood, Friday Night Lights and Parenthood.-Career:...
and Bridget Carpenter
Bridget Carpenter
-Life:She holds an M.F.A. from Brown University, and has taught playwriting in grammar school, high school, college, and prison.Most recently, she was a playwright-in-residence at the Royal National Theatre in London. Her plays have been produced across the country. She is working on new play...
, consulting producers Kerry Ehrin
Kerry Ehrin
Kerry Ehrin is a television writer. She has worked on the NBC drama series Friday Night Lights. She was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for Best New Series at the February 2007 ceremony for her work on the first season of Friday Night Lights...
, Patrick Massett
Patrick Massett
Patrick Massett is an American television actor and writer. He played Duras in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes "Sins of the Father" and "Reunion". He has worked on both the NBC drama series Friday Night Lights and the Syfy series Caprica. He often works with writing partner John Zinman...
, and John Zinman
John Zinman
John Zinman is a film and television writer. He has worked on the NBC drama series Friday Night Lights. He often works with writing partner Patrick Massett...
, supervising producers Carter Harris
Carter Harris
Carter Harris is a television writer. He has worked on the NBC drama series Friday Night Lights. He was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for Best New Series at the February 2007 ceremony for his work on the first season of Friday Night Lights...
and Elizabeth Heldens
Elizabeth Heldens
Elizabeth Heldens is a television writer. She has worked on the NBC drama series Friday Night Lights. She was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for Best New Series at the February 2007 ceremony for her work on the first season of Friday Night Lights...
, and Aaron Rahsaan Thomas
Aaron Rahsaan Thomas
Aaron Rahsaan Thomas is a television and film screenwriter and producer, as well as an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts....
. Regular directors throughout the season include Reiner, Allison Liddi, Jonas Pate
Jonas Pate
Jonas James Pate is an American screenwriter, director and producer. He wrote and directed The Grave, Deceiver, The Take, and also directed Shrink. He co-created Good vs Evil and Surface...
, and David Boyd
David Boyd (cinematographer)
David R. Boyd A.S.C. is an American cinematographer, television director and camera operator best known for his role as director of photography for the FOX television series Firefly. He also worked as cinematographer on the first three episodes of HBO's Deadwood...
. Theme song music was composed by W. G. Snuffy Walden. Tracks from Explosions in the Sky
Explosions in the Sky
Explosions in the Sky is an American post-rock band from Texas. The band has garnered popularity beyond the post-rock scene for their elaborately developed guitar work, narratively styled instrumentals, what they refer to as "cathartic mini-symphonies," and their enthusiastic and emotional live shows...
were also used throughout the season. Katims served as showrunner.
Cast
The second season saw all ten star billing roles of season 1 return. Kyle ChandlerKyle Chandler
Kyle Martin Chandler is an American film and television actor best known for his roles in the television shows Early Edition as Gary Hobson, Deputy Jackson Lamb in the film Super 8, and as Coach Eric Taylor in Friday Night Lights, for which he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead...
portrayed Eric Taylor
Eric Taylor (Friday Night Lights)
Eric Taylor is a fictional character in the NBC/DirecTV drama television series Friday Night Lights played by Kyle Chandler. He is introduced as the head coach of the Dillon High School football team, the Dillon Panthers...
, head coach of the Dillon Panthers. Connie Britton
Connie Britton
Connie Britton is an American actress. She is best known for the roles of Nikki Faber on Spin City and on Friday Night Lights as Tami Taylor. Her most notable films are Friday Night Lights and A Nightmare on Elm Street...
played Tami Taylor
Tami Taylor
Tami Taylor is a fictional character on the NBC/DirecTV drama Friday Night Lights; played by Connie Britton. She is the wife of the show's main character, high school football coach Eric Taylor.-Character history:...
, wife of Eric and guidance counselor of Dillon High School. Gaius Charles
Gaius Charles
Gaius Charles is an American stage, television and film actor best known for playing Brian "Smash" Williams on NBC's Friday Night Lights.-Early life:...
played Brian "Smash" Williams, the cocky running back and star of the team. Zach Gilford
Zach Gilford
Zach Gilford is an American actor best known for his role as Matt Saracen on the NBC television drama series Friday Night Lights. Gilford starred alongside Terrell Owens in the 2008 NBA Celebrity All-Star game....
played quarterback Matt Saracen
Matt Saracen
Matthew "Matt" Saracen is a fictional character in the NBC/DirecTV television drama series Friday Night Lights portrayed by the actor Zach Gilford...
. Minka Kelly
Minka Kelly
Minka Dumont Kelly is an American actress. She starred in the NBC series Friday Night Lights as Lyla Garrity from 2006 to 2009 and has also had roles in The Roommate and the reboot series Charlie's Angels.-Early life:Kelly was born in Los Angeles...
played Lyla Garrity, former girlfriend of now Panther assistant coach Jason Street
Jason Street
Jason Mitchell Street is a fictional character in the NBC/DirecTV television drama Friday Night Lights, portrayed by Scott Porter...
played by Scott Porter
Scott Porter
Matthew Scott Porter , better known as Scott Porter, is an American actor and occasional singer known for his role as Jason Street in the NBC television drama Friday Night Lights. His character was injured during a football game in the pilot episode and became a paraplegic...
. Taylor Kitsch
Taylor Kitsch
-Early life and modeling career:Kitsch was born in Kelowna, British Columbia. He has two older brothers and two younger half sisters. Originally set to become a professional hockey player, he played for the Langley Hornets in the Canadian BCHL before a bad knee injury ended his career...
portrayed Tim Riggins
Tim Riggins
-External links:*...
, fullback, resident bad boy, and best friend of Street. Adrianne Palicki
Adrianne Palicki
Adrianne Palicki is an American actress best known for her role as Tyra Collette on the NBC television series Friday Night Lights.-Early life:...
played bad girl Tyra Collette. Jesse Plemons
Jesse Plemons
Jesse Plemons is an American film and television actor best known for playing Landry Clarke on NBC's Friday Night Lights.-Career:...
played Landry Clarke, Saracen's best friend. Aimee Teegarden
Aimee Teegarden
Aimee Richelle Teegarden is an American actress. She starred as Julie Taylor in the NBC series Friday Night Lights, Jenny Randall in the horror film Scream 4, and Nova Prescott in the Disney film Prom.-Career:...
played Julie Taylor, daughter of Eric and Tami. Supporting characters who also returned include: Brad Leland
Brad Leland
Brad Leland is an American actor who has appeared in 20 feature films, 25 television shows, and numerous theater performances. He played the character Buddy Garrity in the television show Friday Night Lights.-Early life:...
as Lyla's father and head of the Dillon Panther's Booster Club Buddy Garrity, Derek Phillips as Tim's brother Billy Riggins, Louanne Stephens as Saracen's grandmother Lorraine Saracen, Liz Mikel
Liz Mikel
Elizabeth Juliene "Liz" Mikel is an American actress and jazz vocalist from Dallas, Texas. She is best known for her role as Corinna "Mama" Williams, mother of star running back Brian "Smash" Williams, on the NBC television series Friday Night Lights.-Career:Mikel has been performing on stage...
as Smash's mother Corrina Williams, Kevin Rankin
Kevin Rankin (actor)
Kevin Rankin is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Tyler Briggs on the NBC show Trauma.-Filmography:* "Big Love" .... Verlan Walker* "The Mentalist" .... Danny Ruskin* "Justified" .... Devil* "Trauma" .... Tyler Briggs...
as Herc, Blue Derkert as Panther coach Mac MacGill, and Dana Wheeler-Nicholson
Dana Wheeler-Nicholson
Dana Wheeler-Nicholson is an American actress.Sometimes credited as Dana Wheeler Nicholson, she has appeared in numerous movies, but is probably best known for her role in Fletch as Gail Stanwyk and in Tombstone as Mattie Blaylock Dana Wheeler-Nicholson (born New York City, New York, October 9,...
as Tyra's mother Angela Collette.
New guest stars this season included: Glenn Morshower
Glenn Morshower
Glenn Grove Morshower is an American actor best known for playing Secret Service Agent Aaron Pierce on the Fox action thriller drama series 24...
as Landry's father and Dillon police officer Chad Clarke, Daniella Alonso as Lorraine Saracen's new live-in nurse Carlotta, Jessalyn Gilsig
Jessalyn Gilsig
Jessalyn Gilsig is a Canadian actress known for her roles in the television series Boston Public, Nip/Tuck and as Will Schuester's ex-wife Terri Schuester in Glee...
as Tami's sister Shelley Hayes, and Chris Mulkey
Chris Mulkey
Chris Mulkey is an American actor who most recently appeared in Against the Wall, Cloverfield, the NBC TV movie Knight Rider, and as a corporate executive in season 7 of 24...
as Coach McGregor.
Season Synopsis
At the beginning of Season 2, Coach Taylor is living in Austin and coaching at Texas Methodist University as the new football season draws closer. With Taylor gone, coach McGregor butting heads with players and Boosters, Smash's increased cockiness angering his teammates and the pressure to get back to the State Championship increasing, the Panthers slowly begin falling apart. Things are also not well at the Taylor home, following the birth of Eric and Tami's daughter Gracie. Tami becomes depressed as she takes care of Gracie alone. Julie refuses to help her mother, begins spending time with male co-worker "The Swede," and breaks up with Matt. Matt, upset over the breakup and over Taylor's absence, faces even more challenges as a rift between himself and Smash emerges and caring for his grandmother becomes a bigger struggle as her dementia slowly gets worse.Tensions reach a boiling point during the first game of the season. With Taylor watching, Coach McGregor angers Boosters by switching the final play, resulting in Smash and Matt getting into a physical confrontation. Tami loses it with Julie and slaps her across the face during a late night argument. Street quits his position as assistant coach, fed up with the team and learning that his condition will not improve even after regaining full motor control in one of his hands. After losing the second game and seeing another physical confrontation between Smash and Matt, the Boosters fire McGregor and offer Taylor the position if he leaves TMU. Taylor, seeing how bad things are at home with his family and team, leaves TMU and returns to coaching the Panthers.
Fictional Game Results
| Fictional Game Results | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opponent | Win/Loss | Score | Record | Episode # | Episode | |
| Regular Season^ | ||||||
| South Milbank Rattlers | Win | 6-0 | 1-0 | 25 | Are You Ready for Friday Night? | |
| Wescott Warriors | Loss | Unk+ | 1-1 | 26 | Backfire | |
| Westerby Chaps | Win | 20-19 | 2-1 | 27 | Let's Get It On | |
| McNulty Mavericks | Loss | 0-37++ | 2-2 | 30 | Seeing Other People | |
| Fort Hood Cougars | Win | Unk+++ | 3-2 | 31 | The Confession | |
| Laribee Lions | Win | 38-43++++ | 4-2 | 33 | Jumping The Gun | |
| South Pines Tigers | Win | 45-6 | 5-2 | 37 | May The Best Man Win | |
| Arnett Mead Tigers | Loss | ??+++++ | 8-3 | 38 | I Knew You When | |
+ Score was not revealed during episode.
++ Score at the end of the third quarter. Final Score wasn't revealed
+++ Score 28-13 (Fort Hood) at the end of the second quarter. Final Score wasn't revealed
++++ Panthers' awarded the victory after opposing coach interfered with game play
+++++ Revealed in episode 1 season 3 that the Panthers got into the playoffs, but Smash got injured, and they lost to Arnett Mead.
Episodes
| № | |Title | |Written by | |Production code |
|---|