Friday Night Lights

Last night J came in from his 'Guys' Night' that started after I walked in the door from my Ladies' Night at about 9pm. Fast forward to 2am and, other than the laundry being folded and put away and me snugly ensconced in bed, no further progress on Operation: Move Across America had been made.

As it was 2am, and I was just shutting down the laptop, J asked if I'd been working. Uh, no. Just spending some quality time catching up with my boyfriend Tim Riggins. If this name means nothing to you, that means you're missing out on what will most likely be one of those shows that has a cult following more after it's off the air than it did while it was on; Friday Night Lights. What drew me in initially was it's similarity to one of my favorite high school movies Varsity Blues. But, what's kept me is the phenomenal script, the amazing depth of the characters, and the convincing portrayals of them by the actors.

The marriage of Eric and Tami Taylor, the head football coach and his wife the guidance counselor turned school principal is so 'real'. While they have their arguments, and aren't afraid to stand up to each other or have a stand-off, there is no doubt that these are two people who very much love and respect each other.

As for my boyfriend? Tim Riggins, played by Taylor Kitsch, is so much more than just a very pretty face. He's that vulnerable bad boy that we all just want to take aside and give a big hug...or a swift kick in the rear.

Small town politics, social gossip, college admissions, relationships and heavy issues such as rape and race relations are handled seamlessly on this show that I only wish I'd started watching sooner. I'm all caught up and ready to start watching the final episodes on live TV. It has been confirmed that this will be its final season, but ABC will be airing the show in syndication from the beginning starting this fall. You can watch seasons one through three on netflix on demand, and some of the current episodes on hulu or nbc.com.

I think another reason I love it, is that it reminds me of going to home games as a kid. In a small town, sports are so important, both for the athletes and the community. The prospect of taking my kids to home football games is yet another reason I'm excited to find my way to Walla Walla. If you'd love to get swept away by the town that comes together, despite their differences, on Friday nights to watch the games under the big lights, tune in to Friday Night Lights on NBC.