History YMMV / FridayNightLights

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: Matt Saracen's actions have been seen in a very un-woobie light in a lot of peoples eyes, as far as showing him as someone who for all of his angst about "people leaving him", he willfully shoves people away from him in order to play the poor pitiful me card to the hilt and will do so in the most vile way imaginable. He fucked his grandmother's caregiver and caused her to leave when he tries to force her into a relationship and most alarmingly, the fact that he sent his father TO HIS DEATH as far as hating his father for returning to help him take care of his grandmother.

* GeniusBonus: Texas Longhorn football fans will find the idea of having to replace a star quarterback named J. Street with a big legacy to be quite familiar, as does the idea of a star quarterback named McCoy and an athletic, dual-threat star quarterback named Vince.

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Tami with the whole redistricting plot. It's never really evident that East Dillon High got noticeably better because of it, and it seems like the only thing that came out of it was Joe McCoy became an even bigger {{Jerkass}}.

** [[spoiler: Screw college, with those kind of skills the NFL should have been trying to recruit that kid.]]* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: Uses a lot of the truly epic and beautiful Explosions in the Sky songs that were present in the movie, as well as its own score by W. G. Snuffy Walden.

** Averted again in 2011 (the show's final season), where Connie Britton was nominated again, the show [[AndTheFandomRejoiced finally received a nomination for "Outstanding Drama Series"]], and [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome Kyle Chandler actually *WON* the Emmy for Lead Actor in a Drama!]] We can be quite thankful that ''{{Breaking Bad}}'' didn't have a season that year. Jason Katims also won an Emmy for writing the Series Finale.

** Averted again in 2011 (the show's final season), where Connie Britton was nominated again, the show [[AndTheFandomRejoiced finally received a nomination for "Outstanding Drama Series"]], and [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome Kyle Chandler actually *WON* the Emmy for Lead Actor in a Drama!]] Jason Katims also won an Emmy for writing the Series Finale.

** Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for Zach Gilford, whose performance in the fan-favorite episode "The Son" (where Matt has to deal with his father's death) was sadly overlooked. On the bright side, the episode itself was nominated for it's writing.
** Repeated in 2011 (the show's final season), where Connie Britton was nominated again, the show [[AndTheFandomRejoiced finally received a nomination for "Outstanding Drama Series"]], and [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome Kyle Chandler actually *WON* the Emmy for Lead Actor in a Drama!]] Jason Katims also won an Emmy for writing the Series Finale.

** [[spoiler: Screw college, with those kind of skills the NFL should have been trying to recruit that kid.]]
* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: Uses a lot of the truly epic and beautiful Explosions in the Sky songs that were present in the movie, as well as its own score by W. G. Snuffy Walden.

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* TheWoobie: Matt Saracen. Also Jason Street (kinda, see WheelchairWoobie) and, to a lesser extent, J.D. [=McCoy=] in Season 3.

* TooGoodToLast: A notable [[AvertedTrope aversion]]; despite being near cancellation about four million times, strong viewer and network support -- ''[[NetworkToTheRescue network support!!]]'' -- kept it going for a respectable five years.

* NiceJobBreakingIt,Hero: Tami with the whole redistricting plot. It's never really evident that East Dillon High got noticeably better because of it, and it seems like the only thing that came out of it was Joe McCoy became an even bigger {{Jerkass}}.

* SophomoreSlump: The Tyra/Landry murder plot, Julie becomes a brat, Matt boinks his grandma's caregiver, etc. This has led to some DisContinuity and perhaps some CanonDisContinuity in the third season, as the show itself seems to be ignoring a lot of these things ever happening. Seriously, two of the main characters murdered someone and confessed to it, but after season two it's never mentioned again.

* TheWoobie: Matt Saracen. Also Jason Street and, to a lesser extent, J.D. [=McCoy=] in Season 3.

* CrowningMomentOfAwesome:
** Tami bitch-slapping a bratty Julie in season 2.
** Coach chasing Julie's lecherous TA off his property.
** Matt Saracen leading the team back to the brink of victory in the season 3 finale after JD McCoy implodes.
** Buddy Garrity telling the Panther boosters to go to hell when one of them calls Tammi a "bitch."

--> ''Matt:'' You left me for a better job! Julie left me for a better guy, Carlota left me for Guatemala, my dad left me for a damn war! Everybody leaves me! What's wrong with me?"

* CrowningMomentofAwesome:

* {{Tearjerker}}: ''The Son'' aka 'Why didn't Zach Gilford get an Emmy Nom after this?'.

* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: Uses a lot of the truly epic and beautiful Explosions in the Sky songs that were present in the movie.

* HeyItsThatGuy: This is where [[TheWire Wallace]] is at.