Sophomore Slump

So things aren't going all that well in TeeVee land this season. There haven't been any break out hits. Gossip Girl's been picked up despite mediocre numbers, but a lot of the supposedly flagship new shows (Bionic Woman, Private Practice, I'm looking at you) have failed to impress.

Even more disturbing is the fact that a few of the returning series are also struggling. Heroes may never have been a great show, but at least it was entertaining. This year? Not so much.

Even worse than Heroes has been the disastrous opening to the new season of Friday Night Lights. Now, the first season of FNL came as close to perfection as a season of television can. The characters, storylines and the feel of Dillon, Texas were all so real that you'd swear you could hop in your car and drive there. It felt more like Hoop Dreams than a scripted series.

But boy have things ever gone off the rails.

Now I don't think it's as bad as some people (take Alex for instance), but it's pretty bad. Of course I'm talking about the Landry / Tyra murder plot.

Now I'm not completely opposed to the murder (unlike Alan), but getting rid of the body? Oy vey! Killing someone in the heat of the moment (even if he did it while the guy was walking away) I can understand. But Landry and Tyra are smart kids, after whacking a guy in the head with a pipe they'd call the damn ambulance or at least drop him off at the hospital.

This plotline is frustrating as all hell because it fractures the reality of Dillon, Texas with unnecessary melodrama. And it's a real shame too, because even in the midst of this misbegoten excuse of a story there are moments where Tyra and Landry (probably my two favorite actors on the show) really shine (specifically I'm talking about episode two, "Real Man" scene and the last scene in the episode).

There's still a lot to like in FNL. The Julie / Matt storyline is still strong (though I'm a little worried about this new live in caregiver at the Saracen's). Mrs. Coach is still riveting. Buddy's meltdown is amazing to watch. But compared to last year, the new season's been wildly inconsistent.