Thoughts on FNL 413

[fleurlb]

It took me a looooong time before I was able to sit down and re-watch the FNL season finale. I'll admit it - I was kind of being a baby about it. I've been really hormonal and emotional this week and wasn't sure I'd be able to hack it. I think the wait was probably good, and I definitely think I would've been in 87 pieces had I tried to watch it any sooner.

Of course, rewatching is only one part of it. Getting my thoughts to line up in any sort of cogent manner is quite another. But hell, when have I let logic and structure stop me before? That's right, never. But, to try to force some manners on the post, I guess I could go by character (in no particular order).

Vince
In the absence of Tim, I think Vince is going to end up becoming my favorite character.  Michael B. Jordan is just amazing - I loved him on "The Wire" and was so happy to hear he'd gotten a part on FNL. The way he talked to Coach and told him that he didn't think he was the guy who could give him what he wanted, and just how he acknowledged that he could feel how badly Coach wanted and needed to win....wow.

I don't know that we've ever seen a player talk to Coach that way. It was like they were relating on an entirely different plane....like the first conversation you have with your parents when you're an adult and you're able to realize that they're this separate entity with their own hopes, dreams, and disappointments.

I'm not sure how I feel about Vince and Jess as a couple, but I did love their scene together with his mother. The way he looked at Jess, it was like he'd just discovered the most surprising and amazing gift under his Christmas tree. 

Luke
I get the feeling that if Luke thought setting himself on fire would get Coach to notice him, then he'd do it. I don't know if it was the move from West to East Dillon or what, but it seems like he always wanted more from Coach. That's all I could think of during his talk with Coach in the office, about how he was talking about this transfer opportunity the same way a woman who doesn't think her boyfriend pays enough attention to her would talk about some guy flirting with her at work.

He just wanted Coach to reaffirm that he was an important, valued member of the team. And damn but if Coach wasn't still angry at him about the hidden injury thing. But it seems like Coach was playing another angle as well, kind of testing Luke's team-player-ness, for lack of a better word. The kid's already said he's got one foot out of the door and my impression is that Coach's saying he'd not be playing was a test. Would Luke keep showing up to practices or would he just check out? It was a nice way of giving Luke a chance to reinforce his commitment to the team.

Landry
It was so great to see him be the big hero of the game. I also thought the show did a decent job of building up to the moment the last one or two shows. (Like after the toothpick stunt when Coach had him kicking 40-yarders while the team did a running drill until he made one.) I totally believed that Landry might have at least one ridiculously long field goal in him. (It was also a nice reversal from losing State by a field goal last year.) My only complaint about the game was why the hell didn't we get to see his parents? We got to see the freaking Caffertys, who hate football and think the Taylors are the Devil, so we should have gotten to see the Clarkes too, especially since football was such a big thing for Landry's dad.

Coach
Don't think we've ever seen Coach look so happy about a win. And I don't think I've ever been so happy to see a fictional team win anything. (I thought S1 State was good.....this was 100 times better.) I love that Coach gave Tinker a chance to score a touchdown. (And damn but I love Tinker in all his solid glory. He's like a giant Weeble. Oh, and if you haven't read celtic_flicka 's Tinker story, "Protection", why the hell not? Go do it now. You'll thank me later.)

Mrs. Coach
Good for Tami, not apologizing just to save her job, even though it caused her such angst and worry. Also good for her coming up with a solution to the problem. A couple of the reviews I read complained about this solution, saying it was a cop-out by the writers. I don't think so though. It was true to the character and it also serves the needs of the story. The show just can't support two schools - not with a paltry 13 episodes. This was a transitional year and now we'll get one (apparently final) season that just focuses on East Dillon. And that's good. Plus, Tami had a really shit time of it being Principal, especially this year. She wasn't enjoying the job and I think she's going to find the counselor gig a lot more demanding, but also more rewarding. (And Joe McCoy won't be trying to get her fired....although it does make me wonder how Mrs.Cafferty is going to take this news.)

Coach and Mrs. Coach
Yeah, well, they're separate people and then they're one entity, which is the fundamental mystery and beauty of any good marriage. As one entity, they had two awesome scenes. I loved the conversation about Buddy Garrity coming to Thanksgiving dinner with a deep-fryer and a turkey. God, that just rang so true to me. It's exactly the kind of thing my husband would do, and tell me as a by-the-way sort of thing. ("Oh yeah, Dave's in town on business, so I invited him over.. yeah, I know you have to work tomorrow, but we'll order pizza or something...oh, and a few of other people are coming too....how many? Not many....um, 10 or 15 maybe. And Frank has to bring all 4 kids because his wife said so. But sure it'll be fine"......yeah, that's a true story.) 

The other awesome scene was in bed, where they talk about her fears about losing her job. So underplayed and natural - it totally made me cry. (And if you're counting, I cried three other times - the snowglobe, the game, and pretty much the entire last six or seven minutes.)

Julie
khemlab  made the observation that the writers were perhaps making Julie a bit too wise-beyond-her-years when she said she needed to find her own Chicago. I agree, but I think there's another problem here. I don't really have a sense of what Julie's dreams are. This whole Habitat thing is new and has felt kind of tacked on or something. I hope we see enough of her in S5 to get an idea of what these dreams are.

Matt
Poor Matty Saracen, showing up and thinking everyone would be happy to see him when in reality, probably only Grandma and Shelby were. I'm glad he got to have a proper good-bye with Julie and that Landry accompanied him back to Chicago. 

Tim
 *sigh* I knew this ending was coming and I honestly thought I'd made peace with it. But still, when it finally happened, it burned and stung, even as it felt right for the story and the character. Believe me, I wish more than anything that Tim could have gotten a happier short-term ending, like the one in "Fades, If You Let It." But between fate, chance, and his own crappy choices, that wasn't going to happen.

I remember devilc  once pointing out that people needed to get over themselves and understand what Supernatural is all about. I'm paraphrasing here, but she basically said that it's not the Odyssey - it's Beowulf. There's no escaping the fact that it's going to end bloody. I wish I was better read, because I'm sure that somewhere out there in the wide world o' literature, there's a parallel to Tim's ending, but I'm not coming up with it right now. 

What made Tim's decision resonate was that Billy had given up a chunk of his life to raise Tim, who was always painfully aware of that fact. To say they had a crap childhood would be to wildly understate the point, so Tim has this amazing moment of redemption and brotherly love when he gives up the next 'one-to-five' years of his life so that Billy can be a father to his and Mindy's son. It's a beautiful and touching bit of self-sacrifice by a guy who has grown up so much in the last four seasons. 

I kind of wish a few things were done differently. One, I could've done without Billy's Thanksgiving speech. It felt a little too much (and a lot too cringe-worthy), even though it was entirely in keeping with Billy's character. Two, I'd have liked to have seen Tim at the speech Coach gave to the team early in the episode. "You ask yourselves, gentlemen, because it is time. What kind of a man am I?" That has been the question Tim's been trying to figure out all season (and really, maybe even longer than that) and that moment felt like such a thesis-statement moment for Tim's character. It would've been nice to see him there for it. 

Third, I think the sacrifice would have been even more staggering had Tim not been involved at all in the chop shop, but had just been arrested because he was working and there were stolen parts in view when the police showed up or something. Now, I do go back and forth on this, since it was sort of essential for Tim to know what was going on, and once he knew, it's sort of inconceivable that he would leave Billy hanging. He'd do anything for his brother, after all. And they were able to construct the storyline so that Tim was only ever a less-than-willing participant, but I think there might have been a nicer parallel between Tim and Billy's sacrifices for each other if Tim ha hadd no culpability at all of the chop shop. 

All that said, the ending still broke me because of the attachment I have to the character and what this development means for his life. I don't think it's ruined by any means, but I do think it just got a hell of a lot more difficult. (I also wonder what happens to his land - does the fact that it was purchased with the proceeds of a crime mean that the police can seize it?) 

The End
Not a character, but still a big enough entity to warrant its own section. I approve of using a Steve Earle song for the end. I also approve of juxtaposing Tim and Matt, both of them heading off into an uncertain future. I've always felt that Tim and Matt are kind of different sides of the same coin. Matt is what you get when you have a basically decent kid who's raised by someone who loves him unconditionally and Tim, well, Tim is what you get when you have a basically decent kid who probably would've been better off if he'd been raised by wolves. 

So, those are pretty much my thoughts. I'm kicking around a Tim-in-prison fic in my head, so hopefully that will see the light of day sometime in the next few weeks. I have a title and an image, at least. Let's see if I can pull a plot out of it. 



P.S. My last thought is kind of a little bizarre, but the warnings on DirecTV have cracked me up all season. "For Audiences 14+ Contains: Dialogue, Language, Violence, Sexual Content." Um, don't most television shows contain dialogue?

Comments

[celtic-flicka.livejournal.com]

Agreed on all counts. I'd also add that I think Tim took the rap to benefit his nephew as much as he did his brother. Not only did he want to pay Billy back for having been a father to him, but also to give Stephen the chance to be raised by a daddy who loves him, since he and Billy never had that.

Man, Taylor Kitsch has become one hell of an actor over the last four seasons, a fact that I think is sometimes overlooked because of his pretty, pretty face. But the look on that face in his last scene had so many emotions in it--it was truly brilliant.

Derek Phillips was great too--you could see how terrible Billy felt about it all--given that the chop shop was his idea, and that he's spent so much effort trying to keep Tim out of trouble--but also knowing that he has to go along with Tim's plan because of his own son.

Basically, I started crying as soon as Tinker got to score a touchdown (thanks for the rec!) and didn't stop until long after the ep was over.

[fleurlb.livejournal.com]

I'd also add that I think Tim took the rap to benefit his nephew as much as he did his brother. Not only did he want to pay Billy back for having been a father to him, but also to give Stephen the chance to be raised by a daddy who loves him, since he and Billy never had that.

Excellent point. I think I kind of missed that entirely.

ITA with you on TK and the acting. He has a movie, The Bang Bang Club, that's meant to be coming out this year that I'm really looking forward to.

[celtic-flicka.livejournal.com]

That actually looks like a pretty good movie. I hope it is--it would do his career some good to do a movie where his primary job isn't just to look hot.

[meghan-84.livejournal.com]

wait I have an idea of how we can work your prison fic idea into lost that is if your game.....

[fleurlb.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the thought and the email, but we're so close to wrapping it up now, I think we should stay on track. :)

[devilc.livejournal.com]

does the fact that it was purchased with the proceeds of a crime mean that the police can seize it?

Yes. Tim will lose that land.

There is a novel I know I can compare Tim to, but it's on the tip of my brain.

[fleurlb.livejournal.com]

Let me know if you think of it. I am really pathetically poorly read.

[lindentree.livejournal.com]

I've always felt that Tim and Matt are kind of different sides of the same coin. Matt is what you get when you have a basically decent kid who's raised by someone who loves him unconditionally and Tim, well, Tim is what you get when you have a basically decent kid who probably would've been better off if he'd been raised by wolves.

Such a fabulous observation and I agree wholeheartedly.

With respect to parallels in literature, to me, the show seemed to go for some Steinbeck parallels with Tim early on in season 1, and at the end of this storyline I was really left wondering if we were going to return to that. It's something (stressful and depressing!) to ponder. I've always seen him as having a lot in common with Lenny in Of Mice and Men after it was brought up as a very direct allusion when Tim and Landry studied the book.

After 4x12 aired and I had managed to collect myself after that scene with Billy and Tim at the police station, I went searching for information on Texas law and what's likely to happen to him. I don't feel I have the wherewithal to write Tim-in-prison fic, so I started writing 5-years-later post-prison fic. Which somehow also then turned into Tim/Julie fic? I don't know how these things happen.

[fleurlb.livejournal.com]

You know, I was thinking about Steinbeck, but I the parallel kind of breaks down for me, since it was more that George had to make a terrible decision than that Lenny was making a sacrifice. But maybe there's another Steinbeck that covers the ground. (like I said, really poorly read.)

Which somehow also then turned into Tim/Julie fic? I don't know how these things happen.

Hahahaha it's an illness, probably, but the rare good kind. :)

[lindentree.livejournal.com]

I'm holding out hope that he'll transcend his circumstances and emerge from all of this a stronger, wiser, braver person. Maybe he'll be more like Tom Joad in The Grapes of Wrath? I don't know how they could get all that story told in the few episodes we have left for Tim, but maybe we'll be lucky and be left with the implication of that. I just hope we get some kind of at least vaguely optimistic ending for him. I don't know if I can cope with any more crushing despair in his life. I'm way too invested. :\

[khemlab.livejournal.com]

Thank you for posting this - I've missed our Mad Men conversations, and was dying to know what you thought of this episode.

I've always felt that Tim and Matt are kind of different sides of the same coin. Matt is what you get when you have a basically decent kid who's raised by someone who loves him unconditionally and Tim, well, Tim is what you get when you have a basically decent kid who probably would've been better off if he'd been raised by wolves.

This makes me giggle because I think being raised by Billy is pretty much being raised by wolves.

Totally agree that Tim should have been there for Coach's speech - I think it would have made the story gel a bit better. You can't know what's going through Tim's mind because he isn't capable of that kind of exposition, but the writers could have used the Coach-speech scene to show without telling.

Um, don't most television shows contain dialogue?

That always gets me too - you would think someone at the network would be like, "Wait - ALL of our shows have dialogue!"

Re: Julie - I've been a bit disappointed with her this season. At first I liked that snarky Julie was back, but snarky Julie turned into clueless Julie while her parents were being dragged through hell backwards, and clueless Julie turned into aimless Julie with the whole Habitat for Humanity thing. I hope she finds her stride next season, because she needs to turn into an awesome, kick-ass woman like her mom. At least she didn't follow Matt to Chicago.

And at least Landry did. ♥ Those boys are so cute.

[fleurlb.livejournal.com]

This makes me giggle because I think being raised by Billy is pretty much being raised by wolves.

Good point and now I am giggling. Poor Timmy, his damage was done way before Billy took over.

You are so right about Julie. I'd been wondering why I wasn't feeling the Julie love this season but you expressed it perfectly. I am going to blame (predictably) the 13 episode season and the problem with expanding the cast so much and trying to do too much.

[tsbrophy.livejournal.com]

Thought you were familiar... I read one of your stories back on ffnet. Hope you don't mind if I friend you on here. :)

 

In the absence of Tim, I think Vince is going to end up becoming my favorite character.

 

I agree. Jordan is amazing!! It didn't feel to me like Vince was a new character being introduced to the FNL world, it felt like he was there all along. I love that about it.

 

I think the sacrifice would have been even more staggering had Tim not been involved at all in the chop shop, but had just been arrested because he was working and there were stolen parts in view when the police showed up or something.

 

As much as I love Billy, I don't think I could handle the idea of Tim taking the hit for his brother and being completely innocent in the process. By having them both equally involved it made me get used to the inevitable; that he would go to jail because he committed the crime. It also gave Tim the chance to save up and buy the land that made him truly happy. He felt for once like he figured out what life was about, and that was positive I drew from in the finale; because the high was worth the low that he got stuck in. Seriously, when he's lost for words, eyes staring out at that land... I don't think he's been that happy in the entire series (and then Becky spoils it all and says she loves him. D:< lol).

 

I've been working on a tim-in-prison fic myself. I think it's more just to make me feel a little better though. :\ I'd definitely be interested in reading your take on it.

[fleurlb.livejournal.com]

Hi there. :) Friend away.

As much as I love Billy, I don't think I could handle the idea of Tim taking the hit for his brother and being completely innocent in the process. By having them both equally involved it made me get used to the inevitable; that he would go to jail because he committed the crime.

Good point....it probably would have been a lot more devastating as a viewer if it had happened the other way. (But so much more poetic and sacrifice-y.)

Also looking forward to reading your prison fic. :)

[tsbrophy.livejournal.com]

But so much more poetic and sacrifice-y.

 

Indeed! It would be the perfect martyr-ish thing for Tim to do. And I think our love for him would increase tenfold (if that is even possible).

 

Thank you! Hope I can get it all written out soon.