The Son (Friday Night Lights)
Encyclopedia
"The Son" is the fifth episode of the fourth season of the television drama series Friday Night Lights
. It is the 56th episode overall in the series. The episode first aired on DirecTV
's The 101 Network on December 2, 2009. It then re-aired on NBC
on June 4, 2010. The episode was hailed by critics and fans as one of the strongest episodes of the series, with unanimous praise for Zach Gilford
's performance.
, who must deal with the death of his father, Henry Saracen, a soldier who was killed in combat in Iraq
. At the start of the episode, Matt replays a video message on his computer of his father wishing him a Merry Christmas and apologizing for not being able to make it home. Landry and Julie force him to stop playing the video and watch a movie with them to get his mind off things.
A wake is then held at the Saracen home. For most of the wake, Matt does not move from his chair, telling Julie that he really doesn't need to go anywhere considering everyone is coming to him. Later, Matt talks to an Army recruiter from the area, who speaks positively of Matt's father, saying that he was a very funny person. Matt becomes angry at this, telling the recruiter he has never seen his father smile before in his whole life. Landry gets Matt away from the recruiter before he is allowed to say anything else, telling Matt that the next night the two of them are going out with the Riggins brothers. At that point, Joe and J.D. McCoy show up at the house, but Matt, already angry and at a loss for words over the two of them showing up, shuts the door in their faces before walking away.
The following day, Tami and Matt visit the funeral director to go over the arrangements for the funeral the next day. Matt is unable to pay attention to most of the details after learning that there will be a closed casket. Tami realizes that the closed casket makes many of the proposed details unnecessary, and sees that Matt is being overcharged. She tells Matt that it will be okay for him to wait outside in the car, before telling the funeral director that the two of them need to start all over. At home, Matt thanks Julie for her mother's help. Julie notices that Matt is upset and asks if he is alright. Matt says that stuff like this happens and right now it's happening to him.
That night, Matt, Landry, and the Riggins brothers go to the Panther football field to drink. Matt tells the three of them that he has to give a speech at the funeral and begins to give a speech on how his father was always miserable, had a wife who hated him, a mother who annoyed him, and always reenlisted in the Army so that he didn't have to be burdened with taking care of his son. He then goes on to say that he doesn't even know if it actually is his father in the casket. Tim decides the four of them need to go and find out. They show up at the funeral home and Matt demands to see his father. The funeral director opens the casket, the camera only showing Matt's stunned face.
Later, a drunk Matt shows up at the Taylor house, late for the dinner that was planned for earlier that night. Unable to eat the food given to him, Matt finally breaks down. He confesses to the Taylors that he hates his father and that all he wants to do is say it to his father's face, but he doesn't even have one. Matt then runs out of the house in tears. Eric catches up to him outside and walks him home.
At the funeral, Matt gives a speech about a time when his whole family was together shopping at the supermarket and how angry his dad got over the choice of toilet paper that he decided to grab every brand he could find, calling it one of the funniest moments of his childhood. He then goes on to say that even though his father missed out on big moments in his life, he is thankful that he was a member of the Armed Forces so that he could have the chance to live those moments. As everyone begins to leave after the funeral ends, Matt stays, takes a shovel from a groundskeeper and begins to bury his father as the episode ends.
Other plots in this episode included Becky taking part in a local beauty pageant, Vince winning a football award and going to extreme measures to take care of his family, and Luke ending his friendship with J.D. after the events of the previous episode.
gave the episode a perfect 10, stating "this episode was Friday Night Lights reminding us that yes indeed, this is still one of the best shows on television – one that can pack a punch like few others can." Alan Sepinwall of HitFix.com stated the episode "was probably the season's best balance between moving lots of stories forward while still providing the show's trademark emotional wallop." NY Magazine
called the episode a "small masterpiece." Ken Tucker
of Entertainment Weekly
said the episode "had moments of the usual terrific FNL boisterousness, but for the most part was a solemn affair with beautifully crafted details."
While critics praised the episode as a whole, most of the praise went to Zach Gilford
's performance in the episode, with NY Magazine stating that it "would be downright disrespectful" to talk about anything other than his performance.
for his performance, with over 8,000 people joining and other media outlets picking up on the campaign before nominations were announced. While Gilford did not receive a nomination, the episode was nominated in the Writing for a Drama Series
category, the first time the show was nominated in the category.
Time
awarded the episode #1 in its ranking of the ten best television episodes of the year. In The Futon Critic's annual "Top 50 Episodes of the Year," "The Son" was named the #3 episode of 2009. On BuddyTV.com's own Top 50 list, the episode came in at #2. The episode was also nominated in the Drama Episode of the Year category for the 2009-2010 Gold Derby TV Awards.
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...
. It is the 56th episode overall in the series. The episode first aired on DirecTV
DirecTV
DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ...
's The 101 Network on December 2, 2009. It then re-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...
on June 4, 2010. The episode was hailed by critics and fans as one of the strongest episodes of the series, with unanimous praise for 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....
's performance.
Plot
The main focus of the episode is on Matt SaracenMatt Saracen
Matthew "Matt" Saracen is a fictional character in the NBC/DirecTV television drama series Friday Night Lights portrayed by the actor Zach Gilford...
, who must deal with the death of his father, Henry Saracen, a soldier who was killed in combat in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. At the start of the episode, Matt replays a video message on his computer of his father wishing him a Merry Christmas and apologizing for not being able to make it home. Landry and Julie force him to stop playing the video and watch a movie with them to get his mind off things.
A wake is then held at the Saracen home. For most of the wake, Matt does not move from his chair, telling Julie that he really doesn't need to go anywhere considering everyone is coming to him. Later, Matt talks to an Army recruiter from the area, who speaks positively of Matt's father, saying that he was a very funny person. Matt becomes angry at this, telling the recruiter he has never seen his father smile before in his whole life. Landry gets Matt away from the recruiter before he is allowed to say anything else, telling Matt that the next night the two of them are going out with the Riggins brothers. At that point, Joe and J.D. McCoy show up at the house, but Matt, already angry and at a loss for words over the two of them showing up, shuts the door in their faces before walking away.
The following day, Tami and Matt visit the funeral director to go over the arrangements for the funeral the next day. Matt is unable to pay attention to most of the details after learning that there will be a closed casket. Tami realizes that the closed casket makes many of the proposed details unnecessary, and sees that Matt is being overcharged. She tells Matt that it will be okay for him to wait outside in the car, before telling the funeral director that the two of them need to start all over. At home, Matt thanks Julie for her mother's help. Julie notices that Matt is upset and asks if he is alright. Matt says that stuff like this happens and right now it's happening to him.
That night, Matt, Landry, and the Riggins brothers go to the Panther football field to drink. Matt tells the three of them that he has to give a speech at the funeral and begins to give a speech on how his father was always miserable, had a wife who hated him, a mother who annoyed him, and always reenlisted in the Army so that he didn't have to be burdened with taking care of his son. He then goes on to say that he doesn't even know if it actually is his father in the casket. Tim decides the four of them need to go and find out. They show up at the funeral home and Matt demands to see his father. The funeral director opens the casket, the camera only showing Matt's stunned face.
Later, a drunk Matt shows up at the Taylor house, late for the dinner that was planned for earlier that night. Unable to eat the food given to him, Matt finally breaks down. He confesses to the Taylors that he hates his father and that all he wants to do is say it to his father's face, but he doesn't even have one. Matt then runs out of the house in tears. Eric catches up to him outside and walks him home.
At the funeral, Matt gives a speech about a time when his whole family was together shopping at the supermarket and how angry his dad got over the choice of toilet paper that he decided to grab every brand he could find, calling it one of the funniest moments of his childhood. He then goes on to say that even though his father missed out on big moments in his life, he is thankful that he was a member of the Armed Forces so that he could have the chance to live those moments. As everyone begins to leave after the funeral ends, Matt stays, takes a shovel from a groundskeeper and begins to bury his father as the episode ends.
Other plots in this episode included Becky taking part in a local beauty pageant, Vince winning a football award and going to extreme measures to take care of his family, and Luke ending his friendship with J.D. after the events of the previous episode.
Reception
"The Son" has received unanimous praise from critics. Eric Goldman of IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave the episode a perfect 10, stating "this episode was Friday Night Lights reminding us that yes indeed, this is still one of the best shows on television – one that can pack a punch like few others can." Alan Sepinwall of HitFix.com stated the episode "was probably the season's best balance between moving lots of stories forward while still providing the show's trademark emotional wallop." NY Magazine
New York (magazine)
New York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New...
called the episode a "small masterpiece." Ken Tucker
Ken Tucker
Ken Tucker was an English footballer who played as a left winger....
of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
said the episode "had moments of the usual terrific FNL boisterousness, but for the most part was a solemn affair with beautifully crafted details."
While critics praised the episode as a whole, most of the praise went to 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....
's performance in the episode, with NY Magazine stating that it "would be downright disrespectful" to talk about anything other than his performance.
Awards and nominations
Soon after the episode aired on NBC, Popeater.com launched a Facebook campaign to get Gilford nominated for an Emmy AwardPrimetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming...
for his performance, with over 8,000 people joining and other media outlets picking up on the campaign before nominations were announced. While Gilford did not receive a nomination, the episode was nominated in the Writing for a Drama Series
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
The Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series is awarded to one television episode each year at the Primetime Emmy Awards. Often regarded as the highest honor that can be bestowed upon an individual episode of television, the nominees and winners often reflect outstanding achievement in...
category, the first time the show was nominated in the category.
Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
awarded the episode #1 in its ranking of the ten best television episodes of the year. In The Futon Critic's annual "Top 50 Episodes of the Year," "The Son" was named the #3 episode of 2009. On BuddyTV.com's own Top 50 list, the episode came in at #2. The episode was also nominated in the Drama Episode of the Year category for the 2009-2010 Gold Derby TV Awards.