CLEAR EYES. FULL HEART.

"Friday Night Lights"

Recently I watched all thirteen hour-long episodes of "Season Three" of this addictive drama in three consecutive evenings. ("Friday Night Lights: Season Three," DVD-2009. $29.98, Universal Studios Home Entertainment)

Many things changed in football-mad Dillon, Tex., during the third season, but one important thing didn't. "Friday Night Lights" still reigns as the best drama on television. I've been a fan since the 1990 publication of H.G. Bissinger's eponymous story about a year in the life of a Texas high school football team. See my review of the book and the feature film and television series that it spawned here: http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,147561,00.html. See my review of the second season of the television series here: http://www.military.com/entertainment/movies/movie-reviews/dvd-picks--pans-must-see-dvd-for-spring

Want a second opinion? Then check out critic Sara Mosle's review on Slate: http://www.slate.com/id/2189688/

Now, about those "Season Three" changes I mentioned: 1) There's a new quarterback in town. Talented freshman J.D. McCoy (Jeremy Sumpter) battles incumbent Matt Saracen (Zack Gilford) for the coveted starting quarterback spot while his wealthy, overbearing father Joe (D.W. Moffett) looks to undermine Coach Taylor (Kyle Chandler). 2) Matt loses his starting job but finds solace (and sex) with former girlfriend Julie Taylor (Aimee Teagarden). Yes, that would be the coach's young daughter. 3) Smash Williams (Gaius Charles) and bad-boy Tim Riggins (Taylor Kitsch) corral football scholarships and are off to college as are good-girl Lyra Garrity (Minka Kelly) and class slut Tara Collette (Adrienne Palicki). 4) Coach Taylor's wife Tami (Connie Britton) is appointed principal of Dillon High. 5) The Dillon High Panthers overcome lots of distractions to make the finals of the state playoffs. 6) Coach Taylor is fired at the urging of boosters led by Joe McCoy, but is named head coach at the newly-opened East Dillon High.

Fortunately for those of us who love this show, NBC and DirecTV have renewed the series for two more seasons of thirteen episodes each. DirecTV will air the episodes first starting on Wednesday, October 28, on its 101 Network. NBC will show them next spring. If you can't wait until then, check out the official website for a "Season Four" promo: http://www.nbc.com/Friday_Night_Lights/video/clips/getting-ready-for-season-4/1166310/

Conflict is at the heart of all drama, and the show's producers have set up a matrix that promises plenty of drama this season and next. The opening of a second high school in Dillon, of course, has the potential to divide the town. Not to mention the Taylor household since Tami remains Dillon principal while hubby Eric takes up the coaching reins at new rival East Dillon. Intriguingly, based on what little we can glean so far, there also is going to be an economic and social divide between the established Dillon High and the fledgling East Dillon: a rich school, poor school dichotomy. Of course, Coach Taylor will want to prove his enemies wrong, but it will be an uphill battle as he struggles to build a new program from scratch.

As they say in television, Stay tuned!

CLEAR EYES. FULL HEART.