TV preview: Friday Night Lights

After much anticipation, my most recent favorite TV show, Friday Night Lights, returns to NBC with its fourth season this Friday, May 7. To coincide with the season premiere, volume 2 of the original soundtrack was released yesterday, featuring some great artists like the Avett Brothers, Sufjan Stevens and White Rabbits (and of course the unforgettable FNL theme song).

Though it's now apparent me that a lot of my friends have always loved this show, it wasn't until the holidays that I discovered it for myself. I'd gifted the season one DVD to a couple relatives (based on recommendations alone), and once my brother declared something along the lines of "Friday Night Lights - best show ever" after only a couple episodes, I had no choice but to check it out.

Thanks to Netflix instant streaming, I was able to catch up on all three seasons in no time, all while quickly falling for my favorite characters - Eric & Tami Taylor (the best married couple I've ever seen on TV -- in fact, sometimes it saddens me to think that Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton aren't the Taylors in real life), and of course, my favorite football-playing cowboy, Tim Riggins.

I'm looking forward to this season to meet some new characters (like Michael B. Jordan, better known as Wallace from The Wire!) and to find out what happens with all the old ones. How will Tim fare in college? What's Matt Saracen going to do if he's not going to Chicago anymore? What about Coach Taylor and East Dillon? Eeee, I'm so excited, especially because the summer is usually such a dull time for new TV. Plus, now I'll have an old-lady excuse to stay in and have cozy TV Fridays on the couch!