Gut Check (Friday Night Lights)
Tensions on and off the field test loyalties and futures.
"Gut Check" is the ninth episode of the fifth season of the American sports drama television series Friday Night Lights, inspired by the 1990 nonfiction book by H. G. Bissinger. It was written by executive producer David Hudgins and directed by Chris Eyre, and originally aired on DirecTV's 101 Network on January 12, 2011, before airing on NBC on June 17, 2011. The episode was seen by an estimated 3.07 million household viewers and received critical acclaim.
Quick Facts
- Series
- Friday Night Lights
- Released
- 12 January 2011 (DirecTV); 17 June 2011 (NBC)
- Length
- 43 minutes
- Director
- Chris Eyre
- Writer
- David Hudgins
- Photographer
- Todd McMullen
- Editor
- Margaret Guinee
Facts from the source article.
Plot
The Lions' undefeated streak ends with a 28-17 loss, fueled by tensions between Vince and Luke. Eric kicks the team out of the fieldhouse after a heated argument. Coach Crowley blames Vince for the team's lack of followership. In Chicago, Julie extends her weekend stay with Matt, and they rekindle their relationship. Matt questions why she is not at college, and Julie reveals the affair and shaming incident; Matt reassures her. In Dillon, Tami helps Epyck with her Texas History exam, but a teacher accuses Epyck of stealing money. During an argument, Epyck accidentally pushes Tami against a window. Epyck is arrested and moved to a new foster home despite Tami's protests; Eric comforts Tami. Mindy discovers she is pregnant again; Becky and Billy are ecstatic, but Mindy worries about finances. Eric tells Vince that Luke will be QB2 and instructs Vince to teach Luke the strategies; Vince refuses and argues with Jess, leading to their breakup. Eric benches Vince and replaces him with Luke for the next game. During the game, Luke struggles and asks Eric to put Vince back in, but Eric refuses. Luke leads a comeback win, securing a playoff spot. After the game, Luke introduces Becky to his parents as his girlfriend. In Chicago, Matt bids farewell to Julie as she returns to college, and they reaffirm their love.
Reception
In its original American broadcast on NBC, "Gut Check" was seen by an estimated 3.07 million household viewers with a 0.9/4 in the 18–49 demographics, a 5% increase in viewership from the previous episode. The episode received critical acclaim. Keith Phipps of The A.V. Club gave it an "A–" grade, writing that the Vince storyline burned slowly and intensely all season and felt explosive for the time it took. Alan Sepinwall of HitFix wrote that the episode was about reality beating fantasy, as almost nothing turned out as characters planned. Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly noted the show's willingness to go in various directions, some paying off magnificently and others aimlessly. Andy Greenwald of Vulture called the episode a dip in quality from previous episodes, made worse by sacrificing gridiron plausibility for compelling story. Jen Chaney of The Washington Post remarked that Luke became the hero but playing the farm boy was a risky move by Eric. Leigh Raines of TV Fanatic gave the episode 4 out of 5 stars, stating that everyone had some assessment or evaluation to make. Television Without Pity gave the episode an "A–" grade.
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