In the Skin of a Lion (Friday Night Lights)
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| "In the Skin of a Lion" | |
|---|---|
| Friday Night Lights episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 4 Episode 3 |
| Directed by | Patrick Norris |
| Written by | |
| Cinematography by | Todd McMullen |
| Editing by | Stephen Michael |
| Original release dates |
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| Running time | 43 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"In the Skin of a Lion" is the third episode of the fourth season of the American sports drama television series Friday Night Lights, inspired by the 1990 nonfiction book by H. G. Bissinger. It is the 53rd overall episode of the series and was written by co-executive producers Patrick Massett and John Zinman, and directed by Patrick Norris. It originally aired on DirecTV's 101 Network on November 11, 2009, before airing on NBC on May 21, 2010.[1]
The series is set in the fictional town of Dillon, a small, close-knit community in rural West Texas. It follows a high school football team, the Dillon Panthers. It features a set of characters, primarily connected to Coach Eric Taylor, his wife Tami, and their daughter Julie. In the episode, Eric struggles in finding money for the Lions' new uniform. Meanwhile, Matt questions his internship, while Tim is worried about Becky's life.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 3.96 million household viewers and gained a 1.1/4 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. The episode received very positive reviews from critics, with Kyle Chandler receiving critical acclaim for his performance.
Eric (Kyle Chandler) makes the Lions participate in a fundraiser, in which they will move a car across town in order to get money for their new uniforms. However, Eric actually employs Tim (Taylor Kitsch) to pass money to pedestrians as "donations". Eric also has no support from the principal, who warns him that he cannot cancel any more games or the football program would be shut down.
Eric assigns Luke (Matt Lauria) as a defensive back, and also changes Landry (Jesse Plemons) to the kicker position. Tim helps him as part of the coaching staff, watching over Luke as the latter feels dejected. At the same time, Vince (Michael B. Jordan) is worried that Eric will select Luke as the running back. Eric is told by Buddy (Brad Leland) that Joe (D. W. Moffett) is suspecting that Buddy told Eric about the mailbox, and so Buddy starts getting paranoid that Joe may be watching over him. In a desperate attempt to find money for the uniforms, Eric makes a $3,000 check on behalf of the Taylors to several business partnerships, angering Tami (Connie Britton).
Matt continues visiting Richard Sherman (John Diehl), who only assigns him to collect scraps. He eventually has Matt drive him 200 miles to a bar, explaining that selfishness is the most important tool for an artist and that Matt must focus solely on himself to be successful. Tim continues giving rides to school to Becky (Madison Burge), although he is concerned about her encounters with a man whom he believes to be her boyfriend. Landry struggles with his new position, so Jess (Jurnee Smollett) helps him with the help of several kids.
Eric visits Luke at home, convincing him in "leading" the team by promising to make sure Luke's future is not impacted. He also apologizes to Tami for the check, and presents the Lions with their new uniforms. At a party with Joe's friends, Buddy admits that it was him who put the mailbox, twelve years before, and told Eric about it, stating he does not believe in what the Panthers represent now and thus not feeling part of them anymore, especially since Joe joined them. Julie (Aimee Teegarden) visits Richard's yard, who tells her that she is holding Matt back from his potential. Julie asks Matt about it, and he states that she should ignore him. The Lions are losing their next game; although Luke helps the team in intercepting, Vince is underperforming. Eric gets Landry to deliver a field goal, but he actually passes the football to Vince, who scores the first touchdown for East Dillon. While they still lose 27-6, they are happy at their improvement. Matt visits Richard, finding that he has made a winged sculpture with the scraps.
Production
Development
The episode was written by co-executive producers Patrick Massett and John Zinman, and directed by Patrick Norris. This was Massett's eighth writing credit, Zinman's eighth writing credit, and Norris' fourth directing credit.[2]