Warning: SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW

Four years ago I was going through my campus bookstore looking for a new television show to get hooked on and I saw the set for the first season of Friday Night Lights. Now, I’m not a football fan by any means but on the box it said “full refund if not completely satisfied” which NBC/Universal would send you the cost of the set if you didn’t enjoy it. And I didn’t think I would. Now, after just finished watching the series finale, I’m glad I was wrong.

Season five of the well loved drama focuses again on the East Dillon Lions and the Taylor family (led by Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton) as well as the backstory involving the Dillon Panthers and the dilemma of having only one football team after this season.

The crew behind the scenes knew that this would be the last season of Friday Night Lights and brought back some of the show’s best characters including Jason Street (Scott Porter), Matt Saracen (Zach Gilford), Landry (Jesse Plemons), and the triumphant return of Tyra Collette (Adrianne Palicki).

The final few episodes really set the show up for the end as Tami Taylor (Britton) is offered a job as Dean of Admissions at Braemore in Philadelphia and Eric (Chandler) is offered the Head Coach position again back at Dillon. While the choice may have seemed easy, I really think the relationship between the two Taylor heads of house could’ve ended badly.

My only beef of the season was the addition of Hastings Ruckle (Grey Damon). I did not feel invested in a new character at all because I knew it was the final season, and he really didn’t seem like a fit with the rest of the cast. With a name like Hastings Ruckle and hair like Andrew Garfield, I don’t think expectations were too high.

The finale was one of the best finales I’ve ever seen in television. It was quick paced and every bit of the 60 minutes had purpose. I only wish that Gilford, Plemons, Taylor Kitsch, and Palicki would’ve been credited in the opening credits. It would’ve been real nostalgic to see their faces one final time in that beautiful opening sequence.

The bonus features for the set include a 30-minute fun retrospective, a yearbook photo gallery that goes through all five “years”, and deleted scenes. I know some of the former cast have been busy, but I would’ve loved to see everyone turn up for the retrospective, but I can’t get everything I want.

This is sincerely a can’t miss set.

Content: 10/10

Extras: 6/10

Audio/Visual: 9/10

Final Grade: 8.3/10