Friday Night Lights: Season 5
  • Network: NBC , The 101
  • Series Premiere Date: Oct 3, 2006
  • Season #: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5
Metascore
82 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 10 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
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  1. Boston Herald
    Reviewed by: Mark A. Perigard
    Dec 13, 2010
    100
    Friday Night Lights used high school football as a vehicle to explore plainly and authentically the way in which people live, struggle and thrive in small towns. It just might be the finest scripted series on prime time.
  2. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Matt Roush
    Dec 13, 2010
    100
    What's not to love in Friday Night Lights? This is a place, and a show, I will never want to leave. It feels like family. But we're lucky to have been given this much of their story. Underdogs to the end, these are my TV heroes.
  3. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Dalton Ross
    Dec 13, 2010
    83
    FNL's final season begins with one person staying put (Taylor Kitsch's Riggins is still in jail) and others moving on (Aimee Teegarden's Julie and Jesse Plemons' Landry are college-bound). Meanwhile, Coach Taylor (Kyle Chandler) heads to the basketball court to find his next star player. [Oct 22/29 2010, p.107]
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  4. The Huffington Post (formerly AOL TV)
    Reviewed by: Maureen Ryan
    Dec 13, 2010
    80
    Much of which transpires in the first few episodes seems familiar, if not a little predictable, and what saves the Taylors from being impossibly virtuous are the flaws the writers give them and the consistently great performances that Chandler and Britton give.
  5. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: David Hinckley
    Dec 13, 2010
    80
    As in past seasons, a few moments this year may seem made for TV. But this is a show that's scored way more than it has faltered, and the opening episode suggests that streak will continue.
  6. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Mary McNamara
    Dec 13, 2010
    80
    The show, and its survival, offers proof that quality can triumph in an industry driven by quantity and that even though necessity is the more fertile of the two, poetry can also be a fine mother to invention.
  7. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
    Reviewed by: Rob Owen
    Dec 13, 2010
    80
    The series maintains its sense of creating a believable universe. Yes, a few characters are explained away without making an appearance (BBQ owner we hardly knew ye) but the show tries hard to reward long-time fans.
  8. Slant Magazine
    Reviewed by: Kris King
    Dec 13, 2010
    75
    As you watch the look of quiet determination spread across his player's faces, it becomes clear that the show's final season may not be perfect, but it still has the power to make you feel like storming the football field yourself.
  9. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Tim Goodman
    Apr 15, 2011
    70
    The first few episodes don't always click (strangely, the Tami story line doesn't feel real), but even when the storytelling hits a rough patch, there's enough raw emotion and drama--on and off the field--that hits the right note, saving the hour.
  10. Hitfix
    Reviewed by: Alan Sepinwall
    Dec 13, 2010
    70
    Overall, a solid but not riveting premiere. No goosebumps ala Eric in the halftime locker room last year, but as always, it's good to be back in Dillon.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.9 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 52 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. Ammon
    10
    It is difficult to write a review that does this show justice. Being from a small town this show hits close to home in both accuracy and emotional touch. Yet I have many friends who were grew up in metro areas who have equal love for this show. Many shows lose the magic they once had when they began, but FNL continues to get better with age.

    You would be doing yourself a real disservice if you didn't watch this program in its entirety.    … Full Review »
  2. drlowdon
    10
    Having almost been cancelled following each of its first three seasons a last minute deal between NBC and DirecTV fortunately saved the show allowing one of the best drama series of all time two more years to finish on its own terms. The concept of a TV centred on a high school football team in Texas will always be a hard sell to audiences here in the UK but anyone who has watched Friday Night Lights up to this point will know it is about far more than that. Continuing the development of Dillon’s residents, including many of the new East Dillon cast members that were introduced in season four, each and every storyline is able to reach a natural and emotional conclusion.

    Of all the great dramas I’ve watched I might just miss Friday Night Lights the most of all.    … Full Review »
  3. nessington
    8
    This show was a bit of guilty pleasure viewing for me in the sense that I usually watch quite dense shows like Deadwood, The Wire and Breaking Bad. That being said, the casting on this show is second to none. Every character seems perfectly placed. While the first three seasons were the standout ones, it almost doesn't matter when it comes down to what this show was really about. It could be quite melodramatic at times, but the goldmine of this show was the depiction of a strong marriage. I'm not aware of any other show that casts marriage in such shining light. The coach and his wife showed that sometimes values can be interesting and inspiring. No small feat.… Full Review »
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