Always (Friday Night Lights)

[1] The series is set in the fictional town of Dillon, a small, close-knit community in rural West Texas.

It features a set of characters, primarily connected to Coach Eric Taylor, his wife Tami, and their daughter Julie.

The season follows the Lions' journey for the State Championship title, while the future of the team was put in jeopardy after the closure of the football program.

According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 3.18 million household viewers and gained a 0.8/3 ratings share among adults aged 18–49.

The episode was widely praised by critics for its performances, closure, writing, directing, production values and emotional tone.

[2][3][4][5][6][7] With the Texas High School State Championship coming up, the Lions are interviewed over their future, but they choose to ignore the questions.

When Cheryl (Alicia Witt) returns, Becky (Madison Burge) bids farewell to Billy (Derek Phillips) and Mindy (Stacey Oristano), thanking them for giving her a home, and then moves back with her mother.

Jess (Jurnee Smollett) finds out that her father has successfully expanded the BBQ franchise to Dallas and that they will be moving there to be closer to him.

Before the game, Eric tells Tami that he has chosen to decline the contract, feeling it is time to allow her in deciding their future and thus wanting her to accept the job and for them to move to Philadelphia together.

Eight months later, Eric is now coaching the Pemberton Pioneers high school football team in Philadelphia, while Tami is happy with her new job at Braemore.

Most of the Lions team members (including Billy and the coaching staff) are now part of the Panthers, revealing that they won the state championship game.

Buddy (Brad Leland) has a sign mounted in the Panthers’ locker room that reads their motto "Clear eyes.

It felt like we were in a different place with this game and we didn't feel like there was anything from a football standpoint that there was any great story to tell — this was more about the lives of the coach and these players and the fans and all these people that we had come to know and get invested in and love.

"[11] Scott Porter wanted to be part of the finale, and he appeared in the scene where Tim and Billy build the house, which was even published in some forums.

While the scene was filmed, it was cut from the final edition, which was deemed by Katims as "a good example of having an embarrassment of riches in terms of your cast and your story."

[14] This was a slight increase in viewership from the previous episode, which was watched by an estimated 3.01 million household viewers with a 0.7/3 in the 18–49 demographics.

Now I can't say it was among the very best Friday Night Lights episodes ever, but it was still a very strong installment that had all the heart and humanity we've come to expect from this special show.

Club gave the episode an "A" grade and wrote, "Friday Night Lights was a realistic-looking show that took liberties with reality — letting teenagers get away with truancy and vagrancy, catapulting Tami into heavy professional responsibilities with little experience, and so on.

But it never felt less than real, thanks to its remarkable characters, the extraordinary actors who gave them life, and the care that went into creating such a strong sense of place.

"[19] Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly wrote, "This was a rare gem of a series that could both lift your spirits and give you the ugliest ugly cries you've ever experienced.

"[22] Maureen Ryan of TV Squad wrote, "For five seasons, 'Friday Night Lights' has shown us that trouble will crop up soon enough.

If anyone wonders why Friday Night Lights earned an Emmy nomination this week for best drama, this episode explained it all.

"[25] Leigh Raines of TV Fanatic gave the episode a perfect 5 star out of 5 rating and wrote, "Everyone may have gone their separate ways, but there's one thing we can all agree on: Texas Forever.

[30] Connie Britton also received a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, losing to Julianna Margulies for The Good Wife.