"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.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 3.07 million household viewers and gained a 0.9/4 ratings share among adults aged 18–49.
Vince (Michael B. Jordan) and Luke (Matt Lauria) get into a heated argument, and Eric (Kyle Chandler) kicks the team out of the fieldhouse.
While the Lions are still safe for the championship, Coach Crowley states that Vince was the main problem as the team clearly doesn’t follow him anymore.
At Dillon, Tami (Connie Britton) decides to help Epyck (Emily Rios) in passing her Texas History exam.
While Becky (Madison Burge) and Billy (Derek Phillips) are ecstatic, Mindy is not content, feeling that their income won't be enough to raise another child.
"[5] Alan Sepinwall of HitFix wrote, "'Gut Check' is all about reality beating the holy hell out of fantasy, as almost nothing turns out the way our characters have planned it.
"[7] Andy Greenwald of Vulture wrote, "'Gut Check,' while a definite dip in quality from the last few (excellent) episodes, is made considerably worse by sacrificing any shred of gridiron plausibility in pursuit of compelling story.
"[8] Jen Chaney of The Washington Post wrote, "The Lions managed to squeak out a win, making Luke the hero, but playing the farm boy was clearly a risky move on Eric's part.
"[9] Leigh Raines of TV Fanatic gave the episode a 4 star out of 5 rating and wrote, "Things are falling apart for the residents of Dillon, Texas.