"Kingdom" is the fifth 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.
It features a set of characters, primarily connected to Coach Eric Taylor, his wife Tami, and their daughter Julie.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 2.88 million household viewers and gained a 0.8/3 ratings share among adults aged 18–49.
Before departing, Eric (Kyle Chandler) talks with Vince (Michael B. Jordan) about his meeting with Karl Gage, TMU's head coach.
The game between the Lions and the South King Rangers draws attention, as their previous match last year resulted in a forfeit.
For the second half, Eric decides to allow the team to use different rules, inspired after seeing Karl talk with Ornette (Cress Williams) in the stand.
However, some media pundits note that East Dillon committed a record 24 penalties for 245 yards, and question if the Lions will be playing like that for the rest of the season.
"[5] Alan Sepinwall of HitFix wrote, "There wasn't a powerhouse moment in this one akin to anything Zach Gilford did last year in “The Son,” but “Kingdom” may be my favorite episode of the show since that one.
"[6] Andy Greenwald of Vulture wrote, "FNL is about a team and it was nice to have a solid, self-contained episode like 'Kingdom' to remind us of this simple fact.
"[8] Leigh Raines of TV Fanatic gave the episode a 4.5 star out of 5 rating and wrote, "In "Kingdom" the Lions set off on a road trip to face the team they famously forfeited to last season.