"On the Outside Looking In" is the second 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.
[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.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 3.38 million household viewers and gained a 0.9/3 ratings share among adults aged 18–49.
Tami (Connie Britton) tries to get rebellious teenager Epyck Sanders (Emily Rios) to attend counseling, but she refuses.
Eric (Kyle Chandler) shows some letters of intent from various colleges to Vince (Michael B. Jordan), surprising him.
Wanting to help Epyck, Tami suggests forming an after-school tuition program with the other teachers, who are not enthusiastic about the idea.
She attends a college party, where she joins the head TA Derek Bishop (Gil McKinney) over a football game.
That's because I'm one of those FNL fans who has no interest in football, so I usually just appreciate the quick cutting during the games and the helpful sportscaster-voiceovers telling me who's winning and losing.
But what struck me while watching this episode is that the writers have pulled off the unthinkable: unlike nearly any other TV series set during high school, the show has seamlessly transitioned the cast while making me care just as much about this second string as I did the first.
"[10] Todd Martens of Los Angeles Times wrote, "There are plenty of standard TV issues handled in Friday Night Lights.
"[11] Leigh Raines of TV Fanatic gave the episode a 4 star out of 5 rating and wrote, "Does their budding, yet forbidden relationship remind anyone else of "the Swede" from season two?