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Don't Be Too Quick to Judge Abortion Episode of 'Friday Night Lights'

A recent episode of the fourth season of “Friday Night Lights” has caused some controversy for its depiction of a teenage girl, named Becky (Madison Burge), struggling with a pregnancy. The baby’s father, Luke (played by the understated Matt Lauria), is a football player that she barely knows and she doesn’t know how to handle the situation. At the end of the episode, Becky informs Luke that she has had the abortion. The topics of teen pregnancy and abortion are inevitably controversial subjects and because of Becky’s decision, some people have criticized the show and Becky’s choice. Although I disagree with Becky’s decision, I still believe that the show depicted the situation in a serious and a mature way and it deserves praise for that. “Friday Night Lights,” even with this controversial storyline, continues to be an amazingly written and well-acted show.


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The first piece I wrote for Big Hollywood was about the third season of “FNL,” where I wrote that FNL is “a phenomenal show which showcases the daily tests that the characters in the community of Dillon, Texas face on and off the football field.” That description still rings true in the fourth season of this often-overlooked television drama about a football community.

This season began with a lot of changes for the main characters. Coach Eric Taylor, the lead character, started coaching at another school on the other side of town after being forced out of his old position at the end of last season. His wife Tami remained principal at the old school which forced her to deal with some of the people who had helped get her husband removed from his position. Their daughter Julie had to deal with tension in her relationship with her boyfriend.

This season (which is currently airing on NBC but which previously aired on DirecTV) has dealt with some difficult and controversial subjects, including the recent abortion but it has handled those story-lines with maturity and respect.

Several episodes ago, former high school quarterback Matt Saracen (played by Zach Gilford) found out that his father had died in combat in Iraq. Saracen, who had been searching for his direction in life, had to eulogize his father, a man who had often been distant to his son but who had loved him nonetheless. The show chose not to focus on the politics of the war or how some people disagree with us being over in Iraq. Instead the episode focused on the honor and dignity of the soldier who had passed away and during his eulogy, Saracen noted the legacy of his father:

He missed…he missed some of my birthdays and he missed a lot of me growing up and I think the point is that I got to grow up and I got to have those birthdays. Y’know he went and did a job that not many people want to do and because of that, we all get to be here and we get to grow up and we get to have our birthdays and I think that’s something to be proud of.

Likewise, the recent abortion episode treated Becky’s pregnancy with a seriousness and a sense of maturity that was sadly missing from “Glee” when one of the students got pregnant,or the film “MacGruber” which treated an aborted pregnancy like a punchline. In the episode, Becky struggles with what to do. She approaches Tami who advises her of some resources that could help her with the pregnancy. When pressed about abortion, Tami says she can give Becky information on that choice as well. Becky’s mother strongly pushes her to have the abortion, which Becky believes stems from her own mother’s regret at having her own child.

Luke struggles with what he should do about the baby. His parents are religious and he begrudgingly tells his father about the baby, before apologizing to his Dad for disappointing him. When Luke’s mother finds out, she compares Becky and Luke to Mary and Joseph, a comparison Luke quickly rejects. Luke and Becky are both torn about the decision they are facing and Becky eventually even asks Tami if she believed that Becky would go to hell for having an abortion.

Ultimately, without letting Luke know that her decision is imminent, Becky goes to the doctor with her mother. She talks to Luke after her appointment and informs him that she has handled the situation. The conversation is handled with honesty and both actors show vulnerability in this scene where they both realize the consequences of their actions. Their conversation subtly even suggests that they both may soon regret the decision. (I have not watched the rest of this season so I am unaware what the future holds for this couple.)

Even though Becky chose to have an abortion, the program handled the situation with dignity and seriousness. We can disagree with Becky’s decision and hope that she eventually decides that the abortion was a mistake, but I don’t think we should condemn a show that wanted to present a serious situation with the utmost respect for the characters involved and for the tough situation that they are in. I would hardly characterize this episode as pro-life or pro-choice. It is a show about choices and decisions, some that are well-made and others that are not. Some that people eventually regret and others that they do not.

“Friday Night Lights” is a brilliant show that handles realistic situations with dignity and maturity and it is well worth watching, even if we sometimes disagree with some of the decisions depicted on the program.


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