I have to agree, Heather, that after proslytizing to numerous colleagues and friends about Friday Night Lights, I feel embarrassed by the way this season has started. It's so outlandish, you can hear the writers scream "Notice Us!" while they sell their writerly souls to the Gossip Girl devil. Even the storyline with Eric and Tami is stretched, at least through the second episode, with him clearly looking and feeling out of place at TMU and her at wits end with a newborn. How about offering just a taste of how intoxicating college football might be? At least give that storyline some viability so that Taylor's obvious dilemma is, in fact, a dilemma. All in all, it feels like a show where the subtlety has been yanked away and all story lines pulled to their extremes: previously "together" Julie acts terribly teen-age-ish, previously struggling Matt confronts some insane and wholly implausible home care nurse, and previously Miss Popular Lyla is suddenly leading campus crusade for Christ. It's all too much, really, for this season one convert. I loved the reality of last year but so far, this is about as real as Big Brother.

Every time I see this show I am reminded of what Salon's own Stephanie Zacharek said of House of Flying Daggers... "seductive, there's no recourse but to faint into it's arms" ... this Mad Men show is equally irresistable *sigh*

I saw an episode that explained Don Draper was raised by his strict real father (who impregnated a prostitute) and his Bible-thumping stepmother ("he was called a "whore-child"). A railroad bum showed the about-twelve-year-old Draper how to read the marks left on fenceposts by traveling bums. I assume Draper left home at an early age.

It's an excellent show, a trip back (an escape, really) to a simpler, yet cynical time. In my opinion, it's definitely the best series on t.v. right now.

Thank you so much for writing about the best show on television. I'm actually glad Mad Men is in the basic cable ghetto of AMC because then it doesn't have to compete in the ratings competition that results in crap like Two and a Half Men getting renewed very season and good shows like My So-Called Life and Homicide getting the ax after being shuffled around the schedule.

The only downside for us is that we don't get AMC in HD, so watching debut episodes isn't the luscious experience that watching them the next day On Demand is. The show looks absolutely stunning in high def!

I remember someone telling me that there was an episode of Little House on the Prairie where a girl was stalked and raped by someone wearing a clown/mime mask. I was in college, so I assumed substance abuse was at the root of this memory.

Later I found out that this was actually an episode of the show ("Sylvia"),and it has become legendary in its own way because it was so jarring and out-of-place that people still can't believe that it was part of the same show.

It's too soon to be 100% sure if this event is the demented clown rapist of Friday Night Lights, but I think I see the glow of white greasepaint on the sidelines.

We have one Raffi disk, and it's not bad at all. Yes, there is some sap, and no it's not my favorite of my son's music (not his favorite either). But we listen to it from time to time and generally enjoy it. His voice makes for relatively easy listening, the instrumental music is OK and sometimes good, and the lyrics are generally fine, sometimes fun, and either harmless or positive in their content. I'm unable to understand the (to me) oddly intense hatred that some folks seem to have for the guy. It's basically good clean fun that is fairly well done for its intended audience.

A day after watching episode two of the season, I'm still hesitant to go as far as Havrilesky in comparing the plot development of Tyra and Landry to episodes in "The O.C." Frankly, I'm not sure that Landry committed a "crime against humanity." It seemed to me, from the episode, that he was acting in self-defense not only for himself, but for Tyra, who'd been truly victimized at the hands of this man more than once, now. Also, I'd have to say that the place of the attack was remote and desolate, and I'm not surprised that no one was there to witness or intervene. As you will recall, no one came to Tyra's defense until Landry came out of the store, so I'm not sure who could have seen "this ruckus go down."

Certainly, I was stunned that things went as far as they did, but what really bothered me in this episode is that neither Landry nor Tyra saw that they were acting in their own defense. The now dead man's assault on her is on record, thanks to Landry and Mrs. Taylor, and they might have a good case if they'd gone that route (calling Landry's dad, explaining what happened). Clearly, dumping the body in the river was very stupid and will come back to haunt them and more, but it's hard to say that just because Landry is intelligent and a moral person, he would necessarily be capable of acting that way given the circumstances. I'm still curious to see how it plays out over the course of the season before I pass judgment. I think in the past, the writers and producers have found ways to get around what could be cliche circumstances in their show. I've been beyond impressed by the portrayal of wheelchair bound Jason Street, whose storylines could easily have been downplayed and experiences not fully explored in less capable hands.

One thing that is certainly missing from this season is any break from the tension. There is not one happy plot line to emerge yet. Perhaps something lighter will be introduced with Smash Williams. Interestingly enough, I introduced a friend to the show last night, and while I felt the episode was a bit all over the place, she left planning to Netflix it. Even these episodes of "Friday Night Lights" that cause fans from season one to worry are making deep impressions on new viewers.