If someone tells you they don’t miss Friday Night Lights after Netflix removed it from their lineup, they’re probably either lying to you or they have been wrongfully deprived of the Panther experience. Friday Night Lights just had a certain way of making watchers feel nostalgic and, dare I say it, miss their high school years… Even if their high school years were nothing like the characters’ high school experiences on FNL because let’s be real, I know mine certainly weren’t!
Throughout the span of FNL’s five seasons, whether you watched the show when it originally aired or you binged the last three seasons in the week before it was taken off of Netflix like me, you probably developed love or admiration for at least one character. For myself, that character was Tami Taylor and, for any of you who haven’t lived vicariously through the characters of Dillon, Texas, here’s a list of reasons why:
1. She does what’s right.
At not one point in my entire life had I ever desired to be the principal of a small-town high school until I saw Tami Taylor do it with class and sass. Principal Taylor never got anything handed to her. Just think about all the times she had to fight against the Dillon Panther Boosters in order to utilize their funds to better the school instead of putting it all towards the football program. This, of course, ended up with a huge backlash from the whole town, but Tami stood her ground.
2. She’s wiser than your grandma.
Let’s not forget that before she was the principal, she was the best darn counselor Dillon had ever seen. This fact is effectively proven with a few Tami quotes:
- “You belong anywhere you want.”
- “There’s no weakness in forgiveness.”
- “Well, you’re gonna win, or you’re gonna lose. Either way, the sun’s gonna come up the next morning.”
- “You never know what’s going on with somebody. Don’t take it personally.”
- “Barbecues build morale. That’s why you have them.”
3. She appreciates and understands the power of wine time.
The woman knew the power that a good glass of wine and a comfy seat on the couch could yield.
4. She and Coach Taylor are relationship goals.
Tami and Eric Taylor had TV’s best relationship of all time. There were never any sticky situations involving cheating, they knew how to fight and forgive, and they both worked to compromise with each other. Let’s not forget how Tami graciously encouraged Coach Taylor to thrive as a football coach for 18 years and how Eric returned the favor by moving the family to Philadelphia so Tami could live her dream working as a dean of admissions.
5. She challenges and encourages people to be their best selves.
Tami Taylor took it upon herself to make it her mission to get Tyra, the not-so-typical popular girl with a particularly rebellious streak, on the right track for school no matter how many times Tyra tried to opt for a different route. She guided Tyra through the woes of high school and rooted for her through each and every college interview until she was officially free from Dillon and living the life she always wanted at the University of Texas.
6. She’s hot and sassy.
Tami Taylor is a mom of two and she’s still got it going on! She was always dressed fashionably and she effortlessly walked the fine line between sexy and demure all up and down the West and East Dillon High School halls. On top of her sense of style, she knew how to serve some serious sass. Her most epic display of sass was definitely in season four when she was given the opportunity to call the coin toss for the Dillon Panthers. The coach of the team was no longer Coach Taylor; in fact, the new coach was the very reason that Coach Taylor was wrongfully fired. Have no fear though, Tami called offense despite the Panther’s request for defense and she sauntered off after a simple “Y’all have a great game now.” BOOM.
7. She loves her daughter, Julie, even though she’s not always a character worth rooting for.
Come on, I know you all agree just a little bit. She’s not always, or really ever, the most likable person.
8. She loves her baby, Gracie Bell, even though she looks like this:
There’s nothing like a mother’s unconditional love, am I right? I’m kidding though. She gets cuter by season five.
9. She single-handedly made “Y’all” the most beautiful word ever spoken.
…by saying it about 100,000 times.
That is all folks, Texas forever.