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May 26, 2013

Landry Is Leaving 'Friday Night Lights'

by Allison Waldman, posted Mar 8th 2010 11:00AM

jesse_plemons_friday_night_lights_nbcUnlike 'Happy Days' or 'Fame' or 'Welcome Back, Kotter,' kids today do not remain in high school for life on television any more. No, today, the actors and their characters are chewed up and spit out in real time, just like life. That means we have to accept that 'Friday Night Lights'' Landry is leaving the show, and with that, Jesse Plemons is off the NBC show. Well, not totally. He'll be out of East Dillon High School, but still living in Dillon, Texas.

Executive producer Jason Katims says that Jesse will be on 'Friday Night Lights' for the fifth and final season, but not a regular. It'll be part-time, which isn't the worst situation. However, with his status as recurring and Taylor Kitsch as Tim definitely gone -- along with Zach Gilford as Matt and Scott Porter as Jason and Gaius Charles as Smash before them -- they're definitely breaking up that old Panther team from the first couple of seasons.

Sigh ... is it too soon to hope for a Dillion Panther Championship team reunion in the next decade?

According to Katims, who confirmed the Jesse exit to Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello, "With Jesse -- as with previous cast members who have moved on -- Pete Berg, myself and the producers of the show let the storytelling guide us and we feel we didn't have substantial enough story lines to justify keeping such an immensely talented actor from pursuing what we know will continue to be a very successful career." At least Jesse can take solace in knowing it wasn't an easy decision. Also, having seen Jesse on an episode of 'Cold Case' last season, he's going to definitely be busy doing other projects.

Landry, meanwhile, may be back for a couple of episodes in the last season, depending on his availability. And if you didn't have DirecTV to watch the fourth season already, it starts airing on NBC on April 30.

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pjcrazysmart

I love this show also. Some of it is unreal though. Tim Riggins could never have stayed on a team with his drinking problem. I really like his character, but no adults seemed willing to notice his problems, let alone help him.

I really believe that NBC hurt the show by scheduling it on Friday nights. Even though the title and the time matched, most high schools that I know play their games on Friday nights. So the probable fans for this show couldn't watch it 'cuz they had their own games to go to.

Makes sense to me but I guess nobody asked me.

April 03 2010 at 6:35 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
mary

I am so happy to hear that the show is coming back on. I have been waiting for this well written and well acted out show. The kids will come and go since they are now off to college. Don't take away the Coach and his wife. They make this show so very real. My favorite show ever. The acting is so good. I feel like the Coach and his wife are part of my family. I wish it could stay on forever. No one really gave this show a chance. I have never seen it on any talk shows. The marketing of this show stinks. There is so much junk on TV and when you see something good it gets taken off the air. KEEP FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS GOING someone take charge and market this. I have turned many people on to this show. Happy to hear its coming to TV. Thank you

March 08 2010 at 8:03 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Toni

I really love this series,I guess I will have to wait until April to see it,as usual all the good stuff get cancelled...

March 08 2010 at 6:44 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
tinarodney

WHY WOULD ANYONE CANCEL THIS SHOW? IT IS ONE OF THE BEST SHOWS TO EVER BE ON TV, VERY SAD ABOUT THIS DECISION.

March 08 2010 at 6:43 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Arggg

Great actor. I'm sure he'll do well.

March 08 2010 at 5:57 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Diane Gordon

I really must have missed something, I don't remember Landry ever using a date rape drug, he helped Tyra when she was being attacked though. So sad the show has to end, I already miss Riggins!

March 08 2010 at 5:33 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Jennifer L

Like it really matters the show has been canceled anyways

March 08 2010 at 5:32 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Mary

The fifth season starts filming in a few weeks. Landry was one of my favorite characters, but more for comic relief. Plemons did a great job with the serious stuff too, but his plotlines haven't been the best.

Honestly, I'm not too sad to see the original teens leave. Keeping them around felt artificial. I would rather have a last season tightly focused on the Taylors, Vince, Luke, Big Merri, and evil Joe McCoy. All these good bye arcs take away from the other characters.

March 08 2010 at 4:45 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Marsha

I thought that they had already completed taping the 5th season and that they are all looking for more acting opportunites.

March 08 2010 at 4:22 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
robase21

and what's with graying out my comments? Is this not a free speech forum? I bet the moderator voted for Obama as well huh?

March 08 2010 at 4:01 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to robase21's comment
RobynM

As has been pointed out many other times, the graying out of posts is entirely due to other readers giving it the thumbs-down. The "moderator", by which I assume you mean the blog poster, has nothing to do with it whatsoever.

Oh, and a couple other things. TV Squad is owned by AOL - so no, this isn't a "free speech forum". Also, hauling politics into the comments of a non-political post is a good way to get your comment removed entirely.

March 09 2010 at 1:16 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply

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