Friday Night Lights: Can you say "Members Only"?

Today's column looks at the beginning of the end for "King of Queens." Spoilers for "Friday Night Lights" just as soon as I go looking for my piano key necktie...

Who would have thought when this show debuted that one of its strongest elements would be a fumbling romantic comedy subplot? And yet Saracen's awkward pursuit of Julie Taylor is always a weekly highlight, never moreso than last night. This was the funniest "FNL" has ever been, what with Coach's "At least she's not interested in a serial killer -- or one of the Rigggins," Landry playing personal shopper, Taylor's horrified response to the Members Only jacket and Julie's hoochie dress, the worthlessness of the QB One thing at the movie theater, Landry explaining why the grandma singing was the only thing he did right on the date, "Lance," etc. Is something going very wrong or very right when Taylor has as many funny lines as Landry?

And yet the "Mr. Sandman" scene separated the whole story from, say, what "One Tree Hill" would have tried. There's so much genuine pain in Matt's situation with his grandmother, the way he's been left to play both son, father, and, occasionally, grandfather, and to have his best friend and potential girlfriend witness that recurring role play made it even worse for him.

As for the rest of the episode, I liked Street and Tyra bonding over being cuckolded -- and the fact that, paralysis or no, Tyra didn't have anything in mind beyond getting drunk and making fun of their exes. Buddy finally got to show a human side in the way he comforted Lyla, we discovered that the Panthers' offensive linemen are capable of speech and independent thought, and Smash continued to get some belated character development.

My one negative: the Panthers need to have an easy win soon, or at least a game that they don't have to win on the very final play. Even as a hardcore underdog sports movie junkie who pumped his fist after Saracen's touchdown pass in the pilot, I'm getting tired of all the stirring comebacks and miracle passes/runs/laterals/etc.

What did everybody else think?