Television’s best drama returned in fighting shape for its third,
most affecting year. Like all high school shows, it weathered some cast
changes, both exits—Street (Scott Porter) and Smash (Gaius
Charles)—and entrances—wunderkind JD McCoy (Jeremy Sumpter) and
stage father Joe (DW Moffett). But none of the traffic upset its heart,
Tami and Eric Taylor (Connie Britton and Kyle Chandler), still
indisputably the finest couple on air. When Coach gets pushed out of a
job and onto the battered fields of East Dillon High, it’s a
note-perfect ending. But it’s also a thrilling beginning, and there’s
no other series capable of that balance.
This article appears in Oct 1-7, 2009.