Bill Records/NBCThere's trouble brewing in Dillon, Texas, and it's not just caused by the literal split of the town. There are other splits coming, including a few of our favorite TV couples, who have some rocky roads ahead.
We sat down with Friday Night Lights' Connie Britton prior to her Conversations session at the SAG Foundation, and she dished what's in store for the citizens of Dillon in season four, which kicks off production on Sept. 2.
When we left the Taylors at the end of season three, Coach (Kyle Chandler) was banished to the run-down East Dillon High School, while Tami remained principal of the Panthers. Could this split actually revive their marriage? "Wait, there's nothing wrong with the marriage," joked Connie. "Hello! The marriage doesn't need reviving. How dare you?"
Actually the impact of the separate schools may "add a new dimension" to their relationship, Connie said. "It's very hard to even grasp what it means—this whole new school that needs all this help that Coach is going to be going to, with redistricting and all that. I think it's going to be more [about] us trying to figure out what our new roles are in these places than it's going to be us at odds with each other. Maybe we'll find a way to come together and help each other with our competitive schools."
While the Taylors are adding a new spark to their marriage, little Julie (Aimee Teegarden) may be in for more trouble this season. "It'll be much more interesting if she's not a good girl, don't you think? At the end of the day, I'm her mom, [and] I want her to be awesome," Connie said. "Maybe she can have one more spell, and then I want her to pull it all together and get into a great school and live an awesome life."
So what does this mean for Matt Saracen (Zach Gilford) and Julie? Connie told us, "At the end of last season it wasn't like he was going to be gone." However, Zach won't be in many episodes this season, so it doesn't seem like they could last. "Exactly!" exclaimed Connie. "I don't know how that's going to sort itself out."
Speaking of doomed relationships, Taylor Kitsch recently told us he's coming back for season four, but Minka Kelly is only back for a few episodes, which Connie teased is not good news for Lyla and Riggins fans: "Riggins is going to have to move on. The reality of the situation is he's in Dillon; he's never going to leave Dillon probably, and she is. She has a whole future, and I think it would be really interesting to see what that does to him. Maybe she'll come back and do some episodes, and we'll see where she's gone off to and see the difference between the girl who gets out and the guy who doesn't. Those old high school relationships where you think [you're] going to be forever together and then you've got your whole life ahead of you and everything changes. "
Which FNL couple are you most worried about? Tell the truth, you're just excited we slipped in the picture of Taylor with his shirt off. OK, maybe it's just us, but hit the comments anyway with what you're most looking forward to when Friday Night Lights returns.