TX Forever
By Carley Rutledge & Monica Moser
TX ForeverOct 01, 2021
Love Letters for Carley (pt. 1)
This title was inspired by the last episode Carley and I recorded together: Love Letters with Lorraine. Earlier this year, I asked our guests and listeners to send in a “letter” to Carley in the form of a voice message.
Took me a bit to finish this episode because sometimes these messages are too much, and sometimes they’re so helpful and make me really happy ya know?
It was really cathartic to listen to these - thanks so much for sending in your letters to all who did 🫶🏼
If you'd like to send in one for part 2, email a voice memo to txforeverpod@gmail.com.
Stay connected on IG: @txforeverpod, @monicamoser, @rutledgecancer
The Interruptus
Today, we share “The Interruptus.” I sat down at my mic (after weeping to the Season 4 finale of One Tree Hill) and verbally processed what losing Carley has been like. Carley’s brother Grant, our audio engineer, also shares what this show has meant to him. You’ll also hear my eulogy at the end.
I decided to place the entirety of my friend Kevin Kelly’s song “Soon” to open it, as it’s meant so much to recently. I think it sounds like Carley talking right to me, talking to us.
I’m learning loss doesn’t get any easier — you don’t get used it. It just becomes more a part of who you are.
***I definitely want to place trigger warning on this episode — it’s raw and you might be want to be somewhere private when you listen.
Love you Carley. I know I’ll be seeing ya soon.
-Monica
----
Link to full memorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BK9znc6ZIAc&t=1s
https://rutledgecancerfoundation.org/
Love Letters with Lorraine
Louanne Stephens, Grandma Saracen, joined us again for a special bonus episode all about love. We discuss listener questions all about dating and marriage and get vulnerable at the end with our personal woes. Louanne gave us some very needed tough (but still sweet) love. This episode is for all of our listeners, wherever you are on the single, dating, married spectrum. Thanks for joining us Grandam Saracen and say hi to Matt and Julie for us! Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, MOVE ON!
Season 4 coming next week.
Check out our TX Talk with Louanne here // follow us @txforeverpod
S3E13: Tomorrow Blues
It's the Season 3 Finale!! In this just-Monica-and-Carley-ep, as per tradish, we talk about how this episode is more of an epilogue than a finale, get real nostalgic on that senior year stress, and more. Some family member help bookend this very monumental episode. See Ya'll at East Dillon?? // Follow us @txforeverpod
S3E12: Underdogs (with Erin Mallory Long)
This week’s buddy is the stunning Liv Tyler, oh we mean Erin Mallory Long (@erinmallorylong), co-host of the Best of Friends Podcast and Monster’s Inc. stan. This week our references span the ages from It’s a Wonderful Life, to Wanda Vision, to Harry Potter and more. Of course we pick apart Panther’s trip to STATE, the best Tyra/Landry moments of the season, and the aftermath of the McCoy family drama. Much ado about flare jeans, bangs that look sexy pushed back and so much more gets unpacked this week - enjoy!
S3E11: A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall (with Allison Miller)
It’s your Bob Dylan Cover Band: The Three Girls this week! Allison Miller (@allisonemiller), currently starring in A Million Little Things on ABC, helps us cover a million little things this week: heart-felt one-one-ones with Tim and Lyla, Tyra and her mama, the very upsetting, explosive scene with the McCoys in the rain, the beginning of the rezoning plot, and so much more. ⅔ of us sip some “red tea” and dig in! Enjoy! // Follow us @txforeverpod
O.C. Interruptus: Part 2 (with Addison Durham)
We head from TX > CA one more time to cover Seasons 3 and 4 of The O.C.! Mon’s besties unite (and don’t get TOO jealous of each other) to talk all about Marisa’s iconic death, the wonderful surprise of an at-times-unclothed, hippie Chris Pratt, Julie Cooper’s many romantic entanglements, and of course our fav music moments from this seasons: Imogen Heap, Sufjan Stevens, etc. Take a trip with us to a world even deeper into the early ‘00s this week! Thanks for joining us @addisonwilderdurham!
S3E10: The Giving Tree (with Kevin T. Porter)
Our prodigal son returns! Or something like that...but Kevin T. Porter (@kevintporter) is back Y'ALL! This Gilmore lovin' goof gets silly with us this week as we discuss Succession, have spontaneous music moments, get pregnant from Riggins again, and debate if people are still allowed to be ‘Daddy’s Girls’. We dig deep into this pivotal episode on Julie’s active sex life, Mamma Tami, Bad Buddy, and Riggins to the Rescue. Don’t miss this week with the man who brought us Gilmore Guys and toppled the Ellen matriarchy!
S3E9: Game of the Week (with Erin Whitehead)
We are on the cusp of a crisp fall, a deadly Lyla Garrity hangover, a Billy magic trick…? And a Tyra rescue. The hilarious & delightful Erin Whitehead (@girlwithatail) joins us to talk misspoken idioms, female written male ingenues, adults fraught relationship with dairy and breaks down this pleasant midseason ep. Enjoy!
Send us your love letters!! Ever wanted Grandma Saracen’s love advice? Now’s your chance! Slide into our DMs or email us at info@txforeverpod.com.
S3E8: New York, New York
Unfettered, untethered, unsupervised...crack open a cold one and head to New York with Carley, Monica...oh and Jason and Tim. This week packs it in with a series-wrap on Scott Porter, a runaway Cashanova and Tyra, some more Property Brothers, and most importantly the return of Tim’s denim jacket. Don’t miss the silliness (and also the surprising amount of tears).
TX Talks: Liza Richardson (Music Supervisor)
We have a super unique TX Talk for y’all today! Emmy-nominated Liza Richardson (@lizarichardson) was the Music Supervisor for Friday Night Lights (as well as Parenthood, Watchmen, Outer Banks, Narcos, Barry, Lovecraft Country, The Morning Show, and so much more.) As y’all know, music is SO important to us and we geek out on all things music & film: how music tells stories, rights issues, and we learn her favorite musical moment from FNL (which is one of our all-time favorites too!)
Follow our playlist on Spotify to hear all of our favorites from each episode! And be sure to watch for Painkiller on Netflix and Forget Normal!
Follow us @txforeverpod / Join our Facebook group Friday Night Lights: Panther Pride
S3E7: Keeping Up Appearances (with Todd Buonopane)
We are Keeping Up Appearances this week with Todd Buonopane (say it five times fast)! He’s a Broadway actor, cabaret singer and TV actor: Grey’s Anatomy, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, but most importantly THE Jeffrey Weinerslav from 30 Rock. We geek out on musical theatre, concerning Sims habits, the specific hotness of an earnest and responsible Billy Riggins and more. A filler of an episode but 10/10 commentary. Enjoy!
We also give a health update for y’all at the top of this episode. We are frustrated and grieving this new obstacle but we’re keeping our eyes clear 💙 Thank you all for being here and along this ride with us! Follow along @txforeverpod
S3E6: It Ain't Easy Being J.D. Mccoy (with Jamie Woodham)
It may not be easy being J.D. Mccoy, but man was it easy hanging out with our newest buddy, Jamie Woodham (@jwoodham)! This week we witness the reuniting of Julie and Matt, some concerning Cowboy Ca$hanova fashion choices, outside hotdogs, and obviously Mindy’s winged wedding dress. We were also given an unforgettably uncensored tour of Dillon from Tim (Toby) Riggins.
Join us this week as we gab on everything from JFK, to out of control bats, to gypsies, and whether or not people wipe before or after they scroll through Instagram on the toilet (or while writing us reviews) ;) Enjoy!
TX Talks: Louanne Stephens (Lorraine Saracen)
Surprise!! We had the most wonderful conversation with Grandma Saracen (@louanne_stephens) and today we share it with you 💙 This TX Talk was just about as adorable as predicted. Louanne (a fellow Fort Worthian!) shared with us her theatre days, working with such special humans like Zach Gilford and Kyle Chandler, and even gave your girls some relationship advice. Please enjoy!!
S3E5: Every Rose Has Its Thorn (with Kim Rogers)
Today on the pod we’re covering S3E5: Every Rose Has Its Thorn, a season opener redo of sorts as Smash has officially moved on and we get our favorite misfit duo back: Simba and Rafiki...I mean Jason and Herc….
Kim Rogers (@kimmierocks/@dramakim), a new buddy of a former buddy, joins us for a cozy discussion on all things Lost, Liam Payne, Tarantino, tattoo culture and more. Please enjoy!! // Follow us @txforeverpod | join our Facebook group Friday Night Lights: Panther Pride.
S3E4: Hello, Goodbye
No babysitters, no chaperones, no boys allowed, it’s just your two favorite gals this week! This week Tami takes the high road in her role as principal, Coach gets Smash his big shot, Matt revisits his mommy problems, and a handsome Cowboy Cash-a-nova strides into town. We also go to the rodeo and Landry gets his wisdom teeth removed...listen in to hear Monica and Carley’s wisdom teeth stories, some upsetting Dallas Buyers Club experiences, and weep with us as we say goodbye to Gaius Charles (Brian “Smash” Williams).
S3E3: How The Other Half Lives (with Jay A. Johnson)
Our uber talented buddy @jay_a_johnson (Quantico + a # of Broadway appearances), is BACK. We are loving the nuanced tension between the McCoy and Taylor families, the slow build of a v cute Matt and Julie reconciliation, Smash and Corinna navigating dreams vs. stability, and the return of pencil Riggins. Follow us @txforeverpod // join our Facebook group Friday Night Lights: Panther Pride.
S3E2: Tami Knows Best (with Patrick Walsh)
Join us and our legendary new buddy, Patrick Walsh (Alway Sunny in Philadelphia, Two Broke Girls, The Cool Kids) in journeying through this wild episode. We tell tales of crow omens, the terror that is teenaged girls, the perfection that is Tim Riggins, and the future of narrative television and progressivism. But even more importantly, we talk a lot about pigeons, and Monica’s harmful time-zone bias. Don’t miss this hilarious deep dive with the whole squab...
S3E1: I Knew You When (with Alex Alcheh)
We are kicking off Season 3 y’all!!
New buddy Alex Alcheh (@aalcheh), who’s an ABOVE average talent, joins us for a new era under the lights. We talk Coach’s sexy support, how we’re all still suffering from PTS-Swede, throwing socks in a fit of teenage rage and much much more. This episode is full of the blossoming character arcs of Billy and Mindy, Tim being Tim, and Tami becoming even more of a badass and somehow having even BETTER HAIR??
Follow us on @txforeverpod and get a sticker at txforeverpod.com/shop!
O.C. Interruptus: Part 1 (with Tony Filipov)
Welcome to The O.C.! Join us and our newest buddy, and official O.C. Expert Tony Filipov, as we navigate the turbulent, denim-clad seasons 1 and 2 of The O.C. We talk our favorite story lines, best outfits, craziest drama, and the influential role of celebrity sex tapes in American History. Take a break this week and travel back to a simpler time (2003), where the cellphones were larger, the waistlines lower, and the music muuuch angstier. Enjoy!
Don’t forget, we’re back to our regularly scheduled programming next Friday as we kick off Season 3 of Friday Night Lights. See ya under the lights!
TX Talks: Brea Grant (Jean Binnel)
Surprise TX Talk! We got JoJean!! It was so fun to talk with Brea Grant about her breakout role on FNL, arriving on set the FIRST day of the writer’s strike, working with Jesse Plemmons, and her current role as a writer and director (12 Hour Shift and Lucky).
Her energy is so palpable. This was such a fun one! Check it out! *no spoilers*
S2E15: May The Best Man Win
Season 2 Finale!!! No babysitters!!
Guys. We made it through. We went to Mexico, we killed a man, we dated Carlahttaaa. What a ride!
This finale wasn’t the most exciting thing in the world…. understandably. But we get a beautiful Smash and Mama moment that keeps us goin, an interesting plotline with Jason and hot waitress and unexpected bb, Landry/Matt quality time, and the Riggs Show. We also deep dive into some weird, specific best friend similarities: Dreamgirls (2006) unhealthy obsession, intentionally making ourselves sad, and strong opinions on cheek kissers | Follow us @txforeverpod / join our Facebook group Friday Night Lights: Panther Pride / buy merch! www.txforeverpod.com/shop
S2E14: Leave No One Behind (with Elena Nicolaou)
Witness the return of our dear buddy Elena Nicolaou (@booksandelena)! Not only is she as sparkling as Edward Cullen in a meadow, but she wrote an article about our show for Oprah Daily! This week we reopen the case of Tyra and the Nerd-erer (nerdy murderer, a.k.a. Landry) and the showdown with Jean. We get super silly telling stories about Carley’s past St. Patrick’s Day mistakes, our adventures at the Gilmore Girls Fan Festival, and more. We get a top notch Riggins episode and a return to top level FNL reminiscent of Season 1.
Don’t forget the three R’s!
Rate. Review. Recycle.
S2E13: Humble Pie (with Alice Wetterlund)
Stand-up comedian, actress, and South Beach diet stan Alice Wetterlund (@alicewetterlund) joins us to nom on some Humble Pie. We have a lovely time navigating the way too long women-dating-down-on-TV trope, witnessing our personal Kong vs. Godzilla, aka Tim Riggins vs. Matt Czuchry, and lamenting how ugly Elon Musk is.
Sub par ep, high bar company. Enjoy and #PokemonGoToTherapy
Plus we got a comprehensive explanation about Kosher from our Jewish boi expert, one of Carley’s dearest friends and the artiste behind our TX Forever cartoon, David Coons (@davidtcoons)! Follow us @txforeverpod / Join our FB group Friday Night Lights: Panther Pride.
TX Talks: Liz Mikel (Corinna Williams)
Y’all. We got the woman who makes us cry every week to come on our show!! And cry!!
Liz Mikel (@miz_lyzz) who plays THE Corinna Williams told us all about her heart for theatre, her allegiance to the Dallas community, and how Friday Night Lights was such a unique and special experience. We also discuss how the show was thematically progressive for its time, she tells us all about working with the incredible Connie Britton and Gauis Charles, and more.
This was such a special moment for us. Our cheeks hurt from smiling and laughing so much and we all got teary! Please enjoy!
S2E12: Who Do You Think You Are? (with Melissa Jane Osborne)
Guess who’s back? It’s our buddy Melissa Jane Osborne (@osbornejmelissa)! Melissa, Monica, and Carley discuss what we loved about this episode, which unsurprisingly involves Mama Smash and seriously cute pair of boots. But they also dig into where this episode missed the mark. Buckle up though, because this episode is lousy with giggles, surprise clips, and an unusual amount of music? Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can’t Lose!
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @TXForeverpod and listen to us...anywhere!
S2E11: Jumping The Gun (with Sarah Caroline Billings)
In this delightful Mother’s Day episode we are joined by our lovely return buddy Sarah Caroline Billings (@sarahcarolineblings). We get to watch Momma Smash take her son’s future into her hands, Tami standing up to her sister, and then Coach reminds us to always listen to our mother’s. Don’t miss out another episode packed with silliness, cunning insight, and endless office references.
Follow us @TXForever on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. Available wherever you get your podcasts!
S2E10: There Goes The Neighborhood
Mon and Carl have no babysitter again this time!! This is our highest rated episode of Season 2 so far. SO many facets of Tim are on full display, we get a classic high school rivalry and cafeteria brawl, a touching Buddy moment, a TORNADO, and a we-don’t-deserve-him Landry speech. Bingo bango bunco!
Follow us everywhere @txforeverpod / Join our FB group Friday Night Lights: Panther Pride!
S2E9: The Confession (with Sage Young)
Landry confesses!! And we never have to talk about this plotline again!!
Writer/editor Sage Young (@sageyoungest) (bylines: @bustle, @entertainmentweekly, @refinery29, @nbcnews) and co-founder of @headoverfeelsdotcom joins us for the Tami/Julie feuds, Jason’s wheellovers.com date, Smash’s jubilee at Matt and Carlahhhttaa and more.
Also a special Monsplain segment this week with former Trojan Football legends, Ty Templin and Rowland Pettit.
Follow us everywhere @txforeverpod!
Grief Interruptus
We love you all. Reach out. Keep moving.
S2E8: Seeing Other People (with Tim Murray)
Writer/Comedian, host of Slumber Party Podcast (iHeart Radio Broadway network), and Connie Britton STAN Tim Murray (@tmurray06) joins us for S2E8: Seeing Other People! We get extra nostalgic about the early 00’s with some O.C., Dawson’s Creek and Varsity Blues talk, and do many an accent.
Everyone’s seeing other people in this ep - Tim’s seeing ferret man, Matt’s seeing Carlotta, and Smash is seeing his crazy future life in college.
Follow us @txforeverpod and join our Facebook group Friday Night Lights: Panther Pride!
S2E7: Pantherama! (with Emma Germano)
This week on the podcast, Monica and Carley are joined by the wickedly hilarious Emma Germano (@emmagermano). Emma is a booking agent but best known for her strong passion for Shrek and Bob’s Burgers. We meet lots of new characters, have a couple AMAZING Smash and Mama Williams breakdowns, and we get a Tyra/Lyla reunion! And certainly can’t forget Matt buying some brand new wheels.
In case you missed it in the episode - go check out our story that was featured in Oprah Daily! https://www.oprahdaily.com/entertainment/tv-movies/a35843686/friday-night-lights-podcast-tx-forever-cancer/
S2E6: How Did I Get Here
We have a very silly just-Mon-and-Carl episode today. We ask A LOT of y’all this week so please send us your thoughts, feelings, hopes and dreams.
Carley reveals that Monica is her horcrux and she educates Monica on Facebook Ant culture (?), and as far as FNL… We get the sexy Coach T angry laugh, the trio is back from Mexico and we officially crown #TeacherTim over #RainRiggins. AND Landry’s! Car! Is On Fiiiiire! This episode feels like Mon and Carl with no babysitter lol. Enjoy!!
Follow us @txforeverpod // join our Facebook group Friday Night Lights: Panther Pride
S2E5: Let's Get It On (with Royce Johnson)
This week we have our first return guest, the freshly vaccinated, L.A. based actor/writer and fan-fave, Royce Johnson (@RoyceLooksAtStuff)! Head down south with us while Tim and Lyla try to keep Jason from doing the Shark-Bait-Ooh-Ha-Ha procedure, and he responds by pulling a #FreeWilly. Monica, Carley, and Royce concur that Mexico’s smokiness is due to an overabundance of sizzling fajitas and that these high schoolers’ parents are wildly inattentive. However, this episode has some bright spots - some involve feeding two birds with one scone, some involve our beloved murder duo Tyra and Landry. We dive into Coach’s misogyny, drunk Tammy, the important distinction between bowler hats and fedoras, and a powerhouse music episode! After surviving the literal rough waters of this episode, we all agree that better times for Dillon lay just on the horizon!
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter @TXForeverpod and leave us an iTunes review!
S2E4: Backfire (with Tara Copeland)
Follow us everywhere @txforeverpod and join our Facebook Group - Friday Night Lights: Panther Pride !!
S2E3: Are You Ready For Friday Night? (with Kevin T. Porter)
You won’t wanna miss this hilarious, reference packed episode! Rate and subscribe on iTunes and follow us at @txforeverpod
S2E2: Bad Ideas (with Ben Siemon)
Ben Siemon (@bjsiemon) was such a joy! Ben is a writer & comedian best known for his role of "Grocery Clerk With Half an Eyelid" on Crazy-Ex Girlfriend. He's also written for several animated shows including Ducktales, TrollsTopia and the upcoming Tiny Toons reboot. We talk about many more shows besides FNL that experienced a sophomore slump or overstayed their welcome, we die multiple times at Ben’s comparison of Buddy to Ted Cruz, and we laugh a lot at Ben’s first impressions of these characters in this crazy ep! Buddy’s a drunk! Tim’s a stand up guy! Tami is losin it! Enjoy :)
Follow us @txforeverpod / join our Facebook group Friday Night Lights: Panther Pride!
S2E1: Last Days of Summer (with Krista Doyle)
We’re making a huge splash into Season 2 with this sizzling season opener! This week Carley and Monica are joined by the charming Krista Doyle (@krista_doyle) of the Holy Swift Podcast (@holyswiftpodcast) to break down the hottest gossip of the episode. Whether it’s Captaining the S.S. TaTas, getting baptized, or accidentally committing murder...this episode has everything you could hope for and more. The ladies break down the trials of brand new momma Tammy, an absent Eric, a sass queen Julie, and one very very sweaty Swede. Join us in this packed episode as we kick off the next season of TX Forever!
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @TXForeverPod and become a monthly show supporter at anchor.fm/txforeverpod
TX Talks: Aasha Davis (Waverly Grady)
It was such a joy getting to chat with Aasha Davis (@aashadavis)! She shares how her passion for improv was a perfect fit for Friday Night Lights (and just such a valuable life skill in general), getting to work with Gaius Charles and Minka Kelly, falling in love with Austin and its community, and we bond over keeping tunnel vision when it comes to our creative passions.
***Remember that TX Talks contain spoilers!
We also talk reality TV, Drunk History, and how we should all grab drinks and be wing women for each other so we can find our own Smash. Enjoy!!
Follow us @txforeverpod / join our Facebook group Friday Night Lights: Panther Pride!
S1E22: State
WE’RE GOING TO STATE! In this pinnacle episode Carley and Monica cover the Panther’s State Championship in a hilarious and slightly teary farewell to Season 1. This week’s tangents feature high school trips, the human rights laws of good steak and good tv, and an emotional reflection on our journey through this trying year and wonderful podcast season. Not to mention we finally get to discuss a pregnant Tammy, a car full of Colettes and Landry, some unbeatable football (and TV) moments, and a PANTHER WIN!!
Join us this week in the final episode of season 1, and stick around for our super exciting announcement at the end of the episode! Follow on Facebook, IG, and Twitter @TXForeverpod
S1E21: Best Laid Plans (with Brock Wilbur)
It’s the penultimate ep of Season 1 y’all!
Brock Wilbur (@brockwilbur), Editor-in-Chief of The Pitch (@thepitchkc), a stand-up comedian, host of the "Caring into the Void" podcast, and the co-author of Boss Fight Book's "POSTAL,” (and exposer of NXIVM…) joins us to talk rabbit holes, pandemic ice cream trucks, small town culture and all things Best Laid Plans! Tami and Eric are at a crossroads, Smash and Wave are bein cute as ever, Lyla gets to deliver a satisfying “SCREW YOU!!” to Jason, and we grapple with the aftermath of Tyra’s assault.
S1E20: Mud Bowl (with Allie Goertz)
In this renowned fan favorite episode, the Panthers are in disarray as their home field advantage is threatened by a nearby explosion. But don’t worry, Carley and Monica are more than up to the task of breaking down this episode with the help of newest buddy Allie Goertz (@alliegoertz) - a comedy musician, writer and former editor for Mad magazine.This week we cover rain vs mud Riggins, all things Landry, and even dive deep into the poignant and heartbreaking moments of Tyra’s attack.
Don’t miss out this week, as we get to the heart of this episode and this show, reminding us of what’s really important in life.
S1E19: Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes (with Catherine Hagedorn)
New buddy Catherine Hagedorn (@chagedorn), Head of Development for Jennifer Lopez (yes THAT Jennifer Lopez), helps us navigate the many changes the Taylors, Jason, and Lyla are going through this episode and also the changes our BODIES are going through as we collectively begin to bear Tim’s children AGAIN. Oof.
We loved this episode: Waverly talking honestly to Smash about her bipolar disorder, the bro hang on the field, and the just-cheesy-enough Tyra and Angela dance crash.
FACT CHECK: This isn’t the last episode Waverly’s in (thank God). Also Catherine has redacted her statement of being Team Christopher after the actor called one of the insurrectionist a “great Patriot”...
S1E18: Extended Families (with Melissa Jane Osborne)
Meet our newest buddy Melissa Osborne, a writer and actor in theatre, film, tv, and the creator of the award winning graphic novel The Wendy Project! This week in Dillon, we discuss all of our favorite characters and their various troubles. Buddy is reaping the consequences of straying outside his marriage, all while playing private detective at the Taylor house.
Carley, Monica, and Melissa compare notes on everything from Bridgerton, Wag Walkers, Tarzan Riggins, and the endless supply of thin framed glasses that this episode provides.
We also dig into the Tyra and Tammy showdown and discuss the newly tattooed Jason Street and his successful sexual endeavors with stow-away Lyla.
Join us for all this and more - you won’t want to miss the return of Julie’s cloud robe, or a very important discussion for all those #teamLandry fans!
Follow us everywhere @TXForeverpod and leave us an iTunes review and get a personal shoutout on the show!
S1E17: I Think We Should Have Sex (with Elena Nicolaou)
And we back, and we back…
We back with a BANG (hehe).
We took off some TXin’ for the holidays but we’re SO glad it’s 2021 and that Elena Nicolaou (@booksandelena / @elenawonders) joined us for this iconique episode of FNL: “I Think We Should Have Sex.” We discuss the Hilaria Baldwin phenom, create a new species (lice bugs) and really commend this episode for handling teenage sex so gracefully and seriously.
Also Elena, thank you for putting up with us asking you how to pronounce your name and then proceeding to mispronounce it throughout the ep!! Or at least @monicamoser...
S1E16: Black Eyes and Broken Hearts (with Jay A. Johnson)
Our newest buddy this week is none other than triple threat, Jay Armstrong Johnson (@Jay_A_Johnson)! You may know him from Lincoln Center’s production of Sweeney Todd (starring opposite Emma Thompson and Audra McDonald) (2014), from his most recent Broadway role starring as Raoul in Phantom, or as Will Olsen on ABC’s Quantico.
Monica, Carley, and Jay join forces to tackle this tension-filled episode as we navigate a racially charged football game, Landry and Matt’s foray into the world of strippers, and Julie’s fresh serving of sass she dishes out to our beloved Tami and Coach. Join us this week as we chat about what it means to recognize your racist roots, giggle at Landry one-liners, and revisit our Texas childhoods filled with Veggie Tales, and….pawn shop visits? Happy Friday!
Follow us @txforeverpod
S1E15: Blinders (with Leah Vann)
#TGIF Panthers! S1E5: Blinders is live with sports writer/FNL expert Leah Vann (@leah_hannah_22 / @LVann_)! This episode is a bit longer than others due to Leah answering all of our burning football questions and due even more so to the racial aspect of this episode that required, ya know, more of a lengthy discussion than how greasy Tim’s hair was.
This episode is packed with moments ranging from implicit to explicit racism, failed allyship, and a beautiful Eric & Tami debrief of a forum gone wrong and the pain of failing to make a difference.
Listen now everywhere, follow us @txforeverpod, leave an iTunes review so we can shout ya out on the show, and join our new Facebook group Friday Night Lights: Panther Pride! We also talk about and preview Monica’s new song “WINGS” which serves an anthem for the Rutledge Cancer Foundation that was released today. Stream it on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/6KLUhAMwT681GwMffiDUDp?si=rvXSHfq7QaGstyBQs1D4ZQ
***Leah often refers to Permian (this is the school in FNL the MOVIE) as synonymous with the fictional town of Dillon.
S1E14: Upping the Ante
This week for the first time ever Monica and Carley podcast together in the same room! In between their storytelling, giggling, and singing, Carley and Monica gab about this action-packed episode. This week we see Smash finally getting back into coach’s good graces, Tim’s father-son golf adventure, and Matt and Coach’s foray into public access television. Join us for this extra fun episode as we Up the Ante!
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter @TXForeverpod and leave us an iTunes review!
S1E13: Little Girl I Wanna Marry You (with Mary Siroky)
We survived the Smash steroid reveal, Jason and Lyla’s engagement, and Election Week.
Mary Siroky (@msiroky / @marysiroky), screenwriter, BTS stan, and Twitter queen, joins us to discuss S1E13: Little Girl I Wanna (Mary) You. We talk car trouble, the amazing performances of Gaius Charles (Smash) and Liz Mikel (Miss Williams) in this ep, and Buddy’s tough-to-swallow but perfectly delivered dose of reality speech. Follow us @txforeverpod and leave us an iTunes review!
S1E12: What To Do While You're Waiting
This week we take a trip to the Dillon Rodeo and down memory lane, as Smash courts Waverly, Matt deals with Daddy issues and Carley and Monica eat lots of Halloween candy. This episode dives deeper into some of our favorite B characters and we unpack Tyra’s battle for independence, as we await the results of the big game that could determine whether or not the Panthers go to the playoffs. Join us in this fun packed episode and learn even more about Carley and Monica’s love of turkey legs.
***Mon had a major boo boo: her musicians corner this episode is for episode 13, she does the music report for this episode in ep 13! Sorry fam!