Alamo Drafthouse Cedars was the venue for the Plex and ATX TV Festival-hosted event that included a screening of the season 3 episode \u201cUnderdogs\u201d and a live Q&A moderated by the Dallas Morning News\u2019 Sarah Hepola.<\/a> The event was the first stop on a five-city roadshow<\/a> in celebration of the series, which will next visit San Antonio on July 16.<\/p>\n Adrianne Palicki (Tyra Collette), Derek Phillips (Billy Riggins), Stacey Oristano (Mindy Riggins), Louanne Stephens (Grandma Saracen), Brad Leland (Buddy Garrity) and Liz Mikel (Corrina Williams) were all in attendance.<\/p>\n \u201cJust like you guys, I\u2019m a fan of this show and such a fan of all the performances of all the people on this panel,\u201d Phillips told the crowd.<\/p>\n Editor\u2019s note: Spoilers for \u201cFriday Night Lights\u201d season 3, episode 12 below.<\/p>\n Each stop on the roadshow will see a cast-selected episode, with Palicki handling duties for the Dallas event.<\/p>\n She chose the penultimate season 3 episode because it\u2019s where her character Tyra finds her voice as she writes her college admission essay. Everybody else believed in her, but in that episode, Tyra finally found herself, Palicki added.<\/p>\n \u201cThat montage that happens, where it\u2019s showing every character as she\u2019s speaking, which is so beautiful,\u201d Palicki said. \u201cI think there\u2019s just such an evolution of so many characters in that.\u201d<\/p>\n \ud83c\udfac In case you missed it: <\/p>\n \u201cUnderdogs\u201d is also the episode where Dillon loses the state championship and ends the high school football careers of Tim Riggins (Taylor Kitsch), Matt Saracen (Zach Gilford) and more.<\/p>\n Phillips revealed that the episode was originally supposed to end with his character Billy confronting his younger brother Tim over the loss. Instead, the episode ends with Tim laying his cleats on the field and walking away.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s just perfect that the episode ends with him with the cleats, not with him with Billy,\u201d Phillips said. \u201cHe needed that moment for himself. That\u2019s one of the things I think \u2018Friday Night Lights\u2019 did really well.\u201d<\/p>\n The roadshow comes as \u201cFriday Night Lights\u201d is just a few months away from the 20th anniversary of its NBC premiere on Oct. 3, 2006.<\/p>\n As for why the show\u2019s stuck around for the past two decades, Leland said that it may have started out being about high school football, but the series grew to be about community and being part of a team.<\/p>\n \u201cEverybody understands it because they grew up [and] had boyfriends, girlfriends, teachers, coaches and problems,\u201d Leland said. \u201cThat\u2019s why it will live on.\u201d<\/p>\n Oristano added that she\u2019s heard from countless people about how watching the show made them feel less alone.<\/p>\n Whether it was people watching the show after they lost their house to Hurricane Sandy, or military members gathering around a DVD player in a submarine to check it out, \u201cFriday Night Lights\u201d has been there for folks when they need it.<\/p>\n Palicki chimed in that she still gets stopped by fans who say they\u2019re going to college because of her character.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople are still finding the show to this day, young people, which makes me so happy that that\u2019s happening,\u201d Palicki said.<\/p>\n The \u201cFriday Night Lights\u201d roadshow\u2019s next stop is in San Antonio on July 16, with Palicki, Phillips and Oristano attending.<\/p>\n Phillips and Oristano chose the season 3 finale \u201cTomorrow Blues\u201d for the event, telling the Star-Telegram<\/a> that it was the last time the original cast were together. The episode also contains the wedding of Phillips and Oristano\u2019s characters, Billy and Mindy.<\/p>\n Following San Antonio, the roadshow travels to Los Angeles on July 21, New York on Aug. 25 and Kansas City on Aug. 28. For tickets and other info on the roadshow, visit here.<\/a><\/p>\n Related Stories from Fort Worth Star-Telegram<\/p>\n![\"\u201cFriday](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_0139.JPG\" "\\"IMG_0139.JPG\\"")
\u201cFriday Night Lights\u201c cast members Derek Phillips, Brad Leland, Louanne Stephens, Adrianne Palicki, Stacey Oristano and Liz Mikel attend a 20th anniversary event at Dallas\u2019 Alamo Drafthouse Cedars on Thursday, July 9, 2026. Brayden Garcia bgarcia@star-telegram.com \u2018Friday Night Lights\u2019 cast reunites in Dallas<\/p>\n FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS — “Homecoming” Episode 107 — Aired 11\/14\/06 — Pictured: Dillon Panthers — Photo by: Van Redin\/NBCU Photo Bank Van Redin NBCU Photo Bank \u2018Friday Night Lights\u2019 cast on the show\u2019s legacy<\/p>\n
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