Much of Season 3 focused on parent-child relationships: the Taylors and Julie, Buddy Garrity and Lyla, Matt Saracen's returning mom (and grandmom) and Matt, Jason street and his newborn, and -- my favorite subplot -- freshman quarterback J.D. McCoy and his obnoxious dad Joe.Buddy Garrity is a fantastically interesting character -- huge swings from being an awful dad and overly aggressive team booster to being super supportive and caring.
The actor (Brad Leland) pulls it off perfectly. I love that his job (and source of influence in Dillon) is owner of the local car dealership, since watching this season has corresponded with the Cash for Clunkers hullaballo.
Coach Taylor remains annoyingly earnest at times, but the actor (Kyle Chandler) also pulls off the role pitch-perfectly.
The most interesting subplot is the McCoys. Dad is an "I am wealthier-and-therefore-better-than-thou" jack a**, but J.D.'s got a strong loyalty to him and struggles with independence. The mom eventually begins to take J.D.'s side, but she too circles the wagons when she feels that the Taylors are inappropriately interfering in the family.
The best plot-twist of the season came at the very end, when Tim Riggins's brother lectured him to insist he go away to college notwithstanding their clear brotherly bond.
