🏈 ‘Friday Night Lights’ reunion brought us back to Dillon, TX

Celebration for Pease Park Troll Planned

On June 24, the Pease Park Conservancy is hosting an event to honor Malin, the wooden troll that was destroyed in a fire last month. An Evening for Malin starts at 6:30 p.m. [Pease Park Conservancy]

Investigation Into Bike Batteries Opened After Fire

A forensic investigator is looking into the lithium-ion batteries that CapMetro’s Bikeshare program uses after a fire broke out at one of the department’s facilities in May. The department’s roughly 500 electric bikes were pulled following the fire. [KUT]

An Austin Woman Cloned Her Cat

After her cat died suddenly, an Austin woman took out a personal loan to cover a $25,000 bill to clone her cat in 2017. ViaGen, a company in Cedar Park, performed the cloning and a copy of the woman’s cat was created by 2021. [Austin American-Statesman]

Ottine Mineral Springs Is Expanding

Ottine Mineral Springs is adding a restaurant to its property by August and a hotel is incoming, the wellness spa announced. The springs, which are east of Seguin, have become a popular hotspot for Austinites to visit. [Tribeza]

A recent Friday evening inside Austin’s Paramount Theatre downtown felt like being in the Panthers locker room in Dillon, Texas.

Kyle Chandler, who played Eric Taylor on “Friday Night Lights,” brought the room to a quiet halt as he spoke about his experience on the show, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.

“It’s hard to describe this show. It was so magical. It really truly was and not just for what the audience sees, but for the actors,” Chandler said. “Going onto a show like this is like going to a masterclass in acting. It’s not Shakespeare and classical, it’s freedom.”

Chandler was with a majority of the show’s cast for a panel at ATX TV Festival. It was a fitting addition to the event’s lineup, said Emily Gibson, a co-founder of the festival. The TV show, which ran 2006-2011, helped launch ATX TV Festival in 2012 with an appearance from Chandler and Connie Britton, his on-screen wife Tami Taylor.

Before Chandler had the floor during this year’s panel, the crowd and the cast on stage had been rowdy. It was a fun and funny discussion. Britton recorded Jesse Plemons from backstage as he revived his character Landry’s high school band Crucifictorious with two songs ahead of the talk. Roars from the audience broke out when Gaius Charles, who played Smash Williams, was introduced on stage. A whole bit about Chandler replacing Billy Bob Thornton, who originally played coach in the movie version of the show, kept everyone laughing throughout the night. Chants of “Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose” filled the theater more than once.

But when Chandler had the mic, the whoops faded and it felt like we were getting a real life pep talk from Coach Taylor. Even 20 years later, Chandler has a way with the cast and the fans who love them.