The episode begins after the Lion’s first loss of the season, so we don’t see the game, which is kind of surprising since it's one of the biggest games of the show. But with the strife at the end of the last week’s episode, it was clear the team could crumble at any moment if it hadn't already and the writers didn't need to show more.
In the aftermath with the team falling apart, Eric decides to bench Vince and start Luke at quarterback. The Lions win their next game with Vince on the sidelines, proving that Vince isn’t as crucial to the team as he thought he was. If Luke continues to perform well enough to win, Vince won’t be getting attention from colleges and his father won’t be seeing the money pouring in. Luke succeeding seems to have sobered Vince (not necessarily turning him around completely), but his father, a person who we know is violent, is extremely angry at the end of the episode.
Becky, after waitressing at the Landing Strip, rakes in tons of cash and likes the perks the job offers, and now she’s fully on her way to become a stripper.
Epyck shoves Tami, the cops get involved, and she’s sent away. Is this the last we see of her, the sad case of someone falling through the cracks despite Tami's heroic efforts, or will everything become right?
Julie showing up at Matt’s door, while optimal to showing up at the TA’s door, is still a diversion. She has a great time and so does Matt, but the root of Julie’s existing problem exists: She doesn’t want to resume her college life, instead feeding off Matt and the warm fuzzy feeling he offers. After a week, Matt realizes this and sets her right, knowing that if he loves he, he should make sure she is successful in life. I don't get why Matt is still with her after all the trouble she's given him, but it works.
After "Gut Check," there are four episodes left. Four! Some of the older characters should trickle back soon so that'll be exciting, and Coach Taylor may be leaving high school football for good.
Score: 8.9/10
