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Tyra Collette (portrayed by Adrianne Palicki) is a main character on the Friday Night Lights television show. She is the daughter of Angela Collette and younger sister of Mindy Collette. She is one of the only people in the town who doesn't follow football religiously, and is extremely eager to leave Dillon behind.

Personality[]

Tyra is typically considered a "bad girl" and not treated with much respect by the people of Dillon. People generally assume that she's a promiscuous, dumb, "white trash" type. In reality, Tyra incredibly smart and resourceful, although for much of the series she believes she'll just end up like her mother and sisters, stuck in Dillon working dead-end jobs forever. Tyra has a deadpan and sarcastic sense of humor, and like many of the other characters in the show has a sense of cynicism about her future. Tyra is the most responsible member of her family, and often serves as a voice of reason and moderation to her family and friends. Tyra is aware of how other people view her, which she both dislikes and sometimes takes advantage of if it can further her goals. In addition, Tyra is confident and brave, easily taking control of situations when she needs to.

Appearance[]

Relationships[]

Main article: Tyra's Relationships

Angela Collette (Mother)[]

Main article: Tyra and Angela

Tyra is very close to her mother. Tyra looks after her and is very protective of her, especially when it comes to men who come around to do her harm or take advantage of her, even taking a fireplace poker and chasing one of the abusive men her mother was dating, around the living room trying to hit him with it after witnessing him slap her mother.

Mindy Collette (Sister)[]

Main article: Tyra and Mindy


Appearances[]

Season 1
Pilot Debut
Eyes Wide Open Appears
Wind Sprints Appears
Who's Your Daddy? Appears
Git'er Done Appears
El Accidente Appears
Homecoming Appears
Crossing the Line Appears
Full Hearts Appears
It's Different for Girls Appears
Nevermind Appears
What to Do While You're Waiting Appears
Little Girl I Wanna Marry You Appears
Upping the Ante Appears
Blinders Appears
Black Eyes and Broken Hearts Appears
I Think We Should Have Sex Appears
Extended Families Appears
Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes Appears
Mud Bowl Appears
Best Laid Plans Appears
State Appears
Season 2
Last Days of Summer Appears
Bad Ideas Appears
Are You Ready for Friday Night? Appears
Backfire Appears
Let's Get It On Appears
How Did I Get Here? Appears
Pantherama! Appears
Seeing Other People Appears
The Confession Appears
There Goes the Neighborhood Appears
Jumping the Gun Absent
Who Do You Think You Are? Absent
Humble Pie Appears
Leave No One Behind Appears
May the Best Man Win Appears
Season 3
I Knew You When Appears
Tami Knows Best Appears
How the Other Half Lives Appears
Hello, Goodbye Appears
Every Rose Has Its Thorn Appears
It Ain't Easy Being J.D. McCoy Appears
Keeping Up Appearances Appears
New York, New York Appears
Game of the Week Appears
The Giving Tree Appears
A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall Appears
Underdogs Appears
Tomorrow Blues Appears
Season 5
Expectations Absent
On the Outside Looking In Absent
The Right Hand of the Father Absent
Keep Looking Absent
Kingdom Absent
Swerve Absent
Perfect Record Absent
Fracture Absent
Gut Check Absent
Don't Go Absent
The March Absent
Texas Whatever Appears
Always Final

Quotes[]

Season 1[]

Season One[]

Tyra is an over-sexualized girl resigned to getting by in life based on her looks, although she is smart and resourceful. She works as a waitress at Applebee's while her older sister, Mindy Collette, is a stripper at the local strip club The Landing Strip. The two live in a house with their single mother, Angela, who is loving but inattentive.

Tyra is in an on-and-off relationship with Tim Riggins. After Jason Street is paralyzed, Tyra is frustrated and disgusted with Tim's unwillingness to visit him in the hospital. She breaks up with him and promises it's for good. Tyra goes on to have a brief relationship with a Los Angeles developer, Connor Hayes, who scopes out Dillon for future projects. The two sleep together, but Tyra is shown to be upset when Connor tells her that he has a girlfriend the next morning and will be returning to her.

She appears to have a passionate dislike towards Lyla Garrity and is furious and devastated when she discovers Lyla and Tim's affair. Tim later apologizes to her and asks for a second chance, promising things will be different. Although Tyra clearly has strong feelings for Tim, she declines for the reason that doing so would make her no better than the rest of the women in her family - allowing men who constantly mistreat them back into their lives. While Tyra harbors a lot of dislike towards Lyla, but they both seem to come to an understanding about the other.

Tyra goes on to form a close friendship with Julie Taylor, taking the younger girl under her wing. Although Tami does not approve of their friendship, believing Tyra to be a bad influence, she soon sees another side of Tyra after seeing her take care of her drunk mother and realizes that Tyra is a misunderstood young woman who has not seen many positive female influences. Tami vows to take Tyra under her wing and get her into college, a future Tyra entertains and is excited about.

At the end of the season, Tyra has become a strong, determined young woman. She strikes up a friendship with Landry Clarke, who has been tutoring her and is in love with her. On a study date with Landry, he doesn't show up due to car trouble. Tyra leaves, but is sexually assaulted and nearly raped by a stranger, Mike Caldwell, in the Alamo Freeze parking lot. Landry shows up just in time. Tyra is embarrassed by her assault and afraid to speak up. Landry tells Tami behind Tyra's back, who then goes on to file a police report. Tyra is initially furious at Landry and tells him off, but later apologizes and thanks him, and their relationship deepens.

Season Two[]

Tyra and Landry are now good friends. Tyra is still haunted by the memories of her assault, especially after she sees Mike's truck following her. When Tyra waits for Landry to come out of a convenience store at night, Mike tries to attack her again. Landry comes out and attempts to subdue him, but fails and is resorted hitting him on the back of the head with a piece of metal pipe, which kills him. The two dispose of his body in the river.

Landry is consumed with guilt after the murder. Tyra makes things worse by telling him to suck it up and be a man. Landry becomes angry at her and says that he's in love with her and that she knows it but just uses him.

Tyra realizes her feelings for Landry and sleeps with him, taking his virginity, and the two begin a romantic relationship. Landry's father, a police officer, suspicious of Tyra's involvement in Mike's murder and her relationship with his son, tells Tyra to end things with Landry. She does so, regretfully.

During this time, Tyra joins the volleyball team at Tami's request, and stands out as a blocker.

Tyra later keeps Landry at arm's length, confused with the intensity of what she feels for him. She later realizes the extent of her feelings when he begins seeing another girl, and the two make their relationship official and public.

Season 3[]

Tyra and Landry have broken up, but remain friends. Tyra gets a rude awakening when the new Dillon High counselor tells her that her overall GPA is still too low for her to be accepted to any schools, which severely discourages her. She spends the season either determinedly working towards her goal of getting into college or giving up. Through some not exactly fair tricks, Tyra becomes Student Body president.

Tyra meets a cowboy named Cash Waller at the Dillon Rodeo and is immediately taken by his charms and arresting personality. She chooses him over an upset Landry. Tyra breaks up with Cash when a woman claiming to be the mother of his child knocks on her door and demands to know his whereabouts in order to receive child support, but Cash insists that she's lying and Tyra takes him back. She later joins him on a rodeo tour, but realizes that he's a gambler and is in a dangerous amount of debt. He becomes abusive when she threatens to leave. Tyra calls Tami to pick her up from Dallas in the middle of the night.

Back in Dillon, Tyra asks Landry for help studying, then asks him to blow off his band practice to have a sandwich with her. Landry finally snaps and becomes frustrated with Tyra for taking advantage of him and compares their relationship to the Giving Tree, accusing Tyra of being selfish by taking and taking from him until he has nothing left to give. Tyra realizes that she hasn't been fair to him and books an important gig for his band, Crucifictorious, which is successful. The pair begin dating again soon after.

Tyra's older sister Mindy becomes engaged to Billy Riggins, and Tyra helps her prepare for her wedding by throwing her a bachelorette tea party with the aid of Landry. Afterwards, Tyra realizes that remaining in Dillon may be a very real prospect for her if she doesn't get into college and breaks down. Her mother Angela comforts her and says that although she never knows what to expect with Tyra, she knows that Tyra will go on to do great things.

Tyra's college essay attempts don't go so well. She finally admits to Landry that seeing Jason Street become paralyzed changed her perspective, because she realized life wasn't fair for anyone, not just her. She said she used to "have enough hate in [her] heart to start a freaking car" but is no longer that way.

Tyra is eventually put on the waitlist at UT Austin. She and Landry drive down in hopes of convincing the admissions director to accept her, but he tells her that there are over 1,000 people on the waitlist. Tyra despairs at this news, but Landry tells her that she has to start believing in herself, because he does completely. Tyra later gets a letter informing her that she's been accepted and joyfully embraces Landry and her family.

Season 4[]

Tyra is away at UT Austin and is not seen. Landry is still hung up on her, but realizes that their relationship is over when she doesn't meet him at a rest stop like they had planned.

Season 5[]

Tyra reconnects with Tim Riggins, who is uncharacteristically angry after being in prison and has plans to move to Alaska. She persuades him to repair his relationship with Billy. The two share a kiss and end up spending the night together. In the morning, Tyra takes Tim to his land. As the two are looking at it, Tyra says "Alaska, Tim?" Tim smiles guiltily.

In the finale, Tyra is apprehensive about getting back together with Tim. Finally, as they are sitting outside, Tyra admits to him that she's been in love with him since she was five, but has dreams that she's unwilling to give up. Tim tells her that he has dreams too, and suggests that maybe one day their dreams can merge together. Tyra smiles at this and seems to like the idea.

References[]

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