"The Son" is the fifth episode of the fourth season of the television drama series Friday Night Lights. It is the 56th episode overall in the series. The episode first aired on DirecTV's The 101 Network on December 2, 2009. It then re-aired on NBC on June 4, 2010. The episode was hailed by critics and fans as one of the strongest episodes of the series, with unanimous praise for Zach Gilford's performance.

The main focus of the episode is on Matt Saracen, who must deal with the death of his father, Henry Saracen, a soldier who was killed in combat in Iraq. At the start of the episode, Matt replays a video message on his computer of his father wishing him a Merry Christmas and apologizing for not being able to make it home. Landry and Julie force him to stop playing the video and watch a movie with them to get his mind off things.

A wake is then held at the Saracen home. For most of the wake, Matt does not move from his chair, telling Julie that he really doesn't need to go anywhere considering everyone is coming to him. Later, Matt talks to an Army recruiter from the area, who speaks positively of Matt's father, saying that he was a very funny person. Matt becomes angry at this, telling the recruiter he has never seen his father smile before in his whole life. Landry gets Matt away from the recruiter before he is allowed to say anything else, telling Matt that the next night the two of them are going out with the Riggins brothers. At that point, Joe and J.D. McCoy show up at the house, but Matt, already angry and at a loss for words over the two of them showing up, shuts the door in their faces before walking away.

The following day, Tami and Matt visit the funeral director to go over the arrangements for the funeral the next day. Matt is unable to pay attention to most of the details after learning that there will be a closed casket. Tami realizes that the closed casket makes many of the proposed details unnecessary, and sees that Matt is being overcharged. She tells Matt that it will be okay for him to wait outside in the car, before telling the funeral director that the two of them need to start all over. At home, Matt thanks Julie for her mother's help. Julie notices that Matt is upset and asks if he is alright. Matt says that stuff like this happens and right now it's happening to him.

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