It's down to one last game for Coach Taylor, Vince and the gang. (NBC photo)

There are sure to be many full hearts but few clear eyes as “Friday Night Lights” ends its run. The only question now is when to watch it.

The fifth and final season of the high school football drama that’s really about a whole lot more than just football is currently airing on DirecTV. Coach Taylor will walk off into the sunset in the sure-to-be-emotional series finale set for next Wednesday.

Those of us without satellite TV have to avoid spoilers and wait a couple of more months. NBC will air the series’ final 13 episodes at 10 p.m. Fridays starting April 15. That would put the tentative finale date at July 8.

But for those who can’t wait that long, fear not. Season 5 will be released on DVD on April 5. So conceivably, you could watch the whole season before NBC even starts airing it.

It’s a bit of an odd move, but NBC really has nothing to lose. DirecTV provided the funds for the series to continue the past couple of years, and “FNL” has gotten appallingly bad ratings year after year on NBC. Guess they figure it fills a hole in the schedule — cheaply — and any decent ratings will be icing on the cake.

I’ve been carefully avoiding any possible spoilers, but I hear from reliable sources that the final season is fantastic. I can’t wait to watch.

How about you “FNL” fans out there? Are you excited? Or sad? Will you have the restraint to wait week after week, or will you succumb to temptation and burn through the DVDs in a single weekend?

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