by Samuel Nichols, Contributing Writer
When you talk about peak of powers, Glen Powell is out here firing on all cylinders. With a hot streak that includes Top Gun: Maverick,Hit Man,andAnyone But You,he’s on top of the world. Seeing Powell as both an executive producer and a writer of Hulu’s new football comedy Chad Powers, it would appear he used some of that sway to get this show made.
Now a sports comedy isn’t a new concept, but having a disgraced former hotshot quarterback like Russ Holliday (Powell) put on some prosthetics and makeup and pretend to a wacko transfer quarterback named Chad Powers, that’s pretty unique. He cannot pull of this deceit alone, but he’s got help from the school mascot Danny (Frankie A. Rodriguez), who’s good with makeup. But it is a challenge to keep assistant coach Ricky (Perry Mattfeld) off their scent, and to keep fooling head coach Hudson (Steve Zahn). But Russ/Chad has some skills when it comes to throwing a ball, so this might all work out.
This is for sure a fun concept, but we had a better story than script. Powell himself has always had charm, but more as a movie star, and not a character actor. So a lot of the jokes themselves come up short of a first down. Particularly, the character of Chad feels awkward and weird, rather than funny. That bit of making the Powell play someone more homeschooled than me sounds good on paper, but it doesn’t work out when you’re trying to get a laugh. As handsome and charming as Powell is, trying to pull a Mrs. Doubtfire is not easy as it seems. It’s not for lack of trying, but Powell just does not have the right kind of chops.
But where the humor falls flat, the drama shines. Russ is an interesting protagonist. We learn about his former home life and some of his previous life failures, and it’s clear he’s a bit of a lost soul. But getting back out on the gridiron, in makeup or otherwise, gives him purpose again. He does not want to hurt anyone anymore, he just wants to get back some of that feeling he used to have. That’s something genuine. When you add in the feelings of our supporting coaches, you have the makings for some compelling protagonists.
Another area of this show I enjoy is the football and sports scenes. It’s not quite on par with shows like Winning Time, but it gets the job done. The action is easy to follow, and we know who’s got the ball and when. But the production value and the quality of the jerseys, stadiums, arenas, and offices makes this feel legitimate in an odd way.
In a normal world, I would hope Powell and the rest of the team could find a way to lean into the human drama side of this. Something tells me they will only pull the wrong lessons from this, and we’ll get more Chad Powers being weird if there is a second season. But I’ve got hope enough that a potential second season could be good.
Rating: Low Side of Liked It
Chad Powers is currently streaming on Hulu
You can read more from Samuel Nichols, and follow him on Letterboxd