by Charles Kirkland, Jr.
Eight years after a devastating loss, an ostracized star college quarterback attempts to redeem his career by going back to being a college quarterback in disguise in the Hulu series, Chad Powers.
In the national championship game, Oregon quarterback Russ Holliday makes a catastrophic error on the field, followed by an even worse one off it, that leaves him disgraced and untouchable. Eight years later, still reeling from the fallout, Holliday decides to reclaim his destiny. Armed with his late father’s latex makeup kit, he reinvents himself as Chad Powers, a mullet-wearing, buck-toothed, football prodigy from West Virginia.
Created for television by Glen Powell and Michael Waldron, Chad Powers is a football comedy series inspired by a 2022 ESPN sketch in which Eli Manning went undercover as a walk-on quarterback. The show stars Powell in the title role, alongside Perry Mattfeld, Quentin Plair, Frankie A. Rodriguez, Steve Zahn, and Clayne Crawford.
Much like Ted Lasso, Chad Powers springs from humble sketch comedy origins. But unlike Lasso, which featured Jason Sudeikis reprising his own creation, Chad Powers casts Powell, currently riding high on a post-Top Gun: Maverick wave, in the lead. He doesn’t just play the role; he disappears into it with prosthetics, a wig, a fake mustache, and an exaggerated West Virginia drawl. Think Mrs. Doubtfire meets Varsity Blues.
The first episode charts the genesis of the Chad Powers persona, while the second follows his outrageous attempt to make a struggling college football team. Holliday’s true identity is known to only one person, and the tension of keeping that secret adds a steady undercurrent to the show’s comedy.
While Chad Powers isn’t a laugh-out-loud comedy, it does deliver some solid chuckles and an oddball charm. Powell remains watchable even under layers of latex, and his bizarrely endearing accent somehow works. The football team Powers attempts to join is teetering on the edge of collapse, making them just desperate enough to take a chance on a complete wildcard. There’s also a hint of potentially inappropriate romantic tension brewing, one that could blow up the whole charade.
Ultimately, the first two episodes do enough to establish a compelling, if slightly absurd, universe. It’s too early to call it a touchdown, but Chad Powers may just be worth keeping an eye on.
Chad Powers, episodes 1 & 2, can be seen on Hulu with new episodes premiering on Tuesdays.
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