The Wonder Years Season 2 Episode 3 Review: Football Team
The Wonder Years Season 2 Episode 3, “Football Team,” finds Dean and his friends joining the football team while Kim takes college classes at Bill’s university. Both endeavors don’t precisely turn out how the kids planned.
“Football Team” isn’t the show’s strongest outing from a narrative standpoint, but it delivers an impactful message while delving into Bill’s and Kim’s father-daughter relationship. We don’t get enough scenes with these two, so watching their collective development as a viewer is lovely.
DEAN [in response to KIM putting her finger in his cereal]: Joke’s on you. I scooped up half the cereal from off the floor anyway.
As usual, Dulé Hill delivers the goods. Laura Kariuki steps up to the acting plate as well. While she’s repeatedly proven herself as a talented comedic actress, Kariuki is allowed the opportunity to stretch her dramatic wings in “Football Team,” if only briefly.
It’s a nice change of pace for her. “Football Team” also nails the complexities of father-daughter relationships. Whereas Bill usually defaults to Lillian for “girl stuff,” he plays a larger part in Kim’s life here. In true The Wonder Years fashion, Bill embarks on a delightfully whimsical episodic arc that directs him down a different path.
Instead of pushing Kim’s latest date, Donald, away, he embraces the latter, even inviting him to go fishing on the weekend. Bill’s clinginess ultimately drives Donald away from Kim. It’s a fun twist for the stereotypically “strict dad” role.
BILL: So, what’s your approach for this college-level class?
KIM: The same approach I always have — show up, know more than the teacher, and get an A.
While Bill starts the episode shying away from talking to Kim about matters of the heart, he changes his tune once Donald breaks up with Kim. It’s a sweet moment between the two. He learns to listen instead of incessantly imparting knee-jerk “dad” advice.
The Kim/Bill storyline is more interesting to this reviewer, but Dean’s arc yields essential fruit for his growth. He takes a big swing by holding himself accountable for his part in the affair. When you’re 13 years old, the last thing you want is for people not to like you. Dean choosing to come clean about cheating with Keisa indicates his immense maturity at such a young age.
Elisha Williams is always up to the task, and “Football Team” is no exception. He artfully conveys Dean’s conflicted feelings regarding his next moves as he weighs the pros and cons of telling Broderick the truth. Could it ruin their chances of winning a football game? Will Broderick shun him? Yes, Dean initially lets his friend Norman take the fall, but he later backtracks and makes the mature choice. The writers brilliantly depict his development here.
LILLIAN: I know that you want what’s best for your daughter. It seems like she might finally be headed in the right direction.
Overall, “Football Team” is a serviceable episode with more highs than lows. The creatives behind this series genuinely care about these characters and nurture them every step of the way. Kim, Bill, and Dean receive beautiful arcs that chronicle their collective evolution. The outing experiments with fun familial character dynamics, reminding us that this is, by all accounts, an endearingly sweet show where the characters drive the plot. As it should be.
Stray Observations:
- I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: Kim has the best fashion sense on this show. Her outfits are killer.
- Good on Dean for doing the right thing and owning up to him and Keisa cheating. It’s easy to take the path of least resistance, but morally he’ll feel better about his choice in the long run.
- I’d love to have Bill as a mentor. He would be … wait for it … cool.
- Keisa is 100 percent right about women/girls always getting the short end of the stick when a scandal breaks out. Sure, it takes two to tango (and two to cheat); however, society collectively vilifies the woman/girl while the man/boy gets off scot-free. Yay, sexism!
- Lillian isn’t jealous of women crushing on Bill because she knows he has eyes for her and only her. Their love is so powerful and pure. “Marriage goals,” as the kids say.
What did you think of this episode of The Wonder Years? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Critic Rating:
User Rating:
The Wonder Years airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on ABC, with next-day streaming on Hulu.
Follow us on Twitter and 
Instagram!
Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!
Melody McCune
Hello! My name is Melody and I love TV! Maybe too much. I'm the Managing Editor for a small entertainment site called Geek Girl Authority and an Independent Contractor for Sideshow Collectibles. Additionally, I have bylines in Culturess, Widget, and inkMend on Medium. I love cheese. I love lamp.