Chad Powers Season 1 Episode 3 Review: 3rd Quarter
It’s game time on Chad Powers Season 1 Episode 3, “3rd Quarter,” just not for the backup quarterback. Chad and Ricky start the episode out on the sidelines but make a difference with the help of each other.
For all the on-field action, which is well shot and captures the feeling of a college football game, it’s actually the opening sequence that stands out. It starts out overhead following Russ running through the woods as he listens to the commentator audio from his failed national championship.
His self-flagellation is never-ending even after eight years. When he crosses paths with Ricky, who barely notices him as Russ, the audio is briefly replaced by the show’s more hopeful score, a foreshadow of what’s to come during the Ole Miss game.
Their time on the sidelines reveals Ricky’s past as a failed Olympic contender and her insecurity about being the coach’s daughter. While Danny is eager to exploit their connection to get Chad on the field, Russ is hesitant to take advantage of her and you can tell a bond is forming.
It’s a little jarring to go from Chad joining the team on Chad Powers Season 1 Episode 1, “1st Quarter,” straight to a full season game but with only six episodes the show has to move fast. That makes even the smaller moments important in understanding who these characters are.
The actual game is filled with plenty of low-brow jokes, some funny and some that had me wondering how the hell they got Disney to approve them. (The “R word” is repeated multiple times, though another character at least points out it’s offensive).
The show’s real secret comedy weapon continues to be Tricia who is if Judy Gemstone was born into a football family. She eggs on a fellow trustee about employing a woman pilot then feigns offense when he insists he doesn’t have one.
“I train to run from the poor,” which she says after Ricky compliments her speed, is also a defining character moment for this icon.
Like Chad, she shares a bit of a connection with Ricky since they’re both underestimated women in sports. Also like Chad, she encourages Ricky to speak up when the Tim Tebow-esque quarterback Jerry is blowing the game.
The conflict between Ricky and her dad is a nice reprieve from all the bathroom humor of the episode and reminds viewers the show has stakes other than Russ’ comeback. The moment fails to get Ricky taken seriously, but it creates a turning point.
Well, actually Danny does when he knocks over Jerry and injures him, but who’s counting? It’s still Ricky’s belief in Chad and her play that Chad calls as an audible that wins the team the game in the end.
Watching Chad hold the ball like a newborn baby through the end zone and refusing to let go until the referee takes it from him is comedy magic. It’s simultaneously a nice callback to Russ’ epic fail in the premiere and just seems like something weird that Chad would do.
By the end of the episode, you’ll also be yelling, “Go Fish!” Maybe you’ll even swoon a little when Chad goes down to celebrate with Ricky instead of the rest of the team, showing this isn’t the end of exploring the duo’s chemistry.
What did you think of this episode of Chad Powers? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to leave your own rating!
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Chad Powers airs Tuesdays on Hulu.
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Breeze Riley
Breeze Riley is a pop culture enthusiast who decided to turn her love of watching too much TV into a hobby writing about it. Although she's a convention-going sci-fi and fantasy nerd, she's just as likely to be watching an off-beat comedy or period drama. She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic.