The premiere episode of the second season of Chad Powers opens with a peculiar dilemma: the protagonist’s nose has mysteriously disappeared.
This comedic series, featuring the eccentric side of actor Glen Powell, presents a storyline that embraces its absurd premise. Powell plays Russ Holliday, a once-promising college football quarterback whose career was abruptly derailed eight years ago due to a disastrous mistake during a pivotal televised game. With his aspirations of athletic greatness dashed, he spirals into the life of a self-indulgent playboy. Just as he nears his lowest point, he learns of open tryouts for a new quarterback position at a university in Georgia. Adopting a goofy disguise complete with prosthetic facial features and an occasionally malfunctioning nose, Russ transforms into “Chad Powers,” a quirky southern character who becomes the team’s unlikely star while constantly fearing exposure and dismissal.
The show has drawn comparisons to Eastbound & Down for its portrayal of outrageous characters in a sports setting, as well as to the influential series Ted Lasso. Both Chad Powers and Lasso center around protagonists who are improvising their way through life, intertwining a cheeky sense of humor with an appreciation for heartfelt, down-to-earth wisdom. However, in terms of narrative structure, Chad Powers is reminiscent of the legal drama Suits, where a lawyer secretly operates as an unqualified impostor, leading to inevitable tension as the truth threatens to unravel the storyline. The more individuals who discover the deception, the tighter the plot becomes.
By the conclusion of the first season, the character of Danny, the team mascot portrayed by Frankie Rodriguez, is privy to the Chad/Russ ruse. He recognized Russ from the outset but chose to help him due to his own thwarted theatrical ambitions. Additionally, assistant coach Erika, nicknamed “Ricky” and played by Perry Mattfeld, experiences a romantic setback when the selfish Russ re-emerges, leading to an awkward encounter with Ricky’s stepmother in his Tesla Cybertruck. The show’s frequent use of the Cybertruck serves not as a product placement but rather as a humorous symbol of Russ’s embarrassing persona.
As the second season unfolds, the challenge for Chad Powers is to avoid becoming akin to a subpar Adam Sandler or Will Ferrell film, characterized by an engaging start that fizzles into monotony. Fortunately, season two presents several avenues for innovation.
One approach involves Chad maintaining his quirky persona, which emerges from the spontaneous creativity of his creator. In an effort to dodge an event, he concocts a tale about needing to tend to his Venus flytrap and poses whimsical philosophical queries like, “What if balloons were afraid of heights?” Another source of tension is the disgruntled wannabe quarterback, Gerry, played by Colton Ryan, who embodies the role of a chaotic antagonist reminiscent of Louis Litt from Suits, as he attempts to undermine Chad with reckless antics despite his inherently gentle nature.
The series also explores the deeper implications of Russ’s disguise. Chad Powers raises questions about the masks people wear in their professional and personal lives. As all of Chad’s actions and words stem from Russ, the lines between the character’s facade and his true self blur. This complexity deepens when glimpses of Russ’s troubled psyche surface, revealing that his bravado has long been a façade he has relied on even before assuming the Chad identity.
Moreover, the theme of celebrity as a form of artifice is examined, particularly when the university capitalizes on the “Chadmania” phenomenon by selling masks of Chad’s face. In a poignant scene, Chad dons a mask to conceal his nose during an intimate conversation with Ricky, forcing Powell to convey emotion through his eyes alone. He succeeds, though his most compelling moments arise when he sheds all disguises to reveal Russ, whose combination of matinee idol charm and youthful vulnerability illustrates that he is not inherently flawed, merely adrift.
While the series retains its lighthearted nature as a sports comedy filled with endearing characters, this more nuanced iteration of Chad Powers has positioned itself for potential longevity beyond expectations. It presents an underdog story worth rooting for.
Chad Powers is available for streaming on Disney+.
