In ‘Chad Powers,’ Glen Powell puts on a silly face and suspends all seriousness

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In “Chad Powers,” debuting Tuesday on Hulu, Glen Powell, who also created the series with Michael Waldron (“Loki”), portrays Russ Holliday, a former college quarterback whose career ended in disgrace. The show quickly establishes his personality: we first see him driving a Cybertruck – often associated with self-absorbed people – on his way to a Hollywood nightclub (a known spot for those same types). Eight years prior, at the peak of a tumultuous season marked by a suspension, sensationalized news stories, and “the Las Vegas freeway incident,” he squandered a chance to make things right. After a critical error cost his team the game, he struck a fan who had then collided with his son, a young child in a wheelchair.

It’s fascinating to watch him now try to convince himself that being forced out of football was actually a blessing in disguise. He claims he never would have done ‘The Masked Singer,’ or met the people he connected with in the crypto and NFT worlds if he hadn’t been exiled. But despite all that, he seemed genuinely thrilled about the chance to play for the Vegas Vipers in the XFL. It’s a bit surreal, actually – I had to look it up to realize that team and league are both gone now, and apparently, they weren’t very good! Then, devastatingly, news broke about the passing of the child in a wheelchair, bringing Russ’s most shameful moment right back into the spotlight. The offer was immediately pulled, and, predictably, his agent dropped him. It’s a really sad turn of events.

Russ is a flawed character, but he’s also deeply unhappy and emotionally damaged. He lives amongst old trophies in his father’s (Toby Huss), a professional makeup artist, house. While delivering makeup supplies to the Fox Studios, he sees a billboard for the 1993 film Mrs. Doubtfire, starring Robin Williams, at the same time he learns the South Georgia Catfish football team needs quarterbacks due to recent player transfers. This sparks an idea, and he impulsively sets off for Georgia with his father’s makeup kit, determined to reinvent himself as Chad Powers.

Limited by what he had available, Russ creates a noticeable disguise for himself: a large nose, puffy cheeks, long hair, and fake teeth-it’s not *quite* as over-the-top as Jerry Lewis, but you’ll definitely take notice. He completes the look with an accent that’s hard to place. This is the exact appearance-and persona-that Eli Manning used for the 2022 prank that inspired this series, originally featured in his ESPN show, “Eli’s Places.”

As he arrives on campus, Danny Cruz (Frankie A. Rodriguez), the team mascot, immediately jumps on him, mistakenly thinking he’s a school shooter-more for the potential fame than to actually protect anyone. With Russ’s disguise falling apart, Danny recognizes him from the gossip magazines, understands what’s going on-which is useful for any viewers who haven’t already caught on-and decides to help Russ, stating, “partly because I want to believe that we’re all human and no one is beyond second chances and partly because if this works you’ll owe me, which I like.”

Any concerns a viewer might have – like not knowing who people are, the absence of captions, or questions about player eligibility – are brushed aside quickly. The story moves forward as Russ, posing as Chad, begins tryouts. His powerful throwing arm immediately catches the eye of head coach Jake Hudson (Steve Zahn), who is under pressure to win games. His daughter, Ricky (Perry Mattfeld), a former track athlete who has lost her drive, is now seen – or fears she’s seen – as someone who only got the assistant coaching job because of her father; she’s determined to prove herself. Quarterback coach Coach Dobbs (Clayne Crawford) is harsh and disrespectful, while Coach Byrd (Quentin Plair) is more supportive. The team’s other quarterback, Gerry Dougan (Colton Ryan), is a one-dimensional character – an overly enthusiastic, religious player with limited skills and a delicate ego – seemingly created just to be ridiculed. (It feels a little unfair.) The rest of the team remains largely indistinguishable.

The unusual prosthetics and goofy voice make it difficult to see Chad as a truly serious character, which isn’t what the show intends. While Chad fulfills a necessary role in the story, both practically and thematically, he doesn’t feel like someone Russ would realistically create or become. (When Russ is acting as Chad, he completely disappears; strangely enough, he’s actually more engaging when he’s not in costume, even if he *is* less likable. It’s almost a relief.) The other characters find Chad odd, but they don’t become suspicious and readily believe the increasingly outlandish stories Russ concocts to maintain the deception. Perhaps because he’s succeeding, no one seems to investigate too closely. However, from the moment Russ puts on the fake disguise, it’s obvious the truth will eventually be revealed, and those who trusted him will inevitably feel hurt. This isn’t giving anything away; it’s simply how things work in movies and TV.

While the series takes its starting point from Manning’s prank, it relies on familiar storytelling patterns. We see the classic arc of someone improving themselves by pretending to be someone else – that’s the path Russ is on, and it’s what makes the show compelling. (Think of Dustin Hoffman in “Tootsie”: “I was a better man as a woman than I was as a man.”) Another common theme is the talented newcomer who revitalizes a struggling team-a plot found in films like “Damn Yankees,” “The Natural,” and, in a similar way, “Ted Lasso.” The name Chad Powers isn’t just a nod to Manning’s joke; it also brings to mind Kenny Powers, Danny McBride’s character in “Eastbound & Down,” a former pitcher whose career declines, leading him to teach at his old middle school. Stories about athletes facing hard times are also prevalent in films like “Cinderella Man,” “Mr. Baseball,” and the recent Owen Wilson comedy “Stick.” And I’ll emphasize again that “The Bad News Bears” remains a hugely influential film of the 20th century.

As the six-episode series progresses, it shifts from comedy to drama, following Russ and Danny as they deal with the pressures of their conspiracy, Chad and Ricky as they explore their complicated friendship, and Coach Hudson as he worries about his job (and his wife, who is conspicuously absent). The central theme of identity becomes more prominent. This more serious approach allows the talented Zahn – often cast for comedic roles, but here playing it completely straight – and the quietly compelling Mattfield to share some realistic and emotionally charged father-daughter scenes. (Only Wynn Everett as Tricia, the new leader of the boosters’ group, consistently provides comedic relief, and she does so effectively.) By the season’s end, there’s a lot of unresolved tension, which clearly indicates that this isn’t, or isn’t intended to be, the end of the story; nothing is fully resolved.

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2025-09-29 22:31