Chad Powers Season 2 takes a darker turn, giving this comedy a surprising edge

Glen Powell (The Running Man, Top Gun: Maverick) is truly wasted in his ‘destined’ role as an action star. If off-kilter sports dramedy Chad Powers proves anything, it’s that this man belongs squarely in the comedy genre, with a natural sense of timing and charisma that makes even the darkest jokes land.

The latest season of Chad Powers gives Powell plenty to work with, charting new territory for a show that was buoyed through its first season by a sense of unreality. Its world was familiar to our own, but the outlandish character behaviour and lighter, slapstick comedy allowed absurdity to abstract the heart of the drama.

This fresh season reckons with the fallout of the events of the first season in a far more grounded fashion, delivering a tale that brings the helium balloon glee of its predecessor down to Earth.

Chad Powers Season 2 is darker and edgier for its exploration of action and consequences, and while it occasionally feels too dark in parts to match what came before, this darkness is also somewhat lightened by sharper and funnier humour.

A spiral of darkness brings Chad Powers down to Earth

The initial season of Chad Powers introduced audiences to the titular Chad, a college football player who is actually the fictional creation of Russ Holliday (Powell), a disgraced quarterback looking for redemption.

The funniest shot of this season, and also the one that explains the premise of the show, sees Holliday delivering facial prosthetics to his designer father, only to see a poster of Mrs. Doubtfire and immediately form a plan in his mind. Stealing the prosthetics, he ventures to the local South Georgie Catfish football club in disguise, and swiftly becomes their secret weapon as the country bumbpkin caricature quarterback, Chad Powers.

Powers is a ridiculous creation. He speaks in non-sequiturs, constantly excuses himself from social situations, can’t get wet (his prosthetics will droop) and won’t participate in team activities. Somehow, with enough bluffing – and with the help of intrepid team mascot Danny (a peppy, powerful Frankie Rodriguez) – Powers becomes a real-life superhero for the Catfishes.

In the second season, Holliday’s ruse becomes riskier than ever as Powers’ profile in football has risen immensely. There’s added media attention, and added suspicion from those around. There are only so many lies that can be told, and only so many excuses that can be made. So, the web of Holliday’s lies spreads out.

Facing the consequences of his actions

A perhaps surprising development, and one that shapes this particular season, is the transformation of formerly promising Catfish quarterback Gerry Dougan (Colton Ryan). Picking up the threads hinted in the first season, Dougan’s initial off-siding by Powers evolves to create over-the-top, anime-style hatred to kick off the season.

Where once this was laced with comedy and treated as a joke, Chad Powers Season 2 instead chooses to take Dougan’s pain seriously, in a way that pushes against the absurd at first, then completely embraces it.

As a foil, Dougan remains a comedic presence and an impactful bouncing board for jokes but with the season’s more grounded approach, his slow and agonising fall from grace has real, actual consequences for Holliday and his ever-growing team of supporters.

What hauls Chad Powers back into the light is the sharpness of the comedic writing and delivery, and the ever-growing sense of ridiculousness that gives audiences a safety blanket to hold onto during the occasional outright horror.

A light to bring you out of the darkness

Yes, this is a darker season that takes itself a bit more seriously. There are notes of pure horror in its later episodes, and even possible references to classic horror films like Donnie Darko and An American Werewolf in London, which both have surprisingly thematic similarities with this season.

But with consistent and reliable laughs in each episode, and more heartfelt and relatable conversations between Holliday and his inner crew, there remain bright sparks here.

Powell is excellent in his dual role, and he gets plenty of chances to shine as the big-hearted but stupid Chad, and as Holliday, who goes on deeper soul-searching in this season. There’s a duality here that’s explored in moments that feel genuinely emotional, and in a show with such a preference for slapstick antics that’s an impressive feat.

The first season laid the tracks for Holliday to become a better-rounded individual and in this season he gets many chances to prove his worth as a friend and companion, weighing his selfish desires with his need for human connection and love. While this journey is momentarily distracted by the closing notes of the season, which promise more and darker turns to come, his growth is well explored here.

Perry Mattfeld as Ricky Hudson is a strong contributor to this as well, delivering scenes that haul you into Ricky’s vulnerability, her anxiety and her frustrations with her position on the Catfish coaching team. While she was an unwitting participant in the ruse of Holliday in the first season, this next leg sees her harnessing her knowledge and power, and finally reaching for what she wants.

As for other standouts, Wynn Everett as quirky chairwoman Tricia is also given chance to shine this season, becoming more of a caricature but earning more of the laughs as a result. She grins like a shark given chum here, and her wheeling and dealing spells of bigger things to come.

Toby Huss as Mike Holliday also turns in an impressive, high concept performance in one of the season’s standout episodes, which might just be the best of either seasonal run.

The future of Chad Powers

A very different beast to its predecessor, Chad Powers Season 2 downplays some of its silly comedy for a tighter, more focused and higher-staked run, mixing multiple genres to give it fresh and surprising notes. While its darkness may surprise those keen for another light-hearted comedy showing, the season justifies its twists by its very concept.

Chad Powers is a superhero show. It may have the look and feeling of a sports comedy but by design and approach, through its writing and its concept, it’s all about a very odd superhero. Breaking it down to its parts, Chad Powers is a series about a man with special abilities (in this case, football skills) who must battle his demons while wearing a physical disguise.

Its superheroic sensibility shines through in the way the drama builds, all around the fear that Powers’ true identity could be exposed as he takes down his rivals. It’s also worth noting that series co-creator and director Michael Waldron has experience in the superhero genre, having written and produced for Marvel’s Loki, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Avengers: Doomsday.

That the light-hearted and fun superhero show would eventually get a real and tangible villain to haul its light into the darkness just makes sense. It might be unexpected but as the core theme suggests, there’s only so long that lying and making jokes will protect you.

Sometimes, you have to take big swings.

How long Russ Holliday can lie, and how far the drama of Chad Powers may continue remains to be seen. It pulls off a great trick this season, and leaves on a note to suggest more to come. Here’s to hoping that it gets the chance to realise what happens next, as Holliday’s actions continue to inspire new and stranger consequences.

Chad Powers Season 2 streams on Disney+ from 3 September.

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