'Chad Powers' Season 2 Confronts the Lie Under the Mask

The first installment of Hulu’s Chad Powers was a mildly amusing season of television that mostly managed to coast on the charms of Glen Powell, a fairly strong supporting cast (Steve Zahn, Perry Mattfield, who would probably prefer not to be associated publicly with her real-life father, Clayne Crawford, and, honestly, MVP of the supporting players, Frankie Rodriguez), and the fact that it’s an underdog sports comedy. All underdog sports comedies are watchable. Underdog sports comedies are like tacos: Even bad ones are edible.

The biggest problem I had with the opening season, however, was how obsessed the storylines were with Chad Powers’ prosthetics. Every episode was a variation on how Chad Powers would have to deal with the prosthetics falling off because they got wet during a water gun war, or how they started to hang off because of all the sweat. It was too much Mrs. Doubtfire, not enough underdog sports comedy.

However, showrunner Michael Waldron (who I will always love for Heels) made a smart pivot in the second season: It’s not about the face itself; it’s about the lie underneath. Worried about being exposed as a fraud because someone finds out you’re Russ Holiday pretending to be Chad Powers is a lot more interesting than worrying that people will find out you’re really Russ Holiday because your face falls off.

It’s funnier, too, because the primary engine behind that storyline is Gerry Dougan (Colton Ryan), the incel backup quarterback who turns into a sociopath after he loses his job to Chad Powers. In fact, he wears a broken Chad Powers mask for half his scenes à la Phantom of the Opera, and he’s menacing enough to pose a threat, but stupid enough that it’s still funny.

So, the stakes are raised, especially after Ricky—the coach’s daughter and an assistant coach on the team—becomes a part of the conspiracy. She knows what’s going on, and she has to help protect the lie for the sake of the team, her dad, and her own career. Also smitten with the guy underneath the Chad Powers mask, Russ Holiday, she’s part of the reason the deception holds together (not that Glen Powell’s infrequent appearances this season will stop people from tuning in just to look at his handsome face).

The lies get bigger, more people are involved in the coverup (including Russ’s dad, Toby Huss, who makes an amusing appearance wearing his own prosthetics as Chad’s father), and the stakes are higher, all culminating in a second season finale that leans into a hallmark of any great sports comedy: trick plays. It helps, too, that Hulu drops all six episodes at once—the way serialized half-hour comedies should be released, because weak comedic narratives just don’t hold up to week-long breaks between episodes.

Is it a great taco? Maybe not, but it sure does successfully elevate itself from Taco Bell to a Chipotle taco with that extra tender steak that costs you an extra $1.50. And like most people in America, I’ll eat Chipotle all day every day, even if I know it’s not particularly good for me.