‘Chad Powers’ Season 2 Achieves Impressive Rotten Tomatoes Scores from Critics and Audiences

Glen Powell has established a strong reputation in recent years for selecting projects that seem unlikely to succeed but somehow do. His Hulu sports comedy ‘Chad Powers’ fits this description perfectly, debuting with the quirky premise of a disgraced quarterback using prosthetics to sneak back onto the field.

This gamble paid off with viewers, even as critics were less enthusiastic. Season 1 garnered a modest 60% from reviewers but a much healthier 84% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. This disparity indicated that audiences were more willing to embrace Powell’s absurd yet heartfelt concept, leading to a swift renewal of the show.

Now, with Season 2 upon us, the reception has completely shifted. The new season boasts a flawless 100% on the Tomatometer from nine reviews, along with a 95% Popcornmeter score from over 50 audience ratings. This suggests that Powell and his team have successfully won over the critics who were skeptical during the first season.

This turnaround was intentional. Co-creator Michael Waldron mentioned to Entertainment Weekly that one review from the first season humorously noted the show nearly drove the critic mad, adding, “This season, we made sure there’s no almost.” Powell echoed this sentiment, describing the new season as “a different show in the best way,” according to Entertainment Weekly.

Season 2 picks up right where Season 1 left off, with Ricky, played by Perry Mattfeld, discovering that Chad Powers is actually disgraced quarterback Russ Holliday in disguise. Instead of resetting this reveal, the new season dives into the aftermath, with Ricky reluctantly getting pulled deeper into the cover-up as Russ and his team strive to keep Chad eligible and lead the South Georgia Catfish to the college football playoffs.

This premise significantly raises the emotional and comedic stakes compared to the show’s initial fish-out-of-water season. Coach Hudson and Gerry grow increasingly suspicious throughout the six new episodes, adding a slow-burn tension to a series that initially relied more on broad comedy than sustained intrigue.

The main cast returning for this season includes Powell, Mattfeld, Quentin Plair, Wynn Everett, Frankie A. Rodriguez, and Steve Zahn, with Colin Woodell, Gillian Jacobs, Carey O’Donnell, and Nate Varrone joining as guest stars. Woodell portrays a wealthy Catfish alumnus named Jay, while Jacobs plays Gerry’s sister, Jerri Dougan.

‘Chad Powers’ is inspired by a popular sketch created by Eli Manning that originally aired on ESPN+ as part of “Eli’s Place,” produced through NFL Films and Omaha Productions. Powell co-created the series with Waldron, and both Eli and Peyton Manning continue to serve as executive producers alongside a broader team that includes ESPN’s Burke Magnus, Brian Lockhart, and Craig Lazarus.

All six episodes of Season 2, titled “7th Quarter” through “12th Quarter,” were released simultaneously on September 3 on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+. This all-at-once release strategy mirrors that of the show’s first season, allowing fans to binge through Russ’s latest challenges in one go rather than waiting weekly.

The premise remains centered on a former college quarterback attempting a comeback by posing as a walk-on player for a struggling football team, though the question of how long that disguise can last is the driving force of the new season. Given the show’s rapid turnaround from renewal to release, less than a year after Season 1 premiered, it’s evident that Hulu is confident in the direction of the story.

With critics finally coming around and audiences still firmly on board, ‘Chad Powers’ seems to have found its stride as it heads into its second season.

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