Glen Powell Explains Why Russ Holliday Is Not Done Playing Chad Powers

Sports comedies rarely receive a second season that truly expands the premise instead of merely repeating it, but Hulu’s ‘Chad Powers’ has accomplished just that. What started as a lighthearted disguise comedy about a disgraced quarterback sneaking back onto the field has gradually evolved into something much more intricate.

Glen Powell’s Russ Holliday spent Season 1 crafting an elaborate deception to return to the football field, and Season 2 has dedicated six episodes to watching that deception spiral further out of control. By the time the credits roll on the latest finale, nearly everyone in Russ’s life is aware of who Chad Powers really is.

This sets the stage for the most significant revelation from the Season 2 finale: Powell himself believes that Russ is far from finished with his football journey, despite the chaos surrounding him. This twist reframes everything the show has been building toward since its very first episode.

According to co-creator Michael Waldron, this mindset stems from discussions he had with Powell while developing the character’s arc for this season. “The thing that Glen always said that struck me was that, in his mind, Russ is just thinking about crossing the goal line, winning the National Championship, and then it’s almost like credits roll for him,” Waldron explained to Deadline, describing how Powell envisioned his character’s singular focus.

This obsessive drive to win, rather than considering what comes next, has become the emotional core propelling Season 2’s most chaotic developments. Russ’s teammate Danny and his former flame turned coaching ally Ricky have both had to confront how far they’re willing to go to safeguard his secret, often making choices that Russ himself might not endorse.

The finale, titled “12th Quarter,” escalates that tension to its peak. Russ is blackmailed by disgruntled backup quarterback Gerry into deliberately losing a crucial game, only for Danny and Ricky to step in by involving wealthy booster Tricia Yeager to help maintain the ruse and salvage the team’s season.

Instead of tanking the game as instructed, Russ ultimately makes a pivotal final run to the end zone that secures a victory for the South Georgia Catfish, seemingly concluding his time as the team’s star quarterback in a dramatic fashion. This moment serves as the emotional climax that the entire season has been leading toward.

However, ‘Chad Powers’ isn’t finished complicating matters. In a quieter aftermath, Russ and Ricky share a long-awaited kiss, only for her to start removing his prosthetics just as her father, Coach Hudson, walks in and catches them together. Whether Hudson realizes exactly who he’s seeing remains unresolved as the season wraps up.

This ambiguity, along with looming subplots like Ricky’s potential coaching job in Syracuse and questions about Hudson’s future with the team, leaves ample opportunity for Russ’s story to continue well beyond this finale. Waldron’s comments indicate that even Russ’s creative team views him as a character still pursuing something larger than one triumphant final play.

Given how thoroughly Season 2 dismantled the notion that Russ could simply win a title and walk away unscathed, it’s easy to understand why Powell might see his alter ego as far from finished. The repercussions of his lies have only multiplied, and it appears that the story left to tell has also expanded.

With Hulu yet to confirm a third season, fans are left speculating just how much further Russ Holliday’s double life can stretch before it finally catches up with him for good.

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