Chad Powers Episode 1 and 2 recap: Russ’s journey for redemption comes to a halt

Glen Powell's Russ Holliday has a shaky start back in the stadium in the first two episodes of Chad Powers, which recently premiered on Hulu.

The show introduces Powell as a washed-up, smug American football quarterback who is desperate to make a grand return to the field. It is not like he doesn't have the makings of a varsity athlete, but his arrogance and narcissism forced him to take a backseat while other players got the chance to play, even if they might not be as talented as he is.

Russ once made a fool of himself in a championship game, which pushed him away from a sport he was deeply passionate about. Years later, he has drifted apart from his heyday and is living a much simpler life than before. That doesn't stop him from wanting to return to the greener pastures. So, he decides to go through a dramatic transformation to get another shot at fame.

The trailer, previously released by Hulu, revealed that Russ will try to return through a prosthetic transformation, similar to what Robin Williams did in the 1993 film, Mrs. Doubtfire. We see that happen in the two-episode season premiere, which also introduces the central characters in the plot and their connection to Russ, who poses as Chad Powers.

Russ Holliday emerges as Chad Powers to revive his football career

The first two episodes of this Hulu series cover the initial events teased in the show's trailers. It introduced Glen Powell as Russ, a college football quarterback who loses the chance of a successful career to his arrogance. He is so self-absorbed that he doesn't realize that he has attacked someone who was rooting for him.

At the championship game, Russ shows the uglier side of his ego, which costs him a shot at fame. He ends up bashing a cancer-stricken kid, who also loses his life after Russ's emotional outburst. It leaves Russ to make peace with a life away from the sport. Yet, a while later, he finds himself drawn back to the field, returning by posing as Chad Powers.

Russ uses his father's prosthetic makeup tools to present himself as Chad, to be part of the South Georgia Catfish. He meets the head coach, Jake Hudson (Steve Zahn), who is going through marital issues, and Jake's daughter and assistant coach, Ricky (Perry Mattfeld), who notices there is something strange about Chad. Chad finds an ally in Danny (Frankie A. Rodriguez), who is the team's mascot. He supports Russ/Chad because he thinks everyone deserves a second chance.

There are other factors at play in the field. Jake's sister and booster club member, Tricia (Wynn Everett), who handles the finances, looks down on him. There is also some tension between Coach Dobbs (Clayne Crawford) and Ricky.

Russ hits a roadblock in his journey as Chad Powers

Throughout the first two episodes, Russ tries his best to convince everyone of his facade while staying away from anything that can mess with his prosthetic makeup. He doesn't join other players in the showers. It annoys Jake since he sees it as Chad's reluctance to be a team player, and he doesn't know that Russ is only trying to stay away from water.

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By the end of episode 2, Russ enters a party only to get teased by a teammate for not entering the water. Russ does not pay heed to the insult, and he seems more invested in getting his best shot at being a quarterback again. Yet, by the end, Russ realizes that Gerry Dougan (Colton Ryan) has been chosen as a quarterback, while Chad is the reserve.

At this point, Russ suffers a makeup malfunction that makes it seem like Chad Powers is crying his heart out. He walks out, resolved to return to LA, putting his journey of redemption to a halt. Yet, considering the duality discussed in the two episodes, the season might highlight him trying to come clean or continue playing as Chad Powers.

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