As we continue down the road toward lazy creative tendencies, Glen Powell returns in Hulu‘s Chad Powers Season 2. Ted Lasso has apparently given studios license to turn every mildly entertaining commercial creation into their own television series or movie. And since Hollywood has already transformed product placement into intellectual property, from the good of Barbie to the bad of Battleship, apparently, everything is now fair game.
Yet I found Chad Powers Season 2 increasingly engaging, watching a character be reborn as he reinvents himself. That, in itself, is classic American television, themes that are universal in nature. What remains fascinating is that the story reinvents the subject into a redemptive character arc, rarely seen in a comedy. The risk being the growth of the self-antagonist could take the flaws that could vanish with it.
The lesson here for viewers, much like the show itself, is to never judge a book by its cover, because somewhere along the way, the gimmick in Chad Powers stopped being the disguise and became an intriguing story about whether someone can actually change.
What is Hulu’s Chad Powers Season 2 about?
Steve Zahn in Chad Powers Season 2 (2026) | Image via Hulu
Quentin Plair in Chad Powers Season 2 (2026) | Image via Hulu
Wynn Everett in Chad Powers Season 2 (2026) | Image via Hulu
Colton Ryan in Chad Powers Season 2 (2026) | Image via Hulu
Glen Powell, Perry Mattfeld, Quentin Plair, Wynn Everett, Francisco Rodríguez, and Steve Zahn in Chad Powers Season 2 (2026) | Image via Hulu
The last time we saw Chad (Top Gun: Maverick’s Glen Powell), Ricky (In the Dark’s Perry Mattfeld) learned that Powers is, in fact, disgraced former Oregon Ducks quarterback Russ Holliday. Just when we thought Russ had learned his lesson, he called her bluff, warning Ricky that if she exposed him, her father’s reputation would be ruined, she would never find another job in college football, and the team would be forced to vacate all of its wins. At first, Ricky looks insulted, but then her face gives it away.
Russ is right, and if she is being honest with herself, she wants to win just as badly. Not to mention, her father, Jake (Steve Zahn), is recovering from a heart attack in the hospital. Now, Ricky is entangled in the lie with Russ and his partner in crime, Danny (Frankie Rodriguez), raising the stakes for everyone involved. However, Ricky has no idea that her dad was told he should never coach again, so he signed a waiver, and that the football team’s main booster (Wynn Everett) is looking to replace him.
Of course, Russ has problems of his own, including fragile self-worth, maladaptive coping skills, and, perhaps most importantly, an identity tied almost entirely to the status and validation that come with big-time FBS football.
Hulu’s Chad Powers Season 2 Review
Glen Powell and Perry Mattfeld in Chad Powers Season 2 (2026) | Image via Hulu
Based on the ESPN/Omaha Productions character introduced on Eli’s Places, Chad Powers was adapted for television by Powell and Michael Waldron. The latter has enjoyed considerable success with shows like Loki and the classic animated comedy Rick and Morty. Still, the story continues to stretch believability. Chad’s makeup somehow survives beatings, sweat, and the elements without ever reaching the point where his true identity is revealed.
That may have worked for Mrs. Doubtfire back in the day, but the old British biddy wasn’t getting tackled by massive, 300-pound linemen looking to take her head off.
However, the sitcom excels off the field, with subplots that delve into themes of identity, friendship, love, and belonging that sell the series beyond its college football antics and trappings. Those are not exclusive to Powell, as the funniest turns come from Colton Ryan and Agent Carter‘s Wynn Everett’s struggle with identity. Ryan is maniacally entertaining in the role, which really drives the story’s conflict. Everett’s absolute conviction in deadpan, reactive humor is pitch-perfect.
Is Hulu’s Chad Powers Season 2 worth watching?
Glen Powell in Chad Powers Season 2 (2026) | Image via Hulu
The season has two subplots, including one involving Trisha bringing in a wealthy alum, played by Colin Woodell, that feels like filler, the writers seem to be overthinking a minor character’s role. Then, once the character with a screw loose creates a situation that backs the series into a corner, the writers erase the problem by ending the episode and skipping over where they left off. Something I think we can all agree on: Chad Powers would never allow that.
The series second season has plenty of genuine heart, with Powell continuing to find that sweet spot between arrogant jack and reluctant good guy, slowly learning to care about people beyond himself even when there’s nothing in it for him. That arc is subtle over two seasons, along with the classic will-they-or-won’t-they with Mattfeld’s Ricky, and it feels unexpectedly earned. All this shows progression, not regression, building on a promising first season and showing Chad Powers is living up to its potential.
That may not reach Heisman-level heights, but it’s good enough to earn a scholarship on your roster of weekly television appointments.
You can stream Chad Powers Season 2 in its entirety on September 3rd! All six episodes were screened for this review.
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