Last Chance U Season 1 Review

Last Chance U (2016-) 
Season 1 (2016)


Watch Last Chance U on Netflix

Directed by: Greg Whiteley
Starring: Buddy Stephens, Brittany Wagner, DJ Law, Ronald Ollie, Wyatt Roberts, John Franklin III
Rated: --/R

Plot:
This Netflix original sports documentary follows football players and coaches at successful though unknown East Mississippi Community College.

Verdict:
This is a combination of Friday Night Lights (2006-2011) and ESPN's 30 for 30 (2009-), though not as good as either. The first episode has the tightest focus, and while it's only six episodes total the successive episodes are too long. The most interesting thing is the student athletes who know they need to make good grades to attend a Division I school, but don't care. With any setback at all, half the team is ready to quit entirely. That's with an academic advisor who does everything but walk them to class and take notes for them. This should have been half as many episodes, but it's still an interesting look at how athletes are treated. Unfortunately, it's all too easy to blame the players, and that's not right. This documentary doesn't do near enough to explore the root of the problem.
It depends.

Review:
This documentary hints at, but doesn't fully develop how student athletes are treated. You've got the coach, Buddy Stephens, who yells and strings together curse words into an epic monologue, urging his players to violence on the field. "Kill them!."
They have an academic advisor, Brittany Wagner, that coddles them. Her sole job is to help them pass classes. The advisor pesters them to go to class and calls them as a reminder. She provides them pencils and notebooks, and with all that they still have difficulty going to class. One of the athletes turns to google for help on the assignment, "What I want to do in life."

The reason why the football players have so little interest in school despite the fact that their football careers depend on it is never explored. The fact is, these guys have never had to worry about school. They kept their heads down and played ball. I'm sure everyone in their high schools let them do just that. Because of that treatment, they never developed any skills to help them cope or even prepare for school. They don't see the point in school, because ball is their ticket. They have a dedicated baby sitter because they need one. While this is a junior college, it has a very successful football program. Without a baby sitter, most if not all of the team, would be academically ineligible.
This mainly follows the biggest talents on the team. They have the talent for Division I, but they lack the grades. That's why they are at a junior college.  East Mississippi averages more alumni in the NFL than many Division I schools. The football players are coddled because of money and press. You can't do that if the players flunk out.
It would be naive to think the same think doesn't happen in any program. My first reaction was to blame the players, but that's unfair. They've had zero responsibility outside of playing football for over a decade. You can't expect them to suddenly develop academic skills. It took them ten years to develop for football. They've had people do it for them, and that trend is still continuing.

This is at it's best when it focuses on football and the schools program. It spends a lot of time in Wagner's office. She's the person the players can confide in. They can't complain to their coach. It's funny how if the coach gets mad at them once, the players shut down and are ready to give up on their dream. They want to quit and just walk off campus. Wagner herself can't understand it, and asks one of the players to explain it. He can't. As aggressive as these guys are on the field, they aren't as aggressive at life.

DJ Law, the running back, has a chance to go to Auburn, but skips class and fails. He gets a second chance at summer school. Maybe that explains the lackadaisical attitude, even when they fail they get another chance.

The last two episodes feel like hand crafted reality television, with drama both on and off the field between opposing teams, the coaches, and the players.
Coach Stephens looks like a hypocrite for being upset at his players for the benches clear brawl between both teams, but it's his propensity to run the score up that makes the teams opponents lash out. He runs the score up because the junior college ranking is based on the point spread.

While he criticizes his players for entering the fray and not listening, they see it as an issue of respect. You have to stand up when attacked and you have to defend your teammate when he's on the ground getting kicked. Stephens was depicted in numerous screaming matches with refs, even getting into a fight with a ref. This and the subsequent resolution just feel too tailor made for reality television. It feels concocted.

This documentary could be much better, but it has too much padding. It's on the brink of asking big questions, but just doesn't go there.