Review: Last Chance U

By Jakob Gisik

The Netflix original documentary series, Last Chance U, follows the football players, coaches and staff of East Mississippi Community College (EMCC), one of the most successful junior American football schools in the country.

Many of the players at EMCC were formerly students of Division 1 schools, but poor behaviour or academic issues meant they were removed from those schools.

Thus, playing football at the junior level for EMCC is potentially the ‘last chance’ for these players to redeem themselves – on the field and in the classroom – and return to Division 1.

While the series is centered around American football, you don’t have to be a fan of the sport to enjoy the show.

The character development is excellent, with the producers gradually revealing the backstory of many of the players throughout the series. This gives viewers an understanding of how some of the players came to arrive at EMCC.

One of the shows most beloved players, Ronald Ollie, has a particularly horrific story, which includes losing his parents in a murder-suicide when he was only five years old.

Another player, Isaiah Wright, grew up in foster homes while his father was in prison. He was subject to abusive foster parents and was forced to steal food from Walmart just to avoid hunger.

It is evident that Wright has serious trust issues with the coaches, and it appears as though his stubbornness is the sole reason for this. However, once you hear his backstory, it is easy to understand why he would struggle to trust any type of father figure.

As well as character development, the documentary does a fantastic job of juxtaposing completely opposite characters, namely the head coach Buddy Stephens and the teams’ academic advisor, Brittany Wagner.

Miss Wagner – as the players refer to her – is a truly caring person, who wants nothing more than to see the players succeed in life.

While coach Stephens, despite being a devout Christian, has a flaring temper and often abuses his players for the smallest of mistakes. In one episode, his anger leads him to physically attack a referee, which further lowers his respect among the playing group.

Another key aspect of the show is the way it is filmed. The beautifully constructed camera angles and lack of narrator leaves viewers feeling as though they are watching a fictional TV show. Only when the players or coaches appear on screen for a piece-to-camera do we remember we are viewing a documentary.

At the heart of the show is the struggle as players try to balance football with their studies, something university students in particular can empathise with, with many knowing the difficulty of trying to balance studies with sport, work and everyday life.