The second episode of Chad Powers personifies the struggle of keeping his secret, telling a story that puts Russ in conflict with the team and surrounds him with water, which can ruin his disguise. “2nd Quarter” is decently funny, with some heartfelt character moments that build on the concepts established in the pilot. The episode follows Chad in the midst of a rivalry with the overly polite other quarterback, Gerry. Early in the episode, Chad refuses to shower with the team out of fear that his mask will fall off. The bulk of the episode capitalizes on this conflict, occurring at the coach’s lakehouse. Chad continues to avoid the players, staying out of the pool. When he finally participates in a water balloon fight, he has fun but gets a bucket poured on him. After fixing his mask in the bathroom and having an awkward scene with Ricky, Chad meets with Coach Hudson and is told that he will be the backup quarterback. This makes Russ miserable, but he accepts his position as a backup by the episode’s end. 

“2nd Quarter” did a good job of giving attention to some of the minor characters by removing them from the confines of the football field. For example, Ricky is given time to show her personality through awkward conversations with Chad, shyly hiding all her photos, and bonding with her dad over ping pong at the end of the episode. Still, the connection to the sports plotline holds strong, as she’s still belittled and ignored in the coaches’ meeting. Similarly, seeing Danny’s passion for the Chad Powers “lore” was interesting, and their mutually judgmental interplay is entertaining but definitely something that should be expanded upon later in the season. Additionally, Russ’s rivalry with Gerry was fun, especially considering Gerry’s politeness, but it has room to become more nuanced. Finally, the most compelling aspect of the episode was the scene where Russ calls his father. His father’s understandable coldness helps peel back the layers of Russ’s attitude, making him slightly easier to empathize with, especially when he finally decides to swallow his pride and accept the role as the backup quarterback. 

Overall, the theme and threat of water work well enough to create funny and exciting scenes, with the water balloon fight and the fake tears working particularly well. Still, there was nothing outright incredibly hilarious or unique about the episode. The story on display, although creative, was ultimately a very simple one. Chad butting heads with the other members of the team works well, albeit predictably, for this early in the season. In many respects, the show feels very reminiscent of a longer-running sitcom. Nothing is inherently wrong with this from a comedic or storytelling standpoint, but it struggles slightly by being a significant chunk of a very short season. If anything, this episode’s simplicity and decent humor throughout helped solidify the show as just that—a sitcom-adjacent, clean, simple, and digestible show.  

Rating: 6/10