Episode 5 of Chad Powers begins with Chad being interviewed and having nothing to say about Chad’s life and inspirations. The Russ persona slips during private, sweet interactions with Ricky as they watch game film to prepare for the upcoming game, initiating Russ’s spiral in the episode. Russ goes to a bar, where he hooks up with a woman who encourages him to be happy, advice that sends him deeper into the Chad persona. He declares to Danny that he will be Chad for as long as possible before he heads to an interview at Coach Hudson’s house. It starts off sweet, with some cute moments between Chad and Ricky until Coach Hudson’s wife, Wendy, is revealed to be the woman from the bar. They have an extremely awkward filmed dinner where Coach Hudson and Wendy get into a massive argument, leading Wendy to reveal that she hooked up with Russ Holiday. In the final moments of the episode, Chad is still completely frozen in shock, and Coach Hudson starts having a heart attack. 

Most of the episode was a solid, consistent story that played with the comedic tension of Chad’s double life. However, this episode stands out with an extraordinarily unique and strong climax, sustaining a lengthy dialogue scene between Coach Hudson and Wendy. “5th Quarter” was a shockingly strong episode of Chad Powers, heightening the tension of Chad’s persona while remaining entertaining in the exploration of his psyche. This episode would have worked very well if it had exclusively focused on Russ’s voice slipping out of Chad in cute scenes with Ricky. However, the episode’s twist worked well because it complicated this once-goofy, harmless tension while demonstrating that Russ’s antics will have serious consequences. What was once a simple, funny gag has slowly become a plot device used for genuine tension, and the show’s tonal balance of the effects of Russ’s lies with the comedy of the ruse is quite successful. For example, the reveal that the woman from the bar is Hudson’s wife was a hilarious moment that the show managed to naturally morph into a tense character moment. 

While the first two-thirds of the episode play out predictably, the climax on its own stands out as one of the best moments of the show. Despite Chad being in the scene and the Russ Holiday hookup lingering beneath the surface, the climactic argument of this episode hardly features Chad or hears from him whatsoever. It is an impressive achievement to put the weight of the climax on a supporting character (Coach Hudson) and a character seen for the first time in this very episode (Wendy). Their argument worked on its own, but the added tension of the implications of Russ’s scheme heightened the interpersonal tension immensely, putting the characters’ future relationships in believable jeopardy. Overall, much of this episode relies on the typical tricks and jokes the show has made work. But the shocking drama of the final argument elevated the quality of the episode and the whole season thus far. 

Rating: 8/10