It feels good to have a legit feel good episode again. For much of the season it’s felt to me more like a drama than the uplifting show we’ve come to know for the previous two seasons so an episode like this just feels right. So as we’re now down to just three episodes left to the end of the series, as usual, spoilers and what I think is going to happen.
First off, the team knows and doesn’t care that Colin is gay. They care about Colin the player and Colin the teammate but not that he’s gay. That’s what I had hoped it would be for the story arc, because you can’t help but root for the guy. The path wasn’t easy as teammate and captain Isaac McAdoo was clearly upset at the end of the last episode and blew off Colin for part of this episode. At the end of the first half of the match being played after giving up an easy goal to a easily beatable opponent and going into the half down 1-0, Isaac’s silent rage became physical after attacking a heckler in the stands for being called (as Sam explained it)
“the OTHER F word.” With Isaac immediately drawing a red card and being out for the rest of the match, he had a great bonding moment during half time with Roy who knows the pressure of being team captain as well as anyone and what comes with the arm band. While this was going on Colin comes clean and the team continues to view him as both a teammate and a friend, spurring a comeback and getting 2 assists for a 2-1 win despite playing the second half down a player due to the red card violation. At the end of the episode we got the conversation I wondered if we’d get, with Isaac being upset only that in all the years they’ve played together, Colin didn’t confide the truth to him. Colin’s fear is an understandable one, I’ve had friends come out to me and they’ve talked about that fear in the back of their mind that it won’t go well so his fear of, as he put it, a 1% chance Isaac would be upset kept him from revealing the truth. But seeing them bonding over FIFA (as obvious a product placement as you could get BTW) was a nice touch, as Isaac asks about how Colin can keep it a secret in a locker room full of naked men. Colin’s answer was golden. Massive props to Billy Harris for the way he carried Colin’s storyline through these past few episodes and the pain, loneliness and even shame of being a gay athlete. One quirk I noticed, Ricard is now the butt of many of the jokes now in the locker room. However before we found out Colin was gay, Colin often was. Found that a bit interesting. Anyway moving on.
Keeley is single again, with Jack now in Argentina for the next two months. So that sets up Roy, who got a tongue lashing by Rebecca for blowing off a press conference and not taking a risk, to get back together with Keeley. We’ve slowly seen a more emotionally connected Roy this season, bit by bit you can see him becoming a more well rounded and wiser person, even doing the post match press conference where all questions were about Isaac. Roy’s story about how in the end, we’re all human and we don’t know what people are going through inside is spot on; I see this in every locker room and every press conference I’m in and every film set I’m on. You sometimes forget that despite the accolades and the lifestyle comes pressure that, still as human like the rest of us, they struggle with. But expect Roy & Keeley to reconcile which I think everyone has predicted since episode 1 of this season.
But to me the big twist came from Nate, who now sees Rupert for being a sleaze he is. Absolute hats off to Anthony Head for playing the underhanded Rupert so well. After Jade surprised Nate at the office with lunch from A Taste of Athens she is introduced to Rupert who may or may not be making a move on Jade. She however is quick to see what he’s trying to pull and we believe will ignore it. For a while I thought Jade was just there because Nate was big time but I’m starting to see things differently and she’s growing on me more. But after being invited out by Rupert for a “guy’s night, just the two of them” Nate sees Rupert for who he is after Rupert introduces two women to Nate and gives an offer to party, despite being married and having a kid at the house. Nate does the right thing and excuses himself but shows up to Jade’s apartment, says nothing and just gives her a hug that she returns. This moment hit me emotionally as that hug spoke volumes, how he sees his mentor for who he is, how he still feels guilt over walking away from Ted and how Jade is now in many ways the biggest part of what he has left. It’ll be interesting to see how Nate moves on from Rupert and I’m still sticking to ending up back at AFC Richmond. I guessing next episode he’ll be distancing himself from Rupert and perhaps have it out with him at the end of the next episode or two.
Mostly this episode was about the supporting characters and not about Ted, Beard or Rebecca as much and personally I liked that. I liked seeing some of the other characters shine some, especially as the season is coming to a close. Initially I was only going to watch it for this review, but by the end I was 100% hyped for the next episode. Well done Team Lawrence. 3 to go.
RATING: 9
About the author – Scott Churchson has been an actor in every way for the past 13 years, from BG to stand in to stunts and principal, a sports writer for the past 4 and is one of the people that created Stream Punk Entertainment. He’s married to a veterinarian, has a cat with three working legs, a mother-in-law who just moved in and is just a simple man trying to make his way in the universe.
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