The old ball game
Carson and Max face their own troubles and issues and, while they occasionally meet to discuss their lives, their orbits are very different. Shows that run on two separate rails do not always come together, but here it works brilliantly, and both sides hold their own appeal. Max’s story is particularly rich, and unfolds at a lovely pace as she figures out what is possible for her, and who she can be.
This is 1943, so racism and sexism abound, as does the question of what femininity is supposed to look like. The league is a commercial venture, and the chocolate mogul bankrolling the idea despairs at the athletes before him: “My God, look at their calves, they’re enormous!”
It is a simple idea, but placing these players into a world of naysayers, who tell them they can’t do this and they can’t do that, is utterly effective, because it means every triumph hits hard. And while the men see this as a money-making exercise, the stakes for the women could not be higher. From the players to their chaperone, this is about something far bigger, and far more poignant, than sport. It is about living a life they never thought they would get to live.
That plays out in the love stories that underscore the action on the field. Bombshell Greta
D’Arcy Carden) is the closest to a Madonna-ish character here, and while she pretends to be thirsty for the uniformed soldiers on leave, Carson soon finds there is more to her than that.
There are butch characters, who baulk at the rules that say they must wear a skirt, and multiple queer romances, though the fact that this is the 1940s means that, for all the openness viewers get to see, much of the story is still happening in the shadows. A trip to a queer speakeasy, later in the series, is a bruising reminder of what is at stake.
There are nods to the film, as well as revisions and updates. The role of the coach, taken here by
Nick Offerman, is less of a scene-stealer than Tom Hanks’ coach Dugan, and the point about the level of his contribution is made succinctly. Rosie O’Donnell, who starred in the film, has a small role, too, and it is easy to imagine that this is where her original Doris might have ended up.
I say this as a fan of the film, but in many ways, this feels like a more complete version of the story. It is as touching as it is funny, even if it turns out that there is crying in baseball, after all. —
is now streaming on Prime Video.