FACING REALITY
Scandal-scarred Netflix cheerleading series returning next month for Season 2
THE hit cheerleading docuseries “Cheer” will make a surprise return to Netflix, with a Season 2 premiering on Jan. 12. Season 1, which premiered in January 2020, followed the nationally-ranked Navarro College Bulldogs Cheer team from Corsicana, Texas, as they prepared for the National Cheerleading Championship in Daytona Beach, Fla.
The series was a hit because it showcased the difficulty and athleticism of a sport that doesn’t get much mainstream attention.
It also had several breakout stars with intriguing life stories that captured audience attention — including no-nonsense coach Monica Aldama; the talented but troubled Lexi Brumback; star cheerleader Gabi Butler, who faced a lot of pressure from her parents; La’Darius Marshall, who faced homophobic bullying during his childhood; and Morgan Simianer, who lived with her grandparents and faced a lot of personal tragedy. The show’s breakout star, Jerry Harris, captured the world’s attention with his positive attitude and later worked the Oscars red carpet for Ellen DeGeneres. However, the series fell into scandal when Harris was arrested last year for sexual misconduct charges that included child pornography.
It seemed impossible that there would be a “Cheer” Season 2 after the dark shadow this development cast on the series.
According to Netflix, Season 2 will address Harris’ arrest and its impact on the team, as well as the difficulty of continuing cheerleading during the pandemic.
The trailer shows coach Monica Aldama saying “I can’t even process it,” in reference to the news regarding Harris, while another teammate explains, “everyone just felt lost.”
“The new episodes also tackle extremely difficult moments,” director and exec-producer Greg Whiteley said in a statement released by Netflix.
Season 2 will also center around “the impact of COVID-19 and criminal charges against one of Navarro’s former team members,” Whiteley said.
“It was inspiring, heartbreaking, sometimes frustrating, and ultimately moving to be a part of their lives,” he added. “Flying home from our last day of shooting in Daytona, I thought, ‘I cannot believe we saw what we just saw, we experienced what we just experienced.’
“If we do our job right, we’re able to take the audience on that same ride.”