Summary
Netflix’s Last Chance U season 3 provides a new roster of players and a new coach at the Pirates of Independence Community College in a breathtaking and insightful fashion.
Watch Dan Hart’s review of Last Chance U season 3 in YouTube here.
As I sat watching Netflix’s Last Chance U season 3 unsuspectingly with my eighth cup of tea of the day, I briefly entertained the idea that I have never watched anything that reflects human behavior so accurately. In case you are unaware, Last Chance U intensely entertains because of the scenarios these young people find themselves in. They have one last chance to become the person they aspire to be, yet due to unfortunate life circumstances and misguided choices, they are burdened with the final opportunity to be respected for what they are good at – playing football. The football programmes of Last Chance U are a perfect test bed to tell a person’s story and to document how they react to such a gesture offered by a forgiving coach.
In the case of Last Chance U season 3, we move to the town of Independence, Kansas – to showcase the Pirates of Independence Community College, who have suffered an incredible number of losses for too many years. The Netflix docuseries opens up with a morbid outlook of the state of football in the town, with the local public halfheartedly supporting the Pirates but only because of their love for the sport. Amongst the hopeless pride, in steps head coach Jason Brown.
I will easily admit, I was not prepared for Jason Brown. Not many people will be. Last Chance U season 3 has introduced a coach that is on a different level. He embodies a person that is above any scrutiny that comes his way. Born in Compton, Jason can engage with anyone and he even references how malleable he is when building relationships. The glaring issue is Jason can scream expletives better than Christian Bale on a heated set, but on the other hand, he can be the leader the young players need to be inspired for game time. Perhaps what is interesting is how the documentary series does not really know how to deal with the coach, as his tempers and motivational moments are either too close or far apart. The unpredictability of Jason Brown is perhaps the most intriguing aspect of our insight into Independence, allowing the documentary series to continue to be a reputable gold mine for Netflix.
As you can expect from this series, education continues to be the veiled milestone for these programmes, and Last Chance U season 3 continues with the notion of how football and the required grades are interlinked into the constitution of colleges. I always found it difficult to endorse the idea that in order to progress in a sports career, you require the grades. Not because I am lazy or that I do not understand the importance of education but because these individuals are hungry to be on the pitch. For some, it exercises escapism when they are training or making that game-changing move, and I can almost feel the exhaustion from the lack of interest when they sit in the classroom. What Last Chance U does particularly well is highlight how important education is to the coach. He firmly believes that if you are not here to get the grades then the football becomes a distant memory.
Season 3 would be nothing without the students. As usual, Last Chance U documents those who have one more chance to make it, after a series of events where they nearly lost their future. Jason Brown makes the point frequently about the last chance he has given them. There are times when the Netflix series explains who they used to be in terms of the sport and how quickly they fell due to a particular circumstance. When you learn about Malik Henry and Bobby Bruce, you feel their pain, you feel their losses, but just as importantly, you feel the wonderful opportunity laid out in front of them, with hard work being the key. Their stories provide weight to the documentary. What enhances the experience is seeing them recklessly nearly lose their last chance, which almost signifies an opportunity for self-sabotage. Their main teacher in season 3 is their mentor and she bridges the gap between football and their personal lives quite effectively, reminding us that they are human. Their past has enabled undesirable actions that they cannot help.
Last Chance U season 3 would not be complete without the chance to witness the games. The season provides breathtaking moments on the pitch. There is a game in particular where all hell breaks loose, and you watch with zero control, in awe, and all you can do is watch all the action unfold. The games are elevated with such importance, despite the young people being equally as important to the series.
Last Chance U season 3 will not disappoint. There are a lot of stories to be told amongst the madness on the pitch.
Check out the trailer:
Check out Dan Hart’s Youtube review:
