Summary
The ending of Football Parents isn’t as happy as you’d think, depending on who you ask, but Episode 6 nonetheless provides payoff to the show’s underlying themes and narrative arcs.
Having thought about it a bit, I’m still not sure whether Football Parents has a happy ending or not. I suppose it depends on who you ask. If nothing else, the team ends up more united than ever, but given how many opportunities are missed out on in the process, and how much the team’s reputation and league standing are torpedoed by its neurotic parents, I don’t think Episode 6 provides quite the fairytale climax.
It’s still a nice finale, though, and mostly pays off the show’s underlying themes in a way that is less aggravating than the previous episodes, probably because Marenka finally turns it down a notch. With a bit unresolved and some lingering questions, the setup is there for Season 2 if this Dutch comedy proves popular for Netflix, which it might, almost in spite of itself.
Let’s break down the final game of the season, shall we?
Lilian Takes Over
Following Vito’s disastrous birthday and his leaving the team at the end of the penultimate episode, the parents are suddenly realizing quite how much Marenka handled when it came to organization. The laundry bag containing the kits is missing, there’s no linesman, and with Vito missing, the team doesn’t have a goalkeeper. Levi volunteers, and Yusuf thinks his appointment is fair, but Jacco is on the cusp of a breakdown over the idea of putting their star striker between the sticks when the only way they can stave off relegation is by beating the league leaders by at least two goals.
To this end Jacco organises more training sessions, which he runs himself to Yusuf’s annoyance, teaching the players “destructive football”. It’s a polite way of saying sheer shithousery, constantly playing for fouls and frustrating the opposition.
Meanwhile, Lilian’s passing comment that it shouldn’t be too difficult to arrange everything leads to her becoming the sole team leader. With no help and the sudden realization that they should have offered more support to Marenka when she was here, Lilian just about manages to get everything sorted – though admittedly has to rely on the sponsored shirts emblazoned with a pig on a spit.
Be Like Spaghetti, My Friend
Needless to say, destructive football doesn’t work, at least in part because the referee is the home team’s coach and won’t give any fouls. The first half is a shambles, and you can understand why Lilian had earlier deregistered Levi from the team, making this his final game. Of course, he doesn’t know that himself, and neither do any of the other players.
Salvation arrives at half time in the unexpected form of Marenka, Wietse, and Vito. They confess that Vito had thrown away the kit bag in anger without them realizing, so they wanted to apologize in person, but the situation is in such dire straits that Marenka is immediately given her old position back, and Vito is appointed as the designated goalkeeper so that Levi can get out and start scoring goals. Marenka finally gets to give her spaghetti speech, a genuinely effective metaphor for how they’re more difficult to break if they work together, and the kids head back out onto the field rejuvenated.
The comeback is on. Levi lays waste to the opposition defence, and when the referee gives an unfair penalty, Vito heroically saves it, albeit accidentally, becoming a hero. The game should be over. But not quite.
Football Parents Still | Image via Netflix
The Parents Ruin Everything
The surprising point raised by the ending of Football Parents is that even unbridled team spirit and a heroic comeback performance aren’t enough to outweigh the destructive behaviour of entitled parents.
Out of ideas, the ref refuses to blow the full-time whistle, giving his team a chance to score. The parents go postal, charging the field and brawling with the opposition fans. Levi’s father, who had finally turned up to watch him and even started coaching a little bit, shakes his head in disgust as the brawl spills into the stands, Jacco collapses from a heart attack, and the game is called off.
The selection scouts, who were impressed with several of the players, nonetheless want nothing to do with them given the behaviour of their parents. The only outlier is Levi, since Lilian didn’t participate in the brawl. He’s offered a place in the selection, but he turns it down to stay with the team and his friend Vito. The kids and even the parents celebrate, with Edwin taking the opportunity to plant a little kiss on Lilian.
Season 2?
