The fifth run of the American football doc has been described as ‘vanilla’. But look closer and you’ll find a fitting ending, devoid of the toxicity and stress of old
To the untrained eye, it may seem as if Last Chance U is going out with a whimper. You can’t help but feel that, after five years slogging through the hardships of underprivileged college American football teams, the creator Greg Whiteley’s head was turned by the high-wire accessibility of his follow-up series, Cheer, and he took his eye off what should have been a gripping conclusion.
The reviews for this season bear this sensation out; a recent ranking of its seasons on the college football site Saturday Blitz put this final year dead last, calling it “vanilla” and “average”. The season, set in a new college with a new coach and unfamiliar players, fell on to Netflix unannounced last month and has picked up minimal buzz. By all accounts, it is a sad end to a once-unmissable show.
