The third episode of Hulu’s Chad Powers picks up right in the thick of the South Georgia Catfish’s disastrous season opener against the Ole Miss Rebels, cranking up the comedy, heartbreak, and high-stakes football drama. At its core, it’s a story of sidelined underdogs forging unlikely alliances, with Russ Holliday (aka Chad Powers, played by Glen Powell) grappling with his disguised identity while the team’s dysfunction boils over. Directed with sharp wit and packed with sports-movie tropes, the installment delivers a thrilling turnaround—complete with a surprise Eli Manning cameo—while deepening the emotional parallels between Russ’s fall from grace and the personal struggles of those around him.
The episode kicks off with a poignant cold open: Russ, still in his Chad disguise minus the full makeup, jogs through the woods while torturously replaying audio commentary from the scandal that tanked his NFL dreams eight years prior. He crosses paths with Ricky Hudson (Zoe Colletti), Coach Jake Byrd’s (Randy Quaid) whip-smart daughter and assistant coach, but she doesn’t clock him without the prosthetics—highlighting the isolation of his secret life. Back at the stadium, the Catfish are getting pummeled, and Chad’s “big break” is anything but: Coach Byrd benches him to hold a cup for wide receiver Gerry (who can’t leave the field) to pee into mid-game. It’s peak humiliation, and Ricky’s visibly pissed at the disrespect toward her walk-on recruit.
Ricky, ever the strategist, pulls Chad aside to warm him up and sneak him into the game, sparking a vulnerable chat about her own shattered dreams—she was a promising track star until a hurdles injury sidelined her forever. Their bond starts to crackle with chemistry (and that classic rom-com tension), but it’s quickly doused when equipment manager Dobbs spots them and chews Ricky out for “disrupting” star QB Gerry. Dobbs then turns the tables by ordering her to fetch a Gatorade bottle for his tobacco spit—another layer of casual misogyny that has Ricky fuming. Backup QB Danny whispers to Chad to keep chasing her romantically if he wants real playing time, underscoring the show’s satirical jab at college football’s bro culture.
Up in the luxury boosters’ suite, the money men are sweating bullets over the Catfish’s flop and its hit to their wallets. Tricia (the sharp-tongued booster rep) sneaks a smoke and clashes with stuffed-shirt donor Davis in a hilariously petty exchange that exposes the petty power plays funding this ragtag program. Down on the sidelines, things go from bad to worse: Trainer Nishan accidentally douses the team’s radio equipment with water, frying the helmet comms system that lets coaches relay plays to players. Chaos ensues—no more direct coaching, just old-school yelling and hoping for the best.
Byrd dispatches Ricky to the locker room for backup headsets, cutting short her heated strategy session with Chad on how to crack Ole Miss’s defense. In the locker room, she bumps into Tricia, who’s itching to storm the sidelines and rip into Byrd for the team’s woes (despite league rules barring her). Ricky plays reluctant chaperone, but by the time they arrive, the headsets are miraculously fixed—wasted trip, maximum awkwardness. Undeterred, Ricky pitches a bold play to Byrd during a tense sidebar with Tricia: a tricky misdirection that could flip the game. Byrd loves it but doubts butterfingered Gerry can pull it off.
Enter Chad, who boldly pipes up: “I can do it. Gerry can’t, but I can—especially in the fourth.” It’s a Russ Holliday flex slipping through the Chad facade, and Byrd shoots it down flat, sparking a father-daughter blowout. Ricky defends her idea (and Chad) fiercely, but Byrd pulls rank, banishing her from the sidelines with a curt “You’re done here.” Chad sneaks after her to console the seething assistant, but she lashes out, accusing him of being a clueless pretty boy who “hasn’t tasted real loss.” Oof—the irony stings, since Russ literally embodies that pain, but Chad plays dumb to protect his cover.
The game grinds on, and fate (or sabotage?) intervenes: As Gerry lobs a wobbly pass, Danny “accidentally” trips him, snapping his leg in a gruesome crunch. Opportunity knocks—Chad’s in! Channeling his pro-level skills, he nails Byrd’s conservative plays way better than Gerry ever could, threading needles and scrambling like a man possessed. The Catfish claw back some ground, but Ole Miss’s defense is a brick wall; it’s not enough for a win. Cut to stadium reactions, including a priceless Eli Manning cameo as a bewildered spectator mouthing, “What the hell is going on?”—a nod to the real-life Chad Powers skit that inspired the series.
With seconds ticking down and the Catfish still trailing, Chad goes rogue: No timeout, no sub—he audibles to Ricky’s forbidden play, a wild flea-flicker that demands perfect trust from the O-line. The stadium holds its breath as Chad fakes the handoff, pitches back, and… boom. Touchdown. Pandemonium erupts; the Catfish snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, redeeming Byrd’s coaching cred, vindicating Ricky’s smarts, and giving Russ his first taste of glory since his downfall. The team piles on in a dogpile celebration, with Chad and Ricky sharing a charged, sweat-soaked embrace that screams “slow-burn romance incoming.”
But as the confetti falls, the episode lands a gut-punch cliffhanger: That hug lingers a beat too long, eyes locking with undeniable sparks. Ricky’s starting to fall for “Chad,” but Russ knows the truth could torch everything—his cover, his second chance, maybe even her heart. Will he ghost the romance, keep it platonic, or drop the bombshell? The episode masterfully ties Russ’s identity crisis to Ricky’s arc of fighting for respect in a man’s world, setting up a powder keg for what’s next. All while reminding us: In Chad Powers, every win comes with a hidden cost.
What did you think of the episode’s big swing?
Mick Lite is a versatile entrepreneur, photographer, and blogger with a huge passion for Music, Sports, Movies, Food, and Gaming. He has worked as an official scorer, social media manager, and photographer for various college, semi pro, and pro sports teams, including the River City Rascals, St. Louis Attack, Missouri Monsters, St. Charles Chill, SLU Billikens, Gateway Steam, St. Louis Riversharks, and Gateway Grizzlies. Served 12 years in the USN/USAF/USN.
