Chad Powers Season 2 Review: Glen Powell Shows Off Star Power As Hulu's Comedy Turns Up The Tension

Published Sep 2, 2026, 12:01 PM EDT

Felipe Rangel is a Movie and TV Journalist ScreenRant. He has been writing about movies and TV since 2021. Felipe joined ScreenRant in 2022, working across different teams, covering everything from breaking news to features to reviews and more.

Felipe is a writer who is an avid film and TV fan, with superhero movies and series being his biggest passion. He graduated from college in 2019, having studied Journalism. Before college, he spent a month studying at the Oxford English Centre. His superhero knowledge expands to the comics, with his undergraduate thesis being "Politics Reflected In American Comics."

Chad Powers season 2 is a blast, showing just how big of a star Glen Powell really is. Powell has made a name for himself on the big screen, appearing in high-profile movies like Top Gun: Maverick, Anyone but You, Twisters, and more. That meteoric rise in the actor's career has led to many feeling like Powell is everywhere over the last few years. While some of those projects might not have performed as well as hoped, like The Running Man and How to Make a Killing, Powell was always excellent in them. In Chad Powers season 2, that continues.

Season 1 of the Hulu comedy series was already a riot, giving Powell a major win amid box office complications. The show is based on an Eli Manning skit from ESPN's Eli's Places Segment. Chad Powers' first season introduced Powell's Russ Holliday, a former college football quarterback whose attitude and arrogance cost him his career. Using heavy makeup and prosthetics, he starts fresh nearly a decade later as the quirky and mild-mannered Chad Powers. The dual role and longer runtime in two 6-episode seasons allow Powell to show off his acting range, especially given how different Russ and Chad are at the start.

Chad Powers season 1 ended with Perry Mattfeld's Ricky Hudson finding out that Chad was really Russ and confronting him. In the end, she allowed him to stay on the team without revealing his secret, as the truth would tarnish her father's legacy as the South Georgia Catfish's head coach and throw the team's season in the trash. Gerry (Colton Ryan), Chad's backup, was unhappy about his return to the game. Chad Powers season 2 picks back up on those plot threads, crafting an easy-to-follow ride filled with hilarious moments, emotional conversations, intriguing arcs, and a shocking final stretch.

Chad Powers Ups The Absurdity In Season 2

One of the comedy series' best aspects is that nothing seems too bizarre to happen in Chad Powers. Powell's dialogue as the character is particularly inspired, as both viewers and the characters on the show can never predict exactly what he will say next. That keeps the show fun and surprising, a testament to what Chad Powers co-creators Powell and Michael Waldron (Loki) have built on Hulu. In season 2, Powell brings out the same charismatic persona as Chad, but it feels like the show knows it has now found its footing and can really soar with no obstacles.

[Frankie] Rodriguez and [Steve] Zahn are just effortlessly funny.

There are plenty of hilarious situations in season 2, and I found myself laughing out loud in a way that I had not done in quite some time with a TV show. Frankie Rodriguez's Danny Cruz, Russ' best friend who helps him keep his dual life a secret, Steve Zahn's Jake Hudson, the Catfish's coach who had a heart attack in season 1 after Russ hooked up with his wife, and Ryan's Gerry, Chad's jealous backup, are the characters besides Powell's lead role that really make the comedy shine this season. Rodriguez and Zahn are just effortlessly funny.

As for Gerry, the storyline season 2 reserves for him leads to some of the show's wildest sequences, many of which I could not believe were even happening. Another bright spot this season, though in a smaller role, is Toby Huss as Mike Holliday, Russ' father. After being impressed with his son's dedication to making Chad work in the season 1 finale, Mike returns in season 2, and that leads to some of the show's funniest scenes yet as Powell and the actor who plays his father display impeccable chemistry and comedic timing.

Chad Powers Season 2 Fully Explores Its Emotional Core

Throughout season 1, it was clear that the show was building a strong connection between Chad Powers and Ricky Hudson. In the finale, she finally comes to know the truth about Russ. Going into season 2, that was the aspect of the show that I was looking forward to the most. Chad Powers did not disappoint, as Ricky's complicated dynamic with Russ/Chad evolved to a whole new level in the comedy series' six new episodes. Powell and Mattfeld have electric chemistry as Russ and Ricky, leading to some of season 2's most intense moments.

Chad Powers has never been better.

However, the dynamic between the actors when Powell is channeling the Chad persona is just as enticing, as she acts like the perfect straight man to Powell's absurd character. It is quite interesting to see how Ricky navigates the football season knowing Russ' secret, as it changes the way she acts towards Chad considerably, allowing the show to keep evolving. When it comes to season 2's emotional moments, I also want to applaud Zahn. While the actor's comedic sensibilities are well known, he shows his dramatic chops in style this season, leading to a magnetic moment in the middle of the season that left me speechless.

Hulu's Comedy Series Experiments With Another Genre In Season 2

While Chad Powers remains one of the best comedies on TV in season 2, I was quite intrigued by the sharp turn the show took towards its final stretch of episodes. There is a season-long arc that really kicks into high gear in the back half, and the show never looks back. I would say that Chad Powers' comedy shifts into a comedy-thriller hybrid. That might sound weird on paper, but trust me, it works perfectly in the show's favor. Chad Powers has never been better, and it is a sign that the show will always be open to experimentation.

This hard pivot adds a new layer to the Hulu series, grounding the absurdity of the situation surrounding Russ Holliday's dual lives with a very serious storyline that forever changes the show. I loved how intense the end of the season felt, and after watching the season 2 finale, I simply can't wait to find out what happens after a major cliffhanger ending.

Even though Powell is one of Hollywood's busiest stars, Chad Powers season 3 better get here fast. There's plenty more story left to be told, especially if the Hulu series keeps reinventing itself like Chad Powers masterfully does in season 2.\

All episodes of Chad Powers season 2 release Thursday, September 3, on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for those subscribed to the bundle.