A League of Their Own Review by Brooke Daugherty : Pop Culture Leftovers

A League of Their Own Review by Brooke Daugherty

September 7, 2022 1:14 pm |

When it was announced that Amazon was creating a series based on the 1992 movie “A League of Their Own”, I would be lying to say I was a bit skeptical. But when all eight episodes debuted on the streaming service in mid August 2022, I was pleasantly surprised. Instead of rehashing the same storyline and characters, we get new fleshed out players and backstories. For me, this series was the opposite of ruining my childhood – it reaffirmed my own feelings and gave me the more enjoyment of the sport I have loved since I was a kid.

The series was created by Will Graham (The Onion) and Abbi Jacobson (Broad City), who wrote the pilot and finale episodes as well as one episode each. The first three episodes were directed by Jamie Babbit (But I’m a Cheerleader, Russian Doll) with one episode each directed by Graham, Anya Adams (Black-ish), Katrelle Kindred (Snowfall, Good Trouble), Ayoka Chenzira (Queen Sugar), and Silas Howard (Transparent). A show about queer women, and queer People of Color, has six of eight episodes directed by women, three of those are women (or female presenting) of color, with one directed by a Trans man. The representation in front and behind the camera.

The series follows Peaches catcher Carson Shaw played by Jacobson and Chanté Adams’ Maxine “Max” Chapman as they traverse the world of professional baseball as a married white woman and a single Black woman respectively. At times their stories sync up while other times we see the racial divide. Both characters are supported by a fleshed out cast of characters. Carson meets best friends Greta Gill (D’Arcy Carden) and Jo Deluca (Melanie Field) on the way to tryouts where they meet pitcher Lupe García (Roberta Colindrez), uber-competitive Jess McCready (Kelly McCormack), Cuban teen Esti González (Priscilla Delgado), Glamorous Maybelle Fox (Molly Ephraim), and neurotic Shirley Cohen (Kate Berlant). Max works at her mother Toni’s (Saidah Arrika Ekulona) salon, and plays baseball much to her chagrin, but to her father Edgar’s (Alex Désert ) delight. Also supporting Max are her comic book obsessed best friend Clance (Gbemisola Ikumelo) and Clance’s husband Guy (Aaron Jennings).

This series is not for everyone and that is fine. As a queer, non-binary person who was assigned female at birth that also loves baseball, this was right up my alley. If you are a member of any of these (under) represented groups, you will probably see yourself in at least one of these characters. I was so disappointed when I got to the end of the series. I wanted more. I need to know what happens to the main characters. If you are able to watch a series and connect with characters who are not the same gender, race, or orientation as you, try out this show. If you watch shows starring people different than you, first – don’t waste your time and second – get some culture and make friends who aren’t just like you, ok?

PCL Rating: Tupperware

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: FRESH