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Zero time Tony Award winner • Production Assistant • Serial rewatcher
When the A League of Their Own series was announced, mixed reviews were tossed around. Some fans of the original 1992 film thought a reboot was uncalled for, while some, like me, had high hopes. I’m pleased to report that this show is a home run! It’s exactly what we needed.
A League of Their Own is able to pay great homage to the original movie but stand on its own as an individual set of stories. The show aims to tell the story of an entire generation of women who dreamed of playing professional baseball but faced challenges. Created by Abbi Jacobson and Will Graham, the pair wanted to tell stories that never made it to the big screen. Stories that highlight queer women and women of color finding their path in the world of women’s professional baseball.
Not only does the show focus on the different ways women were treated as opposed to men on the field, but each episode allows the audience to glimpse into the personal lives of these women.
Meet The Players
The most significant focus is on Carson Shaw (Abbi Jacobson) and Max Chapman (Chanté Adams). Carson’s storyline carries throughout the baseball season, while Max’s story sits in Rockford.
At tryouts, Carson meets Greta (D’Arcy Carden) and Jo (Melanie Field). Greta helps Carson express herself more, and pushes her to go after what she wants. Max is also struggling to express herself. The more she tries, the more pushback she gets from her mother. Taking a job at the local factory doesn’t exactly make her the star of their baseball team, and she can’t walk hand in hand with the girl she likes.
Lupe (Roberta Colindrez), Jess (Kelly McCormack), Esti (Priscilla Delgado), Shirley (Kate Berlant), Maybelle (Molly Ephraim), Terri (Rae Gray) and Ana (Lil Frex) make up the rest of the Rockford Peaches. With their struggles, these ladies come together for something bigger than themselves. The writing with a big ensemble cast is admirable. Although the focus is heavy on Carson, each Peach has a chance to expand her storyline. As the episodes play out, you learn something new each time. The same goes for Max’s storyline. Each passing episode exposes the audience to her family’s secrets and the life of her best friend, Clance (Gbemisola Ikumelo).
Each episode has something individually that I really enjoy, but the final three really resonated with me. The storylines were all able to conclude to some extent, yet still kept me wanting more. The season finale ended with an appropriate enough cliffhanger that warrants a second season, but can also stand alone. I would love to see an expansion on these characters as they continue their lives on and off the field. Jacobson and Graham created something very special.
A Home Run Series
Sexuality and race are the two big themes that this show takes on. A lot of the players these characters were based on are queer women. They certainly didn’t have the support or resources to be unapologetically themselves, but telling their stories now gives them that platform. These stories are raw, honest, and carry on through generations. Every single person who watches this show is able to see themselves in one of these players. That’s the importance of this series.
A League of Their Own hits Prime Video on August 12th!
Zero time Tony Award winner • Production Assistant • Serial rewatcher
This article was edited by Francesca Aloe.