Welcome to Wrexhamreturns with another doubleheader that puts the focus back on the club’s hierarchy, showing all the hard work that not only Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney put into the team, but even more importantly the people that make Wrexham tick outside the pitch. The result is a very relatable look at an average week in English football.
In the FX documentary’s early days, Shaun Harvey was established as a key figure in Reynolds and McElhenney’s Wrexham masterplan, with the football executive’s experience being vital in making sure this lowlysportsteam is run in the most optimal manner. Suffice it to say, given Wrexham’s rise since then, Harvey has done an admirable job, and he probably deserves a good holiday, though as this week’s episode shows, that’s easier said than done.
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DespiteWelcome to Wrexham’sentire aim beingto give viewers a close behind-the-scenes look at professional football, Harvey’s privacy gets a pass, so instead, the creative team makes the best of that by offering a type of humor that goes well with the two actors’ style. Harvey’s stand-in is a burly actor that paints a perfect picture of what it’s like to juggle one’s personal life with work while he’s visiting Tenerife.
The docuseries pacing here is perfect as it adds an almost Sorkinesque flavor to Wrexham daily occurrences in the midst of Harvey’s absence, especially with fellow actor Humphrey Ker serving as his deputy.Welcome to Wrexhameven manages to dial insomeGame of Thronesreferences in there, to show how management tries to handle Reynolds and McElhenney dynamics.
Is all this real or is it all part of the show? Quite frankly it doesn’t matter, after all, it’s entertaining, and that’s already quite more than a football documentary would normally be for the average viewer. Whether it’s Rob trying to have fun at Ryan’s expense,Wrexham star goalscorer Paul Mullin gettinginto hot water over politics, or the skits meant to show Harvey’s reaction to it all, these succeed in making Wrexham feel close to home.
Other soccer documentaries like Amazon’s features onthe likes of Arsenal and Manchester Cityare devoid of that careless vibe that Wrexham can still have at this level, and the mere possibility of Reynolds and McElhenney ever reaching those Premier League heights is promising enough forWelcome to Wrexham’sfuture.
What’s even better, the decision to keep these episodes on the shorter end pays off spectacularly well, as even casual football fans will rarely feel Wrexham is overstaying its welcome. Clocking in at just over 23 minutes and slightly below 20, this week’s “Shaun’s Vacation” and “First Losers” put a new twist on the Wrexham formula.
Moving on to episode 5, this one again picks a very specific theme: sports glory. With McElhenney being the real sports nut out of the two owners, the actor shares his own pain watching his beloved Philadelphia Phillies and Eagles go down in the finals, a heartbreak only worsened by Wrexham’s own failures to gain promotion last season.
Nevertheless, these are all cleverly put next to the Buffalo Bills andAll My Childrenactress Susan Lucci’s struggles to claim their big prizes. ProbablyLeonardo DiCaprio wasn’t available to sharehis own experience with the Oscars, yet the result is just as pleasing.
Perhaps the best part about this entry is seeing how Wrexham is more than happy to share the spotlight with other National League teams like Dorking Wanderers, whose story bears a slight resemblance to the red dragons, only without all the Hollywood flair. Dorking represents the best of the English League Football system, where technically even a team of amateurs could turn pro as they rise through the ranks for decades.
In fact, when fans remember their 2012 playoff heartbreak against Luton Town,more knowledgeableFIFAplayersmight notice that this is the same Luton Town that this year reached the Premier League 31 years later. Luton’s story inspired many headlines this past summer, as the first team ever to accomplish this feat, and this is exactly the dream Reynolds and McElhenney are chasing at the moment.
It’s hilarious to see Reynolds and McElhenney read out messages from rivals Notts County telling them to go back where they came from as they try to get more fifth tier teams to become part ofWelcome to Wrexham. However, as the show tries to illustrate, competition at this level leaves no room for error or pleasantries just like Wrexham learned last year.
These two episodes are far from the best or more emotional stories that the docuseries has put on the screen, yet in a week whenthe newEA Sports FC 24releases, it’s amazing to seeWelcome to Wrexhamcontinue to carve out a place of its own among footballing fandom all over the world.
Welcome to Wrexham
Cast
Welcome to Wrexham keeps it short but fun in this doubleheader that continues to expand the docuseries range and themes.
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