Netflix has invested heavily in producing sports docuseries and last year added golf to its portfolio with Fully operational. The first season introduced a new group of viewers to some of the biggest names in professional golf, and the second season looks to build on that success. The new season addresses a year full of drama on and off the street, with seismic changes that promise to reshape the entire sport.
COMPLETE TWIST: SEASON 2: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?
Initial shot: A montage filled with snippets of scenes from the upcoming season sets the tone for several of the stories you can expect in the episodes to come, from the LIV/PGA reconciliation to the Ryder Cup chase and the personalities involved in both.
The essence: Where Drive to survive– the obvious inspiration for any of Netflix’s sports docuseries – unfolds in a largely linear, week-by-week fashion, Fully operational takes a less strictly chronological approach, favoring history over timeline. The biggest plot here is the reconciliation of LIV Golf and the PGA Tour, and that’s expressed through extensive interviews with golfers, like outspoken LIV critic Rory McIlroy, about the impact of the merger.
What shows will it remind you of? Netflix certainly hopes it reminds you of the first season of Fully operational, because that would mean you enjoyed it and have come back for more. However, if you don’t have that reference point, the extremely obvious comparison is with the successful racing-focused Formula One. Drive to surviveor the one focused on tennis Breaking pointboth also on Netflix.
Our opinion: When you try to include a sport in a documentary series, you can only hope that there is enough drama to keep viewers interested. Well, there was no shortage of dramas in professional golf in 2023.
The overall story in golf was, of course, the shocking merger between the deep-pocketed, Saudi-funded breakaway organization LIV Golf and the veteran PGA Tour, an unexpected reconciliation that upended the biggest narrative of the previous year. . Before the merger, there was no shortage of tension on both sides, a tension that is on full display when we see LIV’s Brooks Koepka and outspoken LIV critic Rory McIlroy competing in The Masters, a battle that gets significant screen time in the first episode. of Fully operationalThe second season. Koepka’s competitiveness in the tournament proved to be a rejection of the idea that LIV golfers were strictly in it for big bucks and not serious competitors, and the eventual merger provides plenty of material to work with.
The question is: is it attractive to new viewers?
After a solid first season, Fully operational It feels like a more mature show in its second season. He has more access to athletes, a more constant presence on the court; There is a greater level of comfort evident when filming here. If you are a devout golf fan and someone who is well-versed in the personalities and stories on display here, then you will probably enjoy this season.
If you’re one of the new viewers Netflix and the PGA hope to attract to the sport the way they Drive to survive has led to an increase in the American audience for Formula One racing, although it is a bit more confusing. Again, there’s a lot of drama here, but the way the season is structured, it may be a little harder for casual fans to understand exactly what’s going on. The lack of truly attractive personalities also cripples the show a bit: While Rory McIlroy endears himself to his noble stance on behalf of the PGA, and S1 darling Joel Dahmen regains his charm, the best golfers generally aren’t the personalities more important.
The decision to put the LIV/PGA drama, which consumes most of the first episode’s screen time, at the forefront here is understandable, given the tectonic shift it represents within the sport. The downside, however, is that they take away time from introducing us to new personalities, the golfers we’re supposed to form emotional connections with.
Fully operational Season 2 has a lot for the devoted golf fan; Whether he can win new followers remains to be seen.
Sex and skin: None.
Parting Shot: Brooks Koepka and Rory McIlroy battle again, this time at the 2023 PGA Championship in Rochester, both in four major championships and each on one side of the LIV/PGA narrative pide. Koepka achieves victory, moving ahead of McIlroy for his fifth championship, dispelling the notion that he was finished and dealing a blow to golfers on the breakaway tour. The two gently embrace after Koepka’s victory, and we fast-forward to two weeks later, when news of the merger is released. “Why did I waste the last twelve months of my life fighting for something that was always going to work again?” McIlroy reflects.
Sleeping star: While much of the season focuses on big names like Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka, the breakout star of Season 1 was Joel Dahmen, who endeared himself to opinions with humor and self-deprecation, noting that “someone has to be the 70th best golfer in the world”. the world. “It might as well be me.” He returns in season 2 and continues to make the most of his screen time.
Most pilot line: “If the 2022 season was about disruption, then the 2023 season is about figuring out what’s next,” notes golf journalist Dylan Dethier.
Our call: TRANSMIT IT. If you are a golf fan, Fully operational will give you exactly what you are looking for. However, if you are new to this sport, you may have to find a foothold.
ScottHines, editor of the much-loved Action Cookbook Newsletter,is an architect, blogger, and expert internet user living in Louisville, Kentucky.
