American Sports Story takes a pretty straightforward approach to telling Aaron Hernandez’s complicated life. The athlete grew up in a troubled household and struggled to mask his sexuality, and though he was granted a top football scholarship and eventually played in the big leagues, he still had that trauma—both psychological and physical—to bear. By the time the show reaches the fateful night in Hernandez’s life that made him a household name, we’d have seen just how messed up his circumstances were. Like most streaming series, this runs too long than necessary at 10 episodes, but it is a humanizing portrait of a mystifying man, as well as a showcase of great talent—Rivera turns in an especially nuanced performance. But apart from these, the show adds nothing new to the already long and heavy conversations that have been had about Hernandez’s life. There are multiple documentaries out there, as well as podcasts, articles, and video essays. You can watch this to see how well the actors dramatize real life, but don’t expect to glean anything new.
Synopsis
An anthology series focusing on prominent events involving a sports figure, re-examined through the prism of today’s world and telling the story from multiple perspectives.
Storyline
This ten-part series chronicles the rise and fall of NFL player Aaron Hernandez (Josh Andrés Rivera), from his troubled childhood and misunderstood sexuality to the tragic event near the end of his short life.
TLDR
What is Ryan Murphy without his murderous queer leads.
What stands out
Rivera plays Hernandez really well. The performance is at once sweet and tough.