Russ Holiday has endured a tumultuous year, but hope flickers that he might turn his fortunes around at the Rose Bowl. The inaugural episode of "Chad Powers" opens with Russ in the final, thrilling moments of a game, desperately striving to prove his worth.
He sprints and weaves across the field, skillfully dodging the opposing team's attempts to wrest the ball from his grasp. As he nears the goal line, triumph seems within reach, and he drops the ball in premature celebration. Only too late does he realize his mistake—he hasn't crossed the line, scoring no points. To compound his misery, the opposing team swiftly capitalizes, scoring and clinching victory in what feels like mere seconds.
Yet, fate has a cruel way of piling on. In his anger and frustration, Russ ignores a young fan calling out to him, still professing his admiration. When the boy's father, trying to evoke some empathy from Russ for his cancer-stricken son, intervenes, Russ erupts into a confrontation. In the heat of the moment, he accidentally shoves the father, causing both father and son to topple over.
Eight years pass, and Russ is now in conversation with his manager, desperately trying to convince himself—and perhaps the manager—that the Rose Bowl incident had a silver lining. Without that catastrophic event, he wouldn't have forged connections in the world of crypto and NFTs, he rationalizes, as if balancing the scales of his misfortune.
Upon arriving at a lavish party, Russ finds himself celebrating amidst a throng of strangers, announcing his intention to join the XFL. He likens his past ordeal to Chernobyl—a catastrophic event that shook the world initially but is now a distant memory for most.
But reality intrudes harshly. In the bathroom, Russ checks his phone and is confronted with the devastating news: the boy from the Rose Bowl has succumbed to his illness. The weight of this revelation crushes him anew. He loses his spot in the XFL, and his manager informs him that their professional relationship is over.
After a night of heavy drinking, Russ is found by his father, passed out on the couch. His father, seizing the moment, imparts a life lesson. The game and its aftermath are in the past, he counsels, urging Russ to move on and explore new avenues. And he knows Russ can find purpose working alongside him, a skilled prosthetic artist.
Russ seems to loathe the very notion, and as a result, he flat-out refuses. Nevertheless, his dad is unrelenting, insisting that Russ take some of his prosthetics to a studio since Michael Bay requires them for his latest film.
Upon his arrival, Russ is met with an unexpected discovery: South Georgia Catfish is conducting open tryouts for the quarterback position. His gaze drifts to the side, where a billboard for the movie *Mrs. Doubtfire* catches his eye. And in that moment, a eureka moment strikes—he knows exactly how he can reignite his football career.
Meanwhile, let's zoom in on the team dynamics. An assistant named Ricky approaches one of the coaches, Dobbs, with a stack of papers detailing plays she's devised for the tryout. With a polite yet dismissive gesture, Dobbs discards all of them into the trash, informing her that her role will be limited to managing the sign-in sheets.
The head coach, Jake Hudson, isn't faring much better. Tricia, the head of the boosters, takes him to task over the team's performance and his decision to hold open tryouts.
Back at the tryout venue, Russ struggles to don his father's prosthetics in an attempt to assume a new identity. Suddenly, Danny, the team mascot, spots him and, mistaking him for a serial killer, douses him with a spray. Once the misunderstanding is cleared up and Danny realizes who Russ is, he reveals himself to be an even more eccentric character, enthusiastic about Russ's disguise plan.
Eager to assist, Danny helps Russ with the prosthetics and even throws in a wig for good measure. After their collaborative effort, they part ways, but not before Danny seizes the opportunity to remind Russ that he'll owe him a favor for this.
Then, he embarks on one of the most disastrous registration attempts imaginable. He can barely muster a name, his mind freezing every time he's prompted to think of one. But somehow, he conjures up a moniker; now, he's Chad Powers. Ricky almost refuses to sign him in, but Dobbs interjects, insisting they need every available body. So, after an eight-year hiatus, Russ finally sets foot on a football field once more.
A ball tumbles near him, and one of the players barks at Russ to hand it over. But he can't. He clutches it, preparing himself to launch it into the air, only to be haunted by memories of his last stint on the field. He halts, frozen in time. In the end, he sprints up to the player and hands him the ball, prompting the player to brand him a coward.
The tryout isn't unfolding as Russ had envisioned. His prosthetics are slipping, coming undone with each move. So, he decides to call it quits. As he walks away, Danny, clad in his mascot costume, does his utmost to persuade him to stay. He implores Russ to show everyone what Chad Powers is truly made of.
After that pivotal moment, everything shifts. Russ gradually regains his confidence, executing incredible plays that leave everyone, including the coaches, in awe. Before the session concludes, it's already a foregone conclusion in their minds: Chad Powers will be on the team.
The head coach summons Chad to his office in 30 minutes. Still, Russ isn't entirely convinced it's a wise move. However, Danny swoops in once again, vowing to collaborate on ensuring the prosthetics stay put. Russ, in turn, dubs the boy a psycho but reluctantly agrees.
As he makes his way to the head coach's office, which happens to be Ricky's father's domain, he spots the girl loading her car. She compliments his footwork and shares a bit about herself. Suddenly, he spots two deer and is reminded of his metaphor about Chernobyl becoming safer, with wildlife now roaming freely.
Later, Hudson poses a single question to him: why does he play football? Russ pauses for a moment, then sincerely replies that he doesn't know who he is without the sport. It's an answer that resonates with the coach.
Before departing, Russ feels compelled to confess something. But he falters midway, only managing to say that he isn't actually enrolled there. Hudson acknowledges it's a hurdle but assures Russ it's one he can overcome. He tells Russ not to worry and simply bring a few documents the next day, like a birth certificate, to proceed with his team registration. Russ leaves the room, his heart heavy with despair, unsure of how to tackle this new obstacle.
