“The kid ends up in the Hall of Fame. Or prison.”
In 2013, New England Patriots quarterback Aaron Hernandez was arrested for murdering his sister-in-law’s boyfriend, Odin Lloyd. Not only was Hernandez charged with a felony, he was eventually found guilty and died in prison from an apparent suicide. Hernandez, a 27-year-old man who felt he had run out of excuses and options, was in failing health prior to his death, with speculation that he suffered from paranoia, sexual identity issues, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
There’s a lot going on in the first episode of the new anthology series American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez from the mind of Ryan Murphy and his writing and directing team. Based on the podcast Gladiator: Aaron Hernandez and Football Inc., the show’s first season follows a new NFL player in England (Josh Andres Rivera) whose fall from grace can be explored in everything from murder to possible homosexuality. The first episode immediately takes liberties to reflect a man concerned about his upbringing.
His abusive father comments on how best to be without “faggot.” We see the meteoric rise of a young athlete through college recruiting to professional football stardom. The first few episodes introduce Hernandez and his inner circle, who are haunted by the death of his father and the troubled friendships he forms along the way.
On the Florida Gators, Hernandez befriended devout Christian and teammate Tim Tebow, played in the series by actor Patrick Schwarzenegger. Other teammates and coaches seemed to make excuses for some of the young player’s early criminal behavior, ignoring the obvious red flags that plagued everyone in the aftermath of his murderous mood swings. Hernandez’s college coaches, childhood friends, family and everyone else let his severe anger and addiction issues run riot for the benefit of potential NFL glory.
Much of “American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez” examines the player’s rise and fall, his personal struggles, and the possibility that CTE had something to do with his eventual murder. What creator Stu Zicherman and Murphy find most interesting about the real-life character, however, are the rumors that may have affected his personal and professional relationships. While these rumors persist in real life, as confirmed by Hernandez’s family, who eventually came out to him in prison, Zicherman and Murphy focus on the early 2000s mindset that being gay was the worst thing imaginable among athletes. The nature of Aaron Hernandez’s life was certainly one he wanted to keep hidden, given the cultural attitude toward this topic.
“American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez” takes viewers on a 10-episode journey through the life and struggles of the titular fallen angel. Childhood abuse, relationships with a high school friend and a stretch therapist, college orgies, drug dealing, recruiting for the New England Patriots, having a baby with his fiancée Shayanna (Jaylen Barron) and multiple instances of criminal activity are just footnotes in a series in which motivation and background are all intertwined. It’s this open sexuality that defines Hernandez’s life as a womanizer on the outside and a depressed, self-hating homophobe on the inside.
The show suggests that all of the events leading up to Hernandez’s murder are a direct result of his closeted nature and learning what it means to be a man, especially in the early 2000s. A sea of Hollister T-shirts and “Fergalios” on the radio set the tone for Hernandez’s life and ultimate madness. There’s no subtlety here, as the audience is taken on a wild ride of partying and power at a young age.
Rivera takes a vulnerable character like Aaron Hernandez and allows you to not only feel for the real person, but also believe in his doubts and emotional instability. The “West Side Story” actor’s physical transformation from teenage jock to NFL cupcake is a slow one that progresses alongside the character’s ugly outbursts. It’s an incredible performance for a young actress just getting her feet wet in Hollywood.
Though Rivera’s smile melts hearts amid his character’s onscreen horrors, American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez doesn’t hold back from more chilling moments like those garnered by Murphy’s sister series, American Crime Story. This new show is filled with real-life footage of famous names like teammate Rob Gronkowski, Patriots coach Bill Belichick and owner Robert Kraft that belong in cartoons. At one point, Belichick (Tony winner Norbert Leo Butz) says to Hernandez, “Are you a tight end or a receiver?”
This type of dialogue definitely suggests that everyone thinks something is different about Aaron Hernandez, even if they can’t put their finger on it.
“American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez” risks painting a place in sports history by portraying a man with the talent to go far beyond anyone else in his sport. Yet the system around him is designed to protect him from the worst that lies ahead on this path.
Hernandez’s portrayal as a gay man struggling with his identity reaches a boiling point when image is all that matters to him. The ongoing dismissal of head injuries as being related to immorality is interesting, but it feels like a B-story in a series that draws on interesting moments from the life and death of an NFL player.
“American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez” premieres Tuesday, September 17 on FX and will stream the following day on Hulu.
