‘Chad Powers’ Can’t Escape Russ Holliday’s Past, No Matter How Hard He Tries

SPOILER ALERT: The following contains spoilers for ‘Chad Powers, Season 1, Episode 5.‘

Watching Episode 5 of ‘Chad Powers‘ feels like we are seeing two entirely different shows collide. For the first half, it plays out like the same raunchy sports comedy we have come to expect, filled with crude jokes and awkward moments. Then halfway through, it shifts into something far more serious, almost uncomfortable, and definitely more human. What begins as a goofy college football story slowly becomes about identity, guilt, and the cost of pretending to be someone else.

The episode, titled “Fifth Quarter,” opens with Chad’s awkwardness when he autographs a football for a boy with leukemia and accidentally signs his real name, Russ Holliday. His attempt to cover it up by coloring over the entire football makes the moment even more challenging to watch. These scenes are uncomfortable and funny at the same time, which has been the show’s signature tone since the start.

Chad Powers starts to Spiral when Fame, Guilt, and Reckless Night threaten to Expose his Secret

We see the South Georgia Catfish star quarterback botching a major College GameDay Interview by ESPN. When asked who inspired him to be a football player, he rambles about Benjamin Franklin and electricity, leaving everyone confused. Behind the laughs, though, we see Russ’s identity crisis growing worse. The Catfish are undefeated at 5-0, and everyone sees Chad as a mysterious hero. But Russ, who created Chad as a disguise, begins to lose track of where one ends and the other begins, especially when he realizes he will be playing Georgia, the same team to whom the Oregon Duck (Russ’s previous CFB Team) lost in the Rose Bowl. We also see how he wears only half of his disguise at home, slipping between his fake voice and real one, as he plans to erase Russ’s identity entirely because Chad deserves to be happy too. It’s a small but clear sign that he’s struggling to know who he really is.

Things get even more complicated when Tricia, the team’s ambitious booster, pushes Coach Jake Hudson to stage a “family-friendly” interview at the Hudson lake house. She wants Chad to appear wholesome for ESPN and ropes Jake’s wife, Wendy, and assistant Ricky Hudson into the setup. For Russ, this is a nightmare because it forces him to stay in character on camera in front of the very people who could expose him, with a twist that none of us actually saw coming.

The night before the interview, Russ goes to a bar to blow off steam and ends up with a woman in his cybertruck who seems to know about his past and his identity. She tells him he doesn’t have to hide forever, but Russ misreads this moment. Instead of letting go of his fake identity, he decides to become Chad Powers fully, erasing Russ Holliday altogether. The next morning, we see Danny singing “Reflection” from Mulan in the mirror, foreshadowing that Chad is his authentic self now. Danny, his friend and makeup partner, realizes that this isn’t a joke anymore. He calls it a breakdown, but Russ refuses to listen.

Everything unravels at the lake house. When Chad arrives, he discovers that the woman he slept with is Wendy Hudson, the coach’s wife. From here, the tone changes completely. The light comedy drains away, replaced by quiet tension and unforgiving emotions. During the fake family lunch, Wendy begins to crack, talking about her marriage issues while Jake tries to keep up appearances for the cameras. The truth spills out when Wendy admits she slept with Russ Holliday. Ricky, who had seen Russ earlier at a hotel, realizes what happened and calls him a “stalker.”

The scene that follows is brutal because it feels so real. Steve Zahn, who plays Coach Hudson, shows both fury and heartbreak without going over the top. Jake calls Russ “a cancer” and says he saw it in him even back in high school. But before anyone can respond, Jake clutches his chest and tells Ricky to call 911, as he might be having a heart attack. It’s a shocking moment that ends the episode on an uneasy note.

We are left Questioning whether Russ Holliday can ever Face the Truth, or if Chad Powers has Already Taken his Place for Good

This episode is powerful because it forces us to sit with Russ’s mistakes. Chad Powers has made us laugh at his ridiculous lies and disguises for weeks. Now we have to face what those lies have done to the people around him. Wendy’s guilt, Ricky’s confusion, Danny’s fear, and Jake’s collapse connect to one man who can’t decide who he wants to be.

At the same time, the show doesn’t give us easy answers. Russ still hasn’t been exposed, and the Catfish are still winning. We don’t know if he will face justice or redemption, or if he’ll keep hiding behind Chad Powers. That uncertainty feels intentional. After all, this episode shows us that comedy and tragedy can live side by side, just like Russ and Chad do inside the same person.

As viewers, we are left to wonder which part will win. Maybe the next episode will bring closure or leave us with more questions about identity, fame, and consequence. Like the best stories, Chad Powers doesn’t tell us exactly what to think. It gives us layers to discuss and lets us decide who the real person under the helmet might be.