Review of American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez Rating *****
I have a solid pick for you if you are lucky enough to have a Hulu subscription. The ten-part dramatic series portraying Aaron Hernandez’s tragic story is worth the price of admission. Every aspect of this well-crafted series is top-notch, starting with Josh Rivera, who plays Aaron. The supporting actors are equally good.
For anyone not already familiar with the story, Aaron Hernandez was a tight end for the New England Patriots who was sentenced to life without parole for the murder of the boyfriend of his fiance’s sister. The creators of the series stick to the facts without sensationalizing them. This is a multi-layered story that begins with Aaron being sexually abused at a young age by an unidentified individual. The series follows Aaron from his high school football days through his time as a Florida Gator, playing with teammates Gronkosky and Tim Tebow, and eventually as a New England Patriot.
Aaron’s domineering father died before he could see Aaron excel in both college and the NFL. However, Aaron’s success on the football field was overshadowed by his propensity to fly off the wall at anyone he felt had disrespected him. The series covers his drug use, his conflicts with his sexuality, his repeated concussions on the field, and his time behind bars after his world came crashing down when he was arrested for murder.
If you also have a Netflix subscription, I recommend the documentary Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez. It was after seeing the documentary that I realized how closely the series creators followed the events that ultimately led to his suicide behind bars at the age of 27.
What was it that pushed Aaron Hernandez to commit suicide? Was it the disclosure of his sexual ambiguity? His post-mortem diagnosis of CTE? The realization that his daughter was growing up without him. The prospect of having to spend the rest of his life behind bars? I believe it was a combination of all of those factors.
My prediction is that this series is going to win a lot of awards. If you don’t have Hule, you might catch this on the Fx Network. You can also rent it for $15 on Amazon Prime.