It’s Bigger than Basketball this season on Swagger

by Kathia Woods

Swagger has returned, and our favorite high school hoopsters are now seniors. Four years have gone, and there have been some changes. Coach Ike Edwards (O'Shea Jackson Jr), star prodigy Jace Carson (Isiah R. Hill), and the rest of the squad are embarking on a new chapter in their basketball careers in the hopes of obtaining a coveted college basketball scholarship. This is what Jace and his mother Jenna Carson (Shinelle Azoroh) have been striving for

Cedar Cove Prep, an upscale private school in the suburbs, is their new home. Dr. Emory Pace (Orlando Jones), the athletic director/educator, has replaced the hand-holding coach with a recipe of strong discipline. He believes that academics are equally as vital, if not more important, than athletics. After all, Cedar Cove only accepts the best. 

The second season finds our heroes encountering problems in their new digs. Problems with things like trusting one another and planning for the future. As in all things Swagger the world doesn’t slow down to allow our favorite crew to simply focus on basketball. The new school may grant more opportunities however they are the minority in a place that values them more for their athletic prowess than their humanity. 

An old acquaintance from their past assists them in navigating their new surroundings and tackling that crucial final year. Ike arrives to coach the youngsters in this new atmosphere, but Emory makes him aware that he must follow the rules. One of the season's many highlights is Ike and Emory's relationships. Reggie Rock Bythewood does an excellent job of demonstrating that there are two Black Men who care deeply about the development of the next generation but have opposing ideas about how to assist them succeed. 

This is significant because Black males are often not permitted to disagree in real life, let alone on episodic television, without it being predicated on stereotypes. The distinctions exist because their points of entrance are different, resulting in an often terse relationship. It's also a class distinction. Emory is a well-educated man. It can be evident in the way he displays himself, whereas Ike is a self-made guy from the neighborhood. Finally, they both want the kids to win.This is a recurring theme in Swagger: how Black men navigate the world and their families. This enables the audience to comprehend how the young men perceive themselves and, at times, each other.

This season, Jace isn't the only one going through changes. His older sister is at Howard, and Jenna's tenacity enabled them to relocate to a new home. This was one of the season's pleasant surprises. Jenna is successful and has a life outside of her children.

Jace may have been her stepping stone to higher status, but it was her vision and financial intelligence that helped lift the family.

Although the boys are stars on their new campus, certain unsolved issues from season one are coming back to trouble them. They have a secret amongst themselves that threatens to derail their future. 

Swagger also portrays young adults in an unconventional way. They get to be teenagers dealing with challenges that many other kids their age are dealing with. It was also refreshing to see them not instantly continue Crystal's (Quvenzhane Wallis) and Jace's relationship, but instead let them grow as individuals. Crystal is a young lady who is both a survivor and a baller in her own right. Wallis portrays her beautifully and with great emotion, giving a voice to a young Black woman on television at a time when there aren't many.

It's also refreshing to watch Jace not always be certain of himself. Many people believe that being a star athlete is all that a person is concerned with, but he's a young man dealing with coming of age at a time when social media is driving teenagers to be someone who isn't true, and it's his friends who frequently push him through the difficult times.

Basketball may be what draws spectators in, and it is a terrific incentive to tune in. The action is shot in such a way that you feel like you're in the crowd. Naturally, with Kevin Durant as a producer, the basketball has to be on point, but what Bythewood has created with Swagger is unique. This season, he has used basketball to address a variety of issues, including  youth incarceration, sexuality, and class, to mention a few.

We see a group of imperfect individuals coming together and forming a community. A coach who was sent to assist the youngsters grow but ended up finding himself. A mother who defied the obstacles to raise two strong children while still shining. Young people who have overcome various challenges while maintaining genuine friendships are the true Swagger. 

You can catch Season 2 of Swagger on Apple tv + with a new episode every Friday