Back in 2016 I watched a TV show called Pitch; it was about the first woman to play and pitch for a major league baseball team. The show aired on FOX and was cancelled after just one season. Which was a bummer for me, because I enjoyed it and because there’s so few TV shows featuring female athletes.
However, I continue to follow the show’s official Twitter account along with a few other fan-related accounts, mostly because I’m too lazy to hit the unfollow button when a show ends. Well, fast forward to a couple of months ago and I stumbled upon this tweet telling fellow fans to check out this new show called Versus, so I did.
Have you checked out our #PitchFam @katiemathewson and @tan_bean new show #versus?? Madison is a lacrosse player who serves up Baker vibes. Watch on the @go90 app. pic.twitter.com/hY0GgjhgUU
— Pitch Street Team (@PitchStreetTeam) December 13, 2017
What is Versus?
Well, first of all, Versus has one of the worst names in regards to SEO. It’s damn near impossible to search for it on Google and find anything actually relating to this show.
That being said, Versus is a TV series or maybe a web series, it’s a blurry line between the two these days, that’s produced by AwesomenessTV and streams on Go90.com, a free web streaming service owned by Verizon. It was also made in conjunction with Gatorade (aka they provided money in exchange for a heavy dose of product placement).
The series tells the story of two teenage girls who are lacrosse players from rival high schools selected to play together on the same summer tournament team. With personal drama brewing, egos flaring, and college scholarships on the line, the two must figure out how to work together, and fast, in order for their team to take home the trophy.
As the tweet above mentioned, Versus comes courtesy of Katrina Mathewson and Tanner Bean, two of the writers from Pitch. As for the cast, I recognized a few of the faces: Peyton Meyer from Girl Meets World, Camille Hyde from American Vandal, Brandon Larracuente from Bloodline and 13 Reasons Why, and Kristen Nelson from Psych.
The first season, is a quick watch. It’s comprised of just six 22-ish minute episodes. As of this post, there’s no word on whether or not there will be a second season. The characters are certainly likeable enough that I’d be happy to watch more, but the show does reach a satisfying conclusion so fear not fellow binge watchers, you will not be left hanging if you choose to hit play.
Why Watch Versus
If you’re searching for a TV show that centers around female athletes, then this is the show for you. Besides Pitch I could only think of two other fictional series about girls and / or women in sports. One was Make it or Break It, which aired from 2009-2012 and the other was Netflix’s GLOW, which debuted this past summer. I guess depending on your definition of sports, Bunheads could also fit the bill. Still, that’s a pretty short list.
Sure, there’s more shows out there that feature female characters who happen to play sports. You know, they carry around some sports equipment, have practice or a big game when the plot calls for it, or talk about needing to get that full ride in order to be able to afford college, but those shows aren’t particularly concerned with capturing the life of an athlete.
Versus is. There’s talk of two a day practices, year-round commitments to the sport and what that means for one’s social life, and even the financial burden of traveling for tournaments. Themes of teamwork, friendship, and sportsmanship run through the course of the series and there’s even discussions related to body image.
And as I said earlier, the characters are all likable too, which is high praise for a show about teen girls. We don’t get much time to know all of them in great detail, but Versus does provide viewers with a diverse group of young women we can root for and relate to. Plus, the two leads are fleshed out enough for viewers to understand their insecurities and motives.
Plot wise, the show is a bit predictable, but not necessarily in a bad way. Most sports stories are formulaic, and this series simply follows suit. Plus they had limited time to tell a story, so by all means, take narrative shortcuts when you can. I will also give the writers credit for not going overboard with the schmaltz and for resisting the urge to tie every conflict and storyline up in a nice neat bow. The show is better for it.
Bottom Line: Versus is an enjoyable coming of age series featuring storylines that aren’t frequently told from the female perspective. I recommend fellow sports fans give it a go!
Where to Watch
Stream Versus on Go90.com or on the Go90 app, available for Android devices in the Google Play store and for Apple products via the App Store.
