Season four of Welcome To Wrexham just debuted on Hulu. I have already burned through the first episodes and can't wait for the next one.
I keep falling into a trap of trying to rank movies and television shows. "It's my favorite", "It's top ten of all time, "It's the best ________ show of all time", etc. But quite honestly, I have watched far too many movies and television shows to accurately rank them without some serious time and effort or simply relying on recency bias. So for TV shows, I'm simply going to hold them up to my ultimate standard: do I look at my phone while the show is on?
When it comes to Welcome To Wrexham, I have been so enthralled by every single episode that I forget my phone even exits. And here's the funny part, I don't even like soccer... I mean football... I mean futbol. Thanks to this show and the U.S. women's soccer team, I like it far more than I did five years ago. I still don't spend any time watching any soccer matches aside from high stakes U.S. Women's Soccer games like the Olympics or World Cup. But I even enjoy the soccer in Wrexham, even if it isn't the star of the show.
That is what makes this show so special. It's about a soccer team, but it is about so much more. Now let me set this straight right now. I am 100% aware that the two actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney who bought the club may simply be playing the role of caring, enthusiastic owners who care about a town and the players on a human level, but I don't care. I only look at the results. Fake or not, they have highlighted some amazing people and groups. They have breathed life back into the town and have given them a team to unite and excite them.
The show regularly highlights real working class people living in the town. They show business owners (and give them free publicity) and fans chatting with their friends. And they aren't all beer drink football fans. Some of the best conversations are between two old ladies they film while they enjoy coffee in a local shop. They have made local pub owner Wayne Jones a star.
But that is not what hooked me. I enjoyed the first couple episodes of the show, and then I saw Episode 3: Rebuilding. In it, they showcased a life long Wrexham fan named Kerry Evans. When Kerry was 30, she suffered a cerebral bleed that resulted in her require the use of a wheelchair for the rest of her life. When the episode started, she was a volunteer with the club who helped pother people with disabilities who wanted to support the club. By the end of the episode Wrexham hired her the official Disability Liaison Officer. Boom! Standing ovation! Wrexham! Wrexham! Wrexham!
Since then, the club has done even more. In season 2, Episode 2: "The Quiet Zone" the show showcased another fan who happened to have a disability. This time it was Millie Tipping, a Wrexham AFC superfan who is on the autism spectrum. Like many people on the autism spectrum, Millie struggles with too much stimulation. Loud noises can be especially terrifying for some people in this group. That is why Mille wears her noise canceling headphones. But for some people, this is not enough. That is why Wrexham created The Quiet Zone. The Quiet zone is designed to accommodate fans with autism and other sensory needs. In addition to other amenities, it provides access to a 'quiet hub' equipped with sensory lighting and activities, offering a calm space away from the crowd. Imagine being a die-hard Wrexham fan who is the parent of a child with sensory needs. For the first time ever, you get to enjoy something you love with your child while knowing they will be safe.
Maybe they are just acting like they care about people with autism and the people who love them... who gives a shit if they are?!
Any other Welcome to Wrexham fans out there?
