“Cheer,” the hit cheerleading docuseries, will make a surprise return to Netflix on January 12, with a Season 2 premiere.
Season 1 followed the nationally renowned Navarro College Bulldogs cheer team from Corsicana, Texas, as they prepared for the National Cheerleading Championship in Daytona Beach, Florida, which premiered in January 2020.
The show was a big hit because it highlighted the difficulty and athleticism of a sport that doesn’t get much attention from the general public.
It also featured several breakout stars, including no-nonsense coach Monica Aldama; the talented but troubled Lexi Brumback; star cheerleader Gabi Butler, who dealt with a lot of pressure from her parents; La’Darius Marshall, who dealt with homophobic bullying as a child; and Morgan Simianer, who grew up with her grandparents and dealt with a lot of personal tragedy.
Jerry Harris, the show’s breakout star, captivated the nation with his upbeat demeanour and eventually handled the Oscars red carpet for Ellen DeGeneres. The series, however, became embroiled in controversy when Harris was arrested last year on counts of sexual misbehaviour, including child pornography.
After the dark shade this development threw over the series, it seemed inconceivable that there would be a Season 2 of “Cheer,” yet it’s coming. Season 2 will focus on Harris’ arrest and its influence on the squad, as well as the difficulty of maintaining cheer throughout the coronavirus pandemic, according to Netflix.
The trailer shows Aldama saying, “I can’t even process it,” in reference to the news regarding Harris, while another teammate explains, “Everyone just felt lost.”
“The new episodes also tackle extremely difficult moments,” director and exec producer Greg Whiteley said in a statement in a Netflix press release.
Season 2 will also center around “the impact of COVID-19 and criminal charges against one of Navarro’s former team members,” Whiteley said.
“It was inspiring, heartbreaking, sometimes frustrating, and ultimately moving to be a part of their lives,” he added. “Flying home from our last day of shooting in Daytona, I thought, ‘I cannot believe we saw what we just saw, we experienced what we just experienced.’ If we do our job right, we’re able to take the audience on that same ride.”
“Cheer” Season 2 will be released on Netflix on Jan 12.
