Critic Reviews

While in the first season, Black stereotypes have been subverted (especially Black women's, through Shinelle Azoroh’s beautiful performance), now we get to see something that TV and films often fail to show: Reconciliation, family reconstruction, forgiveness, and reconnection. Better yet, it's done in a way that feels organic and well-paced. That said, Swagger still delivers if you only come for the basketball.

Creator Reggie Rock Bythewood constructs a world so richly realized that there’s no doubt in our minds it existed long before we were invited in, and will continue to exist long after we leave. Add vivid characters and sharp storytelling, and it takes only a few episodes for Swagger to establish itself as one of the best new series of the year.

If you slept on the first season of Swagger, Season 2 is good enough to go back and catch up now. It’s a worthy successor to Friday Night Lights, but more than stands on its own.

Whether you’re a basketball junkie or a casual fan, “Swagger” is an instantly captivating and authentic dramatic ride.

“Swagger,” intended for an audience that includes young people, is schematic, presenting lessons for its team of kids to figure out and conflicts for them to overcome. But crisp dialogue and winning performances, including by Quvenzhané Wallis as a young talent facing conflicts of her own with her overly insinuating coach help it maintain interest.

Swagger is a realistic look at how a talented kid becomes a superstar in the youth basketball world, but at least learns how to be a fully-realized person if basketball (more than likely) doesn’t make him rich.

It can be a lot to absorb. But “Swagger” juggles its load thoughtfully, and it does what episodic TV must. It keeps you looking forward to the next chapter. On the court, the series meets its mandate to emphasize drama and excitement over realism.

Like a lot of shows about young people, “Swagger” has a habit of repeating itself a few too many times to make sure the message lands, but it never succumbs to its sizable “After School Special” potential because of Bythewood’s emphasis on people over theme.

“Swagger” might have one manufactured conflict too many, but when it settles into the stories that come naturally from these kids dealing with an uncertain future, it shines.

It’s an absorbing ride. And by the time the boys are attending their end-of-year senior banquet, where they announce their college plans, I was taken aback by the protective pride I felt in these fictional characters.