Prime Video hits a home run with their television adaptation of the 1992 film A League of Their Own. Created by Will Graham and Abbi Jacobson, season 1 is a great expansion of the world of women’s baseball in the 1940s. The comradery of the game brings these women together as the Rockford Peaches compete to become top of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
Carson Shaw (Abbi Jacobson) and Max Chapman (Chanté Adams) are our two leads. While their worlds are very different, their intertwine nicely as they become friends. Carson is a married woman who takes off to play baseball while her soldier husband Charlie is overseas. Carson is nervous, fidgety and awkward in the first few episodes but she finds her confidence throughout the season as she advances from team member to team coach. Max is denied a place in the Rockford Peaches team simply because she is a Black woman, despite her insanely good pitching abilities. She has to fight twice as hard to be allowed to play for any team, not just the Peaches. But it truly pays off for her in the end, and I couldn’t be happier for her.
The Rockford Peaches consists of an eclectic group of women: Along with Carson, we have Greta Gill (D’Arcy Carden), a fun loving femme who arrives in New York for tryouts with her best friend Jo DeLuca (Melanie Field), known for her remarkable batting skills. Maybelle Fox (Molly Ephraim) is a peppy blonde who plays center field and is also named after real-life icon Maybelle Blair. Jess McCready (Kelly McCormack) is a candid Canadian who says it like it is. Shirley Cohen (Kate Berlant) is the team brain with a mind for numbers and keeping everyone in line. Pitcher Lupe García (Roberta Colindrez) stands up for what she believes in and clashes with others at times. Last but certainly not least is Esti González (Priscilla Delgado), who can outrun the whole team. The women live together under the watchful eye of chaperone Beverly (Dale Dickey) who is very protective of the team.
Max’s world is a polar opposite to Carson. No matter how good she plays or begs to be given a chance, it isn’t enough. She sacrifices the approval of her mom Toni (Saidah Arrika Ekulona) to work outside the family salon for a job at the factory and what comes with it: A chance at playing for the factory baseball team. Max’s best friend Clance (Gbemisola Ikumelo) is hilarious and supports Max even when everyone else tells her to give up on baseball. Clance has a happy, infectiously positive attitude and a passion for illustrating her own comics. When Max discovers a secret about her Aunt, Clance accepts and encourages Max when she is scared to tell people (about her Aunt being a lesbian, possibly trans). The friendship between Max and Carson is also a highlight to me and I’d love to see more of it in season 2 and I want to see them play together!
The show provides a realistic depiction of queerness in the 40s, the desperation to hide their love and what happens when it’s discovered. Carson’s relationship with teammate Greta is a stand-out plotline of the show and it’s not exactly smooth sailing for the two women, but their moments together are beautiful. The film didn’t allow this element to be shown so I love that the show is including it, and it’s important to show what the real-life team was really like instead of hiding who they were and who they loved.
Fans will notice many acknowledgements to the film throughout the show, from the famous line “There’s no crying in baseball!” to the team bus and the AAGPBL song. I appreciate the dedication Will Graham & Abbi Jacobson have put in to making this show authentic, honoring the film but extending the universe to include more Black and queer women who were previously excluded. If shows featuring queer relationships, 1940s baseball, strong women and found family sounds like fun, this is definitely a show for you.
Photo Courtesy: Prime Video
