There’s no question that The Last Dance is one of the best docuseries ever, and its documentation of the Chicago Bulls 1997-1998 championship season is dramatic and compelling. However, a new sports docuseries has started airing on the 2024 TV schedule from Apple TV+ about the New England Patriots' dynasty. And I have to say, if you are looking for the drama, The Dynasty: New England Patriots is where it’s at.
Currently sitting at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, The Dynasty: New England Patriots is teed up to be one of Apple TV+’s best shows as it tells the story of the NFL team that spans two decades and six Super Bowl championships under the leadership of head coach Bill Belichick, star quarterback Tom Brady, and team owner Robert Kraft.
If you are at all aware of the Patriots’ history, which I was not before this, then you likely know that telling this story would naturally be more dramatic than The Last Dance.
To watch The Last Dance, the docuseries about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, all you need is a Netflix subscription.
While the story of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls is 100% dramatic and includes moments of intense personal tragedy and wild stories about teammates, its primary conflict has to do with the star player, his relationships with the team and the pressure to keep winning. Bigger drama has cropped up after The Last Dance with Jordan and Scottie Pippen. However, in the hit show, the points of contention really didn’t go far past the interpersonal relationships within the Bulls organization.
A story like this is on display in The Dynasty. Tom Brady and his rise to become the starting quarterback for the Pats over Drew Bledsoe and his competitiveness as a player are integral to the story. Also, the pressure to keep winning Super Bowls and be the best is a theme that runs through this docuseries, much like The Last Dance.
However, where this Apple TV+ series overtakes things in the drama department is in how it depicts the scandal and breaking news that has involved the Patriots over the last 20 years.
For example, in Episode 4, the story of Spygate is told in great detail. After winning three Super Bowls, the Pats were caught filming defensive calls of their opponents. This caused a massive investigation, and the documentary did not hold back in explaining how serious it was, the impact it had on the NFL and how it changed the image of the team. They also showed team members and even Bill Belichick talking (or refusing to talk about) the manner.
This was just one episode of the docuseries, the storyline about Bledsoe’s injury and Brady taking over was also intense. Plus, we haven’t gotten to the episodes that address the scandal Deflategate and the national story about the late Aaron Hernandez, who was convicted of murder. Overall, the history and story of the New England Patriots is long, dark at times, extremely complex and dramatic. And clearly, people are loving it, hence the Rotten Tomatoes score.
To see what I’m talking about, you can stream the acclaimed The Dynasty: The New England Patriots with an Apple TV+ subscription, and you can catch pairs of new episodes every Friday.
