The Comeback: 2004 Boston Red Sox Review 2024 Tv Show Series Cast Crew Online
For Yankee fans, Netflix’s latest sports docuseries is the perfect Halloween release, as it functions as a chilling reminder of one of the most painful postseason collapses in baseball history. In the 2004 American League Championship Series, the New York favorites were leading the best of seven contest by a remarkable 3-0. Somehow, someway, the Boston Red Sox, their long standing rivals, defied the odds and won four games in a row, winning the round and advancing to the World Series, where they easily swept and delivered New England its first MLB title trophy in 86 years.
The historic moment is captured masterfully across three episodes, bringing viewers back to the early aughts when the Red Sox fell short season after season. As they approach a rematch with the Yankees in the playoff semifinals, their loss to the Bronx Bombers just the year before looms over the dugout.
The Comeback conveys the tension, heartbreak, triumph, and grit throughout the tale very well. While there’s plenty of reliving Big Papi’s walk-off home run and Curt Schilling coming in clutch, the show does more than just rehash the games. Instead, much of the time is devoted to a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to manage and coach a major league sports franchise to the finals. There’s a lot of insight as to how Theo Epstein, at the time the youngest GM in MLB history, built a winning roster. Epstein speaks candidly to the camera about what it took to recruit star assets, and the efforts to keep the clubhouse in line. Tough decisions, like firing manager Grady Little, or being willing to trade away Boston icons like Norma Garciaparra, are just part of the deal. Especially in the first two episodes, the front office’s maneuvers are just as riveting as the plays on the diamond.
The player interviews feel truly unfiltered and chock full of personality. First baseman Kevin Millar is the highlight; he really appears to be the glue that held that iteration of the Red Sox together, and made the players feel like they were in a brotherhood. David Ortiz and Pedro Martinez also provide color commentary, mixed with archival footage.
Another point of interest is the animosity not just between the Red Sox and Yankees’ fanbases, but between the players themselves. They hated each other, as evidenced by the on-field brawls and ugly intentional hits by pitches thrown at batters. The Boston players don’t hold back, but comically, the shots taken at the Yanks imply the team was, if anything, too classy. Martinez is smug and unapologetic about his behavior on the mound during that ALCS. He’s a talented pitcher, no question, but he comes off as downright despicable. I suppose that’s Boston for you…
Tightly paced and well-edited, The Comeback is a must-watch for sports fans. To fellow fans of the Yankees, watching this might just light the fire inside you to cheer on New York to win our 28th ring this week.
