American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez episode 7 slows down the story (Recap and review)

American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez hits the breaks in episode 7, dragging the events that lead up to Aaron’s arrest. I have to admit, it’s very frustrating that we still have not reached the key point of the story: The arrest, trial, and death of the former NFL player. 

Not caught up on Sports Story? Spoilers ahead! Stream American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez episode 7 on Hulu starting Oct. 22 (or catch a rerun on FX) before reading below. 

The hit drama kicked things off with Aaron (Josh Andres Rivera) in the car with his friend Sherrod (Roland Buck III). Aaron shoots Sherrod in the head and dumps his body outside of a warehouse, assuming his friend is dead. Unfortunately, for Aaron, Sherrod miraculously survives. He was shot in the eye, but just in the right spot to where Sherrod can make a full recovery. Well, he lost an eye, but other than that, he walked out of the hospital after a few days. And he is not happy. 

Seven episodes later, we get to see what led Aaron to shoot Sherrod. The latter began harassing Aaron about the deadly shooting, so Aaron wanted him off his back. Like most things in his life, Aaron handled it poorly. Sherrod is out of the hospital and ready for revenge. He threatens Aaron and even tries to sue him. Episode 7, titled “Dirty Pain,” unnecessarily details the many things Aaron did to avoid Sherrod. 

Aaron needs to go to California for surgery and decides to stay there for several weeks while he recovers, hoping that this whole thing with Sherrod blows over. But let’s be real, one doesn’t just forget getting shot in the eye. When Aaron goes back home, he steps up his security, but it’s still not going to be enough. 

Sherrod isn’t the only problem Aaron has to deal with. He is also getting high again and taking drugs after his surgery. All of this causes Aaron to call Chris (Jake Cannavale) and they meet up to chat and have sex. Aaron is full of regret when he returns home and has a fight with Shayanna (Jaylen Barron). 

So, what did we learn from this episode? Not much. I feel like this episode could have focused on so much more and skipped a lot of the events from this episode. There are now only three episodes left and a lot to cover. We’ve got the arrest, the trial, and the death of Aaron Hernandez. Let’s hope this isn’t rushed.