American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez episode 1 recap and review: Is the series featuring a victim or a monster?

American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez joins the growing Ryan Murphy American Story franchise, following American Horror Story, American Crime Story, and American Horror Stories. Now, we are only two episodes in, but Sports Story (because an acronym isn’t going to work for this one, folks) is already a winner in my book. But it doesn't come without its flaws. Let’s dive in! 

Spoiler alert! Please note there are spoilers ahead if you missed the premiere episode, titled “If It’s To Be,” on FX. Go catch a rerun or stream the episode on Hulu starting Sept. 18. Dive into our review for the premiere episode as we also recap the main events. 

Before taking us through Aaron Hernandez’s (Josh Andres Rivera) troubled childhood, Sports Story kicks off with Aaron shooting his former friend Alexander Bradley (portrayed by Roland Buck III) and dumping his body. But Bradley did not die, and he is sure to let Aaron know, threatening him over the phone. Needless to say, this is a phone call Aaron was not expecting to receive. Aaron now has to watch his back, and we know how this ends. 

However, it’s not the telling of events that hooks audiences, but the powerful performances. And this is important because stories we already know about are the toughest to tell. But Sports Story is brilliantly acted. It’s thanks to these emotional performances that the story is intense and engaging from the get-go. 

We all know the major headline: Aaron was convicted of murder in 2015. But before we get into any of this, the series details Aaron’s tough upbringing, pulling back no punches on the emotional abuse Aaron went through. Even after the passing of his dad, Dennis (Vincent Laresca), Aaron continued to struggle with living up to his expectations. Dennis insisted that Aaron go to Uconn, blowing off other colleges interested in Aaron. But after his dad passed away, Aaron joined the Florida Gators. Aaron’s mother Terri (Tammy Blanchard) fully supported this decision, but his brother DJ (Ean Castellanos) was less than thrilled. DJ was a good player, but Uconn was only hanging on to him because they hoped Aaron would eventually be their tight end. 

I’ve already shared that I am really enjoying Sports Story so far, but it’s not without its flaws. My first complaint is that Aarron’s father Dennis wasn't in the story for long. Dennis died before the episode hit 30 minutes. I do wish we had spent more time getting to know Aaron’s life at home. We don't get enough of this. Instead, we are rapidly taken through how Aaron ended up joining the Florida Gators. And, in the blink of an eye, the premiere episode wraps with Aaron saying goodbye to his hometown as he heads to Florida. But not before having a vision of his father reminding him that "if it's to be, it's up to me."

It’s easy to judge Aaron Hernandez by looking at the headlines he made: murder, drugs, violence. But it seems as if American Sports Story is trying to change that. So far, at least one episode in, it’s doing a pretty good job. But this is a dangerous line the series is tiptoeing around. There was more to Aaron than many know about, sure. He grew up in a violent environment, was raised by an abusive father, and suffered multiple brain injuries (which surely affected his life choices), but is American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez attempting to present to us a victim we should sympathize with or is it dissecting a monster? Either way, this is set up to be one intense journey.