Welcome to Wrexham Season 4, Episode 2, “High Hopes,” asks if big dreams are worth the risk for Wrexham – the club and the city – and beyond. The answer is most definitively described by Wrexham AFC co-owner Rob McElhenney. Even so, the episode’s strengths are in its examination of risky choices’ lights and shades. One example is a Ukrainian family fleeing the war in their home country, moving to Wales, and starting a business there.
There is no direct tether to the football club. Still, Welcome to Wrexham never pulls too far from its thesis – the city is at its heart. Interestingly, “High Hopes” takes a better look at how those moving parts are interconnected yet independent. It’s a complex relationship, as is the club’s spot in League One.
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Businesses in Wrexham
The far-and-away standout of “High Hopes” Is Yaroslav and Oksana Izviekov’s story. Any description of their bravery and resilience does not do them justice. It may sound strange to encourage someone to watch a docuseries about a football team for something other than the football, but it’s paramount when it comes to a story like that of Yaroslav and Oksana Izviekov and their children.
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Additionally, even as it effectively stands on its own, this section strengthens the episode’s structure or goals. It elevates them, painting a broader picture of Wrexham and Wales that draws back to Wrexham AFC, benefiting Welcome to Wrexham. It folds into Wrexham locals – the owner of the Turf, Wayne Jones, Phil Gallanders of Bankstreet Social, and Tim Steel with Chevron Clothing – discussing the gradual, non-linear growth around them and their businesses.
Match commentator Mark Griffiths puts it most succinctly when he says, “We can’t go back to be a mining town. We can’t go back to be a market town. But we can grasp something else.” This episode thoughtfully explores how Wrexham’s identity can evolve with these rejuvenations in professional and personal spheres. Ultimately, the focus on small businesses reiterates how Wrexham will take risks to grow, alongside the football club, but also independently of it.
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Wrexham AFC Women’s Sprint
It’s equally as great to see Welcome to Wrexham Season 4 continue its momentum of carving out space for the women’s side. “High Hopes” strikes a bit more of a balance among Wrexham AFC, even finding a commonality in how the docuseries introduces new signings for both sides. Though it would be nice to hear from any of the new signings, it’s unsurprising that the episode opts for more general introductions. Welcome to Wrexham’s past seasons signal that those conversations that go beyond the players’ stats will come.
The docuseries’ editing also offers a more symmetrical representation of both sides of the club. The men’s and women’s first games in their respective leagues unfold through a montage. Even so, Welcome to Wrexham reserves a big portion of “High Hopes” for the Birmingham City vs. Wrexham match. Welcome to Wrexham will only benefit from taking a closer look at the women’s uphill climb. Their marathon is just as interesting and important as the men’s sprint.
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Welcome (Back) to League One
As for that sprint, “High Hopes” rides a palpable wave of positive energy, inspired by new signings and positive performances, that carries Wrexham AFC to that game. Welcome to Wrexham captures it so well through the power of the edit. For someone who remembers these matches and the memorable goals (James Marriott’s goal against Wycombe Wanderers!), “High Hopes” still makes the games feel current through the game-time footage, fans’ perspectives, and the docuseries’ cameras. Welcome to Wrexham even perfectly teases why Eva Longoria, actress, producer, and owner of Club Necaxa, is at the Racecourse.
This docuseries does such a sound technical job of placing audiences into the middle of this sport’s multifaceted action. It makes the history – the club hasn’t been in League One in 20 years and its last win there was even longer ago – and the stakes – the Kop’s construction is pivotal to the “congruent” growth between the club and city – more appealing and exciting. It’s far more intriguing than Welcome to Wrexham’s attempts to create a rivalry, albeit a lighthearted one, between Wrexham AFC and Birmingham City & their minority owner Tom Brady.
McElhenney sells it, working in Welcome to Wrexham’s favor. As the final act’s main source of commentary, McElhenney delivers a powerful yet simple message: Don’t give up on your dreams. “High Hopes” uses the Birmingham City match as the backdrop. Not only does it capture League One’s intensity, but it also shows what Wrexham AFC are up against. Football (often sport in general) remains an evergreen metaphor of persevering through highs and lows to go for it, whatever “it” may be. For Wrexham AFC, it’s scoring back-to-back-to-back promotions and, hopefully, going all the way to the Premier League.
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What did you think of Welcome to Wrexham Season 4, Episode 2, “High Hopes?” Let us know in the comments below!
New episodes of Welcome to Wrexham Season 4 air on Thursdays at 9/8c on FX and stream the next day on Hulu.
