Fox has struck gold with it’s latest foray into the sports world with freshman drama series, Pitch. The show premiered tonight and from the first few minutes I could tell it was going to be a hit. With a stellar cast spearheaded by newcomer Kylie Bunbury, Pitch revolves around a simple premise: what happens when a girl decides to “play ball” with boys?
To be fair, women’s sports have come a long way in just the past few years. But you wouldn’t be able to tell when Kylie’s character, Ginny, makes her debut as the starting pitcher for the fictional San Diego Padres. In a sport dominated (if not monopolized) by men, the entire world seems to be against her. The only people in Ginny’s corner are her agent, Amelia, played by Ali Larter, and her father, Bill, played by Michael Beach. Mark Consuelos and Mark-Paul Gosselaar help round out the top notch cast with their nuanced performances as the team’s general manager and captain. However, the real magic lies in the dynamic between Ginny and her father.
Through a series of flashbacks, we see their somewhat strained relationship that is in part due to Bill’s desire to see his daughter make it to the big leagues– something we learn he was unable to do in his youth. The real issue at hand is a question of ethics: when does one go too far in the pursuit of perfection? In a scene that is somewhat uncomfortable to watch, Bill strikes his son in an attempt to get Ginny to throw a perfect screwball. Although Bill’s methods are unconventional to say the least, they work.
After a complete upset in which Ginny underperforms, she has only one chance left to prove that she is more than a gimmick– as referenced to by some of her not so happy male teammates. After a short but effective pep talk from Gosselaar’s character Mike Lawson, Ginny decides to do something that she has never done before. She decides to pitch for herself.
In the last moments of the premiere episode, there’s a huge twist that most will not see coming. It provides a new layer to Ginny’s character and quite frankly makes you want to re-watch the episode. But I won’t spoil it for you. You’ll just have to see for yourself.
Pitch airs Thursday nights on Fox. For more articles like this, subscribe!
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