The Final Score
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The Final Score
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that The Final Score is a historical miniseries about the Colombian national men's soccer team. The series focuses on the teams rise in popularity in the late-1980s and early '90s, its ties to Colombian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, and the events that led to the murder of its most popular player. The series features many scenes of cartel-driven violence, including gun violence, intimidation, and some real historical crime scene footage. Profanity is used throughout: "f--k," "s--t," "ass," etc.
What's the Story?
The Final Score depicts the rise of the Colombian National men's soccer team in the late-80s and early-90s through the eyes of the players and team manager. The series looks at the team's ties to drug lord Pablo Escobar, and the events that ultimately lead to the murder of Andrés Escobar, one of its most popular players.
Is It Any Good?
One of the pitfalls of historical dramas is attempting to be accurate instead of interesting. A side-by-side look at the real Colombian national team and the The Final Score's depiction of it is incredible. The series clearly makes authenticity a high priority, which makes the already compelling story feel believable, even as the events become more and more extreme. Unfortunately, The Final Score just doesn't have the juice on a scene-to-scene basis. It relies on both sports drama and crime drama cliches, and the English overdubbing, which uses a Spanish translation that may as well have been done by an app, makes the clunky writing feel even clunkier.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about soccer. According to the series, what does the sport mean to Colombia? How does the national team's rise change the country's relationship to the sport?
Who was Pablo Escobar? What was his relationship with the Colombian National Team? How did he influence the players and the team management?
How does The Final Score portray the relationship between sports and national political tumult? How does it portray the relationship between sports and violence? Are there parallels here to any other teams or sports you're familiar with?
TV Details
- Premiere date: November 2, 2022
- Cast: Juan Pablo Urrego, John Alex Castillo, Patricia Tamayo
- Network: Netflix
- Genre: Drama
- Topics: Activism, Sports and Martial Arts, History
- TV rating: TV-MA
- Last updated: November 7, 2022
Our Editors Recommend
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City of God
Powerful, but only for 17 and up.
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Friday Night Lights
Poignant football drama scores; OK for teens.
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Ted Lasso
Funny, feel-good sports series has some strong language.
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