TV

Everyone Is Obsessed With ‘Cheer’, The Netflix Docuseries With Huge ‘Bring It On’ Energy

I was meant to laugh so why am I now crying while watching pyramid formations?!

by Michelle Rennex  20 January 2020
People Love Netflix Cheer Reactions

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A lot of what we know about the sport of cheerleading has come from movies like Bring It On. 

But Cheer, a new docuseries on Netflix, has given us a proper insight into the crazy world that is competitive cheerleading. Often stereotyped for being ditzy blondes with no real skills, Cheer proves that cheerleading is the total opposite.

The show follows the Navarro College competitive cheer squad on their journey to win the national championships in Daytona, Florida. Beyond proving the sheer athleticism required by the athletes, Cheer takes you on an emotional rollercoaster as the team head to Daytona, the squads final and biggest cheer event.

What Makes Cheer So Damn Good

If you haven’t watched Cheer yet, you probably have at least four friends screaming at you to start. This is because anyone who has watching Cheer was totally sucked in by the characters, quickly learning that the sport is way more than just pom poms and dance work.

Cheer works so well because it uses the sport as the base for larger conversations about the harsh realities of life. Touching on issues of diversity, dedication and the search for acceptance, Cheer gives insight into what growing up as a teen in 2019 America is really like.

The six-part docuseries focuses on the stories of a few main cheerleaders under the leadership of Monica Aldama, the strict but loving Navarro head cheer coach. Navarro is actually only a junior college located in the small town of Corsicana, Texas but its impressive cheer track record makes the school a desirable place for budding cheerleaders. But Navarro’s 14 championship titles means that not everyone who attends the school are given the opportunity to compete at Nationals.

This requirement to cut a 40-strong cheer squad to a 20-person mat team for the big competition is what makes Cheer so enthralling. As the series continues, we’re left biting our nails over who is given one of the coveted spots. But on this journey to Nationals, we learn about and fall in love with a few characters who each have background stories that honestly each deserve their own spin-off series.

For example, there’s La’Darius, the loud, bubbly athlete with a dark past filled with abuse and bullying. Despite his tough upbringing, La’Darius’ infectious personality is showcased throughout Cheer and was even evident in a rally video that went viral in 2018.

Then there’s Gabi, the cheerleader turned Insta-influencer who was pushed into stardom by her seemingly money-hungry parents. Gabi is known as royalty in the cheerleading world, and Cheer shows exactly how she earned the title.

The series also focuses on the journey and lives of Lexie, Sherbs, Morgan, and everyone’s favourite, Jerry.

Let’s Talk About Jerry

Without a doubt, Jeremiah “Jerry” Harris is the most popular character from Cheer and look, it’s very well deserved. Beyond Jerry’s amazing athletic ability, his pure heart of gold and dedication to his craft is seen throughout the series. His “mat talks” aka sideline hyping, will have you feeling inspired as you sit on the couch binge-watching the show.

Despite losing his mother at 16 to cancer, Jerry somehow managed to be the most positive human on the Navarro cheer team, and possibly even in the world. Early in the series we learn that Jerry didn’t make mat at last year’s Nationals, and so you truly become invested in seeing whether sweet angel Jerry makes mats this time ’round.

Since the show dropped on Netflix, everyone across the globe have expressed their love and adoration for sunshine in human form, Jerry.

No, Seriously Everyone Loves Cheer

Since its release earlier this month, people who have binged the show have been left with laughs, tears, and a new found respect for the sport of cheer. It’s early days to call it, but Cheer will likely be one of Netflix’s best releases of 2020.

You can stream Cheer on Netflix now.