‘Tacoma FD’ season 3 episode 12 review: An outrageous sports underdog story

Tacoma FD determines who is the best pickleball team.

December 2, 2021

The competitive side comes out for the firefighters of Tacoma FD in tonight’s episode. The annual department wide pickleball tournament is being held and Terry and Eddie are the long reigning champions. They even appear in commercials because of their success. This year, Lucy searches for the perfect partner to take down her dad and uncle.

Forget Ted Lasso, “Pickleball” is the outrageous sports underdog story you really need. There are the plucky challengers in Lucy and Granny. The younger McConkey decides to pair up with her coworker because of his collegiate football experience in Alabama. She assumes he has a high level of athleticism but unfortunately for her, Granny was a mere punter whose alma mater isn’t the Crimson Tide. The lack of coordination is some great physical comedy from Marcus Henderson. Yet, they are a team you root for.

That’s because the current champs within the Tacoma FD are a bunch of obnoxious, arrogant pricks. We see how big of divas they are from their commercial shoot to their introductions and get-up during the morning meeting to their whole attitude while being interviewed. In addition, the inner turmoil and bickering have you thinking Lucy and Granny can pull off the upset.

Then there are the x-factors in Ike and Andy. The duo turns to some questionable performance enhancers to great comedic effect. The coffee they imbibe has a funny origin most likely inspired by kopi luwak. But the most entertaining part are the gags afterwards. Eugene Cordero and Gabriel Hogan are almost pixie-like in their movement and speed while some of the superpowers they gain is cartoonish. The two actors have a lot of fun with the material and you can’t help but laugh at their antics. That’s what happens when under the influence of something that combines the effects of cocaine and steroids.

Like any feel-good story, the episode of Tacoma FD sets up a date with destiny between the two McConkey teams that culminates into a dramatic showdown. How Granny gets his groove back is a ridiculous but amusing situation that allows him to prove his worth as a punter. Afterwards, he plays a substantial role in an epic comeback to ratchet up the tension. Who thought pickleball could be so gripping?

“Pickleball” combines the drama and positivity of a great sports story with the ludicrous comedy the series is best known for.