Netflix’s competitive cheerleading reality series has plenty of soaring highs and tumbling lows in season 2.
Warning: This article contains spoilers aboutCheerseason 2.
Cheeris back with a second season of dizzying top-of-the-pyramid highs and crash-landing lows.
Navarro College compete on ‘Cheer’ season 2.Kyle Alexander/Netflix
But meeting new cheerleaders isn’t all that’s going down on the show’s sophomore outing.
Since the release of the show’s first season which documented the buildup to the N.C.A.
College Nationals in Daytona, Florida a global pandemic swept the nation, ultimately canceling the 2020 competition.
Monica Aldama on ‘Cheer.'.Kyle Alexander/Netflix
But that wasn’t the most devastating news.
(Harrispleaded not guiltyto seven charges regarding five minor boys in December 2020.)
How did that come about and why did you make the decision to include them?
Jerry Harrs on ‘Cheer’.Netflix
So it was kind of an obvious choice.
How was working with Coaches Vontae and Khris Franklin and the team over there?
I’m constantly impressed by how articulate and open and able to express themselves all the young stars are.
Trinity Valley Community College compete on ‘Cheer’ season 2.Kyle Alexander/Netflix
Gosh, I hadn’t thought of it that way.
For one thing, I think it’s an intense activity, cheerleading.
Cheerleaders by and large in their very nature are outgoing people so that’s really helpful on camera.
It’s just simply what was true.
We did see that.
You were filming the buildup to Daytona 2020 when the pandemic hit.
That’s a great question because there was some debate internally.
Did you consider cutting footage of him from the show completely?
To me, it was never an option to cut him out of the show.
The whole situation is heartbreaking.
It’s heartbreaking to think of someone you know being arrested.
The whole thing is just tragic.
The episode where we meet the twins was a very hard episode to watch.
Was it tough to film?
I think our process, from a professional standpoint, is the same.
It felt very much like that.It was just unbelievably sad.
The twins were so brave to come forward and talk about it all on camera, too.
How did that come about?
Was anyone reluctant to talk about it on camera?
Nobody turned us down.
I wonder if it was cathartic in a way for them to have an opportunity to talk it out?
Yeah, you’d have to ask them.
What was your take on the La’Darius/Monica fallout?
Do you think he was lashing out because he felt abandoned by her?
I’m not a psychologist, so I think these are probably questions for somebody other than me.
What we witnessed was this relationship that we felt, as a filmmaking crew, very invested in.
We were very close to La’Darius and obviously very close with Monica.
I think their relationship is much more than just a coach and a cheerleader.
And this one certainly does at points.
Once you got to Daytona, were you super torn between who you wanted to win?
It’s funny, I have to really put myself back in time.
I’m hoping the audience feels the same way.
That’s exactly how I felt.
I felt like a parent when both teams were performing.
This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
