‘A League of Their Own’ Recap: ‘Find the Gap’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Two of ‘A League of Their Own’. To revisit the series premiere, click here.
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When we last settled in to discuss the delightful and refreshing Prime Video series, A League of Their Own, we talked at length about how this series was unlike any other. For this was a sports show grounded heavily in relatable realism, providing the viewer with a story that truly engages, and of course… the series premiere hinted at great explorations on the horizon regarding what life was like in 1943 for African Americans and LGBTQIA+ individuals, and women in general, and well… it is important to revisit those key points, simply because the next episode in this magnificent and progressive new show… wasted little time in digging into those topics in an intense and detailed manner.
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For ‘Find the Gap’ quickly informed us that being an African American in the 1940s… was an awful and demeaning experience. One where Black people didn’t exist in the minds of some and where segregation ran rampant and that truly isolated and embarrassed Max Chapman in this tale and rightfully so. Because these were cruel notions to begin with, and they absolutely oppressed African Americans back in that era and watching that play out in real time, was sobering and heartbreaking and irritating. And kudos to the show for taking the time to showcase this reality and lightly point out in the process… that we have still have some ways to go from an equality standpoint, since uh… some of this crap is still happening in 2022.

As for the show’s examination on what life was like to for LGBTQIA+ individuals in that era, that was handled in conjunction with what life was like for women in that same timeframe. For it was made inherently clear that women were viewed in a supremely specific light, wherein they had to maintain a very prim and proper image in 1943 and of course… in order to maintain that illusion, only men could be on a woman’s mind from an orientation perspective. Which was upsetting to learn and uncomfortable to watch, especially when one considers that secrecy came into play for Max when she wanted to be close to her girlfriend and well… that’s another aspect of the past we still struggle with today. Since there are people that want LGBTQIA+ individuals to ‘stay in the closet’ and of course, some still harbor some close-minded views of women and their place in the world. 

Speaking of that, the role of a woman in this world was greater expanded upon, by way of the first game for the Rockford Peaches. Because every single player was forced to endure sexism and misogyny and doubt when they took the field since so many didn’t believe that the AAGPBL was going to work. Not even the team’s skipper, the ultra-famous Casey ‘Dove Porter’, had any faith in what was happening here and that was powerful to watch. Since that speaks volumes to what these women had to overcome to be taken seriously as professional ball players and of course, it speaks to the rampant close-minded nature of our modern world and our past, regarding how some people believe that women cannot do whatever they want to in life, that they instead must fulfill old and outdated roles that provide them with little when they deserve the world.

If anything, this was just, a brilliant story through and through. One that knew exactly how use humor at the right moments to loosen up some of the heavier stuff, and there was a lot of that. In fact, this is an episode that outright gives one pause with its intelligence and bravery and commentary on how things haven’t changed as much as we might like. But this series is having the tough and necessary conversations we need to right now, and it is of course… providing us with a stunning re-imagining of this world. One that is adding all kinds of incredible depth to a movie that could only take its own explorations so far, and well… all this episode does, is demand us to continue to the journey. So, we can watch these characters grow in an era where old ideals completely and utterly ruled the day. Until next time.

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