On July 2, Netflix and Field to Field Movies launched their six-part documentary collection Dash, which follows the world’s high 100m and 200m sprinters. I had the pleasure of binge-watching the six almost 45-minute episodes over two days, and I’ve some ideas (with out spoilers) on why you need to possibly suppose twice earlier than streaming it—until you’re a diehard fan of Noah Lyles.
Field To Field Movies is identical firm behind the Formulation One racing collection Drive To Survive, the golf collection Full Swing and the professional tennis collection Break Level. These collection have resonated with current followers and attracted new audiences to the respective sports activities. World Athletics had an analogous intention with Dash, including buzz to the game within the lead-up to the Paris Olympics–however after watching, I don’t imagine that’s the case.
An excessive amount of Noah Lyles
In contrast to Full Swing and Break Level, the place every episode follows an athlete in competition for an upcoming match, providing you with an in-depth look into their private lives, Dash revolves round Lyles solely. Whereas Lyles is undoubtedly one of the vital standard and attention-grabbing stars in monitor and subject, the collection offers him an excessive amount of display time. The primary episode presents a behind-the-scenes look into his household and private life, which is attention-grabbing. Nonetheless, even when profiling different athletes like Marcell Jacobs, Zharnel Hughes, and Fred Kerley, Lyles continues to be prominently featured, overshadowing their tales. It felt as if the producers missed a possibility to go deeper into the backgrounds of Hughes and Jacobs.
Given Lyles’ dominant presence, the collection might have been named Noah Lyles: Highway to Olympic Superstardom as a substitute of Dash. Who is aware of, possibly they’ll rebrand it for season two (apparently coming this fall).
Lazy manufacturing
I used to be shocked by the lazy manufacturing, at occasions, throughout the collection. As an illustration, they might present sprinters lining up for the 200m on the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, then instantly reduce to athletes pole vaulting at what seems to be the Eugene Diamond League. Moreover, there have been scenes the place Lyles or Hughes have been proven lining up within the blocks, and the footage would swap to them lining up at a special race totally. I get that is stuff the vast majority of the viewers wouldn’t select, and it’s stuff I (an informal tennis fan) didn’t select in Break Level, which had an analogous concern with displaying gamers serving on the mistaken facet or match throughout the docuseries.
The collection builds up the drama for the 2023 World Championships from the beginning, however then reveals Noah Lyles‘ mother pulling out gold medals from these championships (see image beneath) midway into the primary episode. These are only a few examples of the numerous manufacturing oversights that ought to have been addressed earlier than the ultimate reduce.
Lacking stars
From my understanding, the Field To Field movie crew selected to comply with the highest and hottest runners from the 2022 season. The seven athletes featured are Fred Kerley (USA), Zharnel Hughes (UK), Noah Lyles (USA), Marcell Jacobs (Italy), Gabby Thomas (USA), Shericka Jackson (Jamaica) and Sha’Carri Richardson (USA). Whereas the collection in all probability goals to enchantment to the big U.S. market forward of the Olympics, it lacks sufficient star energy and leaves out a few of the high sprinters on this planet. Notably absent: eight-time Olympic medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica and Letsile Tebogo of Botswana, the U20 world 100m file holder. There’s no excuse for leaving out Fraser-Pryce; she’s one of many biggest sprinters ever, and the world’s quickest mother—isn’t {that a} improbable plot for an episode? Tebogo, among the best up-and-coming athletes, would have added one other thrilling dimension to the collection. Hailing from non-sprint powerhouse Botswana, he has shortly turn out to be certainly one of Africa’s largest rising stars, which I believe would have made for a compelling story.
Lack of World Championship protection
Whereas it’s vital to offer a behind-the-scenes take a look at the Diamond League, dedicating 4 of the six episodes to it’s extreme. The collection ought to have included two or three episodes constructing as much as the most important occasion, 2023 World Championships, and three episodes specializing in what occurred there. Alternatively, the collection might have adopted every of the seven athletes on the World Championships and their preparations, much like Drive to Survive.
I’m not telling you to not watch the present; it’s entertaining and supplies some attention-grabbing behind-the-scenes tidbits, showcasing the coaching and schedules of world-class athletes throughout a world championship yr. I’ve written this piece to spotlight what I imagine the informal followers of the game need to see—and that isn’t six straight episodes of Noah Lyles.