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HBO SPORTS DOCUMENTARY SERIES: “BEING SERENA”

by Travlis Hallingquest
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BeingSerena_HBOSports-201x300On May 12, HBOWatch penned an article, which analyzed the first episode of the sports docuseries Being Serena.  The first episode was critiqued and recapped as follows:  “The expectation is that Being Serena will never reach the highs of the celebrity-centered The Defiant Ones, but never the lows of the ego-centric Beyoncé specials Life Is But A Dream and Lemonade”.  Upon conclusion of the fifth episode, Being Serena is still deemed worth viewing.  This writer is recommending this series, with full acknowledgment that Being Serena has received mixed reviews on review aggregation websites Metacritic and Rottentomatoes.com.  The journey with Serena through her prenatal period, to her arduous road back to competing in professional tennis, is a topsy-turvy collection of beautiful and distressing moments.

Episodes 2-3

After a relatively serene pregnancy, the delivery of baby Alexis was followed by severe complications for the mother.  The tennis phenom was unable to have a natural delivery and had to have an emergency C-section. Serena then underwent multiple surgeries to treat blood clots, resulting in fears that husband Alexis would be a single parent. And this is a facet of many HBO docuseries: capturing a person in their most turbulent times. Criticism has been directed towards the dialogue and narration.  True, if one is expecting narration written to be delivered by Morgan Freeman or Liev Schreiber (the later narrates HBO’s 24/7) then Serena’s matter-of-factly speech may be too simple.  But the footage of Serena’s loved ones waiting to hear from doctors surgery after surgery is riveting material.  The audience already knows she survives, but her most recent struggles on the tennis court now have a culprit.BeingSerena_pic02-300x203

Episodes 4-5

The penultimate and final episodes of Being Serena are its best. Much of Episode 4 takes place in Indian Wells, California, a place so beautifully scenic that it is initially hard to grasp why Serena vowed never to return.  In 2001, she and sister Venus were set to meet in the semifinal, but Venus withdrew shortly before the match due to an injury. As a result, some accused their father and coach, Richard, of deciding who would win matches. Throughout,  the final, fans booed and heckled Serena, with her dad also claiming to have been subjected to racist taunts.  As a result, Serena has bypassed the tournament every year. Until 2017.  An unranked Serena, not even close to being in a top physical condition or having her mechanics zeroed, still manages to win two matches against 23rd & 52nd ranked opponents, in Indian Wells.

BeingSerena_pic01-300x247As expected when the rank number of the opponent decreases, the level of competition increases, and Serena is outclassed in several matches. Coach Patrick Mouratoglou is very taciturn in Episode 4, but his presence is more palpable in the finale. It is quite obvious that his professional relationship with Serena is the classic case of tough love. Coach Patrick bluntly advises Serena to cease breastfeeding, for it is inhibiting her ability to exercise rigorously to regain her optimum physical conditioning.  Serena agrees but is visibly disturbed by her trainer’s candidness.  Still faced with an uphill battle, Serena’s physical prowess improves.

Recent news has informed tennis enthusiasts that Serena had to withdraw from tournament action due to injury.  Being Serena abruptly ends as it started:  a new wife and mother attempting to balance work and personal life.  Although not groundbreaking, the content is profound and engaging enough, to understand why it was one of the last projects that former HBO Documentaries President Sheila Nevins, decided to commission to air on HBO.  All five episodes are now available on HBO On Demand, HBOGO, and HBONOW.

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