REVIEW: Do Not Waste Any Of Your Precious Time On This Earth By Watching The ESPN Red Sox Documentary 'Believers'

The baseball offseason can be a lonely place. 

So if you find yourself looking for Red Sox content over the next few months and think about investing 150 minutes (!!!) into 

'Believers: Boston Red Sox,' my suggestion would be simple - 

Don't. 

And certainly don't pay the $29.99 for ESPN Unlimited like some moronic Red Sox bloggers did, just to watch it. 

I didn't want to pay the $29.99 (can I expense that?), but I promised I'd review the series when the trailer dropped back in September. I said it looked bad just from the 60-second preview. 

"Look, I'm willing to admit when I'm wrong, and I often am. And I'll be the first one to watch this three-part docuseries when it debuts next week. Gotham Chopra is involved, and he did a good job with the Tom Brady series, "Tom vs. Time." 

But based on that trailer filled with recycled themes, I have a suspicion I'll be right about this when I'm back here reviewing it in a few weeks." 

Now that I've watched it, I'm back to say that while I might not call it 'bad, it's certainly not good. And not worth 150 minutes (!!!, again) of your time. I took some notes during my viewing and, in the opening minutes, wrote down, "This is going to be exhausting." It was—some more notes below after taking more than a few days to slog through it. 

Why Shouldn't You Watch It?

Well, first and foremost, the story of the 2004 Red Sox has already been told—many, many, many, many times. The 2010 "Four Days in October" 30 for 30 did a good job. Last year's "The Comeback" series on Netflix was lengthy, but it effectively focused on the players, coaches, and team executives involved. 

This docu-series attempts to be different by focusing on fans and celebrity fans of the team. Bill Burr, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, and Katie Nolan are featured prominently. The series is split into Books and Chapters, playing on the idea of the Bible, the 'religion of sports,' 'Believers,' etc. There's just no new baseball ground covered here - it's the same story you already know and love, just packaged differently. 

None of it worked for me. The 'sports as a higher power' narrative. The celebrity interviews. Nope, didn't resonate at all for this viewer. 

And they tried, I guess. You have the Green Monster turned into a cartoon in Episode 1. 

You get a talking AI Babe Ruth at one point in Episode 3. These feel like cool things for filmmakers and producers to sit around and talk about, but they didn't add much to the doc. 

There's A LOT of content that has nothing to do with the 2004 Red Sox. And to be fair, they made it clear in the press release that this series would not just be about baseball. 

"The series follows Boston’s improbable 2004 postseason run through the lens of the franchise’s complex history and the city’s passionate culture, capturing the defining moments when belief and extraordinary talent finally rewarded the city’s long-suffering faithful. In doing so, the Red Sox did more than win a championship—they redefined what it meant to believe, both on the field and in the hearts of an entire fanbase." 

Much of Episode 1 focuses on the team's history: The Curse, The Misery, The Failures - all the tired hits. 

Much of Episode 2 serves as a history/civics lesson about the City of Boston and its race relations, as seen through the eyes of those who have lived in the city or studied its history. I found myself forgetting I was watching a baseball documentary during much of this, and maybe that's the point. But if you're expecting three hours of pure baseball nostalgia, you'll be disappointed. 

The theme of BOSTON WAS SUCH A LOSER CITY UNTIL THE RED SOX WON is way too strong. The Red Sox weren't winning, but the Celtics and Bruins were. You wouldn't get that sense watching this series. 

Did I mention it was 150 minutes? 

Some Silver Linings.  

Maybe it's his political leanings. Perhaps it was his failed video game company that cost Rhode Island taxpayers money. Or it might just be injuries at the end of his Red Sox career. But for whatever reason, a good portion of Sox fans have seemingly ostracized Curt Schilling. I have not - I think Schilling has become underrated in the story of the 2004 Red Sox. 

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So, having much of Episode 3 focus on #38 and the way he battled through injury in the 2004 ALCS was strong. 

Like, there are morons out there that still think Schilling faked the injury or that this was ketchup and not blood on his sock. Bronson Arroyo offers some good commentary on this, too. Episode 3 was the best of the three-part series. 

Arroyo, Schilling, Kevin Millar, Johnny Damon, David Ortiz - the players involved were all excellent. Most of them have already discussed 2004, but they still added insight into what went into the season and the eventual comeback against the Yankees. 

Did you know that in 1919, a Molasses Flood devastated the North End of Boston? I didn't, until this doc. But it might be the thing I most remember because it sent me down a Great Molasses Flood rabbit hole. From the Boston Globe back in 1919: 

"Molasses, waist deep, covered the street and swirled and bubbled about the wreckage […] Here and there struggled a form—whether it was animal or human being was impossible to tell. Only an upheaval, a thrashing about in the sticky mass, showed where any life was […] Horses died like so many flies on sticky fly-paper. The more they struggled, the deeper in the mess they were ensnared. Human beings—men and women—suffered likewise."

Reportedly, 11 people and multiple horses died. Seriously, 2.3 MILLION GALLONS of molasses flooded the streets of the North End. That's crazy. I had no idea. 

Do I recall one thing Katie Nolan said in this thing? Bill Burr? Nope. But I know about the Great Molasses Flood, and I'll remember it for the rest of my life. 

The father and son fans featured in the series seemed likable, and could have used more of them. 

TL;DR Version. 

Too long. 
Not enough about baseball. 

The story has been told. 
Don't care what the celebs thought. 
Too strong a 'BOSTON WAS A CITY OF LOSERS' narrative. 
No new baseball ground covered. 

Players were good. 

Might watch Episode 3 again. 

Way too long. 

Am I allowed to say we've had enough about the 2004 Red Sox team? How about a look at the epic 2013 ALCS vs. Detroit? Or the powerhouse 2018 team? Or 150 minutes on The Great Molasses Flood? I'd watch any of those well before another 2004 rehash. 

I've seen little to no chatter about this series on social media, so maybe no one is watching. ESPN made it very difficult to find by hiding it on ESPN Unlimited and doing so little to no promotion for it.

If you're one of the few that's watched, let me know what you thought in the comments. Producer Gotham Chopra was also a big part of the Tom Brady feature, Tom vs. Time, which was excellent, so I was holding out some hope for this. But watching a sports documentary should not feel like work - this one did, for me. 

It's a long Red Sox offseason, but don't spend a minute of it slogging through 'Believers."