The first episode of ESPN’s six-part series The Kingdom takes you not only behind the scenes of the Chiefs’ quest for an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl championship, but under the ground.
In the world’s largest underground business complex, SubTropolis in Kansas City, the story of the Chiefs is stored in boxes and filing cabinets. And some of the first images of The Kingdom follow Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, Chris Jones and Travis Kelce to a franchise history lesson.
The opening act is the first discovery in a series filled with interviews, locker room scenes, sideline chatter and commentary produced by ESPN and Skydance Sports, which created the award-winning documentary The Last Dance about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.
That series ended with an NBA championship, this one in the aftermath of the Chiefs’ blowout loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX. The first episode opens 17 minutes after the loss in New Orleans and concludes with an upbeat montage of the dynastic period that inspired the series overseen by Connor Schell, founder of Word + Pictures studio and a Kansas Citian.
But getting to the big game is the fun of this series that Chiefs fans will cherish when The Kingdom airs on Thursday. All six episodes will premiere on ESPN+ and Disney+ Thursday, while Episodes 1 & 2 will debut on ESPN beginning at 8 p.m.
The team won 15 of its first 16 games, often in final-play fashion. After a blocked field goal secured a home victory over the Denver Broncos, the latest in a series of dramatic finishes that broke the Chiefs’ way, rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy says, “It’s crazy how we win.”
Each episode has its revelations and favorite moments. Linebacker Leo Chenal explains the special circumstance in getting a Kelce signed jersey. General manager Brett Veach shares how movie “Draft Day” played a role in the draft that produced Mahomes.
The Mahomes family is featured. Pat Sr. says he hasn’t had a drink since his drunk driving arrest before the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LVIII victory over the San Francisco 49ers (a development that became a game-week story line).
“For him to have to answer questions about me, that was probably the most embarrassing I’ve ever been in my whole life,” Pat Mahomes Sr., says.
Randi Mahomes, Patrick’s mother, describes how her son balanced an insatiable appetite for sports with duties caring for his siblings while she worked as a single mom.
“Seeing him be such a good father and role model, that’s what I’m most proud of,” Randi Mahomes said of her son. Patrick and his wife Brittany have three children.
Several scenes tug at the heartstrings. The second episode, titled “Don’t Judge,” plays off an index card tacked up in Reid’s office. For impact, think of Ted Lasso’s locker room sign, “Believe.”
The emotional episode centers on the power of forgiveness and second chances. Running back Kareem Hunt opens up about his return to the Chiefs six years after he was released for shoving and kicking a woman, and then not telling the team the truth about the incident.
“I wish I could go back in time and handle a lot of it different,” Hunt says. “I was embarrassed. I couldn’t leave the house. You can’t erase history ... I reflected on myself. I got counseling.”
Hunt’s story rolls into Michael Vick’s. The dynamic quarterback was suspended by the NFL after pleading guilty in a dog-fighting investigation and serving 18 months in a federal prison. He signed with the Eagles, coached by Reid, in 2009 and was a Pro Bowl selection the next season.
Today, Vick is the head coach at Norfolk State.
“There’s no discrimination, there’s no passing judgement,” Vick says. “When you see things like that is makes you respect people. Coming from where I come from, it means a lot.”
The episode includes how Reid and the Eagles dealt with the drug-overdose death of his son, Garrett, who was serving as a strength and conditioning coach.
“Don’t judge,” Reid says at the end of of the episode. “That covers a lot of ground.”