Our Verdict
Welcome to Wrexham season 2 keeps its focus on humans rather than Hollywood, and is guaranteed to make you laugh, cry, and cheer just like the first season. If the rest of the season is as strong as these four episodes, it will be among the best TV series of the year.
The incredible journey of Wrexham AFC over the last few years, conveniently captured by the Welcome to Wrexham docuseries, has firmly established the club on the footballing map. It helps to have Hollywood stars like Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney driving the club forward, of course. And in true Hollywood style, the team clinched the National League title in the 2022/23 campaign to give fans plenty to celebrate with season 2.
Welcome to Wrexham is back, and we’ve been given access to the first three episodes, plus a special preview of episode six, which features the Wrexham women’s team. A lot has changed since we’ve been waiting for the Welcome to Wrexham season 2 release date, but I’m happy to report the show maintains its focus on people, real-world issues, and the power of sport in bringing a community together.
Yes, Welcome to Wrexham is still the best Disney Plus show, and if the rest of this new season is as entertaining, enlightening, and uplifting as the first four episodes we’ve seen, then it will rank as one of the best TV series of the year.
The season opens with a fairly formulaic feel to it, as Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney take center stage to get us up to speed with what’s been going on since last year. If, like me, you find yourself checking Wrexham’s results each weekend, you may find the recap of the club’s situation rather redundant, but fear not, there are plenty of fun moments to make up for it.
Whether you are a fan of the British monarchy or not, the etiquette coaching Ryan and Rob undertake in preparation for the visit of King Charles is a great showcase of the pair’s comedic talents and natural charm.
With the formalities out of the way, Welcome to Wrexham season 2’s second episode reverts back to the approach that made it so successful in the first place – examining the people at the heart of the club and the community. Star striker Paul Mullin has been very open about the autism diagnosis his young son Albi received earlier this year, and it is this which forms the focus of the strongest episode so far.
He may be known as Super Paul Mullin, but the tenderness and vulnerability he displays when describing the struggles his son faces and how this affects his family, remind us that behind every famous footballer is a real person who can be affected by the same problems as any of us.
Mullin’s exposure to autism has allowed him to form a special bond with 17-year-old Millie Tipping, and it’s truly heartwarming to see how their connection is helping Millie flourish. The show then makes a brilliant creative decision when, during a game, the audio cuts out as Millie watches from the quiet zone at the Racecourse Ground, and allows us to experience football the way she does.
The first season of Welcome to Wrexham showed us what football is all about, by shining a spotlight on the community, and with the third episode of this new season, we get a fascinating insight into the rich, cultural history of the city. There is also a look at what the future may hold for the burgeoning area, and it becomes clear just how huge the club is now. There is a global appeal to the phenomenal story of Wrexham AFC, but with the great resources at their disposal, there has been plenty of envy from outside the club, and there are many who would love to see Wrexham fail.
It’s a really intriguing concept, and raises the question of what makes a community or club deserving of success. As some rival fans in the show posit, the fact that Wrexham have been given this incredible opportunity is a good thing for the sport, and there is no reason the people of Wrexham shouldn’t enjoy the wonderful privilege they have been given.
Rob and Ryan have created something truly special since they took over at Wrexham, and if you needed further proof, the episode focusing on the Wrexham women’s team shows just how committed the pair are to not only making the club successful in a footballing and financial sense, but also how highly they value each and every human being involved.
Without watching Welcome to Wrexham, it would be easy to brand these superstar owners, and indeed the show, as being disingenuous, but that is simply not the case. From top to bottom, every person involved is endearing, honest, and most importantly, equal.
I was somewhat worried that Welcome to Wrexham season 2 would lose some of its charm, or become too commercialized, but if anything, the opposite is true. In four episodes, the show has doubled down on its intentions to do nothing more than give a community its voice. Welcome to Wrexham season 2 is still just as delightful and amusing, but doesn’t lack any of the heart of its first season.
For more from Ryan Reynolds, here’s what we know about Deadpool 3 and why Barbie might have killed this Ryan Reynolds sequel. You may also be keen to see what we deem to be the best sports movies of all time, or you can get more football insight with our Phil Dunster interview about Ted Lasso. Or, get the most out of your subscription by checking out everything new on Disney Plus in September.