Rosa Salazar, Rhea Seehorn, Lil Rel Howery and more populate this story told from eight distinct perspectives.
Plot: Follows the intertwined stories of eight different characters as they each prepare for their big championship softball game. The series reveals what it actually feels like to be in the shoes of each character—the insecure kids, their helicopter parents, even a lovesick umpire—with incredibly funny, very emotional and uniquely animated perspectives.
Review: Since the debut of Disney+, Pixar Animation has produced ten series ranging from shorts like Forky Asks A Question and Dug Days to the long-form film spin-offs Monsters At Work and Dream Productions. With these shows achieving various amounts of success, it is notable that none of them are original creations but extensions of existing franchises. For the first time, Pixar is debuting its first original series for Disney+ in the long-awaited Win or Lose. Originally announced in 2020, Win or Lose chronicles the lead-up to a kid’s softball team championship game. Following the various players, coaches, families, and friends surrounding the game, Win or Lose tells eight individual stories that all connect to the main narrative of the series. It is a bold approach to storytelling that blends Pixar’s long-running short film output with the epic scale we have come to expect from the animation studio. With an ensemble cast full of recognizable voices and a visual style unlike anything we have seen from Pixar to date, Win or Lose is a home run.
Win or Lose centers on the Pickles, a team of middle-school kids who are on their way to the championship thanks to the stellar play from pitcher Yuwen (Izaac Wang), catcher Rochelle (Milan Ray), and all-star Kai (Chanel Stewart). The first episode, led by Coach Dan (Will Forte), focuses on Laurie (Rosie Foss), Coach Dan’s daughter, who feels the only reason she is on the team is because her dad is the manager. Focusing on Laurie’s feelings, we see her anxiety and the weight of her emotional struggles in physical form as a purplish blob. The half-hour episode flies by as Laurie interacts with her friends and teammates while trying to understand her feelings. Pixar is an expert at anthropomorphizing thoughts, emotions, and intangible concepts. Win or Lose is another example that is easy for kids to understand while still relatable for all ages. Laurie’s struggle with talking to her dad about how she feels is a universal experience, and as the episode follows the week leading up to the championship, we see that Laurie is just one person amongst many going through their own challenges.
While I have only seen the first four episodes of Win or Lose, they provide a pretty substantial picture of what this series aims to be. In each episode, the focus shifts to a different protagonist, and we view what they are going through. The second episode follows Frank (Josh Thomson), the umpire for the softball league and teacher for many of the students on the Pickles. His episode deals with a more mature subject matter involving dating and personal defenses. As shown in the trailers, Frank’s defensiveness is seen as a suit of armor. The idea of adults dating and even exploring online apps to meet new people will likely go over the heads of most younger viewers, but it will prompt conversations worth having between parents and kids. What happens during Frank’s episode directly connects to the third episode, which is focused on Rochelle, who sees her struggling with her mother’s lack of attention as Rochelle tries to act more like an adult than she should have. It is a somewhat sad entry but a reality for many who will be watching.
The fourth episode shifts back to an adult perspective. It follows Rochelle’s mother, Vanessa (Rosa Salazar), a single mother who uses social media as a sole connection to the outside world. Seeing Rochelle’s experiences in the third episode through the perspective of her mother makes the two episodes an interesting conversation starter. It is also cool to see callbacks to prior episodes incorporated into the new chapters while laying hints for what will come in subsequent entries. There are so many characters in the series, and many of them, including some voiced by Lil Rel Howery, Rhea Seehorn, Flula Borg, Kyliegh Curran, Melissa Villasenor, and more, are just briefly seen and heard with their roles likely more substantial in the back half of the season. Viewing Win or Lose in sequential order definitely adds to the connected experience of the overall narrative, but Pixar has built these to work well as standalone stories, too.
All eight episodes of Win or Lose are written and directed by Carrie Hobson and Michael Yates. Their animation style reminded me somewhat of what we saw in Luca and Turning Red but with a distinct feel that sets it apart. This story is episodic in nature and does not work in the same way a feature film would despite drawing inspiration from the perspective-shifting classic Rashomon. Hobson and Yates have developed a true long-form series that uses the episodic structure to connect these short stories into an overall project. From the episodes I have seen, some stories will be more engaging than others, but rather than picking one thematic way into the minds of this wide range of ages, ethnicities, genders, and life experiences, Hobson and Yates have been able to tackle eight. Whether this is an approach they can take for future seasons that follow completely different characters remains to be seen, but it works well for this story.
Win or Lose is another example of how skillfully Pixar employs talent who tackle weighty and difficult subject matter in a way that promotes conversation rather than preaching one particular answer or way of thinking. This approach will not work for everyone, and the diverse mix of subject matter may have parents considering which episodes they want their kids to watch. Still, this series is a worthwhile watch for general audiences that blends solid animation, good writing, and a talented cast of newcomers and veterans. Win or Lose is a winner and one that earns a spot amongst Pixar’s better efforts over the last decade. It also shows that Pixar does not need to rely on sequels or spin-offs to still deliver a high-quality production that rivals many live-action shows.
Pixar’s Win or Lose premieres with two episodes on February 19th on Disney+.
