Perry Mattfeld isn't mincing words about the mess her Chad Powers character has landed in. The actress, who plays Ricky on the hit comedy, sat down to unpack the love triangle that's been simmering all season - and the cliffhanger that has fans howling for answers. If you thought Ricky's love life was complicated before, wait until you hear how she describes the situation heading into a potential second season.
A Romance That Was Never Supposed to Happen
Let's recap the premise, because it's gloriously absurd. Eight years after an unforgivable mistake torched his college football dreams, hotshot quarterback Russ Holliday (Glen Powell) decides the only path back to glory is to literally become someone else. Enter "Chad Powers," a goofy, wildly talented walk-on who shows up at the struggling South Georgia Catfish and somehow charms his way onto the roster. It's a disguise, obviously. And disguises, as every sitcom since the dawn of time has taught us, create romantic chaos.
That chaos has a name: Ricky. Mattfeld's character finds herself drawn to Chad, the oddball with the golden arm - without realizing he's actually Russ, a man with a past he's desperately outrunning. Mattfeld described the dynamic as a "forbidden romance," which is putting it mildly. Ricky isn't just falling for the wrong guy; she's falling for a fiction. Every sweet moment between them is built on a foundation of lies, and Mattfeld seems to relish the tension that creates.
The actress explained that what makes Ricky and Chad work on screen is the genuine spark underneath all the deception. Chad might be a performance, but the connection he feels for Ricky isn't. That's the tragedy of it - and the comedy, depending on how you squint. Mattfeld pointed out that Ricky brings out something real in Russ, the part of him that isn't performing for scouts or trying to claw back his old life. She's the one person who likes him for who he pretends to be, which is a beautifully twisted knot for a comedy to untangle.
Gerry, The Threat Nobody Saw Coming
But the romance isn't the only grenade rolling around the Catfish locker room. Mattfeld also opened up about Gerry, the character who's emerged as a serious threat to Chad's whole house of cards. Without giving too much away, Gerry has the potential to blow the disguise wide open - and Mattfeld made it clear that the danger is very real heading into the finale.
What's clever about the Gerry storyline is how it turns the show's central gimmick into a ticking clock. Chad Powers exists because nobody's looking too closely. The second someone starts asking the right questions, the whole thing collapses. Mattfeld framed Gerry as exactly that kind of problem: the person who's paying attention when everyone else is distracted by a perfect spiral or a postgame celebration. The actress hinted that the threat escalates in ways that caught even her off guard when she read the scripts, which is exactly the kind of tease that keeps a fanbase refreshing their feeds.
It helps that the ensemble around Mattfeld is stacked. Quentin Plair plays Coach Byrd, Wynn Everett is Tricia Yeager, Frankie A. Rodriguez brings Danny to life, and Steve Zahn - national treasure, no notes - plays Coach Jake Hudson. With that much comedic firepower, it makes sense that the show can juggle a forbidden romance and an existential threat to its hero without missing a beat. The Catfish aren't just a football team; they're a pressure cooker.
That Cliffhanger and What Comes Next
And then there's the ending. Mattfeld weighed in on the season's final moments, the kind of cliffhanger designed to make streaming platforms very nervous about renewal decisions. She acknowledged that the finale leaves Ricky - and everyone else - in an impossible position, with the truth about Chad Powers hovering just out of reach. Whether the show gets a second season or not, Mattfeld's take makes one thing clear: the story isn't finished with these characters, and Ricky's emotional arc is nowhere near resolved.
It's worth noting that Chad Powers has been a critical and audience favorite since its release on September 30, 2025, currently sitting at a strong 7.971/10 on TMDb. That's the kind of number that makes a season two feel less like a question and more like a formality - though nothing's official yet. The comedy, which streams in English and hails from Hollywood, has built its buzz on Powell's dual performance and the show's willingness to let its supporting cast shine. Mattfeld is a big part of why that formula works.
So where does that leave us? Ricky's in love with a man who doesn't exist. Gerry's circling with the truth. And the Catfish are somehow still chasing a season worth remembering. If Mattfeld's breakdown is any indication, the show has plenty of gas left in the tank - and the messiest, funniest chapters may still be ahead. Consider us officially hooked.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
