Aahana Swrup
‘The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins’ is a mockumentary-style sitcom that revolves around the titular character’s pursuit of redemption after a public toppling. More than a decade since his ban from the NFL as a result of a gambling scandal, Reggie Dinkins is trying to fix up his reputation with the help of a heartfelt documentary. It just so happens that the filmmaker he approaches for the project, Arthur Tobin, is undergoing a ruinous time of his own in the wake of his last failure as a director. Thus, both men have a lot riding on the documentary. However, the project’s potential struggles arise when Reggie refuses to shake up his isolatory routine in order to capture some interesting footage. On the other hand, when a brand deal that the ex-football player signed years ago comes to an end, his ex-wife and agent, Monica, becomes concerned about his finances and turns her focus to his much younger girlfriend, Brina. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Reggie’s Monotonous Routine Threatens the Documentary’s Future
Tobin’s immersive and authentic style of filming hits a wall when the filmmaker realizes that his subject, Reggie Dinkins, has a vastly uninteresting life. For the most part, the former athlete spends his days wasting time or in front of the television. In fact, Tobin realizes that the retired football player doesn’t even attend his son, Carmelo’s, matches in person despite having plenty of time to spare. However, there’s a deeper reason behind his inclination toward isolation. Carmelo’s games are usually filled with the parents of the athletes who are fans of the New York Jets, who still hold a grudge against Reggie. Therefore, he generally prefers to stay away from any event that might bring him unflattering public attention.
As a result, the most fascinating thing that Reggie gets up to seems to be a trip to an Amish bakery that is a three-hour car ride away from his home. Even so, once Tobin realizes the core of the issue, the athlete’s fear of public backlash, he tries to encourage him to break out of bad habits and face the real world. He insists that the only way he can truly redeem himself in the eyes of the public is by going out into the world, ready to face their backlash but also to make amends. Therefore, he manages to convince the other man to go out to his old favorite restaurant, Toshi’s. Yet, the whole thing ends up being an awful idea, as Reggie instantly gets attacked by a group of Jets fans at the establishment.
Monica Suspects Brina of Foul Play
While Reggie and Tobin focus on their attempt to have a day out, Monica has her own plans for the day. 20 years ago, back when the ex-NFL star was at the top of his game, he signed a deal with a German condiment company, Bröckenseung, which was trying to make it big in the States. Thanks to Monica’s negotiating skills, she managed to secure her ex-husband a 20 deal, which held on even after his fall from fame. Now that the deal has ended, she wants to try to convince the company to renew its old contract. Unsurprisingly, Bröckenseung doesn’t play ball and ends their unproductive media relations with Reggie. Yet, when Monica’s day begins to go downhill, she receives an invitation for a spa day from Brina.
Once the agent accompanies Brina on her extravagant self-care day, she grows concerned about the possible financial damage from her spending. Monica is sure that the younger woman is using Reggie’s money for all her expenses. Given the inter-connected nature of her and her ex-husband’s finances, this ticks the agent off in the wrong way. However, she gets a reality check when she tries to confront Brina about the same. As it turns out, the younger woman is a successful social media influencer in her own right, who isn’t reliant on her partner for any financial support. Monica realizes she had made snap judgments about the other woman due to the optics of her and Reggie’s relationship. Fortunately, she gets the opportunity to smooth things over with her by negotiating deals for her and helping her out with her own professional contracts.
Reggie and Tobin Face Their Fears
After the disastrous visit to Toshi’s, Reggie and Tobin find themselves back at the home base. During this time, Ashley, Monica’s assistant, brings up the filmmaker’s meltdown on the set of his unsuccessful MCU project, the footage of which is apparently going viral on the internet. As a result, Tobin realizes that his well-kept secret is now out in the world, making him a full-fledged pariah in the filmmaking world. Reggie sees this development as the opportunity that it is. The filmmaker vehemently turns Carmelo down when he tries to ask him to tag along for a documentary film festival being held at Lincoln Center as an assignment for one of his classes.
After witnessing the duo’s encounter, Reggie realizes that Tobin is also afraid to step into certain circles for fear of public backlash. As a result, he makes arrangements to attend the film festival, knowing that it would leave the filmmaker with no other choice since it’s his job to document the ex-athlete’s life. The latter realizes what is happening, but ends up taking his own advice and accompanies Reggie to the event. Unfortunately for both of them, things unravel exactly as they expected. The duo ends up both getting trashed by the crowd outside the film festival. Even so, despite everything, Reggie refuses to back down, reminding Tobin that the only way out is through. If they continue to live in the shadows, they’ll miss out on getting to live their lives. In the end, although the experience is unpleasant, the pair manages to survive it.
Read More: Is Reggie Dinkins Based on a Real Ex-NFL Player? Is Arthur Tobin a Real Filmmaker?
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