The Dynasty: The New England Patriots review: A perfect and brilliant look at the greatest team ever

Very few people in this world are as big of a fan of Tom Brady as I am. But my relationship with Brady and the Patriots had much deeper roots for me because that team got me through a lot as a teenager. When I found out that Apple TV+ was set to release The Dynasty: The New England Patriots, I knew I would be seated. 

My childhood wasn't your prototypical childhood, there were some bumps along the way and challenges and adversity my family faced that put us in uncomfortable situations. In 2002, I was a 16-year-old kid amid one of the darkest (if not the darkest) times of my life. I wasn't in school, and my goals or aspirations were thrown aside. I struggled mentally and emotionally as life took a massive toll on me. Very few things would set my mind right, but two things brought me out of the darkness, football and movies.

Shortly after Dan Marino's retirement, I knew I would have to lock in on a new quarterback (bandwagon guy, I know). Drew Bledsoe had gotten hurt, and in came Michigan Quarterback Tom Brady. As a Michigan fan, I decided to jump on the bandwagon and do the red, white, and blue. Unlike my decade-long relationship with Dan Marino, Brady and the Patriots went on to win the Super Bowl and it was my first taste of rooting for someone to win the big game. 

In The Dynasty: The New England Patriots, writer Jeff Benedict and director Matthew Hamachek tackled one of the greatest dynasties in sports history. However, what blows you away on the surface of the docuseries is the access these guys had to the people who lived through it. You have Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft, and a host of Patriots players who unpack the highs and lows of this franchise.

Within this storied franchise, much controversy has often overshadowed many of their accomplishments. A few of the bigger stories they unpack "Spygate," Aaron Hernandez, and "Deflategate." You get a more in-depth look at what went down behind the scenes with the team during that entire "Spygate" era, which was shocking and fascinating. But when things come to Aaron Hernandez, we often forget how talented he was and how this man was on his way to becoming an all-time great. Of course, as Deion Branch says, this doesn't take away from what he did, but a human was trapped in this world that he couldn't get himself out of. 

Rarely do we get THIS in-depth of the stories of what went on behind the scenes, but director Matthew Hamachek brilliantly never lets the foot off the gas when delivering the goods. He and the team of editors had to deliver twenty years of good wrapped up in ten episodes, and I can only imagine the quality of things that ended up on the cutting room floor. Getting the greatest quarterback ever to play the game, Tom Brady, and the greatest coach of all time, Bill Belichick, to get personal about the rise and fall of the franchise is nothing short of remarkable. This entire series is worthy of all the awards when it comes time for the Emmys. 

Overall, The Dynasty: The New England Patriots is a must-see docuseries that you won't be able to stop watching once you start. It's one thing for people to tell you what happened, but another to listen to those who lived it to tell it, and that's what makes this special. Hamacheck and his team did a beautiful job of putting this together and reminding me that even in the darkest depths of my life, I found joy in this remarkable dynasty. 

The first two episodes of The Dynasty: The New England Patriots are available on Apple TV+ now.