🚨This post contains some minor spoilers for Pixar’s Win or Lose🚨
Win or Lose was worth the wait.
The original series Win or Lose follows the intertwined stories of eight different characters as they each prepare for their big championship softball game. The concept of shifting perspectives and utilizing different art styles immediately hooked me. I was also excited to see how one of my favorite animation studios would embrace television. So after a series of release date delays, I was stoked when Win or Lose finally premiered on Disney+ in February. As someone who has followed and tracked the project since Pixar Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter announced it during Disney Investor Day 2020. I felt like I had a general idea of what the series was going to be.
Yet the series just kept finding ways to surprise me.
Win or Lose from the outside looks like a series about softball. When in reality this is a series about life in general. The title works for a series about softball but it also works for a show about life. In life, we sometimes win and sometimes we lose! The series explores themes such as growing up, parenthood, heartbreak, and relationships. The softball team, the Pickles, ties the overall narrative together and the softball aspects feel authentic. This series is clever and its tone is more aligned with the Pixar adult demographic, as it deals with these various life topics. I personally love it when Pixar takes a more mature angle with its work. Still, Win or Lose is perfectly fine for kids to watch, I just think adults may appreciate and relate to it even more.
The series was inspired by Win or Lose creators Carrie Hobson and Michael Yates’ experience on Toy Story 4. Both Carrie and Michael were officemates and story artists in the film. They would talk about the film and things going on in the world. Yet what sparked the idea of Win or Lose was the fact the two would always have different reactions or different interpretations of the same meeting.
“One of us would say, ‘That went great!’ and the other would say, ‘No! It was terrible, what are you talking about?’” Yates said in a statement about the series. “We realized that our own experiences that we bring to the table change our perception of an event. We wanted to tell a story that illustrated all of that.”
The series embraces its different perspective, Rashomon storytelling in every episode. I think the most remarkable part about this storytelling is that the episodes never feel repetitive despite following similar events. Each episode feels fresh and distinct through its writing and animation style. Also if you pay close attention to all the background details, it’s extremely rewarding to see how it all comes together.
Win or Lose isn’t afraid to take some big swings either. How did Pixar get us to care about the umpire’s love life? Absolutely insane. Yet somehow they pull it off. They also weren’t afraid to embrace animation to its fullest extent utilizing it as a metaphor or even as a visual superpower for some of the characters. The storylines are often heightened to a level that could only be achieved through the uniqueness of animation.
My favorite aspect of the animation was how they blended the 3D style with multiple styles. I believe audiences are craving animated films and series that feel different. Win or Lose showcases the breadth of styles you can utilize and it’s truly remarkable to watch. The 2D style overlayed with the 3D style in the Ira episode “Steal” was so phenomenal that I want Pixar to do a film entirely in that style. I loved it that much.
Another win for Win or Lose — on top of its stunning animation and touching life themes — is the fact the dialogue is realistic. The writers absolutely delivered here. These characters speak like the real world, and that works in a show like this. The greatest example of this is when Ira asks his sister and “friends” to play Smash (Super Smash Bros.). That line delivery was so real, and it reminded me of my friends and cousins.
Sidenote: I’m now curious what characters the Win or Lose team uses when they play Smash.
Win or Lose smartly embraces the chaotic, social media culture we are living in. There is an episode later in the series that uses Gen Z meme culture to its advantage. The series also feels fresh with its music. Campfire created some catchy tracks for this show.
My only minor criticism of Win or Lose is some of the episodes ended on more of an abrupt and mellow note. Yet I partially give the series some leeway on this because they have to balance out the “wins” with “losses.” But man some of these endings kinda hurt!
Just like Pixar films, Win or Lose is filled with nods and easter eggs. The Pizza Planet truck appears in every episode, and it’s unclear but the pizza restaurant in the finale may be a nondescript Pizza Planet but that remains unclear. The Pixar ball also made numerous appearances. There allegedly was an easter egg from Pixar’s next project Elio but I couldn’t find it during my first viewing of the series.
I think another aspect, viewers may not realize when they stream Win or Lose is how this team had to develop new features to make this series. They had to get creative because they had to make eight episodes of Pixar-quality animation in less time and on a lesser budget than a feature film. The team created a tool that made facial features more expressive by detaching certain facial elements (basically Mr. Potato Head but for animation), utilizing cinematography for creative transitions, and stylizing visual effects throughout the series.
Meet the Pickles: The Making of Win or Lose on Disney+ goes even further into the development and creation of the series. I highly recommend watching the documentary once you’re finished with the series. It’s a great look at the series and the team that brought it to life. Pixar always puts together stellar behind-the-scenes documentaries.
Now the characters and stories of Win or Lose were all layered and intriguing. Laurie being athletically challenged but still wanting to impress her father is relatable. Frank the Umpire’s arc hits too close to home for many guys. Rochelle trying to keep everything together as everything spirals is also relatable for many. Vanessa being a cool and upbeat single mother and having a positive relationship with social media was neat to watch. Ira’s imagination and innocence made for one of the most heartwarming episodes of the series. Yuwen trying to be cool and confident all the time while having deep self-doubt provided a fun contrast from the prior episodes. Kai trying to find her identity and place while managing her relationship with her father was touching, especially with the animated metaphor of floating and sinking. Coach Dan being overwhelmed as his escape from reality — coaching softball — is threatened made for a strong and surprising finale especially as all these characters and storylines weaved together.
Yet out of all those characters, there was one standout character that caught my attention… My standout character from Win or Lose may surprise you but it’s Odo.
That guy is a legend. Long live the Orange Drink Oracle! No clue why Fanta isn’t sponsoring Odo. Seems like a missed opportunity for them. He is just so cool. He’s everywhere and all-knowing. The advice he gives and how he just appears. I’m sure Pixar theory people are going to run wild with this character. However, I need Pixar to make a short about Odo in the future. (Or let the Orange Drink Oracle cameo in a Pixar film when we least expect it?!?!?!).
In the end, Win or Lose is a visually vibrant series that takes some big swings from its story to its whimsical animation styles. The series is filled with characters you want to cheer for. It’s wacky and funky but that’s part of the charm. It’s fresh but still feels very Pixar. At times, it even feels like a teaser of what future Pixar projects may feel like.
Win or Lose is now streaming on Disney+.
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Zach Perilstein is the Editor-in-Chief of the Boardwalk Times
