Patriots ‘The Dynasty’ Recap: Episode 9, Brady, Belichick, Butler ‘Breaking Point’
As Harvey Dent so eloquently stated in 2008’s The Dark Knight, “You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”
While this quote from the aforementioned Christopher Nolan classic may seem a bit melodramatic for the NFL, it adequately captures the erosion of rapture for the 2017 New England Patriots, as depicted in Episode 9 of Apple TV+’s “The Dynasty,” entitled “Breaking Point.”
The ninth and penultimate offering in director Matthew Hamachek’s 10-part Patriots docuseries begins at a political rally for then-Presidential candidate Donald Trump — during which he reads a letter of support penned by none other than Pats head coach Bill Belichick.
Perhaps the more shocking revelation was Trump declaring, “Bill [Belichick] said that I could read this to all of you”
Known for his staunch “don’t say anything” policy regarding his players speaking with the media on personal matters, Belichick’s seemingly overt support for the controversial candidate was deemed by former team captain Matthew Slater to be “pretty hypocritical.”
“We got kind of bamboozled,” said fellow captain Devin McCourty. “I had some opinions I might’ve wanted to share, but out of respect to the team, I didn’t.”
New England Patriots Tom Brady (12), Malcolm Butler (21)
Cred: USA Today Sports Images
While starting the episode on a political note may be a bit unconventional, Hamachek uses the subject of politics as a juxtaposition for the growing disconnect between Belichick and his players. Although Belichick may have believed that neither his letter, nor his relationship with Trump was politically motivated, it clearly sent the wrong message to his team.
“I don’t think he was connected with his players enough at the time to realize that was going to have an effect on the team,” Slater added.
Still, the mixed messages between Belichick and his players would quickly fade into the driving force of Episode 9, the corrosion of the dynamic between he and quarterback Tom Brady.
Following the Patriots victory in Super Bowl LI, Brady began to emerge as an individual, marketable entity. Having won their fifth franchise championship, all under Brady’s leadership — the most by a starting quarterback in NFL history — the former Pats’ sixth-round Draft selection had cemented his legacy as the greatest to wear shoulder pads.
However, the sustained health and vigor Brady had shown at 39 years of age brought his TB12 conditioning method into the collective consciousness of the NFL universe.
“Tom realized the time was right to live in a way that he felt right about … He stopped worrying about what Bill thought was ‘OK,’” said journalist Tom E. Curran. “And, that’s when you saw all of the Brady industries start to explode and mushroom.”
In conjunction with fitness guru Alex Guerrero, Brady’s combination of pliability-based conditioning and ingredient-strict diet were quickly becoming a global phenomenon — catching the curious eye of several teammates, along with the concerned eye of Belichick.
“Tommy started to separate from “team first all the time,” recalled team owner Robert Kraft. “And, it created some tension with Bill. Especially when it came to Alex Guerrero.”
Due to Brady’s successful conditioning program, Guerrero’s methods intrigued oft-injured teammates such as tight end Rob Gronkowski and receiver Danny Amendola. While the team placed no restrictions on players seeking alternative treatment methods outside of the facility, Guerrero’s presence inside the Pats locker room created an obstacle for the both Belichick and the team’s training staff. Players were being given one set of instructions from its strength and conditioning team, along with advice from Guerrero — which was often to its opposition.
Ultimately, the conflict led to the banishment of Brady’s trainer and conditioning “soulmate” from the Patriots locker room — a decision which did not sit well with the Pats star quarterback. While the tension between he an Belichick had perviously been notable, it had now risen to a fever pitch which would serve as a specter over the team for the remainder of the season.
Despite being portrayed as a joyless, yet workmanlike season, New England enjoyed great success. The Pats finished with a 13-3 record, claiming the top seed in the conference. After a thrilling come-from-behind victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC Championship Game — a game which is barely mentioned in the episode — the Patriots earned a spot in Super Bowl LII, attempting to once again repeat as champions.
Though the aura of the Brady-Belichick power struggle was still palpable, it was about to take a back seat to one of the most controversial moments in franchise history.
In what would be his “final” game with the team, cornerback Malcolm Butler remained on the sidelines. In spite of the Pats defense being unable to stop — or even slow down the Eagles offense — Butler was never put in the game. As such, the Patriots lost 41-33 to the Philadelphia Eagles. He did not play any defensive snaps, only coming in for a single play on special teams. After the game, Belichick said Butler’s lack of playing time was a "coach's decision," and not due to disciplinary issues as many have speculated.
Apparently the years passed since said “decision” have not put Belichick in a more divulgatory mood.
“Matt,” Belichick scolded Hamachek when asked about Butler, “we’ve talked about that.”
Although the episode fails to provide the definitive answer for which Patriots fans have been clamoring, team owner Robert Kraft did offer a slightly-elaborative detail, destined to only more questions as opposed to clarification.
“What has been told to me is that there was something personal going on between Bill (Belichick) and Malcolm (Butler) that was not football related,” said Kraft.
Regardless of the reason, New England’s loss to the Eagles seemed to be a fitting epitaph for a season cloaked in angst and anxiety. As the green confetti covered the U.S. Bak Stadium field in Minneapolis, many wondered whether the Patriots “Dynasty” had unraveled along with it.
“I realized we were coming the near the end,” Kraft said with a sense of melancholy resolve. “And I was just trying to hold it together the best I could.”
All good things come to an end in the tenth and final episode of “The Dynasty” entitled “End Game,” which is now available on AppleTV+.
