TV Review: "Welcome to Wrexham” Season 4 - New League, Same Heart
There’s an undeniable thrill in watching dreams that once felt distant slowly materialize into reality. That’s where Season 4 of Welcome to Wrexham picks up - after back-to-back promotions, with Wrexham A.F.C. stepping into League One and bracing for the cost, competition, and complications of climbing even higher. As in past seasons, FX’s Emmy-winning docuseries expertly balances the dramatic arc of on-the-pitch ambition with grounded human stories that remind us why this show continues to resonate far beyond its football roots.
While Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have robust film and television careers, their most personal project continues to be their Welsh football club. In Season 4’s premiere, we’re reintroduced to the complexities of “running a third-tier football team with Premier League ambitions." Wrexham is now playing in League One - their highest standing in 20 years - but the challenges have never felt heavier. Infrastructure issues plague the historic Racecourse Ground, and a leadership transition sees CEO Fleur Robinson stepping away, replaced by American exec Michael Williamson, whose stadium development experience comes with a big vision.
One of the central tensions this season is how success scales. Larger support teams, bigger player salaries, and broader global exposure raise real questions: Can the club retain its working-class roots? Will fame disconnect players from their community? This friction gives the season a thoughtful undercurrent - fame may have found Wrexham, but the club still needs to belong to the people who’ve supported it through thick and thin.
The Women’s Team continues its inspiring rise, with early storylines following their Wrex Coast Tour debut and spotlighting players like Rosie Hughes, who finds herself caught in controversy after comments interpreted as disrespectful. On the men's side, fan-favorite keeper Arthur Okonkwo returns with a long-term contract, while high-profile signing Ollie Rathbone makes a striking first impression. Through it all, manager Phil Parkinson remains an emotional anchor, now past his 1,000th game as a professional coach and overseeing Wrexham's latest transformation with characteristic resolve.
Off the field, Welcome to Wrexham remains just as rich in character and heart. From a coffee truck entrepreneur invited to sell at matches, to a Ukrainian couple opening a café called Zern in Wrexham, the show continues its commitment to elevating community stories with care. Even the unexpected - like a screen-worn Deadpool and Wolverine costume (Wrexpool) transferred from a Marvel set to Wrexham A.F.C. - becomes a metaphor for this team's cinematic journey.
If there’s a unifying message this season, it’s summed up in a quote by Rob McElhenney in this season’s second episode: “Never give up your dream." As with previous installments, the show manages to amplify both the absurd and the profound, often in the same breath. The show remains a love letter, not just to football, but to believing in something bigger than yourself.
The double-episode Season 4 premiere of Welcome to Wrexham kicks off this Thursday, May 15th, at 9/8c on FX. New episodes will stream on Hulu (and Disney+ with the Disney Bundle) the day after they air.