Netflix‘s Running Point is a sports drama that delves deep into the world of professional basketball while exploring themes of family dysfunction, sexism, redemption, and ambition.
Set against the backdrop of the Los Angeles Waves, a basketball team owned by the wealthy and troubled Gordon family, the series is narrated by its protagonist, Isla Gordon.
Throughout the ten-episode arc, we witness her journey from a party girl to a competent and visionary leader battling patriarchal obstacles, personal betrayals, and professional crises.
Overview
Episode 1: Pilot
The show begins with Isla Gordon’s narration, introducing the audience to the Gordon family and their basketball empire, the Los Angeles Waves.
Isla’s father, a blatant sexist, never valued her opinions on the game, leading her to rebel as a reckless party girl.
Her brothers, Cameron (Cam), Ness, and Sandy, have their own roles within the team but share their father’s dismissive attitude towards her.
A major shake-up occurs when Cam, the team’s President, gets into a car accident due to his drug problem and is sent to rehab.
This unexpected event propels Isla into the role of President, much to the dismay of her brothers and the public, who doubt her capabilities.
The misogynistic undercurrent is evident when the Waves’ players, particularly Travis, openly sexualize Isla.
However, she remains composed, even as Sandy attempts to have her removed.
Meanwhile, Coach Jay Brown recognizes her determination, hinting at early romantic tension between them.
The episode’s central dilemma revolves around whether to keep or trade Travis, a problematic but talented player.
Isla, despite being advised otherwise, decides to keep him, establishing her authority.
As the episode ends, a shocking revelation emerges—Jackie, a seemingly ordinary Waves employee, is revealed to be the illegitimate son of the team’s late owner and a potential half-brother to the Gordon siblings.
Episode 2: Joe Pesci
Jackie’s newfound family connection causes friction within the Gordon household.
While Jackie longs for familial acceptance, the Gordon siblings want him silenced.
Meanwhile, Isla’s presidency remains under scrutiny as their main sponsor withdraws due to the family’s dysfunctionality (Cam’s drug problem and Isla’s leadership), reinforcing the series’ commentary on patriarchal resistance.
Isla experiences self-doubt after a sponsor dismisses her as a “washed-up party girl turned girl-boss.”
Her best friend and Chief of Staff, Ali, plays a crucial role in motivating her.
A shopping scene at Sephora emphasizes Isla’s embrace of femininity while proving she can be both fashionable and a competent leader.
She later secures Sephora as a sponsor, turning what was initially a setback into a major win.
Sandy’s subplot reveals his internal struggles—his sense of neglect within the family and his reluctance to be open about his sexuality.
Meanwhile, Ness struggles to balance his marriage with his responsibilities within the team. He’s the only Gordon who can play basketball, and is deeply emotional and caring at heart.
Jackie’s sincerity and loyalty to the Waves contrast with the family’s internal strife, highlighting his innocence in a cutthroat environment.
Episode 3: The Travis Bugg Affair
A major crisis unfolds when Travis makes a sexist remark about Sephora on a live stream.
Isla invites him to dinner, hoping to secure an apology, but the night takes a turn when he non-consensually kisses her, misinterpreting her kindness.
The scandal blows up, and Isla faces victim-blaming from her brothers, who criticize her for dressing inappropriately and dining in a romantic setting.
Meanwhile, Ness’ secret online burner account, used to defuse the crisis, backfires, worsening the situation.
In a surprising move, Marcus steps up as a leader and pressures Travis to apologize.
Though his apology is crude and self-serving, it marks the beginning of a subtle redemption arc for his character.
Episode 4: Doljanchi
This episode shifts focus to the personal lives of the characters. Isla juggles her professional responsibilities with her promise to attend Ali’s son’s first birthday celebration, showing her commitment to her friendships.
Meanwhile, Ness, kicked out by Bituin, crashes at Sandy’s place.
Their tense sibling relationship is explored as Sandy criticizes Ness for his messiness and inability to confront his failing marriage.
Sandy also faces turmoil in his romantic life when his boyfriend, Charlie, learns that Sandy has been keeping their relationship a secret.
Sandy urges the other siblings to give Bituin and Ness their private time, ultimately resolving the tussle in Ness’s private life.
At the Owner’s Conference, Isla loses out on a major business deal to Boston’s owner but sticks to her principles by advocating for fairness among all owners.
Despite the setback, she attends Ali’s son’s celebration, reinforcing the importance of personal commitments.
Episode 5: Beshert
The episode delves into Isla’s relationship with her fiancé, Lev Leverson.
She considers converting to his religion, a decision that would cost her shares in the Waves, yet she persists, believing in their future together.
Jackie continues to prove himself at work by organizing a halftime show that increases fan engagement.
Sandy and Charlie’s relationship reaches a breaking point when Charlie confronts him about being ashamed of their relationship.
At Isla and Lev’s engagement party, tensions rise. Jay comforts Isla as she experiences pre-wedding jitters, discussing the permanence of marriage.
The Gordon siblings, amidst their own conflicts, have a comedic moment when they fall into a pool during an argument.
Lev, showing his love for Isla, later tells her that she doesn’t need to convert, proving his character once again.
Episode 6: Yips
A flashback reveals Isla’s complicated relationship with her father. Though he was blatantly sexist, he never yelled at her because he had no expectations of her, only of her brothers.
As a child, Isla engaged in conventional gendered activities, playing with kitchen tools and dressing up, reinforcing how societal roles were imposed upon her.
In the present, the Waves suffer a crisis—losing games and viewership.
The Gordon siblings debate trading Marcus and dropping rookie Dyson, but Isla refuses both options, believing in their potential.
To help Dyson, she hires a female coach, whose training initially improves his performance.
However, when Dyson’s new playing style is mocked as “womanly,” his confidence plummets.
Jackie goes on a date with the Waves’ dancer team leader, and their chemistry is palpable.
However, in the very next scene, he is seen making out with another girl, as his newfound attention gets to his head.
His reckless behaviour leads to him losing his initial romantic interest.
Meanwhile, an internal scandal brews when rumors spread that Marcus is being traded.
Isla, already wary of her brothers’ distrust in her, suspects them as the source of the leak.
She confides in Lev, who reassures her that her caring and thoughtful nature makes her a good leader, in contrast to her father’s cold, calculative leadership style.
During a pivotal game, Marcus takes on the same playing position that Dyson was ridiculed for, proving that the role is legitimate and worthy.
His mentorship helps Dyson regain confidence.
In a dramatic revelation, the audience learns that the real leak is Cam Gordon, foreshadowing further conflicts within the family.
Episode 7: A Special Place in Hell
The Waves begin a redemption arc, making a strong comeback after a string of losses.
However, another crisis unfolds when Travis’s mother disrupts a practice session, revealing their co-dependent relationship.
Having worked as a stripper to support him, she urges him to hide his knee injury and drug problem to maintain his career.
Meanwhile, Sandy attempts to reconnect with Charlie, and Ness takes on a supportive role for Jackie.
Bonnie, a manipulative new character, seeks Isla’s approval and lands a job under false pretences.
Jackie faces consequences for his reckless behaviour when he contracts chlamydia, potentially putting Stephen’s daughter at risk, leading to threats of termination.
Tensions escalate as Bonnie’s sociopathic tendencies emerge, culminating in a physical altercation with Isla.
Episode 8: The Streak
In episode 8, Isla’s deep belief in superstition and the evil eye is evident as she refrains from uttering the word “playoffs” until the Waves officially qualify.
This belief extends to her rituals, such as wearing her lucky t-shirt to bed every night.
By the end of the episode, we find out Jay mirrors her superstitions too.
A major turning point in the episode is Jay’s impulsive decision to punch a man at a club where the players are celebrating.
This reckless act nearly leads to his suspension, but Isla intervenes, negotiating a deal where he only needs to apologize and pay a fine.
However, Jay resists this resolution, ultimately ghosting the Waves and revealing plans to move to Boston.
The twist that the man Jay punched was his ex’s boyfriend adds complexity to his motivations.
Personal and Professional Tensions: Cam’s Jealousy and Ness’s Guidance
Cam’s jealousy over Isla’s growing influence as President adds another layer of tension.
Meanwhile, Ness emerges as a supportive, brotherly figure, offering advice to a dejected Sandy, who is struggling with his feelings for Charlie.
In a subplot that balances humour and drama, Sandy’s night takes a turn when he unknowingly invites a date from Grindr who ends up robbing him.
Isla, demonstrating her characteristic pragmatism, shifts from offering personal support to Sandy to encouraging him to fight for Charlie.
Motivated by Isla’s words, Sandy decides to pursue Charlie, a moment of emotional growth that parallels Isla’s own challenges.
In turn, Sandy encourages Isla to bring Jay back into the fold, urging her to persuade him to apologize and rejoin the team.
This resolution leads to a compromise: Jay agrees to stay for the remainder of the season before making his move to Boston official.
Travis’s drug dependency becomes increasingly apparent, raising suspicions among those around him, particularly Dyson, who enlists Marcus to investigate.
Meanwhile, Cam further demonstrates his moral flexibility by bribing his way out of rehab, reinforcing his self-serving nature.
The episode ends on an ominous note as Travis arrives at Isla’s porch late at night, foreshadowing further developments in his storyline.
Simultaneously, Lev feels neglected as Isla prioritizes team matters over personal commitments, setting the stage for later conflicts.
Episode 9: The Playoffs
This episode highlights a major ethical conundrum for Isla: allowing Travis to continue playing despite his drug issues to secure a win. Marcus strongly opposes this decision, criticizing Isla for treating players like commodities and comparing her to her father.
His words shake Isla, making her question her values and leadership.
The media amplifies these moral concerns when Isla appears on The Sean Murphy Show, where the players are likened to racehorses.
The segment, through its suffocating visual and auditory cues, effectively conveys Isla’s growing discomfort, mirroring a similar technique used in the engagement party scene earlier in the series.
Jackie takes on the role of matchmaker, advising Sandy to make a grand gesture to win Charlie back.
This results in an extravagant and heartfelt reinvention of Taylor Swift’s Love Story, performed at the playoffs.
The dramatic moment culminates in Sandy and Charlie’s reconciliation, marked by a passionate kiss, underscoring the show’s ability to balance sports drama with heartfelt romance.
Isla ultimately makes the tough but morally sound decision to remove Travis from the team and personally take him to rehab.
This marks a pivotal moment in her leadership, demonstrating growth and a commitment to player well-being over short-term victories.
As Isla is caught up in team matters, she misses Lev’s award show, a commitment she had previously made.
This leads to an emotional confrontation between the two, where Lev expresses his frustration at always being the one to make time for their relationship.
Realizing that Isla cannot give him what he needs, Lev ends their relationship, a heart-breaking moment that signals a turning point in Isla’s personal journey.
Episode 10: Game Seven
Despite her heartbreak, Isla remains focused on her responsibilities, showcasing her resilience.
However, she is unable to mend things with Lev immediately, as he asks her to wait—something that Isla finds incredibly difficult to do.
Jackie, feeling unappreciated within the family, disappears after being denied leave.
The Gordon siblings unite in their search for him, eventually finding him and sharing a rare moment of vulnerability as they reflect on their mothers, particularly Jackie’s deceased mother.
This scene adds emotional depth and highlights the importance of family bonds amidst the high-stakes sports drama.
For the first time in the series, a basketball game is shown in full cinematic style, delivering a high-stakes, neck-to-neck match.
Dyson emerges as a standout player, proving his worth. However, despite their efforts, the
Waves trail at halftime and ultimately lose the game—a subversion of the expected sports drama trope where the underdog triumphs.
Isla’s Final Narration: A Different Kind of Story
Isla’s closing narration acknowledges that this is not the conventional story of an underdog who overcomes all odds to claim victory. Instead, Running Point opts for a more realistic and emotionally nuanced conclusion.
In an empty arena post-game, Jay and Isla finally share a long-anticipated kiss, but the moment does not lead to an immediate resolution. The ambiguity surrounding their relationship adds another layer of complexity to Isla’s already tumultuous life.
The Aftermath: Unresolved Threads
The episode and the season closes on multiple cliff-hangers, hinting at a possible renewal of the show for another season:
- Cam is seen sitting in the President’s chair, hinting at a power shift.
- Lev does not reach out to Isla, leaving their relationship in limbo.
- The significance of Isla and Jay’s kiss remains uncertain.
- The Gordons still do not know that Cam was the leak in their organization, sharing details to the Sean Murphy Show.
- Travis remains in rehab, with his future in question.
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