Just finished parts 3 and 4. Wow. I’m 24, so I actually didn’t know much about Bill, other than being a huge fan of his broadcasting.
The entire series, but part 4 especially, does a great job of cutting past some of his usual schtick to paint the picture of a complicated individual. Without knowing much about Bill, it was easy for me to listen to him on a broadcast and only associate him with his good qualities. Showing some of his self destructive nature, his trials, and the wisdom he gained from it was illuminating. The interviewers asked the right questions, and pushed just enough to cut past Bill’s default alacrity to draw out some real emotion.
As someone who has already torn an ACL and meniscus in one knee, and likely now in my other knee, it hit hard seeing what Bill went through to keep pushing, rather than taking care of himself. Health is precious - physical and mental. The 30 for 30 did a great job showing Bill’s physical and mental ups and downs, and illuminating how it informed his world view. I believe they delivered a light, but hard hitting, portrait of a complicated and ultimately good man. No fluff piece here