After Season 1 aired, the show’s young cheerleaders went from making the mat to skyrocketing to stardom. However, following the Emmy-winning series’ release, breakout star Jerry Harris was arrested for multiple federal sexual misconduct charges, including soliciting child pornography. Season 2 is addresses these allegations against Harris, and the trailer sees his teammates and coach Monica Aldama grappling with the news. “I am a huge believer in the power of stories and telling them honestly,” Cheer director GregWhiteley said of Season 2 in a statement, per Variety. “It was inspiring, heartbreaking, sometimes frustrating, and ultimately moving to be a part of their lives. Flying home from our last day of shooting [Season 2] in Daytona, I thought, ‘I cannot believe we saw what we just saw, we experienced what we just experienced.’ If we do our job right, we’re able to take the audience on that same ride… I believe the story is going to ultimately be the best version of itself when you are honoring what is true, and you’re not running from it.” As we wait for the Bulldogs’ surprise return, here’s everything we know about Cheer Season 2 (alas, not including the meaning of FIOFMU).
When does Cheer Season 2 premiere?
All nine episodes of Season 2 Netflix on Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022.
Is there a trailer for Cheer Season 2?
On Dec. 28, in addition to surprising fans with the news of Cheer’s Season 2 renewal, Netflix also dropped a drama-filled trailer. The two-minute clip features Navarro College’s cheerleading team navigating their newfound fame and facing challenges both on and off the mat. It also references Harris’ arrest, with Aldama seemingly reacting to the news by saying, “I can’t even, like, process it right now.” The second half of the trailer gives a glimpse at the Trinity Valley Community College team, including tumbler Angel Rice, dubbed “the Simone Biles of cheerleading.” While the rival school—which came in second place at the coveted Daytona competition in 2019—was only briefly mentioned in Season 1, it seems they’ll take on a much bigger role this time around. Coach Vontae Johnson is also included, saying in one scene, “Don’t come to the Valley just because you want to be famous. Come because you want to be the best.”
Will Jerry Harris’ arrest be mentioned in Cheer Season 2?
Harris, now 22 years old, gained national recognition following Cheer Season 1, even going on to serve as a red carpet correspondent for Ellen DeGeneres at the 2020 Oscars. In September 2020, however, he was arrested on several federal sexual misconduct charges, including soliciting child pornography. According to the New York Times, Harris pleaded not guilty in December 2020; Yahoo has reported that he’s behind bars awaiting the outcome of the charges against him. “Jerry would’ve been impossible to ignore because it impacted the team so severely,” Whiteley told Variety of how Season 2 addresses the arrest. In fact, Yahoo has also reported that in Season 2 (spoiler alert) Aldama reveals that Harris wrote her a “hard to read” letter after the allegations against him came out—and that she found it disturbing because “his letter was optimistic… There was not one negative thing in this letter. He said he hopes to one day be a motivational speaker [and] maybe he sees himself as that, I don’t know. I just was really caught off guard at the hope he had for the future.” Filming began prior to the charges, and the episodes cover “events as they unfolded, beginning in January 2020 through April 2021.” Episode 5 will center on the allegations against Harris and include interviews with the brothers who first came forward and filed a lawsuit against Harris, alleging they were 13 when inappropriate behavior began. “[They] have an important story to tell; my job is to allow them to tell it,” Whiteley added.
What will happen in Cheer Season 2?
In addition to addressing Harris’ arrest, Cheer Season 2 will also see the Navarro cheerleaders facing challenges due to COVID-19, including the cancellation of the 2020 NCA and NDA Collegiate Cheer and Dance Championship—a.k.a. the Super Bowl of cheerleading, which the team is usually laser-focused on. Since several Navarro cheerleaders have become household names, the new episodes will also explore the impact of their sudden stardom. “When we arrived at Navarro to film Season 2, it was impossible to ignore their fame,” Whiteley said. “It was such a big part of their lives that it would have been dishonest not to account for it when filming.”
Who will be in the cast of Cheer Season 2?
Several fan favorites will be back on the mat for Cheer Season 2, including the following cast members:
Monica Aldama
The squad coach, who serves as a mentor and parental figure for many of her athletes, will soon be dishing out more motivation.Cheer Season 1 isn’t the last time she’s been onscreen, however, as she also competed on Season 29 of Dancing With the Stars in 2020. The release of Cheer Season 2 will also align with the release of her book, Full Out: Lessons in Life and Leadership from America’s Favorite Coach, which arrives in stores on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022. “I had a great experience with season one,” she previously told StyleCaster of the smash hit series where she rose to fame “The team that came and filmed us, they filmed for 12 hours a day, so they really became like family by the time they left.”
Lexi Brumback
Lexi was kicked off the squad at the end of Season 1 after running into legal trouble, but she’s since gotten a second chance and will star in the second season. Netflix updated fans about her return in January 2020, tweeting a video where Aldama explains that her skill “obviously is top-notch,” adding, “More importantly, I felt like she still needed me in her life.”
Gabi Butler
Butler, who was a star in the cheerleading world even before the Netflix series, earned global recognition after the first season. She returns for her final competition at Navarro in Season 2. “My season got cut short last year because of COVID-19,” she told Distractifyin September 2020. “We were so ready to hit Daytona Nationals with an amazing routine and an awesome team. I didn’t want to give up that last experience so I decided to come back for one more year since they extended eligibility for everyone due to COVID.” Fans can also expect to see more returning stars, including Morgan Simianer andLa’Darius Marshall. Plus, in addition to the hardworking Navarro squad, Season 2 will introduce new faces from TVCC, such as Johnson and Rice.
When did production start on Cheer Season 2?
Cheer reportedly started shooting secretly in January 2020, although production was halted in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Filming resumed in September 2020, culminating in April 2021 with the NCA National Championship.
Did Navarro win in 2021?
(WARNING: Season 2 spoilers ahead!) While Cheer Season 2 has yet to arrive, we already know how they’ll fare against TVCC in the highly anticipated NCA & NDA Collegiate Cheer & Dance Championship in Daytona Beach, Fla. According to TMZ, the beloved team—who’ve taken home 14 national championships over the years under Aldama’s leadership—ended up narrowly losing to TVCC this time around, with a point difference of just 0.1584.
How to watch Cheer
All episodes in Seasons 1 and 2 of Cheer are currently available to stream on Netflix. Next, She’s Aces in Mom’s Book! Meet Serena Williams’ Daughter—And Bestie—Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr.
