'Shoresy' Season 5 Review
- John Odette
- 4 hours ago
- 3 min read
Season Five. [Episodes 1 - 4]
Aired On: Hulu on Disney+.
Release Date: 02/21/26.
Genre: Action. Comedy. Drama. Sport.
The Verdict: A Must-See
If I recall a review I wrote of an earlier season of this Canadian comedy, I stated that Letterkenny walked so Shoresy could run. Five seasons in, and this incredible spinoff continues to be innovative and fresh, while familiar and sharp.
This new storyline raises the stakes, as all progressing seasons ought to do. Shoresy and his team, the championship-winning Sudbury Bulldogs, are now one of two teams left in the fictional AAA Northern Ontario Senior Hockey Organization (NOSHO). The rest of the league teams folded due to a lack of funding, players, or both. As a result, NOSHO has also dissolved. The neighborhood basketball team, the Sudbury 5, takes over the Bulldog’s locker room, and Shoresy and company are without an axe to grind as their future is irrevocably altered.
Simultaneously, a European hockey team, which plays with more finesse than the hardened grit of North American teams, draws Shoresy's attention and ire as they systematically conquer NHL farm teams. Defending their position as hockey’s physical benchmark and rightful “kings of the hill,” the Canadian players band together under Shoresy’s leadership to ensure the world knows the sport of hockey runs through their continent.
These sensible yet sturdy plotlines are what make this show so enticing to watch. Jared Keeso, the show’s creator and Shoresy himself, crafts down-to-earth, relatable stories. Shoresy's comedy is intelligent, snarky, and infectious. The sharp writing on display delivers laughs and chuckles while respectfully engaging in universal lessons of teamwork, work ethics, camaraderie, and accountability. While there is lots of profane content and adult material in the locker rooms and every other space Shoresy finds himself, there is a definitive cadence between all characters. No one is purposely written as fodder, and even the characters with the fewest lines feel like wholly drawn individuals.
The cinematography and blocking are immersive and strong, full of medium shots and gripping static frames. There is little “hockey” on film, most of which is reserved for the hilariously profane back-and-forth insults between Shoresy and the junior league players he referees for. But the hockey we do get is stylized and interesting, with effective slow-motion and fourth wall-breaking sequences, and we get the picture very quickly.
Odds are, if you have made it this far into the Shoresy experience, you are here because it makes you laugh. The comedy works so well because it is so sharp and quick, but you must be able to hear it. The rhythm, or cadence as I mentioned earlier, does not descend to the lowest common denominator. The power of the writing and the core messages of this show arrive almost subconsciously. The show simply is not interested in dumbing itself down, and its messaging (dare I say, its agenda?) reflects that.
Shoresy, on the surface, is an aggressive, stilted, slutty, hockey player. But he also has a nurturing, paternal instinct. He coaches up a young, shaken player with humorous but effective encouragement between game periods. He takes the high road and makes peace with another fan after a stand skirmish and buys the guy a beer afterward. He recruits a whole team and, in his way (I won’t spoil), cultivates a winning culture, with lots of buy-in.
Shoresy, for all his volume, swears, and physicality, is a testament to healthy masculinity. He works side by side with the team's female leadership while remaining faithful and progressive with his girlfriend, Laura (Camille Sullivan).
To say Shoresy is a role model is not as crazy as it sounds. This new batch of episodes certifies he is mad and wild as always, but in that sweet, engaging way.
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