Apple TV's The Dynasty, a documentary series chronicling the rise and fall of the New England Patriots' empire, gives the team and fans a chance to look back on the glory days, but not everyone will see it through rose-tinted lenses.
The portrayal of former Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who led the team to unprecedented success over his 24-year tenure, has been the subject of controversy through the documentary's early episodes. Belichick has been painted as somewhat of a villain, with his cold attitude driving away legendary quarterback Tom Brady and ultimately causing the Patriots' dynasty to crumble.
Unsurprisingly, Belichick likely won't be thrilled with the documentary thus far, at least that's what NBC Sports Boston's Tom Curran believes.
“Hated it,” Curran said when asked of Belichick's opinion on WEEI’s Jones & Mego. “What’s going to be really striking for people is watching the first two episodes and seeing just how different Bill is in 2000 and 2001 than he is in 2024.”
Curran then added that Belichick's communication with the media took a drastic turn during the latter stages of the Patriots dynasty. Considering Belichick interviewed for the documentary last summer, just before his final season in New England, the difference in communication style will be on full display throughout the series.
“I had a blast with the guy until 2017 just like everybody else covering (the team),” Curran said. “But the 2000 Bill and the way he operated, the way he communicated and the way he went in depth and the way he explained things … that’s something you’re going to be nostalgic about. How enjoyable he was and how frank and blunt he was.”
“You’ll see at length in this documentary the number of times he says, ‘I’m not commenting on that.’ … Or just gives a blank three word answer and then the camera doesn’t blink and just sticks on him as he adjusts his jaw. There’s a lot of that.”
While the documentary may not paint Belichick in the best light, Curran assures that there's no underlying narrative shaping that portrayal.
“I don’t think Bill liked it. I don’t think Bill’s gonna love it but it’s not slanted. We do have Matthew Slater or Devin McCourty giving a very unvarnished opinion that is unflattering to Bill on the way he created an atmosphere in the latter portions of the dynasty.”
The first two episodes of The Dynasty premiere on Friday, with two episodes releasing each week until Mar 15.
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