The Kingdom gives Chiefs fans the inside story they’ve always wanted

After the aforementioned introduction, Episode 1 takes an unexpected turn as Reid, Mahomes, Kelce, and Jones are escorted from St. Joseph to a place 150 feet underground in Kansas City called SubTropolis, the remarkable underground complex that spans over 6 million square feet.

Team owner Clark Hunt introduces the four leaders of the Chiefs to team historian Bob Moore, who shows them an array of items from the Chiefs' Super Bowl IV championship team. It is there that we learn about the history of Lamar Hunt's vision for the Dallas Texans and subsequent move to Kansas City when the franchise became the Kansas City Chiefs.

Here, ESPN gives us remarkable footage of dozens of clips from the annals of league history. It is a riveting dive into the merger of the AFL and the NFL, the move that ultimately became the creation of today's National Football League.

Episode 1 also gives viewers a beautiful glimpse into the courtship and marriage of Patrick and Brittany Mahomes, and a glance at the little boy from Whitehouse, Texas, who would one day grow up to become the Chiefs' legendary quarterback. We see Mahomes' progression from living room wiffle ball to Brett Veach's now-famous slip of paper from April 2017, upon which Veach's young daughter wrote to her daddy, "Pat, no matter what."

The story of the Mahomes Era continues with a deep dive into Draft Day 2017 and a humbling moment with incumbent quarterback Alex Smith, who respectfully depicts the end of his tenure as the Chiefs’ signal-caller in his personal recount of the team's selection of Mahomes.

It is there that the story of the existing Chiefs' dynasty begins, as the episode briefly recaps the beginning of Mahomes' career, from his roller-coaster 2018 MVP campaign to that season's disappointing end at the hands of Tom Brady and the Patriots.

For Chiefs fans, The Kingdom may feel synonymous with The Franchise at times. We see and hear personal interviews and watch as our Chiefs walk the halls of the locker room of Arrowhead Stadium to the field; but as a viewer, when you remember that much of this is being put on display for the first time on a national level, this view of the team feels unprecedented.

EPISODE 2: DON'T JUDGE

There is a beautiful parallel that is made in Episode 2, as the story of the 2024 Chiefs continues and ESPN tells us more about the people in this franchise who make it go.

This time around, we learn more about the life of Andy Reid, from his upbringing in Los Angeles to his development as a coach. An old friend describes a familiar notecard that stays on Big Red's bulletin board, and viewers learn more about the meaning of that as more of Reid's history is uncovered.

Though the dynasty really began after the selection of Mahomes, this episode depicts the events of the year 2012 and how the championship team we have all come to know was forged in brokenness and loss.

Tammy Reid describes her husband with bravery and compassion, and we see a very rare side of Big Red before The Kingdom pivots to the saga of Kareem Hunt, as the personal stories of these two men are entwined in a masterful way.

Grab your tissues.

EPISODE 3: IN OUR CHIEFS ERA

This episode of the series focuses on the perspective of the Chiefs through the national and even international lens. From the Chiefs' participation in the first-ever NFL game in Berlin, Germany, to the team's 2023 return to Germany for the regular-season game against the Dolphins, the popularity of the Chiefs has only grown.

Not everyone is a Chiefs fan, however, and for many fans outside Kansas City, this episode might finally address what they have been waiting for: "The Chiefs just aren't that good," and "The refs are in the Chiefs' pockets."

Absolutely, the 2024 Chiefs squeaked out some victories, and while some of them left fans nationwide scratching their heads in disbelief, one fact remains: close victories are an indicator of great coaching, and the Chiefs have great coaches. The middle of the 2024 season featured several close wins that could have gone either way, but the Chiefs found a way to win every time.

Linebacker Leo Chenal shares a remarkable story about one of those games, a shocking last-second winner over the rival Broncos, and a forgotten comment that led to an exchange that Chenal will never forget. We also get a glimpse into what many of the Chiefs' newest fans have been waiting impatiently for: the budding romance between a star Chiefs player and an international celebrity.

All in all, the theme behind Episode 3 is clear: the whole world loves the Chiefs.

EPISODE 4: THE FORMULA

The series takes us to mid-December of 2024, when the Chiefs' pursuit of a third consecutive Super Bowl was immediately in jeopardy.

Mahomes' ankle injury against the Browns led to days of questions: "How long will he be out?" or even, "Should they just sit him for the rest of the regular season?" It was the talk of the town for an entire week.

It is in this episode that we learn more about "the formula" that has worked for so long in Kansas City, and that is defense. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is highlighted in this episode, as well as the trade in March of 2022 that shocked the entire landscape of the NFL.

It was then that the Chiefs were able to revamp the entire makeup of their roster. Peter Schrager and Peter King take us down a journey of the legendary defenders of Chiefs past, and then we return to the 2024 Browns game, where (as Spagnuolo explains it): "We're finishing the game."

As the episode returns from the past to the present, we get an unprecedented look into the life of the CEO of Sack Nation, Chris Jones. The 2024 Chiefs season continues into Christmas, including the rigorous stretch in which Kansas City played three games in 11 days.

All in all, "the formula" for this team's climb from a mere Super Bowl winner into a bona fide juggernaut is brilliantly illustrated, as the team gives the town the ultimate Christmas present.

EPISODE 5: HEARTLAND

The Chiefs have certainly added to the fanbase in the last decade, but fans on a national level probably don't know the height and depth of the love this city has had for this team since its inception. Episode 5 gives us an up-close-and-personal look into one of the team's most iconic parts: the fanbase.

Though the results haven't always been there, Chiefs fans have stuck with this team through the decades. We see the matchless nature of the traditional tailgating at Arrowhead, hear from 50-year fans, and even see a famous TV character soccer manager out there throwing washers in the Arrowhead parking lot.

While The Kingdom traverses the Chiefs' pathway to the Divisional Round game vs. the Texans, and another legendary playoff game against the Bills for the right to go to the Super Bowl, ESPN also peeks into the life of Pat Mahomes Sr., as well as the tragic childhood of DeAndre Hopkins. It makes the imagery of Pat Sr. and Sabrina Greenlee (Hopkins' mother) being present at the Chiefs' win over Buffalo just that much sweeter.

We learn about the sweet redemption of George Karlaftis' play on the field against the Bills in 2024 and get a wildly honest quote from Chris Jones about the Chiefs' return to the Super Bowl.

EPISODE 6: THE PURSUIT

It may be a bitter pill to even press "play" on this episode, knowing the end, but hey, you went in to see Titanic even though you know the ship sinks.

The 2024 Chiefs' pursuit of the three-peat is intimately documented in this series, and though the outcome of Super Bowl LIX disappointed, Episode 6 does not. There is a wealth of perspectives in the 14 days leading up to the big game, and ultimately, there's nothing left but to kick it off.

If you're a true Chiefs fan, you'll be able to sit through the discomfort of what unfolded that day in New Orleans, but take some peace in knowing it's only about 12 minutes of pain (if you must, you can skip from kickoff at 29:30 ahead to the 41:52 mark).

Andy and Tammy Reid find peace in their surroundings, Brett Veach straps up his boots and gets back to work, and the story of the 2025 Chiefs begins. Mitch Holthus reminds us of what a dreamer Lamar Hunt was, and Clark bears the truth about his dad. The remarkable thing about this documentary is that it takes place in the midst of the timeline.

Though "the three-peat," as we know it, is now over, the dynasty lives on, and the heartbeat of this storied franchise echoes loudly through the words of Chris Jones as the series comes to a close.