Chad Powers season 1 episode 5 ending explained: What happened to Jake Hudson?

Among Hulu’s recent breakout comedies, Chad Powers season 1 stands out for its sharp satire and surprisingly emotional storytelling. The series, created by Eli Manning and Glen Powell, follows Russ Holliday, a disgraced quarterback who reinvents himself under the alias “Chad Powers” to chase one last shot at redemption. What begins as a hilarious send-up of college football culture quickly morphs into a layered character study about ego, reinvention, and the dangers of believing your own myth.

Episode 5, titled 5th Quarter, delivers the season’s biggest gut punch so far. As the South Georgia Catfish chase a perfect record, the double lives of both Chad and Coach Jake Hudson begin to unravel. 

The Hudson dilemma: When success becomes a curse

The shocking twist of Chad Powers season 1 episode 5 begins with Russ’s chance encounter at a bar — a hookup that, by pure misfortune, turns out to be with Wendy Hudson, Coach Jake Hudson’s wife. The revelation that the woman Russ met the night before is his mentor’s wife hits like a brick wall, cementing the idea that Russ truly is cursed. There’s no way he could have known: during his earlier visit to the Hudson home, Jake’s daughter, Ricky, had deliberately removed all family photos. Had those pictures remained, Russ might’ve recognized Wendy before their ill-fated meeting — but destiny, as the show suggests, has a cruel sense of humor.

Tricia arranges a follow-up segment for ESPN—pitched as “Chad’s casual picnic with the Hudsons”—that inadvertently becomes the stage for one of the most awkward on-camera breakdowns in the show so far. As Chad struggles to contain a panic attack, Wendy unravels under guilt, flipping the script by accusing Jake of emotional neglect. Her confession that her infidelity stems from Jake’s obsession with football exposes years of resentment and loneliness. It’s not the first time, either — she previously had an affair with her personal trainer and blamed that on Jake’s absence.

The tension escalates after the camera crew leaves. Ricky, having spotted Russ earlier at a Knoxville hotel, begins to suspect that he’s stalking her family. Inside the house, Jake’s emotional turmoil peaks. Haunted by guilt, betrayal, and his unresolved rivalry with Russ, he begins to spiral, convinced that rejecting Russ from his team has cursed him in return. His anger turns to panic, and mid-rant, he clutches his chest — suffering what appears to be a heart attack.

As he collapses, he tells Ricky to call 911 while Russ stands frozen, stricken with guilt and disbelief. The episode cuts to black, leaving Jake’s fate uncertain and Russ’s so-called “curse” feeling all too real. It’s a moment that redefines the show’s tone — turning a sports satire into something closer to a tragic morality tale.

Recap of Chad Powers Season 1 Episode 5

Before the dramatic ending, the episode, titled 5th Quarter, tracks Russ’s worsening grip on reality. He spends the first half of the episode dodging Tricia’s media clean-up efforts after his bizarre ESPN segment, where he credited Benjamin Franklin as his inspiration. Danny notices how Russ has started referring to Chad in the third person, treating his disguise as a separate being. Meanwhile, Russ’s lonely night out leads to his fateful encounter with Wendy Hudson. What begins as harmless flirtation quickly turns into a mistake that sets the stage for disaster. Danny’s growing unease peaks when Russ declares that he wants surgery to look more like Chad permanently—a chilling moment that underscores how far he’s fallen.

By the time the ESPN crew arrives at the Hudsons’ home, everything that could go wrong does. Wendy’s breakdown, Jake’s collapse, and Russ’s stunned silence leave the episode hanging on a cliff edge that redefines the show’s tone. It’s part cringe comedy, part Greek tragedy—and it works brilliantly.

With Jake Hudson’s fate uncertain and Russ’s identity in tatters, the finale is set to deliver reckoning and revelation in equal measure. As the line between his two identities blurs beyond recognition, one truth remains: every disguise has an expiration date.