SPOILER ALERT: The following contains spoilers for the most recent installment of All for One. If your eye sockets have yet to be indoctrinated to the visual delight that is Episode 7, I suggest you grab your favorite TV snack and watch right now. (I recommend Junior Mints as a snack. It’s chocolate, it’s peppermint, it’s delicious … it’s very refreshing.)




I couldn’t get enough of the music selection throughout this episode. I’ve always been a fan of this show but for some reason I felt like the music in this episode helped take it to the next level. Aside from the music, we get some great candid moments from Greg Vanney and the players.




As the episode starts it takes only 10 seconds to get fully sucked in. That’s the moment when Vanney starts talking about what it feels like when you lose, and the self doubt that follows. As we are drawn into the coach talking candidly we see a hauntingly beautiful montage of visuals, the most striking of which is Chris Konopka as he heads into the dugout at Yankee Stadium.

Next, we’re brought into a TFC BBQ where players, staff and family gather for an afternoon away from the beautiful game. We even get a little TFC v TFC II badminton match, where only one Osorio can come away victorious with Anthony and Jonathan facing off on opposite sides. We also catch a glimpse of the TFC players who have children or are expecting shortly, like Justin Morrow and Herculez Gomez.




My favorite part of the BBQ has to be watching all these guys take a break from the rigours of the game. Disappointingly there was no beard growing competition between Konopka and Gomez, at least not on camera … maybe that’s why Gomez had to chop off his glorious chin curtain soon after.




Perhaps on a high from the BBQ, we see the Reds defeat the Impact. This game put the Reds in a great position in the table and is the high point of the episode. The team then headed to Seattle where the Reds were missing a number of starters, including Morrow who had to leave Seattle for the birth of his daughter. Though the final score was not in the Reds’ favour we have to give a shout out to Eriq Zavaleta for his goal, which was a sweet moment to rewatch again.




The visit to Sick Kids hospital brought things into perspective. This was a nice moment that shows what these guys bring to the Toronto community. We saw more of the team’s community impact before the New England game with Michael Bradley paying a visit to kids in the Best Buddies program.

All in all I enjoyed this episode, it was a real challenge for the All for One production crew as they had to deal with documenting three losses in four games, but through the dramatic shots and the reaction we were able to live in those moments. It’ may not be fun to be brought down to that level, but it’s real, and that’s what this show has consistently provided for me as a viewer, the rawness and emotionality of it all … hey, I’m starting to get the title of the episode.

Best Moment

At the TFC BBQ they had a caricature artist drawing Damien Perquis. Now normally a caricature has exaggerated facial features but based on the face Perquis was making when posing this one feels pretty accurate. It’s nice to see Perquis’ side away from the pitch. We’ve seen so much passion and emotion from him on the field; it’s good to see his lighthearted nature off of it.

Grab A Tissue Moment

Michael Bradley really takes the cake for touching moments in this episode. We see a whole new side of the General as we see him playing with his child at the BBQ and doing some charitable work with the Best Buddies program before. When Michael talks about how he calls his son his Best Buddy and how that made this program so enticing when he saw the name shows that he is a man that has his priorities in order.

Best Beard

I was probably going to award this to expectant father Herc but sadly he has forsaken all of us beard enthusiasts by deciding to hack off his facial ventilation system. So the winner becomes clear, Chris Konopka will be awarded this fictitious and yet very prestigious award. As a prize he will be awarded cheap sunglasses and three music lessons so he can not only look like ZZ Top, but play like them too.

Missed an episode? Catch up on this season by clicking here.