Chad Powers season 1 episode 5 ending explained: Why does Jake dislike Russ Holliday?

In Chad Powers season 1 episode 5, Chad is falling apart at the seams about his future, about possibly being cursed, and the fact that the line between his Russ Holliday and Chad Powers personas is starting to blur. Throughout the episode, he is convinced that Russ's curse of bad luck will rub off on Chad, who is having a pretty good run.

His curse theory is seemingly proved in Chad Powers season 1 episode 5, as it's Chad who's paying for Russ's actions. During the do-over of Chad's interview, Jake's wife, Wendy, blurts out about her infidelity, which she blames on Jake. Jake dislikes Russ because he hooked up with his wife the previous night, apart from the fact that he doesn't particularly like his personality.

Meanwhile, Chad Powers is feeling like his entire world is breaking down, with Russ's bad luck rubbing off on him. Even worse, Jake could be impacted by that bad luck as well.

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers for Chad Powers season 1 episode 5. Reader's discretion is advised.

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Does Jake find another reason to hate Russ in Chad Powers season 1 episode 5?

Russ hooks up with Wendy (Image via Hulu/YouTube)

While at the bar in Chad Powers season 1 episode 5, Russ meets a woman and hooks up in his cybertruck, which also leads them to talking about happiness and if he deserves it or not. While this encounter appears to be random, the duo's conversation leads to Russ's life-changing decision, which has grave consequences for Chad Powers the following day.

When he becomes Chad the next day for the interview at Jake's house, he meets the woman from the other night. She turns out to be Jake's wife, Wendy. While Wendy doesn't recognize him, Chad panics while trying to keep his composure. But that's not the only problem, because after Wendy and Jake's heated argument, she blurts out about the hook-up.

This leads to Jake ranting about why he dislikes Russ Holliday in front of Ricky and the morose-looking Chad. He calls Russ a cancer, which is why he didn't want the team to recruit him as a quarterback before. After learning about Wendy and Russ, he believes that his decision to reject Russ was the right one, but he also thinks it has come back to haunt him.

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Chad Powers season 1 episode 5: Jake suffers a heart attack

Coach Jake Hudson (Image via Hulu/YouTube)

From the heated argument with Wendy about her infidelity and how she blames him and his job for it, to ranting about Russ, things catch up with Jake at the end of Chad Powers season 1 episode 5. In the middle of his rant, he tells Ricky to call 911 as he starts to breathe heavily and thinks he's having a heart attack.

Meanwhile, Chad is tensing up in the background. In a matter of minutes, things have gotten serious. Technically, he hasn't betrayed Jake. Despite sleeping with the coach's wife the previous night, he has no way of knowing that the woman is, in fact, Wendy. That said, it looks like Russ's bad luck has rubbed off on him.

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What does Russ/Chad decide for his future in Chad Powers season 1 episode 5?

Before all the chaos in Jake's house, Russ's encounter with Wendy in Chad Powers season 1 episode 5 leads to a possibly life-altering decision. Russ becomes Chad, now uncharacteristically upbeat, and he tells Danny that he has made a decision about the future: he's going to be Chad from now on.

He announces that he has already started to erase Russ Holliday and his online footprint. Chad even says that he has found someone to help him change his physical appearance and make his 'Chad looks' permanent. However, Danny thinks he's spiraling and having an emotional breakdown.

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Catch Chad Powers season 1 episode 5, along with the show's previous episodes, streaming on Hulu and Disney+.