WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for American Sports Story.
FX's series finale American sports history features a hallucinatory conversation between Aaron Hernandez and his father, Dennis. From the first two episodes of American sports historyAaron Hernandez's life and NFL career were heading toward a tragic and frightening endpoint that resulted in the former New England Patriot and star tight end receiving a life sentence for the murder of Odin Lloyd. Starting with his emergence as an offensive weapon on Urban Meyer's legendary but controversial Florida Gators team and receiving the coveted John Mackey Award, BUTT episode 10 ends with Hernandez behind bars in a federal prison.
American sports history episode 10 "Who Killed Aaron Hernandez?" chronicles Hernandez's second murder and death-by-suicide trial in 2017. Episode 9 put Hernandez's ex-fiancee, Shayanna Jenkins, in the spotlight by choosing to defend Hernandez during his arrest and murder conviction. The series also portrays Hernandez's famous lawyer, Jose Baez, and his defense in the alleged double homicide in 2012 in Boston. At the end of American sports history In the end, Hernandez takes his own life in his prison cell just days after being acquitted of two additional counts of murder.
Aaron Hernandez imagines a final conversation with his father while in prison
His father says he loves him and reminds him of his success in the NFL
One of the final scenes of American sports history the ending depicts Aaron talking to his late father, Dennis, which sets a tone of foreshadowing of what is to come. Dennis was a highly influential figure in Hernandez's life, but he was also physically and emotionally abusive. Despite that, Aaron chooses not to blame his father for his terrible life choices during the phone call. Hernandez finally takes responsibility and admits to himself that he has lost his way on his long path of trying to make his father proud through football. Dennis tells Aaron he loves him, words Aaron hasn't heard from him since high school.
Hernandez is high on synthetic cannabis during this scene, but the central message of the conversation highlights Hernandez coming to terms with the pain he has felt and inflicted on others. It portrays how both the positive and negative impacts of Aaron's father, Dennis, have followed him throughout his life. This culminates with Hernandez as a victim of several forces: physical abuse and toxic masculinity from his father, alleged sexual abuse by an unidentified person as a child, chronic cannabis use and abuse of various substances, closeted homosexuality and repressed sexuality, and a lack of intervention. medical by elite football programs leading to undiagnosed, advanced Stage 3 CTE.
Why Aaron Hernandez Starts Reciting John 3:16
Hernandez became increasingly religious in prison
Hernandez begins reciting the Bible verse John 3:16 while speaking to his father in this dream sequence. This is probably intended to capture how Hernandez became increasingly religious during his time in prison and wrote religious statements to his wife, Shayanna, and daughter, Avielle, in what are considered his last letters. In them, Hernandez wrote: "I am entering the timeless realm that I can enter in any form at any time because everything that could happen or didn't happen I see all at once! Life is eternal — believe me!!!" He also wrote: "NOT LONG AGO. I AM BEING CALLED! JOHN 3:16" (through New York Post Office).
John 3:16 says: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."
It's also worth noting that former Florida Gator quarterback Tim Tebow encouraged him to delve deeper into religion while they were teammates. Tebow was known for writing several Bible verses, including "John 3:16" on his black eye during college and NFL games. However, there is no evidence to suggest that Hernandez was making a direct call or paying tribute to him in this way. What is clear is that Hernandez was experiencing a kind of religious ecstasy in the days before his suicide. His religious beliefs are not necessarily linked to his father.
The reason why Aaron's conversation with his father at the end of American Sports Story is so important
The scene allows Aaron freedom and peace while also portraying his unstable mental state.
Hernandez finally faces his demons and takes responsibility for his actions during his final conversation with his father in American sports history. Not only is he assured that his father loves him, but more importantly, he is able to separate his identity from football and the expectations his father had for him. In this way, Hernandez is freer than ever, despite the tragic irony of him serving a life sentence. Dennis Hernandez was the most important person in the world to Aaron, whose death completely shook his world. Although Aaron found some spiritual retribution in this scene, his conversation with his father also revealed his inner turmoil and instability in American sports history.