JuicyTalk
Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Stick season 1, episode 10.The ending of Stick season 1 set up a huge development for Pryce Cahill (Owen Wilson) and Santi Wheeler (Peter Dager), and it’s possible Stick season 2 will feature an old pro golfer as well as a new one. The finale of Stick season 1 saw Santi lose the tournament, Pryce potentially restart his golf career, and Mitts (Marc Maron) and Elena (Mariana Treviño) start a relationship.
While it was one of the more golf-centric episodes of the season, the Stick finale also had some major emotional moments. There were also some confusing parts of the episode, especially for people who aren’t familiar with golf. Here’s everything you need to know about Stick‘s ending, from the symbolic meaning of the story to the golf mechanics of Santi’s game.
Is Pryce Going To Rejoin The PGA Tour In Stick Season 2?
It Looks Like Pryce Might Decide To Play Again After Learning How To Be A Coach
Though Stick season 1 focused almost entirely on Santi’s career as a golfer, the ending may have hinted that Pryce will make a big return to the PGA. Pryce’s golf career in Stick did end in disgrace at the Sawgrass Invitational in 2009, but he’s still got a way back into the league. Now that Stick season 1 is over, it looks like that’s exactly what the show has in mind.
We’ve already seen Pryce’s golf skills on display in the past, such as when he hustled Clark Ross (Timothy Olyphant) with an impressive shot. The final moments of Stick season 1 saw Pryce hit a shot that Santi could only describe by saying “holy s**t.” It’s clear that Pryce still has the skills needed to be a pro golfer, which is a really good sign that he’ll make his return as a player.
It’s also clear that Pryce still deeply loves the game of golf. When he hit that drive – and earlier this season, when he spent the whole night hitting in front of the RV – Pryce’s face lit up. Despite the pain he’s had from golf, Pryce still wants to play it. There may be no stopping Pryce from making his comeback.
Yet another reason it looks like Pryce will become a golfer again is because of what it would do for Stick. Pryce has already “mastered” the art of coaching and listening to Santi. Being a player again would give him a new dynamic in Stick season 2 and potentially even set up a student vs. teacher rivalry between Pryce and Santi. It seems extremely likely that Pryce is becoming a golfer again.
Did Santi Lose The ReadySafe Invitational? His Final Shots Explained
Santi Did Lose, But His Final Shots Were So Impressive That He’s Gained A Huge Following & Is In A Great Spot To Join The PGA Tour
Another somewhat surprising part of Stick season 1’s finale was Santi’s performance at the ReadySafe Invitational. Instead of winning, Santi tanked the last four holes of the day and lost the tournament with a -4 under par. What was a bit confusing was the celebration that followed Santi’s loss, especially for people who aren’t as familiar with golf.
Related
“It Won’t Bring Him Back”: What Happened To Pryce & Amber-Linn’s Son, Jett, In Stick?
Pryce and Amber-Linn’s son, Jett, met a dark fate sometime before Stick takes place, but what exactly happened to him, and how did it affect Pryce?
Everyone was celebrating for Santi because, though he lost, Santi’s performance on the 18th hole was simply astounding. Hitting an eagle is incredibly difficult, especially after Santi’s awful initial drive. He hit two insanely difficult shots in a row as an amateur, which is more than enough reason to celebrate.
Even though Santi lost, his performance at the ReadySafe Invitational was a massive win. As we’ve already seen, Santi now has a huge following on social media, some real name recognition, and even a nickname from golf legend Jim Nantz. Santi didn’t earn a PGA tour card, but he’s in an extraordinarily good place to earn it next year.
Why Gary Was So Mean To Santi At The End Of Stick Season 1
Gary Is An Abuser & Treating Santi Like An Object Was More Important Than Winning To Him
The single biggest reason Santi didn’t win the ReadySafe Invitational is because of his father, Gary Wheeler (Mackenzie Astin). Gary was verbally and emotionally abusing Santi as soon as he had a bad shot, and it was enough to ruin Santi’s mental game and turn the last four holes of the day into a nightmare. Gary was such a bad influence that it’s a wonder why he was being so mean.
Related
Timothy Olyphant Has Now Been Replaced As The Biggest Villain In His Hit New Apple TV+ Show
Timothy Olyphant was playing the main villain of Apple TV+’s Stick, but he’s just been replaced by a new character after a single episode.
Gary wanted Santi to win the tournament, and it was also pretty clear that verbally abusing him wasn’t helping. While a normal person may have decided to be nice to Santi to get him to play better, Gary isn’t a normal person, he’s an abuser. The idea of being nice to Santi to get him to play better never even occurred to Gary because he thinks of Santi as essentially his property.
When Santi played poorly, Gary reacted in the way you might react if your car doesn’t start: with anger and frustration. To Gary, Santi is just a tool to live out a pro golf career. Even though it would have helped Santi win, Gary was never going to be a kind and caring parent to Santi because he’s just not a kind and caring person.
How Stick Season 1’s Ending Sets Up Season 2
Stick Season 2 Can Follow Santi’s Pro Career, Pryce’s Return To Playing, Or Both
The finale of Stick season 1 set up two major paths that a second season could use. The first option Stick season 2 has is following Pryce’s return to professional golf as a player. Owen Wilson is the main star power of Stick, and seeing him play again opens up so many opportunities for Stick season 2. It would also be a perfect change to his dynamic with Santi.
Related
The Perfect Ted Lasso Replacement On Apple TV+ Just Released A Mini-Masterpiece
Many viewers may have stopped watching Owen Wilson’s Stick after some weak episodes, but episode 7 finally brought back the show’s best qualities.
The other main option Stick season 2 has is a bit more straightforward: following Santi’s second chance at joining the PGA Tour. Stick already set up a lot of advantages for Santi, from his newfound fame to the budding relationships he’s making in the PGA with golfers like Collin Morikawa. It may be a bit predictable, but the easiest way for Stick to continue is simply by continuing Santi’s story with higher stakes.
Stick, however, may get a chance to have its cake and eat it too. Stick season 2 could be mainly focused on Santi’s debut as a pro golfer while simultaneously having Pryce training to make his own return to the PGA. That way, Stick season 2 could relive some of the highlights of season 1 while also setting up a wildly different third season focused on Pryce.
The Real Meaning Of Stick Season 1’s Ending
Stick Is A Story About Fatherhood & The Love Of The Game, & Moving On With Life
Now that Stick season 1 is over, we can look at what the golf comedy was actually about and what messages it left for its audience. The three biggest themes of Stick are fatherhood and the love of golf, but more broadly, the reason why anybody should do anything and moving on with life. Stick accomplished that mainly through Pryce and Santi separately and together.
Pryce’s story was almost entirely centered around his desire to be a father. Santi was Pryce’s chance to be a father after Jett’s death, and he was also Pryce’s path towards healing. At the start of the season, Pryce was a wreck. After meeting Santi and fostering a real relationship with him, however, Pryce was in the best mental health of his life and even made up with his ex-wife, Amber-Linn.
Related
Stick is an enjoyable, almost effortless watch, and even when its story couldn’t always deliver, I appreciated what the sports dramedy was going for.
The climax of Pryce’s story also revolved around Santi and his relationship to him as a surrogate father. As Mitts said, he had to be there for Santi the person, not the golfer, and Pryce didn’t let that opportunity pass him by. Because of Santi, Pryce finally got the chance to be a part of the mundane parts of fatherhood that he never got to experience with Jett.
Meanwhile, Santi’s story was about why he was playing golf. As Pryce mentioned, Santi was playing for other people throughout the entire season. Stick season 1 was Santi’s journey to heal his relationship with golf and himself and finally play just because he loves to play. Santi is effectively Stick‘s love letter to golf the sport.
Stick season 1 was their chance to “take a big swing” and start living again in the present.
There are some other broad themes Stick touches on through other characters. Perhaps the most important is the need to move on with life. Everyone – Pryce, Santi, Mitts, and Elena – was watching life pass them by because they couldn’t move on from whatever messed them up. Stick season 1 was their chance to “take a big swing” and start living again in the present.
