DISCLAIMER: This recap of the A League of Their Own episode “Stealing Home” has spoilers. Remember, there’s no crying in baseball. Proceed at your peril.
Welcome back, Rockford Peaches! “Stealing Home” is A League of Their Own‘s best episode thus far, bolstered by impactful, gut-wrenching performances, deft exploration of essential themes and an enthralling story. Plus, the addition of Rosie O’Donnell, a.k.a. Doris Murphy in the 1992 film, is such a brilliant move.
Ready to delve into “Stealing Home”? Let’s get to it.
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There’s No Place Like Home
We open with our gals signing an autograph after watching The Wizard of Oz. Esti (Priscilla Delgado) complains to Lupe (Roberta Colindrez) that nobody invited her to the movie, while Lupe shoots back that Esti’s had three months to work on her English. Meanwhile, Carson (Abbi Jacobson) overhears Beverly (Dale Dickey) having a serious conversation on the phone with someone.
Beverly reveals that Mr. Baker believes they’ll shut down the major leagues the following year, so the women’s league should prepare to overtake their fields. The Rockford Peaches have significantly improved their wins and chances of snagging the crown at the championships. However, here’s the rub: Baker wants to trade the Peaches’ best players to the two teams he believes will be in the championships, a.k.a. the Blue Sox and the Comets. Carson asserts they’ll make it to the top. They can do it!
Meanwhile, Max (Chanté Adams) debuts her adorable new haircut courtesy of Bertie (Lea Robinson) at the bowling alley. She plays a competitive game with Gracie (Patrice Covington) while the dapper-looking Bertie chats it up with a friend. It’s lovely to see Max adapt quickly to Bertie’s pronouns in that age.
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Max admires Bertie’s suit and vents her frustrations at being a woman. She believes she wouldn’t get pestered with questions about marriage and kids. He reminds Max that it’s not that easy.
Later, Max arrives home to find Clance (Gbemisola Ikumelo) creating some kickass comics to send to Guy. Max tells her BFF that she was out with other friends, garnering a snort from the latter.
Peaches versus the World
Next, we see the Peaches slay the Comets in their next match. Carson tries to persuade Alan Baker (Don Fanelli) to consider the Peaches as championship material. After all, they did cream the Comets. When they return home, Carson conjures a game plan regarding how to move forward. The championships are close at hand. While she and Greta (D’Arcy Carden) discuss the existence of luck, Carson reveals her desire to take Greta out on an actual date. Greta seems reluctant.
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Then, Carson eavesdrops on a conversation between Lupe and Beverly. It sounds like Lupe wants to transfer to another team. So, she follows Lupe outside to confront her. Carson winds up at the entrance of a nondescript door in an empty alleyway. Carson asks a man at a desk if he saw Lupe. It’s a front for a “tax solutions” business, but the man suspects Carson isn’t there to do her taxes. He asks Carson if she’s a “friend of Dorothy.” Of course, Carson has no clue what that means.
The man directs her to a covert establishment, wherein Lupe sits. There’s lively music, dancing and alcohol aplenty. Carson catches her with a woman from the Comets and accuses Lupe of trying to leave the Peaches. It takes a while to dawn on her that Lupe is on a date.
Oz
Jess (Kelly McCormack) also wanders over with drinks. Crossed wires exist between Lupe and Carson, as neither of them is on the same page. Lupe insists she asked Beverly to trade rooms because she doesn’t want to bunk with Esti anymore. Jess encourages Carson to look around them, and Carson finally takes in the sight. She sees men dancing with men, women cozying up to women and love existing openly and freely. Jess claims she suspected Carson was “one of them” after she found Carson sleeping next to Greta.
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Meanwhile, Max and Clance also watch The Wizard of Oz. Max cries, much to Clance’s disbelief. Clance launches into a tirade detailing the concealed metaphors in The Wizard of Oz, namely dealing with the theme of colonization and Africa representing Munchkinland while Europe is Emerald City. Admittedly, Clance makes some fantastic points here.
Bertie’s Gift
Amid Clance’s frenzied deconstruction of The Wizard of Oz, we hear a knock on the door. Bertie stops by with a gift for Max. Clance has no clue that Max finally met her uncle. After Clance departs, Max chastises Bertie for showing up unannounced. She claims she’s not like him. Bertie comments on the double standard present, as Max can go on dates with him and his wife, but he’s not allowed to visit her at home. Bertie leaves.
Next, we see Jess and Lupe in their collective element as they snag twin sisters. Jess explains that they’ve been with countless women since they started playing for the Peaches. While wooing the sisters, Lupe orders Carson to grab them drinks. Admittedly, Lupe and Jess are smooth as butter.
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A League of Their Own
So, Carson asks for drinks from the bartender, who happens to be the owner. Vi (O’Donnell) commends Carson for making history on an all-women baseball team. And as a female coach! We learn that Edie (Stephanie Erb), who asked for Carson’s autograph at the beginning of the episode, is married to Vi. They own this bar. Carson tries to absorb how any of this is possible. Vi and Edie explain they had to move around a lot, but they’ve had this establishment for six years. They even got married there. Carson compares this place to Oz — a heaven on Earth.
Then, Carson asks everyone to give a motivational speech before their games. We see a montage of just that, each player doling out their most encouraging words. The Peaches continue their hot streak. The newspaper’s front page spins into view with the headline, “Peaches on the Verge of Playoffs.” Meanwhile, another headline, “‘Germany Must Be Disarmed'” Says Belgian Counselor,” isn’t quite as important. Sports take precedence over global crises!
Later, Carson takes Greta on a date to a pizza place. She tells Greta all about the bar she attended and tries to persuade Greta to go with her. Hey, Jo (Melanie Field) did encourage Greta in a previous episode to break the rules. Greta seems hesitant, but Carson will get her there.
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Max opens the gift Bertie gave her, which contains a spiffy suit. She tries it on in front of her mirror. Folks, Max pulls it off. I had no doubt she would.
Not Fitting the Mold
After another victorious Peaches game, Max meets with Carson in the locker room. Max asks Carson what it feels like to be with Greta, so Carson utilizes food metaphors to describe her lovers. Charlie is warm bread (not toast), while Greta is pizza. Max and Carson feel they don’t fit into any particular box, while Max tires of everyone around her telling her who she should be. My heart breaks for my baby Max.
Then, Carson and Max sit silently for a while, absorbing the personal revelations they’ve divulged. I’m enjoying the evolving relationship between these two.
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Later, the Peaches are victorious against the Comets. Maybelle (Molly Ephraim) informs Jess and Lupe that Esti is missing, so the pair set out to find her while Greta, Carson and Jo head to the bar. Meanwhile, Max dons her new suit for Bertie and Gracie’s house party. She locks eyes with a woman called “S” (Andia Winslow) and becomes instantly smitten.
Loving Out Loud
Greta and Carson hold hands proudly while walking through Vi and Edie’s bar, while Jo finds a beautiful woman with whom to dance. Max reunites with Bertie and apologizes for how she treated him. Bertie notices she put her twist on the suit, and Max tells him she wanted to wear it this way. What a powerful statement. What a beautiful character.
Max tracks down S and dances with her. There’s even some kissing! Carson and Greta also kiss on the bar’s dance floor while Jo gets intimate with her dance partner. Such gorgeous displays of love in this episode. Suddenly, it all comes crashing down. The police burst into the bar, arresting Vi and Edie on sight. Carson and Greta are separated from Jo as everyone tries to flee the bar and evade arrest. We see the police using unnecessary brute force against Vi and Edie, repeatedly pummeling the couple.
Oz Is Gone
Greta and Carson escape into the adjoining theater during another showing of The Wizard of Oz. Unfortunately, they don’t know what happened to Jo. The brutal imagery of the police beating Vi and Edie is spliced with footage of Max dancing merrily with S and shots of Carson and Greta sitting in utter shock.
Carson tries to hold Greta’s hand, but she pulls away.
“Stealing Home” boasts multiple meanings when considering the episode’s narrative. There’s the baseball term; then there’s the literal stealing of home when the police raid Vi and Edie’s safe haven for countless LGBTQIA+ folks. Of course, I’d be remiss if I omitted any mention of The Wizard of Oz and how Carson compared the bar to Oz. A paradise. The “friend of Dorothy.”
In TWOZ, Dorothy wants to go home. Max and Carson both struggle with self-identity, grappling for a firm handhold to lead them to where they feel at home — environmentally, emotionally and physically. They want to find their respective sanctuaries. I could pen an essay on the themes in this outing, but I’ll refrain from doing so (for now).
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“Stealing Home” is, undoubtedly, the most symbolic of the series, laden with profound nuance and thought-provoking themes. It’s as heartbreaking as it is sharply funny, with performers like Chanté Adams, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Roberta Colindrez, D’Arcy Carden and Abbi Jacobson delivering compelling performances.
With two episodes left, will our Peaches make it to the championships? Will Max resume her pursuit of baseball? Where is Jo? Join me while I continue recapping A League of Their Own, only on Geek Girl Authority.
A League of Their Own Season 1 is now streaming on Prime Video.
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What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events.
Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet.
Bylines in: Tell-Tale TV, Culturess, Sideshow Collectibles, and inkMend on Medium.
Critic: Rotten Tomatoes, CherryPicks, and the Hollywood Creative Alliance.
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