The following contains spoilers for Young Rock Season 3, Episode 1, "The People Need You," which debuted Nov. 4 on NBC.
NBC's Young Rock has given viewers a different perspective on Dwayne Johnson. While the show is dramatized, it's proven there's much more to him than his 20 years in Hollywood. His success leading movies like Black Adam comes from what he experienced as a young man and the scene-stealing influence of his father Rocky Johnson.
Before he lit the wrestling ring afire and could hold his own with Superman, Dwayne suffered many hardships. He overcame poverty, the decline of his NFL career and struggling to find love. Young Rock Season 3's premiere puts his most crushing moment on full display -- but uses it to reshape his fictional political ambitions.
Young Rock Goes From Hero to Zero
As Dwayne chats with Randall Park about his history, he reveals that he met famous faces like Cyndi Lauper and Hulk Hogan, but he also had to overcome the stigma of nepotism. He was keen to follow in his dad's footsteps when he signed to wrestle for Vince McMahon but failed to win over the fans. His inability to be authentic on the microphone meant that McMahon had him drop the Intercontinental Belt in 1997 to the late Owen Hart. This decision upset Dwayne, but he persevered with flashbacks showing the likes of Mankind and Stone Cold urging him on.
However, his Rocky Maivia persona kept getting a bad reception -- to the point that he was taken off live TV and reduced to wrestling at house shows. Fans ridiculed him with nasty chants and when Dwayne injured his knee, he took a break to reassess his career. This turn of events pushed him to become his iconic heel character The Rock. But Dwayne was still scared he'd be tossed out of the company like his father if McMahon no longer deemed him viable.
Young Rock Season 3 Adds a Political Twist
Young Rock has Dwayne admit to Park that he learned from all those trials and tribulations. He was especially heartened by the support he got from the likes of Bret "The Hitman" Hart. Dwayne began to understand there was community even among competitors, which leads into the episode's final moments, in which he gets a phone call from now-President Taft. In the fictional part of the show, Dwayne barely lost the election to Taft, but he's willing to be diplomatic with his rival after remembering his old colleagues' support.
Taft makes it clear he's got a national crisis coming and the country needs Dwayne. Despite their political differences, Dwayne is a man of the people, as his "People's Champ" persona proved. It remains to be seen what Taft will use him for or if he's even reasonable with his request, but Young Rock fans are eager to see how Dwayne will handle this latest defeat and take on a 'real-world' heroic mantle. The plot twist lands better because viewers have a greater context for the moment.
Young Rock airs Fridays at 8:30 p.m. on NBC and streams on Peacock.