With Kevin James‘ The Crew landing on Netflix the day after the Daytona 500, viewers have been talking about several prominent storylines. Some have discussed Kim Coates in a guest role, while others have mentioned James’ choice of eyewear. Specifically, they wanted to know why he was wearing an eye patch in one episode.
James turned heads when he walked into the Bobby Spencer Racing facility with one eye covered. “You all right?” Gary Anthony Williams’ character asked. “No, no, I’m fine,” James responded. “Everybody’s fine, thanks to me.” He proceeded to explain how he sustained the injury while trying to help rescue the neighbor’s cat.
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That’s what we’re Hawk-ing about!
Now Streaming on @Netflixisajoke: #TheCrew. pic.twitter.com/TqOLFtEKpH
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 17, 2021
“I saw this white-tailed hawk just circling, so I said, ‘ you know what? Not today, hawk,’” James continued. He said that he shimmied up the tree and tried to throw a palm strike at the hawk. The bird dodged, but he grabbed it around the neck and engaged in close-range combat.
The story, as it turns out, isn’t as exactly straightforward as James makes it sound. There is a very different reason for why he wears an eye patch throughout the episode, but that information does not surface until much later. Though the prop does provide ample opportunities for the cast to make jokes about James’ limited vision and throw objects at him from his bad side.
The storyline featuring his eye patch and the reactions from the team both serve as examples of the family dynamic inherent to NASCAR teams, as well as the good-natured jokes in the business place. James mentioned this aspect of the sport during a roundtable interview. He explained that he was initially hesitant to sign on for the sitcom due to not seeing how a racing comedy would work.
James continued and explained that his opinion changed after seeing a script from Jeff Lowell. “I realized that it is the same,” James said to the gathered media members. “It’s a family, it’s set on the greatest stage ever. It’s insane what NASCAR is. The sport just blew me away.”
The Crew premiered via Netflix on Monday, the day after the Daytona 500. James partners with Jillian Mueller, Freddie Stroma, Gary Anthony Williams, Dan Ahdoot, and Sarah Stiles among others to tell a different NASCAR story. Several other industry figures, such as Ryan Blaney and pit reporter Jamie Little, make cameo appearances as well.
