The Mega-Brands That Built America Season 3 seizes on the expression “reinventing the wheel” as the HISTORY Channel series reaches its season finale. Season 3, Episode 10 is literally called “Reinventing the Wheel” because it details the rivalry between tire manufacturers Goodyear and Firestone, which is a somewhat surprising choice for the final episode of the season.

Season finales in the scripted TV world are expected to be the biggest episodes of the season. They feature the most exciting plots and usually some kind of surprise to entice fans to return next season. Obviously, unscripted TV doesn’t quite work the same way, but finales still can be huge events. Talking about tires—considering that the wheel is one of the most well-known inventions in human history—might sound not big enough. This story might also feel out of order, since Mega-Brands covered the rental car industry in Season 3, Episode 7, “Fight for the Fast Lane.” But that’s not quite the case.

It will indeed be worth re-watching “Life in the Fast Lane” after seeing “Reinventing the Wheel” (which viewers can do on history.com and the HISTORY app), but the reason why The Mega-Brands That Built America saved this one for last becomes apparent about 15 minutes into the episode. Without spoiling, it’s not just a back and forth between two manufacturers who have the same or similar ideas. The stories of Firestone and Goodyear are intertwined in more ways than one. That makes this one of the more complex, and more dramatic, episodes the series has ever done.

Viewers find themselves thrust into a game of constant oneupsmanship, and there’s not necessarily a clear side to root for. Both main players are cast as the hero and the villain at different times, which is a very honest look at the story. Other episodes have had more out and out antagonists (in a narrative sense); this one keeps fans re-evaluating their opinions throughout. There’s not a clear-cut “winner.” But that’s never been the point of this show. The Mega-Brands That Built America has always explored the process of innovation as much as the people, and in that way, this finale delivers. That inability for the audience to pick a side means that they become more focused on the evolution that the rivalry creates.

The installment also continues a pattern that’s become more prominent in the second half of the season: it’s pulling in more industries beyond the one at its core. In the latter stages of the story, Mega-Brands goes into the wide reach of both Firestone and Goodyear, and importantly it doesn’t just cover motorsports. (Sports fans will know that Firestone is the tire brand of the NTT IndyCar Series and Goodyear is a partner of NASCAR.) But the creative team has done their homework and included the other interests of both brands as well. As hopefully we look ahead to The Mega-Brands That Built America Season 4, one wonders if the next season would become more broad, and dive further into the fallout of each business battle.

It’s not yet known if there will be a fourth season. However, “Reinventing the Wheel” makes that case, just as the episodes before it have quietly done. This seemingly basic subject is revealed to be not only more complex, but messy and incredibly human. The Mega-Brands That Built America leaves the audience not only a lot smarter at the end of Season 3, but also likely with the same satisfaction they get from watching a great movie. The story of the tire becomes a perfect note to end on.

The Mega-Brands That Built America airs Sundays at 10:00 p.m. on HISTORY. Episodes from all three seasons are also streaming on the HISTORY app, history.com and on demand. Photo Credit: A&E Television Networks/Lucky8, courtesy of the HISTORY Channel.

Article content is (c)2020-2025 Brittany Frederick and may not be excerpted or reproduced without express written permission by the author. Follow me on Twitter at @BFTVTwtr and on Instagram at @BFTVGram. For story pitches, contact me at tvbrittanyf@yahoo.com.