Round Two: Ballers

Ballers: Season 1, Episode 2 “Raise Up” (C+)

I’m not sure what I was hoping for in this show’s second installment, but there’s no real reason for me to give up on this show just yet as it’s only half an hour and I feel like I’ll know by the time all the summer TV really starts kicking off if it’s worth sticking around. I like Dwayne Johnson’s Spencer, a cocky main character who still understands that working hard is important, and he’s the closest to a straight arrow that there is here, aside from Charles. It’s impossible not to like Charles, who is a damn good car salesman and is trying to keep it that way despite the best efforts of Dulé Hill’s Larry to recruit him back to the sport he left too soon. The other two prominent supporting players who seem to be monopolizing time in an interesting way are Rob Corddry’s Joe and Troy Garity’s Jason. Joe is a typical Corddry character, possessing some redeeming serious qualities but otherwise there for constant comic relief. Jason, on the other hand, is just as aggressive and intense but not meant to be perceived quite as humorously. Neither are strong enough personalities to make this show feel accessible, and I think that the vibe I’m getting from it is very much that this is going to be the nature of the show, inviting to those with a serious interest in its world and not too energizing or exciting for those who just don’t care about football, management, and all that jazz.