Ballers: Season 1, Episode 3 “Move the Chains” (C+)
I think this is it for me and this show. It’s not that it’s a bad show; I just don’t care at all about any of the characters. I enjoyed seeing Richard Schiff in the kind of role that he was born to play, an eternally annoyed person who doesn’t understand why idiotic people insist on speaking to him, and it was a shame that all we got with him was that opening scene. Spencer and Joe managed to throw quite the party on the boat, one which didn’t have too much drama until near the end when Spencer pummeled Reggie after he egged the well-dressed manager deliberately. He saved the day impressively, and it seems that even Joe’s ill-advised faux pas with his choice of words didn’t sour people too much since they enjoyed throwing him overboard, complete with his wallet in his pocket. Spencer is a person who is on the straight and narrow path, trying to do well and advise those around him similarly. Some of them just won’t listen, namely the player who thinks it’s a good idea to continue sleeping with the mother of one of his teammates who already hates him. Asking her how many kids she has was an amusing moment in a plotline that’s sure to explode and cause tremendous anger once her son finds out. Charles wasn’t courted by Larry in this episode, but he did have a grand old time on the boat, to the point that he lost his shirt and didn’t have any idea where it was. I’m sure this show will prove fun for those who are engaged; I think I’m all set.
Showing posts with label Ballers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ballers. Show all posts
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Sunday, July 5, 2015
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.
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.
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Pilot Review: Ballers
Ballers (HBO)
Premiered June 21 at 10pm
I knew it before I watched it, and everyone I’ve spoken to has described this as just like “Entourage” but about football rather than Hollywood. It’s extremely accurate, though I think that having an active interest in sports and appreciating all the cameos goes a lot further here than it did when you were simply watching four guys who coasted on fame in a big city without much discernable talent. What’s more worthwhile for me is seeing actors who I’ve seen in other projects get the opportunity to be featured here. I’ve always thought that the Rock was more talented than he got credit for, and so it’s good to see him taking on a role that isn’t entirely action-oriented. Omar Benson Miller, Rob Corddry, Troy Garity, and Dulé Hill are a foursome I would never have imagined together in any context, and I don’t think Arielle Kebbel even appeared in this episode. It’s good to know that there is talent involved, even if it’s not clear how they’ll be used. A half-hour felt long as an introduction to this show’s universe (though a friend and colleague said he felt the opposite, that a show like this needs a full hour to be able to truly set the stage), and I’m not terribly interested in investing in it. It’s only half an hour though, and there’s not so much on television at the moment, so I figure it’s worth giving HBO the benefit of the doubt and assuming that the kind of comedies they’re producing might be worth watching, even if this skews towards the less sophisticated of the series they’re presenting.
How will it work as a series? The pilot identified a few key characters, with manager Spencer and screwup Ricky looking like the primary players. There will be ups and downs, scandals to manage, victories to celebrate, and plenty more, plus a whole lot of high-octane sports and personal drama, which might make this show appealing to a certain kind of audience.
How long will it last? Probably a long time. Even though it’s not as good as a lot of the other fare HBO has aired over the years, it did find many more viewers than the often niche programming the network offers does. A second season renewal should be coming along shortly.
Pilot grade: C+
Premiered June 21 at 10pm
I knew it before I watched it, and everyone I’ve spoken to has described this as just like “Entourage” but about football rather than Hollywood. It’s extremely accurate, though I think that having an active interest in sports and appreciating all the cameos goes a lot further here than it did when you were simply watching four guys who coasted on fame in a big city without much discernable talent. What’s more worthwhile for me is seeing actors who I’ve seen in other projects get the opportunity to be featured here. I’ve always thought that the Rock was more talented than he got credit for, and so it’s good to see him taking on a role that isn’t entirely action-oriented. Omar Benson Miller, Rob Corddry, Troy Garity, and Dulé Hill are a foursome I would never have imagined together in any context, and I don’t think Arielle Kebbel even appeared in this episode. It’s good to know that there is talent involved, even if it’s not clear how they’ll be used. A half-hour felt long as an introduction to this show’s universe (though a friend and colleague said he felt the opposite, that a show like this needs a full hour to be able to truly set the stage), and I’m not terribly interested in investing in it. It’s only half an hour though, and there’s not so much on television at the moment, so I figure it’s worth giving HBO the benefit of the doubt and assuming that the kind of comedies they’re producing might be worth watching, even if this skews towards the less sophisticated of the series they’re presenting.
How will it work as a series? The pilot identified a few key characters, with manager Spencer and screwup Ricky looking like the primary players. There will be ups and downs, scandals to manage, victories to celebrate, and plenty more, plus a whole lot of high-octane sports and personal drama, which might make this show appealing to a certain kind of audience.
How long will it last? Probably a long time. Even though it’s not as good as a lot of the other fare HBO has aired over the years, it did find many more viewers than the often niche programming the network offers does. A second season renewal should be coming along shortly.
Pilot grade: C+
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