What I’m Watching: Winning Time

Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty: Season 1, Episode 6 “Memento Mori” (B+)

It was good to see Paul and Pat talking to each other as idea men who work hard but are underappreciated given that they work in the shadow of others, and Paul got a chance to be in the limelight right away, one that he wasn’t thrilled to take. Jerry calling him Pete and aggressively telling him to coach may not have been the best motivation, and, when he finally woke up, Jack was not particularly in a position to help him figure out if he did the right or wrong thing. The way he closed the press conference was certainly memorable, even if it had everyone wondering what the hell was going on. Magic’s pursuit of fame isn’t reflecting all that well on him, particularly when he had Cindy’s father be the one to break up with her for him. I should note the positive presence of those two actors, Rachel Hilson from “This Is Us” as Cindy and Steve Harris from “The Practice” as Thomas. I was also excited to recognize Eric Petersen, who plays the title character in “Kevin Can F**k Himself,” as Stan. Jerry’s negotiations continue to be wild and ill-advised, and he’s now realizing how having his mother as his accountant may not have been the best choice. Jeanie was very upset when she saw that Jessie was not doing well, and though it wasn’t the most paternal moment, Jerry’s matter-of-fact words to get her to focus may have provided some small degree of comfort. While I do like this show, its recent renewal for a second season tells me it’s going to go on for a lot longer, whereas I had thought it was a contained limited series I could watch and then finish. For now, I think I’m done with this show, though I’m open to picking it back up again in the future if there’s less on taking up a lot of my time.

What I’m Watching: Winning Time

Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty: Season 1, Episode 5 “Pieces of a Man” (B+)

Opening in Harlem in 1968 with Kareem’s journey through Islam was interesting, and the young man we saw grappling with talking about his faith was considerably warmer and more social than the eternally angry and cold player who gave Magic an incredibly hard time about the newspaper and orange juice he was supposed to deliver every morning. Their relationship is particularly interesting, and McKinney telling Magic that he had hoped he would be the captain of the ship led to an unexpectedly truthful and then very unpleasant interaction between Kareem and Magic. I do think that the initial comment Kareem made was meant to be a compliment, but then things got ugly. I imagine they might be able to find common ground in the wake of that bad bike accident that McKinney has gotten himself into, one that may have killed him but will surely at least leave him unable to coach, potentially thrusting Paul into the spotlight. We’re starting to see some movement in Pat’s dream of getting to be a voice with something to say, even if his initial pitch got a very cruel reception. We didn’t meet many notable new characters in this episode, though Spencer Haywood and Paula Abdul are both notable figures who might not play a huge role in this show. Claire and Jeanie really did a remarkable job of bringing their project to life, and even though Jerry was initially wowed, he quickly got distracted by the minutiae that led to him nitpicking and obsessing over unimportant details. His own mother’s unwillingness to come support him seemed like it could have been an instance of her forgetting specifics, but given what she knows about his finances, it’s likely that she’s fully aware of what he’s doing and her disapproval has legitimate roots.

What I’m Watching: Winning Time

Winning Time: Season 1, Episode 4 “Who the F**k Is Jack McKinney?” (B+)

It’s pretty wild that Jeanie ended up where she is given the experiences she had growing up with her father, namely that moment in the restaurant when the kids ended up there with their mother while he was there and otherwise engaged with a date. That did prove helpful to her, of course, in pitching the big idea that Jerry finally got excited about, the combination of a number of different things that were not particularly family-friendly, and to finally be accepted as one of the team by Linda. Putting the team in Joann’s name was a bold move and one she was furious to discover, and it’s so interesting to see how that relationship plays out when she knows she holds some of the power. We got to meet a few new characters in this episode played by terrific actors, Tracy Letts’ Coach McKinney and his wife Cranny, played by Julianne Nicholson, and the assistant coach, Paul Westhead, played by Jason Segel, who I would have expected to have a bigger role based on his fame. McKinney’s approach is certainly novel, and West was able to compel him to scale back a little while trusting him to get it right. I’ve never been a fan of seeing new players hazed to any degree, and Magic being forced to do Kareem’s bidding and get attached to the orange juice wasn’t all that pleasant to watch even if it was considerably better than what many have to endure, I’m sure, and his ego could use a bit of trimming even if the rest of the team isn’t being too kind.

Take Three: Winning Time

Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty: Season 1, Episode 3 “The Best Is Yet to Come” (B+)

Jerry’s a pretty nice and happy guy, and seeing him angry and ripping West to shreds was an intense and terrifying experience to behold. It’s going to get confusing to call any character Jerry given how many of them there are, and Dr. Buss was excited by the convenience of just having to change the last name on West’s door since he hired the controversial Tark the Shark, who’s sure to generate problems but also deliver in a way that West just wasn’t going to, and his preferred replacement might not have either. Offering Tark ten times his current salary to become the highest-paid coach in sports was a bold move that he probably shouldn’t have made given that he’s hemorrhaging money, and a dead body in the trunk of a car with mob ties isn’t going to help anyone. Magic coming to Jerry’s house led to a very awkward misunderstanding when he thought that Jeanie and her mom were both dating Jerry, and it’s hard to deny the convincing power that Jerry has when, for instance, he’s turning his hair into something marketable and highly appealing to the right audience. Though she’s unhappy at the moment, Claire continues to be one of Jerry’s best non-player assets, and that big idea is surely not too far away. I was excited to see another familiar face in the cast, Adrien Brody, who recently appeared on “Succession” and stars in “Chapelwaite,” as Patrick James Riley, who wants a new role that no one else seems to want to give him.

Round Two: Winning Time

Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty: Season 1, Episode 2 “Is That All There Is?” (B+)

There’s so much happening in this show’s universe, and it’s fun to get to recognize more actors I know from other projects who have parts, large and small, in each episode. The one who excited me most was Michael Chiklis as Red Auerbach, a relatively villainous role for an actor who typically plans complicated heroes in shows like “The Shield” and “Coyote,” and a much less polite turn than his bad guy in “Vegas” from a few years ago. I was also pleased to see Lola Kirke from “AWOL” and “Broken Diamonds” as Karen Bua West and Rachel Hilson from “This Is Us” as Cindy Day. This hour was also a great platform for Jason Clarke, an underrated Australian actor who has delivered a range of performances I’ve appreciated, starting with his role in Showtime’s excellent “Brotherhood.” His ability to self-destruct is truly incredible, and deciding that the only way to win is to take himself out of the equation seems indicative of a breakthrough that should keep him in the game. Claire was understandably frustrated by Jerry’s new way of doing things and reassignment of her talents to another role, but she should be able to deliver even if it’s not what she wants to do. Jeanie also does have great ideas even if nepotism inarguably led her to the place she is now. Back home, Magic is all about the overconfidence and impoliteness, doing to poor Brian what others are going to do to him in the big city on his new team.

Pilot Review: Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty

Check out my one-minute take on every new pilot, which is embedded below and you can also watch by subscribing to movieswithabe on YouTube.