Season 2 - 10 episodes (2016-)
Created by: Stephen Levinson
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Rob Corddry, John David Washington, Omar Miller
This HBO series follows former linebacker Spencer Strasmore (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) as he recruits NFL clients as a financial consultant.
Verdict:
The first season was carried by The Rock. He's so charismatic, it's hard not to like him. As Spencer, he doesn't always succeed and his temper doesn't help. We get an inside look at the NFL and the lavish lifestyle players lead. It's little more than average, but I keep watching because of The Rock. Unfortunately this season delves deeper into Spencer's life instead of giving us a glimpse inside the league through the players he consults. I want to see the antics and crazy parties.
This season adds drama about whether Spencer will have a job and contention with a rival agent, when it should focus on clients.
It depends.
Review:
I didn't like the introduction of rival agent Andy Garcia, and it never got any better. Garcia plays an uninteresting bad guy just to add drama. Spencer has more than a few demons rearing their heads. The big financial loss that's teased throughout the season is finally revealed, and it's a key part in the second half drama. It's part of a big question mark as to what happens next.
An interesting though ignored story is Spencer's drug use. He definitely has a problem, but the final episode hinted that it might be swept under the rug. I hope not. If the show is going to tease a problem, finish the plot line or don't tease it. Ballers often feels like it's trying too hard, thinking that viewers won't be content with just an inside look at the NFL.
This season did a better job of providing a unique look at the NFL, with Spencer recruiting a prospect, Charles landing a front office job, and Ricky fielding offers in free agency.
This isn't a bad show. It feels like it's trying to be Entourage for football. Spencer, Ricky, and Charles are great characters, though some of their plots are muddled. Joe became less interesting this year, and the focus isn't where it should be. The character's side plots should feed into the main arc which is growing a business and getting more clients. Where is the revolving door of athletes?
In the first episode, Spencer's client is opening a restaurant. For a financial advisor, this is a risky move. Restaurants take a while to break even and many crumble in the first year. Is this a clue that Spencer isn't that good?
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| A TV interview is good press. Later fighting with a guest isn't. |
Spencer can't dodge his past when an old rival joins him on a television interview and he loses his cool, attacking T-Sizzle. It makes him and the company look bad.
The threats from his boss always ring hollow, because no one can resist The Rock. Even if he was fired, the show wouldn't change, he would just go independent and succeed because he's The Rock.
Ricky Gerret's dad is now in the picture and filling his son's head with a bunch of crap and inflating his ego. It's odd as his dad has never been in the picture. It fueled Ricky with rage, and now he lets his dad hang out and listens to him? It seems like his dad is just riding his coat tails. How does Ricky forget decades of frustration and pain like that? The simple answer is, it's going to turn into a plot point, but it's poorly telegraphed. We get Robert Wisdom which is good, but the logic is thin.
Spencer's old agent Andre, played by Andy Garcia, is poised to be his main rival this season. Spencer's plan to steal Andre's clients seems like a great idea. What could go wrong with that?
In episode two, Spencer is trying to poach T-Sizzle from rival financial advisor Andre.
This one gets into Spencer's potential drug addiction. I thought the doctor would refuse his charms, but she writes him a prescription anyway. His behavior screams addiction. I suppose the show wants to string this out further and dangle the plot line, but it's misdirection. Part of the intrigue was the players, and this season so far has only added one other player who's on the disabled list.
Andre (Andy Garcia) puts Spencer in his place and warns him not to steal T-Sizzle. Spencer responds simply, "You're fired."
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| Ricky feels the love in New Orleans. |
Ricky's wooed by New Orleans and feels the love.
With episode four, Spencer is still dealing with Andre. Spencer's boss Mr. Anderson isn't happy about Spencer's client poaching attempt from such a huge firm.
Sports agent Jason is looking to sign a high draft pick hopeful who lives in the swampland. That story line is as cliche as you'd expect.
Ricky goes on a trip with his dad and ends up disappointed. Who didn't see that happening? Did Ricky just forget a few decades of heart ache?
Vernon's team covers for him and takes care of him. In a subtle move that you may have missed, Spencer swipes drugs from Vernon. That story line is going to blow up at some point, probably for the finale.
This focuses too hard on Spencer, I want an inside look at athletes off the field through their agents and managers. This is becoming another white collar drama. We should have at least a couple more players in the mix at this point. Charles Greene is a separate story line that doesn't even seem to fit. Has he had any scenes with the main cast this season?
In episode five, Spencer is dealing with the need for a hip replacement. This story keeps getting deeper as he uses a fake name to get more drugs instead of dealing with the problem directly.
Joe and Reggie get Vernon an Alpaca to cheer him up, though I can't fathom why either of them thought it was a good idea.
Spencer schools Travis Mack, an imposter trying to hide his shortcoming from the NFL.
Spencer and Joe's road to getting NFLPA approved to manage players' money isn't going to be as easy as they thought.
Charles lands a front office job.
In episode six Spencer and Jason are trying to raise Travis Mack's stock, and that's no easy task.
Charles is acclimating to the front office, but having trouble cutting a player. Charles is becoming an unsung hero. He has some great moments, and an inside look at a team's front office could be a great branching story line... if pursued. Charles of often overshadowed by the flash of the rest of the cast.
Ricky's dad is creating complications. This was easy to see from the first episode. The dad is a contrived plot line just to create drama for Ricky. Couldn't they have found a better spot for Robert Wisdom? Ricky goes from hating his dad for decades to including his dad in his crew. This is after a road trip that ended badly last episode.
This is a show I expected to have a revolving door of athletes as Spencer and Joe court clients. I also hoped we would get cameos from real athletes, but we've gotten neither. The show is happy to stay with just the four main characters and add an unnecessary arch villain in the form of Andy Garcia. Spencer doesn't need to compete with anyone, trying to court clients is enough.
The NFLPA registration doesn't come through due to Spencer's loss of six million dollars a number of year ago. Spencer and Joe have zero value to Anderson now.
Charles has a knack for the front office and has a deal to keep Ricky in Miami, but will Ricky be Ricky?
Episode eight has Spencer trying to reinvent his profession. He's balancing that by trying to boost potential draft pick Travis Mack's stock.
Ricky and Charles are fighting. Charles wants Ricky to sign with Miami, but Ricky wants the money offered by the Rams.
It's episode nine and Spencer wants to buy the company from Mr. Anderson. Andre offers him everything he wants, including Anderson's company, but Spencer refuses out of pride.
Eddie George is in this episode and he doesn't like Spencer.
Spencer gets a chance to address the NFL rookies and lays his mistakes bare. The episode ends with Spencer opting for a hip replacement, though it doesn't address his drug addiction. I wouldn't be surprised if that story line is dropped.
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