TV Show Review

TV Review: BALLERS: Season 1, Episode 10: Flamingos [HBO]

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HBO’s Ballers Flamingos TV Show ReviewFlamingos: Season 1, Episode 10:Flamingos  TV Show Review Flamingos, the season finale of Ballers leads Spencer (Dwayne Johnson) upstairs to his new digs after he discovers Joe (Rob Corrdry) has destroyed his own office. Tracy (Arielle Kebbel) has no problem with the new arrangement. So, she and Spencer break it in–on the desk.

This show is not for people who don’t want to see a story about a man and not so much story about his girlfriend. Tracy could potentially dictate more behavior process or be further involved with this story in the future, but only time will tell. It comes equipped with all the insecurity hiding toys too. Yes, yachts and sports cars. If you can get past the limited screen time activities Spencer and Tracy share, there really is a good friend in Spencer and she is a good friend to him. They haven’t had much conflict between them yet, and it will be interesting to see if the writers make time for Spencer to screw up things and then have to be her best friend on the flip side of it. What does he do for her, exactly? Besides the sex.

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Wow. A balcony. Wait. That’s my speed boat? You’ve got to kidding me. How did he get a boat, but not a new car? Mr. Anderson (Richard Schiff) outdoes himself with his new sports division perks.

Ricky has a complete epiphany when he meets his father who shows up to practice season. He doesn’t recognize him or know who he is until dear ole’ dad insults him for badmouthing him on TV. What a way to meet your father. This is exactly what he has been waiting for his entire anger filled life as number “18”. When his father tells him that his own anger made him “better”, Ricky looks like he is going to puke in his own mouth. He patiently sits through this rationalization from a man who clearly has a narcissistic personality and only came to take credit for everything Ricky has achieved in life. Ricky is going to be able to move forward. This is the change he needed to convince Annabella he could be “better” in the first place. He’ll probably try to get her back again with his new found experience. I am amazed that he had this opportunity to grow past his father’s expectations which were holding him down even though he never met the guy in person. I can only relate to this. Ricky’s arc became really authenticating. I don’t think he’s perfect yet. It will be interesting to see how exactly he decides to be different. He can’t become too good of a character. How should his error of putting people off who matter shift? I’m actually looking forward to seeing what the show does with him. He has a reason to be better now, and it isn’t related to getting laid. Will he be capable of really making the distinction with women? Will he take after Spencer’s on screen character and focus on being better with the guys, but needing women to be there for him because the women in his life don’t have these baller problems?

Upon realizing this show is frequently about some of the problems men crucially misunderstand as they relate with and towards women, it’s easier to watch as long as you don’t buy into the idea that the bigger idea is to make men act this way. Spencer does right the wrong more often than most people could or would, but again, he’s flawed, and he’s not a model of behavior. What is becoming of football players anyway? All the ballers have to answer to this mystery they just don’t understand they can’t control. Joe fits right in with them because he was never really taught or learned to maintain composure and self control either. There’s a hamster wheel of exploitation turning. I just hope no one takes it so far that there’s no turning back. Reggie appears to have realized he needed to charm himself up and be respectable. I’ve said it over and over again. You don’t want to meet these guys in the middle with the same mistakes. Learn from this show, but not how to be just like them.

Johnson carries himself well in this series even  under the stress and insecurities of this character who constantly struggles to maintain composure and has his lapses. All these guys lose it and the show is conflicted with their struggles to regain it. Spencer does have the strongest moral intentions and he is their role model, albeit, imperfect and not a substitute for a friend in real life. If you are too disappointed that he isn’t acting the way you want, maybe you should pull yourself away from the TV for a little while or find your own friend in reality.

You probably won’t find a better friend than Spencer Strassmore. He is going to keep them grounded to a point, and I don’t foresee the show making anyone obscenely malicious or evil, but they have taken advantage before and they undoubtedly will again. The guys venture past Spencer’s limits when they can. His focus is getting them into his venture, but he will also need to raise the bar as their leader.   

Leave your thoughts on this review and this episode of Ballers below in the comments section. For more photos, reviews, and videos, visit our Ballers Page, subscribe by Email, “follow” us on Twitter,TumblrGoogle+, or “like” us on Facebook for quick updates.

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Stephanie King

I am a meticulous writer. Story is my strong suit. I do not waste time on political "critique" or paranoid "undertones" that might have been an inspiration to a story writer, but clearly are not a main or secondary theme. I can identify high concept, main and sub theme(s), protagonists and antagonists, secondary character roles, the turning point, the key, the antagonist's story thrust, the spine, twelve sequences, the climax, the resolution, and most importantly, the goal of any film. I am aware of the act structure which can be from three to five acts, generally. Aristotle elaborates in his Poetics on Plato's Republic on act structure.
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