TV Review: BALLERS: Season 1, Episode 7: Ends [HBO]

HBO’s Ballers Ends TV Show Review. Ballers: Season 1, Episode 7: Ends is an episode not to be trifled with if your game plan is to watch shows about men in the NFL as a model of how to live life. Unless you are smart enough to learn from their mistakes so you don’t make them. I won’t hold my breath. We have proven through science that television causes people to act stupid. You are supposed to understand that you aren’t to act like that, though. I only wish science would prove it.

Maybe Ricky (John David Washington) just needs to curl up with a good book instead of anything else he tried this week and will probably try next week. But, that would make him a bore. Be boring in life. It beats the hell out of jealousy. Ricky does not deserve to get his girlfriend back. He should have apologized to Bella (Annabelle Acosta) in the interview. She did the right thing by leaving. At least she and Julie (Jazmyn Simon) are stronger than the men in their lives. It was easy to see the need for them to stick to their guns. The flaws these guys have are nontrivial. Ricky has been the boyfriend who infuriates relationship egalitarians for the duration of the season. People who get heated over relationship drama easily will love this show. That really means you are not supposed to like Ricky as a boyfriend. Check in with yourself if you don’t see why Ricky is problematic in Ends.  It’s easy to claim Ballers accessorizes the takes with women who have no real role other than to serve men, but if that’s really how you feel, you aren’t learning anything about the mistakes these guys make as characters in relationships. This show is anything but a how-to guide to love.

Rodney (Laroyce Hawkins) makes a comeback appearance as an unwanted urn of ashes on his wife’s doorstep only to be carted around and spilled by Spence (Dwayne Johnson) who has to perform the ceremony of spreading him with whoever wants to come along. Vernon (Donovan W. Carter) doesn’t even remember Rodney died, but he’s still willing to rack up the debt to Spencer. Where is this guy, Spencer, when I need $150,000 or say, $300,000? If you have a guy like this as a friend, you are an asshole.

Vernon is the most underdeveloped person on this show and Spence is only keeping him that way by saving him. I would hate to be the guy constantly in need of help that seems impossible to get. The arcs of so many characters crammed into a half hour move at a glacial pace. If you can get into Ballers, it might make sense to watch whole seasons at a time if you can spend that kind of time.

Now that I know Joe (Rob Corddry) does Tae Bo, I’ll never be the same again.

Jason (Troy Garity) discovers his mother is dating a golfer and he nearly wants to kill the twenty five year old he theorizes is after his mother’s representation as an agent. If you know what “golfer” used to mean in the show Silk Stalkings, you get bonus points.  I thought this cub was going to wind up dead, but Jason let off steam driving balls with his dad’s old clubs. He is coming into his own as a handy handler with his own issues now.

The heat is heating up in Miami. I’m honestly waiting on someone to get killed by a character on this show. I’ll be amazed if the writers go there with some real life altering mistakes instead of continuing with pranks, breakups, cheating, and scams. I’m ready for the next step, but if they want to keep the violence toned down, I’ll understand too. I do know that one thing they aren’t toning down is pussy. Be smarter than your television.

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