Is Ballers Worth Watching?

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Ballers follows the life of Spencer Straussmore, retired NFL player turned financial adviser turned entrepreneur turned NFL Owner. Each season of Ballers sets up an overarching problem that Straussmore (played by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson”) and Joe (played by Rob Corddry) must navigate. These issues range from getting clients or moving to running an NFL team, depending on the season. The series also follows the stories of a talented but aging wide receiver, a retired lineman, an injury plagued defense back, and their agent. While Ballers is generally an easy watch, it’s what I would describe as the television equivalent of “junk food.” Barring a few instances, the story lines themselves are not all that engaging, nor do they often make a lot of sense. Further, the writers seem to constantly want to make Johnson less likable, so that by the final season, watching him in a scene was not nearly as fun as the first season. Ballers is lifestyle porn; it’s watching successfully people deal with first world problems to become more successful. While it is mindless fun, it is not a show for everyone. 

Rating: C- While the Rock is charismatic, the meandering story lines and tonal shifts makes this a watch for only fans of the Rock or those who are craving an Entourage alternative

Show Title: Ballers

Release Date: 6/21/2015

Genre: Comedy-Drama

Where to Watch: HBO

Season: 1-5

Number of Episodes: 47

Episode Run Time: 27 minutes

Producer: Bret Slater

Production Company: Closest to the Hole Productions; Leverage Entertainment; Seven Bucks Entertainment; Film 44

Distributed By: Warner Bros. Television Distribution

Tags: Ballers Review; Is Ballers Good; Is Ballers Worth Watching; Is Ballers Worth It

 
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