Ballers Series Finale Review – ‘Players Only’

The final chapter in the story of Spencer Strasmore (Dwayne Johnson) has come—and the player-turned-financial advisor-turned-team owner isn’t ending it without taking a stand. Everything that has occurred since day one has lead to this moment, where Spencer can make an impact on the lives of thousands of veteran and current players, and make a needed change in the league.

Related – Ballers Review: Season Five ‘Who Wants A Lollipop?’

With the news circulating quickly of Spencer’s comments, the league has suspended him and is threatening to drag his name through the mud if he doesn’t step down as owner of the Kansas City Chiefs. The Anderson brothers (Richard Schiff and Steven Weber) are fuming at Spencer’s decision and even Candace (Emayatzy Corinealdi) is against him. Yet, Spencer still presses forward—with a backup plan that he hopes will work.

As for Rickey (John David Washington) and TTD (Carl McDowell), another meeting with the Hollywood producer (Justin Long) takes a turn. When it’s revealed there are plans to censor the content on his radio show due to their potential future employer, Ricky and TTD walk out on the meeting and decide to handle the future of their program on their own.

Thanks to some overtime work, Kate (Catherine Haena Kim) is able to lockdown Nike with a large investment in SportsX—and proposes that she and Joe (Rob Corddry) continue their partnership, both in the office and in their private lives. With some motivation from his wife Julie (Jazmyn Simon), Charles (Omar Benson Miller) decides to remain with the Rams and chase that Super Bowl eluded them the season before. Reggie (London Brown) accepts an offer with the rival gaming organization while Vernon (Donovan W. Carter) puts gaming on hold and decides to return to the Cowboys.

As all this is happening, Spencer makes a number of calls to select NFL players—including Ricky and Vernon—and gives an interview to The New York Times before crashing the owner’s meeting to kick him out. Seconds after his arrival, scores of players post their past injuries on their respective Instagram accounts with the threat to strike. Spencer attempts to entice the owner’s into his healthcare deal, proposing it would be cheaper to do that than lose millions due to a strike. With the current predicament and Spencer’s words, the owners deliver a two-thirds majority vote to approve the lifetime healthcare option for current players and retired veterans who have played at least three seasons.

After Joe thanks everyone in attendance at the groundbreaking of the future SportsX complex, the final episode closes out where this final season began—Spencer seated in a darkroom talking to a camera. That very scene is for a documentary being produced by Ricky and TTD; the favor Ricky asked for when Spencer asked for his help. Spencer completes his portion, embraces Ricky, shakes hands with the crew, walks to the exit door, and disappears into the bright sunlight.

Aside from being a big fan (some may say a worshiper) of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson since high school, his work on Ballers is easily one of my favorites. This series took Johnson out of his usual comfort zone of action flicks and into a more drama-focused terrain. We know Rock can deliver some vicious right hooks and be an unstoppable force carrying a massive canon. What Ballers succeeded in adding was showing that Johnson can also deliver dramatic blows, trading thespian jabs with the likes of Corddry, Schiff, Washington, Andy Garcia, Peter Berg, Michael Cudlitz, Steve Guttenberg, Arielle Kebbel, John Amos, Christopher McDonald, and many more. Surrounding Johnson with this level of talent brought out the best in his own performance—and while I do enjoy his action stints, I am looking forward to the next non-action, drama-focused project he tackles in the future.

Until then, Ballers rides off into the sunset and will reside in the annals of the HBO digital library, waiting to be viewed again and again by its loyal fanbase.

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