Ballers Season 4, Episode 7: “The Kids Are Aight” While this season of Ballers hasn’t been its best up to this point, the writers haven’t shied away from controversial material, and I applaud them for that. This season’s main storyline has been about exposing NCAA corruption (which we’ll get to in a few minutes), and…
Better Call Saul Season 4, Episode 7: “Something Stupid” People stay together for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes those reasons really aren’t that good, but the familiarity of the relationship makes it easier to just go through the motions than to face the fact that things just aren’t working. So we tell ourselves that it…
Ballers Season 4, Episode 6: “No Small Talk” Last week, Spencer started putting a plan in motion that would make Sports X relevant again and avoid an eight-figure loss on the entire deal. Sure, it involved what looked like some pretty shady shit, but surely Spencer would ultimately do the right thing—right? This week, the…
Better Call Saul Season 4, Episode 6: “Piñata” As much as I like both of them, I’ve never really bought Jimmy and Kim as a couple. I’m sure part of that is because we can see into their future, and we know that Kim’s not a part of Saul Goodman’s life. So there’s no reason…
Ballers Season 4, Episode 5: “Doink” Through all of the ups and downs of the last three seasons, Spencer Strasmore has taken a lot of risks, and he’s played fast and loose at times with basic ethics and morality. He usually does the right thing in the end though. Depending on your particular worldview, that…
Better Call Saul, Season 4, Episode 5: “Quite a Ride” Last week, Jimmy learned a valuable marketing lesson: if there’s not a natural demand for your product, find a way to artificially create one. This week, he doubles down on that strategy with considerable success. Unfortunately, he also learns a much harsher lesson in the…
Ballers Season 4, Episode 4: “Forgiving is Living” It’s tough being the go-to guy all the time. There’s a lot of pressure on you when you’re always expected to take the last shot or carry the ball over the goal line as time runs out, and it can be too much for even the great…
This summer marked the tenth anniversary of what is arguably the greatest Batman movie ever made (and there’s really no argument): The Dark Knight. This week, to commemorate the event, Warner Bros. has re-released the film in a few select cities, and so this seems like a perfect time to look back at the second chapter in…
Better Call Saul Season 4, Episode 4: “Talk” It’s the most basic concept in marketing—if you want to sell something, you have to create a demand for it. And, sometimes, that requires a little out-of-the-box thinking. And maybe a little paint. Jimmy made it very clear a couple of episodes ago that he really doesn’t want…
Ballers Season 4, Episode 3: ” This Is Not Our World” We don’t get a full sense of the fallout after the controversial ending to last week’s surfing tournament, but it’s obvious that, despite his words to the contrary, Lance Klians isn’t happy about the way things went down. We don’t know if Cola-Cola backed…
The Happytime Murders (Rated R; in theaters August 24th) Muppets have always held a special place in my heart. Both Sesame Street and the original Muppet Show (yes, I’m that old) played a big role in my childhood development. One taught me the alphabet and basic math, and the other taught me that pigs and…
Better Call Saul Season Four, Episode Three: “Something Beautiful” In its fourth season, Better Call Saul has proven to be a show that can stand on its own merits and be incredibly entertaining regardless of whether you were a fan of its predecessor, Breaking Bad. But let’s be honest—for those of us who’ve watched the…
Ballers Season 4, Episode 2: “Don’t You Want to be Obama?” Most of us will never know what it’s like to be a professional athlete. Only a tiny fraction of the population are gifted with just the right combination of talent, opportunity, and drive that allow them to reach the top-level of their chosen sport….
Better Call Saul, Season Four, Episode Two: “Breathe” We all wear masks from time to time. It’s a skill we learn at a young age—we’re taught not to let people see who you really are. We learn to let them see what we want them to see. It’s safer that way. We’re afraid that, if…
Ballers Season Four, Episode One–“Rough Ride” Season Four of Ballers kicks off (pardon the pun) with a game-changer (and that one) that’s going to rock (I promise—that’s the last one) Spencer Strasmore’s world. After winning his battle with the NFL last season but ultimately losing the war, Spencer seemed ready to settle back into the…