BALLERS - Episode 31 - Rough Ride
Ballers is back baby! Season 4 of Dwayne Johnson's HBO "Financial Management" show kicks off in style with the Rock walking through the back door, through the kitchen, and into a very fancy Miami restaurant. He carries a case with him and when he arrives at the table waiting for him, he greets the usual cast of characters with his signature smile and the reveal that the case is holding some bottles of very fancy wine. It is also revealed that Charles Greane and Ricky Jerret are heading west. Charles is now in charge of the LA Rams and Ricky is expanding westward with his family in his retirement. Spencer takes this time to pay Ricky back the five million dollars he owed him. Ricky completely surprises Spencer by giving the money back to him with the goal of helping out on the "expansion" Spencer and Joe are planning.
The show then jumps forward in time one month to find Spencer woken up on the phone by last season's Candace Brewer and her new hair cut. She informs Spencer that he is on the ballot for the NFL Hall of Fame. Wow. Way to go Spence. Joe arrives and after being blown away by the news tries to get Spencer to meet with some people other than the one they are there to meet with. Spence hems and haws and admits he doesn't like LA.
Charles starts his new job as GM of the LA Rams and holy cow the best part of all that comes along with that is his new assistant. He has a nervous eye twitch that Charles points out right away and keeps talking about. Such good stuff there by the actor Omar Miller, he plays it out loud just like any one of us at home watching would be thinking in our heads if something like that happened to us.
Joe and Spencer receive a call from agent Jason Antolotti, he tries to get Spencer to look at a hot NFL prospect for him while out in LA. Nope not at any college, High School! Spencer can't believe it but agrees to take a look. This is where we're headed folks. More and more.
Ricky, Amber, and friend TTD race up to a fancy LA mansion in their exotic sports cars. They meet the real estate agent and begin a tour of the expansive home. Ricky states over and over he's retired but Jason keeps calling him. Amber won't leave her baby or her man so wherever he goes they're going to follow and she does not want to be sitting in some unappealing locale while he's off playing football. Ricky knows and says he just wants to spend time with his two girls. Hilariously he and Amber end up getting frisky upstairs, something which seems to have happened previously many times on their search for a new home. Ricky evidently likes to test out the wares before buying.
Joe and Spencer pull up in their rented 67 Jaguar. They check out the headquarters of Sport X, the nexus of all things surf, skate, ski, board, motocross and coolness. Russell Brand shows up playing the owner of Sport X, Lance Klians. He's an old buddy of Joe's and is looking for 50 Million in investment capital. He shows the boys around the hip business displaying his knowledge of all things X and his general piggishness. Spencer and Joe discuss the possibilities with both of them seemingly interested. Lance invited them to the beach to check it out so they decide to check it out.
Ricky and family are out to eat. TTD can't stop swearing in front of the baby so Ricky can't stop smacking him in the head. They discuss the living situations and Ricky entering into retirement. Ricky really seems to be on the fence about retirement but professes that he is definitely retired. Ricky and TTD together is truly a treat. Here's to them never breaking up.
At the beach Lance tries to sell the boys more on Sport X as a management firm and brand ambassador. Joe is in but Spencer is a bit hesitant. He feels its not their world. Joe accurately points out that everything else they've done so far has been outside their wheelhouse and its all worked out. They discuss the pros and cons as Lance strips down and walks into the ocean, naked. How on earth did they get Russell to stretch his acting range so much?
Back at Rams HQ Charles is getting used to the new workplace and steps into it when he addresses a large group of employees in the cafeteria. They pepper him with questions and comments until he caves in and declares that they all get to keep jobs. And that he's bringing back the damn chocolate chip cookies! Well at least the guy selling t-shirts will be his friend.
Spencer and Joe pull over and get out of their beautiful rental at a shipyard down by the docks. There Spencer reveals to Joe that the reason he hates LA is because this exact spot is where his older brother killed himself by jumping off the bridge. In a well acted moment of sincerity and emotion, Spencer tells Joe how he idolized his big brother and modeled much of himself off of him. This is a significant bit of character development here. Spencer just doesn't know how it would be, having those emotions around all the time. Joe understands and decides to pull the plug on the Sport X deal. They'll just go back to Miami. Spencer rethinks it, decides he can handle it, and presses to move forward with the deal. Joe is very happy and has the best line of the episode when he reveals just how emotionally shallow he his when he tells Spence how he learned to cremate his wife himself off a website.
Ricky and his , ahem, entourage are looking at another house when Jason calls yet again. After lying about who's actually on the phone Ricky steps away to answer it and reveals that UH OH! he's considering coming out of retirement. He's had Jason put out feelers around the league but only the Cleveland Browns showed any interest. Amber sure won't like that. In a snap judgement he declares he's buying the house, ready to put down some roots.
After the quickest and easiest business meeting they've ever had, and really that all is just side fluff to the interpersonal drama between the characters so its best to just make it go as quick as possible, Joe and Spencer watch the TV. They see footage of the young QB phenom Jason asked them to speak to. He looks good to both of them. Spencer tells Joe that they are going to make the deal, and stay in LA. Joe is ecstatic and the two hug. Joe celebrates while Spencer hangs his head. These two yahoos should have a fun time this season mixing it up the city of angels. There's so much celebrity there in sports and more, the story avenues are tantalizingly endless.
