Ballers - Episode 35 - Doink
Spencer walks into the offices of DirecTV. The receptionist "recognizes" him as an ex-player from Miami. She calls to inform her bosses than Jason Taylor is there to see them. Ha! I bet he really gets that IRL.
Joe wakes up roughly in bed. It seems the old Joe is back! He spent the night before partying his ass off and now he's feeling the results. I personally was wondering where the old Joe has been stashed this season as it really seemed like they were making a conscious effort to rewrite his character. We see him in flashbacks from the night before drinking a lot of booze at the bar, hitting on a woman, looking for and scoring some cocaine, and generally getting wrecked.
Spencer tries to convince the two big wigs at the network to help out his channel with a better location. They inform him that that wouldn't make a difference as he is pulling an actual 0 rating on the network. They tell him they're considering dropping him. He asks what he can do to get a better rating and they tell him to find sports with a bigger fan base. He suggests College football and they're interested. Immediately afterward he texts his girl Jayda that he's interested in meeting with her son. Uh oh Spence, starting to cross those lines you said you wouldn't. tsk tsk.
Joe walks into Sport X with a coffee and a hangover. He talks to Jess looking for Spencer but no ones seen him. Jess tells Joe he should talk to the remaining employees and he agrees but just not right now. He could use a Bloody Mary first. Jess tells him theres no booze, but the opiates are in the closet. He says he'll take them. Joe walks into Enid the accountants office. She's her usual dour self but actually gives up ledger after ledger of the client receivables report when he asks for it. They point out to Jess that old school is better since it can't be hacked.
Ricky Jerret is working out again at the UFC gym. He and his buddy JT are working out together. They discuss life and whats going on and JT reveals he may be in play with the Rams. Word is that might be looking for a receiver. BOOM! Ricky's face is a picture of shattered emotions. He's crestfallen and it's punctuated by a great zoom in shot by the Director. Kudos. Ricky asks if their mutual agent Jason put him up for the gig? Affirmative. JT asks the old guy for advice. The pissed Ricky tells him to get himself some new hands. JT asks him if he's sayin he can't catch? Ricky asks if he's saying he's old? JT affirms, you're old. Ha!
Joe addresses the workers at Sport X. He launches into his version of a motivational speech by comparing them all to soldiers and being a band of brothers and being willing to stuff intestines back inside torsos for one another. He tells them they eat glass crap diamonds. And then delivering the title of the episode, "Doink" for a crapping diamond sound effect. Nice one Joe. He tells them that even though they're gonna kick ass, he has to freeze spending accounts and....maybe only take half hour lunches. He then instantly fires two employees on the spot for talking dissent and narcing on said dissenter. He ends the meeting by telling them all to Book! Book! Book! and finding out that Lance is on the phone for him.
Spencer goes to high school to see Q, Jayda's QB son. Some of Q's boys try to stop The Rock from heading onto the field, but he just laughs and keeps going. Spencer and Q talk but the kid is hella resistant. He's got attitude and seems like he's already in the game. He calls out Spencer for dating his mom. Spencer tells him his resume and offers to help him out. Q turns him down but offers him some advice of his own, be careful with my mom.
At the work site for the new LA Rams stadium Charles is meeting with his boss. They talk about work and free agency. Boss tells Charles whats a few more million to get the player they want when they're spending so much on a new stadium any ways? He informs Charles that living in working in LA is all about appearance. The team needs more swagger! We gotta win with style! He informs Charles that he needs more panache, and that he should get a suit.
Joe and Lance meet. Lance has an old GTO and Joe has the old Jaguar. They talk calmly and cooly discuss business while sitting on what is determined to be a bluff. They wonder how it all got so crazy and out of hand. Lance says it was all great til the beefcake showed up. He makes a better offer for the buy back of his old company so Joe and the glamorous potato can go back to Miami. Joe says he'll genuinely consider it.
Back at the UFC gym, Jay Glazer starts a workout battle between Ricky and JT. They speed step sideways, pump heavy ropes, then jump onto tires to finish off. Ricky lands his jump but JT adds another level and makes his jump right in front of him. He calls Ricky out. Tells him he may be too old for this shit. Damn!
Jayda and Spencer speak on the phone where he reveals to her that the meeting with her son did not go well at all. Ugh. She decides to force the issue and invites Spencer over for dinner. He accepts. It's on!
Charles vents on the phone Facetiming with his wife. He tells her how his boss wants more glitz from him. She understands, it's La La land, he does need some glitter. He spouts off some statistics to her and wants them to be enough but she tells him its not. She advises him to be more like Magic Johnson. Be a showman, show the world who he is and what he can do. Act the part! Then she gets naughty and wants to do a little alone time on the phone. Charles looks around and kicks his assistant out of the office.
Spencer walks up to Jayda's home with some flowers. Q opens the door and they talk. Q is a jerk again and wants to know if Spencer is a player? Tells him as far as him and his mom goes, he isn't the first, and he won't be the last. Wow, such a pleasant young man. Spencer shocks him a bit telling him it's only a dinner and to lighten the fuck up. Luckily Jayda enters and dinner is ready.
After the meal Spencer and Q spend a little time talking. After a little back and forth Spencer lays out how he know Q is dirty as fuck, what with his new car stashed over at his friends house and all. Spencer makes his move and offers Q part of his network deal at DirecTV. BAM! Q is greedy as fuck and knew Spencer was a player at heart. He's in!
Spencer walks back into his hotel and Joe spies him as he sits at the bar drinking. He grills him and wonders where he's been? Making deals or love? They rap and Joe reveals how he met with Lance and tells Spencer the new offer. Spencer doesn't know wether to be appreciative or pissed as hell? He wants to know if this pussy move is really what he wants to do? Joe says hell no to which Spence replies, "Good, I've got a plan. Time to double down".
This was a great episode that looked fantastic. Best Directed episode of the year so far I think. Ballers is finding its stride and pieces are moving around the chessboard nicely this season. Can't wait to see whats coming next.
