Ballers Season 2: 5 Ups & 4 Downs

Downs...

4. Excellent Actors Are Totally Wasted

Andy Garcia Ballers
HBO

Season two introduces a number of new characters, many of whom are played by acclaimed actors...but they sadly don't get much of a look in for the most part.

Oscar nominee Andy Garcia plays the season's quasi-villain, money manager honcho Andre Alan, but he's frustratingly underused throughout, basically showing up for a short scene or two per episode. Sure, he gets the occasional fiery exchange with Johnson's Spencer, but on the whole the script doesn't allow him to make that much impact.

Similarly, legendary character actor Christopher McDonald appears in a number of episodes as the Dallas Cowboys' owner, but barely makes a dent, and the terrific Clifton Collins Jr. shows up a few times as lawyer-turned-PI Maximo Gomez, but again, doesn't get to do much.

Why hire actors of this caliber only to give them disappointingly insubstantial roles?

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Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.