TV Show About Infamous NBA Scandal Is Solid With One Major Issue
"Clipped" is officially out, and it's pretty great with one significant issue.
The Hulu/FX series focuses on the infamous scandal that engulfed the Clippers when then-owner Donald Sterling was recorded by V. Stiviano making incredibly racially-charged comments.
The league forced Sterling to sell the team once the secretly recorded conversation went public. It was the cause of major controversy and scandal.
"Clipped" pulls back the curtain on it all, and it's definitely solid.
"Clipped" is an entertaining show with one problem.
The first two episodes of "Clipped" dropped on Hulu Tuesday, and I didn't wait to crush them both. It's really entertaining, and the cast includes two significant names.
Laurence Fishburne plays Clippers coach Doc Rivers, Ed O'Neill plays Donald Sterling and Jackie Weaver plays Donald's wife Shelly. V. Stiviano is played by Cleopatra Coleman. All four are outstanding through two episodes.
Somehow, Hulu managed to take a situation about an NBA scandal and make it as suspenseful as any recent mystery you've seen. You're glued to the TV as you watch Sterling lie to his wife about his relationship with Stiviano and as she schemes to essentially use him to get rich.
When she realized she's getting squeezed out by Shelly Sterling, Stiviano decided to crack a plan out of bitterness to ruin the man she claimed to have a close relationship with that.
The positives are the show is seriously captivating, Fishburne is awesome as Rivers, O'Neill is so good as Sterling that it's uncomfortable at times when he's on screen, and the first two episodes are great.
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"Clipped" is a solid show. (Credit: Kelsey McNeal/FX)
Here's the issue with "Clipped," and it's a real one. The actors who play the actual members of the team are all terrible.
The series has legit stars in Fishburne and O'Neill. Both kill it. Then, viewers have to sit through scenes where the acting is so bad that it's painful. There's a scene featuring a practice session where the players sound like they're talking to a wall. At the same time, Fishburne is killing his performance. The worst parts of the show by far are whenever Clippers players are talking. The acting is so bad that it's hard to believe it's real.
It's almost like FX/Hulu decided to cast people who were athletic first over people who could act. It's brutally bad at times, but fortunately, players on the team aren't showcased much through the first two episodes.
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Laurence Fishburne is great as Doc Rivers in "Clipped." (Credit: Kelsey McNeal/FX)
Having said that, I really enjoyed the first two episodes of "Clipped." I definitely recommend checking it out if you enjoy sports and want to go down memory lane about the infamous scandal. Let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.