The tone: In the spring of 2014, the Los Angeles Clippers (known to most Angelenos as “oh, sure, there are two NBA teams in Los Angeles”) were on a bit of an upswing, thanks to new coach Doc Rivers (Laurence Fishburne) and star players like Blake Griffin (Austin Scott) and Chris Paul (J. Alphonse Nicholson). In fact, for the first time in franchise history they had a real chance of winning the championship.
Until, that is, the leak of an audio recording in which Clippers owner Donald Sterling (Ed O'Neill) said some not-so-nice things about black people to his assistant and lover V. Stiviano (Cleopatra). Coleman). As the world reacts to Sterling's comments, the team tries to figure out how to move forward, or if it should continue playing. Meanwhile, the question arises: Will a rich white man, in 21st century America, really experience consequences for his actions?
Full-court press: There is some real ugliness at the center of FX. chopped upproduced by Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson, who also recorded similar limited series based on real events such as American crime history franchise. That ugliness is not a criticism, but rather a praise, since the limited series does not hesitate to explore the toxicity that contributed to the events narrated.
chopped up is almost as obsessed with details as HBO's lamented deceased Time to win, when it comes to chronicling the inner workings of a professional basketball team. However, chopped up It has at least two advantages over the recently canceled Lakers drama: a much narrower focus and much less interest in mythologizing the participants in this story. Additionally, because the infamous recording is leaked relatively early in the series, creator Gina Welch and lead director Kevin Bray are able to delve into all the ramifications of its impact, culturally and legally.
More relatable than you think: There are two main threads that run through chopped up which have much more universal appeal than you might expect from a limited series about a professional basketball scandal. The first is about what it's like to have a bad boss. Not a demanding boss or an absent boss, but a bad boss. The type of boss who doesn't know how to listen to his employees. Who actively ignores them, especially when they beg him not to do something that could harm the company. The type of boss employees learn to work with aroundcrossing my fingers that said boss doesn't find a way to stop them from doing their job.
In chopped up, Ed O'Neill's Donald Sterling is one of those bosses, in scenes that will prove triggering if you've ever had someone similar sign your paychecks. There's a scene where Doc Rivers, while meeting with other colleagues, literally has Sterling on speaker mute rambling in the background, only occasionally activating the call to give the owner the impression that someone is listening to his bigoted tirade. . From the verbal abuse and racism to Sterling's impressive entitlement (including eating food off other people's plates without their permission), it's a portrait of a human nightmare, one that believes it actually owns the people who work for it. he. It's a meaty role for O'Neill, although at times it's almost difficult to see him in action.
Cropped (FX)
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