Grant's TV Log (2018)

Ballers: Season 1 (2015)
Creator: Stephen Levinson
Platform: HBO


Episode 1: Pilot - 77%
Episode 2: Raise Up - 80%
Episode 3: Move the Chains - 75%
Episode 4: Heads Will Roll - 84%
Episode 5: Machete Charge - 78%
Episode 6: Everything is Everything - 72%
Episode 7: Ends - 75%
Episode 8: Gaslighting - 73%
Episode 9: Head-On - 81%
Episode 10: Flamingos - 80%

Season 1 Overall Rating - 78% Fresh

Ballers is a very entertaining show about a couple of financial managers with athletes as clients. It's not super funny, it's not super serious, and honestly there isn't a whole lot of drama, so I'm not sure what to really classify it as...but it's good. It's a show that you can watch no matter what mood you're in (and you don't have to be a fan of sports to like it), and it's a very easy watch given that the episodes are only 30 minutes each. Dwayne Johnson is charismatic as always and really the entire cast is likable. Don't go in expecting to be blown away, and you'll probably find yourself to be pleasantly surprised.


Ballers: Season 2 (2016)
Creator: Stephen Levinson
Platform: HBO


Episode 1: Face of the Franchise - 83%
Episode 2: Enter the Temple - 82%
Episode 3: Elidee - 85%
Episode 4: World of Hurt - 75%
Episode 5: Most Guys - 82%
Episode 6: Saturdaze - 75%
Episode 7: Everybody Knows - 83%
Episode 8: Laying in the Weeds - 85%
Episode 9: Million Bucks in a Bag - 81%
Episode 10: Game Day - 74%

Season 2 Overall Rating - 81% Fresh

Season two of Ballers continues to build on the character relationships, business deals, and drama that was introduced in the first season, while also providing the viewer with some great humor. It is arguably better than its predecessor, which is rare in television.


Ballers: Season 3 (2017)
Creator: Stephen Levinson
Platform: HBO


Episode 1: Seeds of Expansion - 86%
Episode 2: Bull Rush - 72%
Episode 3: In the Teeth - 71%
Episode 4: Ride and Die - 80%
Episode 5: Make Believe - 83%
Episode 6: I Hate New York - 80%
Episode 7: Ricky-Leaks - 70%
Episode 8: Alley-Oops - 73%
Episode 9: Crackback - 76%
Episode 10: Yay Area - 70%

Season 3 Overall Rating - 76% Fresh

While season two of Ballers was a step up, season three is a slight step down. The majority of the season is focused on Spencer's desire to get the Raiders to move to Las Vegas, and honestly the storyline is pretty boring, and the rest of the storylines aren't as entertaining as the previous two seasons, either. The financials of this season are also a mystery for the most part and a lot of what ASM is involved with doesn't seem to make financial sense. There is still entertainment to be had, but it's not nearly as attention-grabbing as before.


Ballers: Season 4 (2018)
Creator: Stephen Levinson
Platform: HBO


Episode 1: Rough Ride - 72%
Episode 2: Don't You Wanna Become Obama? - 77%
Episode 3: This Is Not Our World - 76%
Episode 4: Forgiving Is Living - 80%
Episode 5: Doink - 79%
Episode 6: No Small Talk - 84%
Episode 7: The Kids Are Alright - 76%
Episode 8: The Devil You Know - 82%
Episode 9: There's No Place Like Home, Baby - 74%

Season 4 Overall Rating - 78% Fresh

Ballers leans more into the drama side (rather than the upbeat, comedic side) of the show in season four and it works sometimes and doesn't work at all at other times. Spencer slowly becomes a character that is frustrating to watch over the course of the season, but he's been on this trajectory since the first season so it's not super surprising. This is definitely the most inconsistent season yet. When it's good, it's pretty good, but when it's not it's just not very entertaining. Personally, I hope that they lean more towards the comedic side of the show for season five.

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My Letterboxd

I think it's following The Wire format (it's a David Simon show) of each Season following a different industry/institution/whatever. Season 1 was largely about prostitution, the pimps, the streets in general. Season 2 is about the Porn Industry. There could be later Seasons focusing on the internal workings of the Italian Mob, The Police, The Media, Politics whether local or national in relation to porn, etc.

It's really good. Hasn't quite hit favourite yet but it's got the potential and has had some incredible moments.

There's only going to be one more season, which will be set in the 80s (apparently). Not sure what the focus will be but it could continue to follow porn or transition into something else.

I like it, although I wouldn't say it's one of my favorites. I will say that I like it (so far) more than The Wire which I didn't like that much (and yes I know that's an unusual opinion).

Didn't know about the one more season. When i said it focuses on a different thing every season, i more meant with the backdrop of porn like The Wire does with drugs. Every Season of The Wire has a focus on drugs it shows how different sectors of society operate in relation to it and are affected by it. Think this is going for the same thing with porn. The golden age of porn ended in the mid 80's so i'm guessing that's what Season 3 will be about.

What didn't you like about The Wire? It's a top five show for me, as you could probably guess by the avatar.

Ballers, as I’ve posted elsewhere here, is a show that surprised me. Never in a million years did I think I would like a show like this, but I watched the entire thing. HBO subscription ran out, but when I renew it, I will catch up on current episodes. Could do without Russell Brand, but there it is.

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I’m here only on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays. That’s why I’m here now.

I like it a lot more than I expected to... I really only started it because I was looking for something to watch when I come home for lunch in-between classes (I have about 40 minutes), but I'm actually enjoying it quite a bit for what it is.

Honestly, there wasn't much that I did like about The Wire. I understand why people like it so much (focusing on something different each season while keeping previous storylines intact, solid acting/production value, etc.), but nothing stood out about it to me. I watched it maybe a year and a half ago now I, and my opinion has remained the same even after I re-watched a few episodes with a friend. It's just another cop show to me, but with a wider scope and more realism. And that does kind of surprise me because typically I'm a sucker for cop shows, and I'm a Criminal Justice student so you'd think it'd appeal even more to me, but it doesn't.

Halt and Catch Fire: Season 1 (2014)
Creators: Christopher Cantwell, Christopher C. Rogers
Platform: Netflix


Episode 1: I/O - 90%
Episode 2: FUD - 88%
Episode 3: High Plains Hardware - 91%
Episode 4: Close to the Metal - 85%
Episode 5: Adventure - 84%
Episode 6: Landfall - 86%
Episode 7: Giant - 86%
Episode 8: The 214s - 81%
Episode 9: Up Helly Aa - 94%
Episode 10: 1984 - 86%

Season 1 Overall Rating - 87% Fresh

The first season of Halt and Catch Fire is easily the best technology focused show I've ever seen. I was enthralled by their quest to copy the IBM BIOS and then create their own computer to compete with them, despite the fact that Cardiff Electric (which is loosely based on the real life company Compaq) wasn't even focused on the PC market before Joe walked through the door. The drama between the characters is entertaining while not overbearing, the dialogue is smartly written, the acting is great, and the show actually tackles the technical aspects of building a computer in a realistic way (they don't completely dumb it down). The story may not move at a blistering pace but it drew me in and kept my attention all the way until the season finale. If you liked Mad Men and you like technology, you'll probably like this show.


Halt and Catch Fire: Season 2 (2015)
Creators: Christopher Cantwell, Christopher C. Rogers
Platform: Netflix


Episode 1: SETI - 88%
Episode 2: New Coke - 84%
Episode 3: The Way In - 85%
Episode 4: Play With Friends - 83%
Episode 5: Extract and Defend - 81%
Episode 6: 10Broad36 - 88%
Episode 7: Working for the Clampdown - 89%
Episode 8: Limbo - 83%
Episode 9: Kali - 82%
Episode 10: Heaven Is a Place - 84%

Season 2 Overall Rating - 85% Fresh

Season two of Halt and Catch Fire focuses less on technology and more on the characters, with conflicts arising between the entire cast. In some ways this does take away from what sets this show apart from others, as the realistic portrayal of computer companies in the 80s is what attracted me in the first place, but the drama between the characters this season feels real and justified. Each character is developed many times over what they were in the first season, and the ending of season two sets up a whole new story arc for season three. To me, this is still the technology version of Mad Men, but possibly better.


Halt and Catch Fire: Season 3 (2016)
Creators: Christopher Cantwell, Christopher C. Rogers
Platform: Netflix


Episode 1: Valley of the Heart's Delight - 86%
Episode 2: One Way or Another - 87%
Episode 3: Flipping the Switch - 85%
Episode 4: Rules of Honorable Play - 84%
Episode 5: Yerba Buena - 82%
Episode 6: And She Was - 90%
Episode 7: The Threshold - 92%
Episode 8: You Are Not Safe - 94%
Episode 9: NIM - 91%
Episode 10: NeXT - 82%

Season 3 Overall Rating - 87% Fresh

Season three of Halt and Catch Fire takes the technology focus of season one, the character/drama focus of season two, and combines them for what is a very good season. Each character continues to progress on their path and the story remains as interesting as ever. This remains the perfect show for fans of the history of computers as well as just fans of drama shows in general.


Halt and Catch Fire: Season 4 (2017)
Creators: Christopher Cantwell, Christopher C. Rogers
Platform: Netflix


Episode 1: So it Goes - 90%
Episode 2: Signal to Noise - 91%
Episode 3: Miscellaneous - 92%
Episode 4: Tonya and Nancy - 86%
Episode 5: Nowhere Man - 91%
Episode 6: A Connection is Made - 89%
Episode 7: Who Needs a Guy - 95%
Episode 8: Goodwill - 93%
Episode 9: Search - 83%
Episode 10: Ten of Swords - 90%

Season 4 Overall Rating - 90% Fresh

Season four of Halt and Catch Fire takes everything that had built up in the show to that point and provides viewers with one of the best final seasons of a show I've ever seen. All of the characters are reaching the end of their storylines in what feels like a very natural way, and the show feels as grounded in reality as ever. This is truly a hidden gem of a show.

Dwayne Johnson (who I thought would be dumb & thuggish like Jason Statham) makes the show. He is so likeable & a good actor. He never goes out of character. Rob Corddry, his sidekick, is also excellent. BTW, did you know that the handsome guy who plays Jason the sports agent is Jane Fonda’s son?

I absolutely love The Wire. So far have seen it 3 times. Fave season is the one at the Baltimore docks. So many times in the show I forgot they were actors, it was so real.

Briefly, what’s it about?

Dwayne Johnson is the best part of Ballers, by far.

And I totally get that. A lot of folks like it. Maybe some day I'll do a full re-watch and see if my opinion changes.

Halt & Catch Fire follows a group of people who work at Cardiff Electric (which is loosely based on the real-life company Compaq) as they attempt to clone, and improve upon, IBM's PC. It takes place in the 80s (and I believe goes until the mid-90s). Very, very good show so far.

Might check it out though there is an overload of TV to watch these days. And the shows keep coming & coming.

The Walking Dead: Season 9 (2018)
Creators: Frank Darabont, Angela Kang
Platform: AMC


Episode 1: A New Beginning - 56%
Episode 2: The Bridge - 59%
Episode 3: Warning Signs - 50%
Episode 4: The Obliged - 41%
Episode 5: What Comes After - 60%
Episode 6: Who Are You Now? - 47%
Episode 7: Stradivarius - 32%
Episode 8: Evolution - 70%

Why did I think this show had ended?

Maniac: Season 1 (2018)
Creators: Cary Joji Fukunaga, Patrick Somerville
Platform: Netflix


Episode 1: The Chosen One! - 86%
Episode 2: Windmills - 88%
Episode 3: Having a Day - 90%
Episode 4: Furs by Sebastian - 80%
Episode 5: Exactly Like You - 90%
Episode 6: Larger Structural Issues - 85%
Episode 7: Ceci N'est Pas Une Drill - 71%
Episode 8: The Lake of the Clouds - 85%
Episode 9: Utangatta - 82%
Episode 10: Option C - 89%

Season 1 Overall Rating - 85% Fresh

Cary Joji Fukunaga's Maniac is a limited series that everyone should experience. Each episode is a different adventure and the chemistry between Jonah Hill and Emma Stone is almost palpable. It gets a little weird at times and there is a low point or two (most notably episode seven), but overall it's a blast, and the 30-40 minute runtime of each episode makes this an easy watch.

The Haunting of Hill House: Season 1 (2018)
Creator: Mike Flanagan
Platform: Netflix


Episode 1: Steven Sees a Ghost - 84%
Episode 2: Open Casket - 88%
Episode 3: Touch - 87%
Episode 4: The Twin Thing - 90%
Episode 5: The Bent-Neck Lady - 94%
Episode 6: Two Storms - 90%
Episode 7: Eulogy - 89%
Episode 8: Witness Marks - 90%
Episode 9: Screaming Meemies - 93%
Episode 10: Silence Lay Steadily - 93%

Season 1 Overall Rating - 90% Fresh

The Haunting of Hill House is a much more emotional horror show than I expected. There are scares, and it does feel creepy most of the time, but it builds up to an emotional payoff rather than a horror payoff. It's well crafted and it honestly is way better than I ever expected it to be.

That Dutch fellow on the left (who is in a lot of shows) is an excellent actor.

Hey Grant, do you think you could post where we can watch these shows so we don’t have to look it up? For example, Maniac?

Yepper. I went back through and added the platform I watched each show on.

Cheers Grant. Big help to lazies like me. Might have to watch Maniac though I’ve read some not-so-good reviews.

Not feeling Maniac. Finished the pilot & got halfway through eppy 2. Love Jonah Hill & Emma Stone, but think this is too weird for me. Doesn’t mean it isn’t good, but perhaps not for me.

It's definitely not for everyone but I do think everyone should at least give it a shot, so I'm glad you gave it a fair shake.