All The Tropes

The Game (TV series): Difference between revisions

Page Discussion

The Game (TV series) (view source)

Revision as of 07:57, 9 April 2014

7 bytes added ,  10 years ago
m
Mass update links
VisualWikitext
m (Dai-Guard moved page The Game (TV) to The Game (TV series): Use lowercase namespaces)
m (Mass update links)
Line 10:
However, The Game isn’t perfect. It often suffers from an overabundance of guest stars, mainly used as [[Deus Ex Machina|plot conveniences]] ([[Special Guest|Rick Fox’s extended role]] comes to mind). Also, its [[Take That|declarations]] against the [[Real Life Writes the Plot|controversial real life sports stories]] are anything but subtle, its portrayal of the male-centric and/or racist administrative side of the sports world isn’t handled very deftly, and most of the non-primary white characters are portrayed rather idiotically. [[The Wire]] of the sports world, it is not. But overall, The Game shows a surprising amount of depth with the professional sports world’s uglier side. One could make a case that [[Crap Saccharine World|beyond the glitz and glam, it’s a dog-eat-dog cutthroat environment]].
 
For some, The Game reminds viewers of the [[Too Good to Last|ill-fated]] but scarily realistic ESPN drama ''Playmakers'' (which also involves NFL players and their controversial lives), even though it avoids the grimness of ''Playmakers'' by [[Lighter and Softer|mixing a good balance of drama and humor]]. The third and (especially) fourth seasons get progressively darker, but never quite extinguish the lighter elements that made the show a delight for fans early on. It might be a reason why The Game didn’t offend the NFL the way ''Playmakers'' did. Then again, The Game didn’t get much attention in the sports media world, possibly because of the [[Friday Night Lights (TV series)|''other'' major football show on NBC]] or perhaps because of the [[Unfortunate Implications|ugly stigma that often follows shows with mostly black casts]]).
 
Alas, that attitude was present within CW itself, and it eventually caused [[Screwed Byby the Network|The Game’s cancellation after three seasons]]. Many black viewers feared that might happen after the WB merged with UPN – the only network rife with black casted comedies – because the WB side might whitewash the UPN side. Three seasons after the CW and The Game debuted, that’s exactly what happened. Hence, [[Internet Backlash|minority viewers’ backlash]] against the big networks for the lack of racial balance with their shows ([[Everybody Hates Chris]] getting canceled with The Game and ABC’s [[Ugly Betty]] getting canceled months later didn’t help).
 
Fortunately for The Game, [http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/17/business/media/17bet.html?_r=1 BET wasn’t deaf to the acrimony], and met with the show’s producers to [[Uncanceled|resurrect the canceled sitcom]]. Thanks to the growing interest in cable programming, [[BET]] already re-structured its schedule to re-air black sitcoms for reruns, and that included The Game. BET’s reruns of The Game consistently got higher ratings than its original CW airings, and the fanbase grew exponentially during this period. The network also needed a vehicle for its own original scripted programming - with sitcom Let’s Stay Together being the first – [[Network to Thethe Rescue|which made The Game a perfect candidate]]. When The Game finally returned with new episodes on Jan 11th, 2011, nineteen months since CW’s cancellation, the ratings hit an unprecedented ‘’7.7 million’’ viewers during the premier, [[And the Fandom Rejoiced|the largest viewing audience in cable history]]. The numbers dwindled to a steadier 4.4 million, come the season four finale, but it’s still much higher than the CW days. In fact, [[Laser-Guided Karma|The Game’s current ratings often match or even ''surpass'' the CW’s current lineup]].
 
[[Moral of the Story]]: treat your audience like they matter, and they’ll reward you.
Line 25:
* [[All Women Are Lustful]]: ...the women aren't exactly chaste either, especially in season four. The wife of the Sabers owner regularly cheats on her husband with Malik, and threatened to blackmail him when he refused her advances overtime. Women in lingerie often appear in Derwin's hotel rooms. The girlfriend of JT, Malik's best friend, screws Malik behind JT's back one day. The Game is pretty much one of the only shows that exhibit lusty behavior on both genders.
* [[Break the Cutie]]: Poor Kelly. Jason's authoritative attitude and insecurities keep rubbing off on her throughout the first two seasons. During one season one episode, she was so exhausted from Jason's repeated demands, she had an anxiety attack.
* [[Break the Haughty]]: Jason in season 2, Malik in season 4. Both of them get better though, despite avoiding [[Suddenly Humble]] (their [[Jerkass]] simply got toned down). Derwin seems to be headed this direction in season 5 after {{spoiler|he intentionally missed a tackle and exposed the Sabers' rookie quarterback to a season ending, and possibly career ending, injury. Despite Derwin denying the act, [[Convicted Byby Public Opinion|the press and fans savaged him for his presumed actions.]] }}
* [[Character Development]]: A fair amount overall.
* [[Chivalrous Pervert]]: Malik may be a womanizer, have his own built-in strip club, and prides himself on his own library of amateur porn, but [[Even Evil Has Standards|he doesn't take lightly to women being treated like dogs by other men]]. When Malik's half-sister was about to be taken advantage of by men more lecherous than himself, he brought in her father to help get her away from the guys. When Malik witnessed the Sabers owner diss his own wife in public because of her [[Stripperific]] outift, despite the fact that she planned to blackmail Malik, he still felt bad for her.
* [[Cool Old Guy]]: Jason in season 4. Before that he was the [[The Obi Wrong]].
* [[Convicted Byby Public Opinion]]: Given how the show is focused around the NFL, the press and fans often perceive the players' actions differently from what viewers see them do in their everyday lives, or assume the worst of their actions when things go wrong for the players and/or their respective Sabers team. In the latter category, this is taken to the extreme when {{spoiler|Derwin left the Sabers' rookie quarterback vulnerable to a knee injury by blatantly missing an easy tackle. The media and Sabers fans intensely express their disdain for Derwin afterward, especially when some reporters brought up the disagreements between Derwin and the QB prior to the injury. Ironically enough, this happened during a post-interview game the Sabers ''won'', despite the team getting trounced in a [[Curb Stomp Battle]] before Malik came in as the backup QB.}}
* [[Crap Saccharine World]]: One of the better examples portrayed in scripted TV. The world of professional sports looks very sheen and high class on the surface, but on the business end, questionable practices and shady internal politics often rear their ugly heads. The San Diego setting also brings home a high quotient of beautiful women, which makes it hell for the engaged/married players. But even these temptresses come with their own agenda, as many of them aspire to get impregnated by a Sabers player for child support. Backstabbing is quite common amongst businessman and players, simply to reach their aspiring goals ([[Lonely At the Top|and may come with a cost for those who abandon their friends along the way]]). For players who act wisely on and off the field, they won't have many regrets come retirement time, but with the number of people chewed up and spit out by the perils of the professional sports life, it's the exception more than the norm.
* [[Darker and Edgier]]: The fourth season, most notably, and even then, it's not too drastic. Still, it's one reason the fanbase got upset with the show after it returned from a near two-year hiatus.
Line 45:
* [[Mood Dissonance]]: T.T. has a habit of jumping in with a humorous line at the end of otherwise serious scenes.
* [[Plot-Relevant Age-Up]]: Brittany was about eight or nine years old at the end of season three. In season four, now she's closer to thirteen or fourteen, [[Dawson Casting|and barely resembles her previous self]].
* [[Put Onon a Bus]]: Kelly went off to "find herself" halfway through season 4. No hints as to wether or not she will return.
** No signs for her return in season five, either. The actress is absent in the credits for season five, and The Game's season five promos have Kelly inexplicably absent.
* [[Double Standard Rape (Female Onon Male)]]: Happened in season 4 when Parker (played by Meagan Good) blackmailed Malik into sleeping with her [[Hypocritical Humor|by saying she would tell everyone he raped her if he didn't]]. As you know, Malik is a football player, and this would likely destroy his life completely, especially since he has done many questionable things already. Anyway, after they slept together(the show never acknowledges that this is rape, even with the look of despair on his face) she hits him in the back of the head and makes him [[Lampshaded Double Entendre|go another round]]. Cue [[Laugh Track]]... She never got called out on this, got a [[Freudian Excuse]], and even walked out of it [[Karma Houdini|relatively cleanly]], much cleaner than Malik himself did.
** Not quite a [[Karma Houdini]], since season five revealed that Parker was divorced and financially cut off from her husband.
* [[Shoo Out the Clowns]]: The biggest complaint of season 4.
Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Special:MobileDiff/925082"