'Ballers' Recap: Jay Glazer and the Love Pond

This week on Ballers, stuff went down. This was the show you know and love at its best. Here’s a quick list of notable episode 6 inclusions:

• The love pond, which Ricky claims to have “nut” in over 1000 times

• Jay Glazer

• “I’ve got a cannon like Rodgers!”

• A scene that features a basically endless screening of Her

• A number of exterior shots that looked like they were passed through the “Valencia” IG filter

It’s extremely watchable stuff and it seems like every character is competing for the recap pullquote. In response to Angela Lee’s blackmail of Vernon, Joe meets Maximo at the horse track to hammer out a deal. Spencer, cornered by Tracy, finally arranges to get a CAT scan by a tech who casually says stuff like “I love that motherfucker!” before flipping the switch. Ricky comes clean to Jay Glazer in an exclusive interview — though the set up was kind of corny, John David Washington really bought into the rant about hating his dad (“I want my jersey to say “Fuck you dad,” on the front and back)” — only to alienate Anabelle, his live-in girlfriend. Meanwhile, Charles is at an ambiguous location called “the clubhouse,” getting stoned and watching “Her.” Everyone in Ballers is kind of a shithead, but they’re loveable.

This is serialized drama that you absolutely can’t follow if you just want to duck in and out for an episode. Ballers requires commitment.

And Ballers still functions on the Empire decision engine, where epiphanies happen instantaneously. Ricky and Spencer basically reenact the wedding toast scene from Wedding Crashers and Charles, having spent like three hours at the clubhouse, decides to come home. (But Melissa throws him in a pool first. Sweet revenge!) It’s a predictable and daffy show, but it makes your head snap often with its overt ridiculousness. Shouldn’t Reggie and Vernon be like, a little more concerned that there are pics out there of Vernon ripping lines of coke off a stripper? No one has a rational thought in this damn show. I fucking love it.

“Everything Is Everything” was kind of a build episode, but it had plenty of moments. I like how everything else sort of pauses for specific plotlines to play out. Wasn’t Charles trying to get back in the NFL or something? It sort of doesn’t matter so long as we walk away having learned a lesson, which we do.

Stay out of the love pond.