Can BET’s The Game Get Any Worse?
The new season of BET’s The Game premiered on Tuesday night and it became painfully obvious that the show is a shell of its former self. Better yet, the shell is all that remains as the heart and soul has been gutted out and replaced with a “dramedy” that attempts to deliver extreme levels of drama a mile a minute with complete disregard of the diehard fans who begged for the same product that was abruptly halted.
If it weren’t for the actors, nobody would notice that The Game was the same show that became a cult favorite after being spun off from Girlfriends. It’s become a distinct departure from what it once was and I think I hate it. What’s wrong with the show you ask? Just about everything.
Let’s start with the fact that the show can’t decide whether it’s supposed to be a drama or a comedy as evidence by the wildly inappropriate laugh track. In the season opener, it appears that the show was trying to stay on a course of seriousness as Derwin and Melanie worked through their marital issues — which have become mindbogglingly worse over the past season. But then we cut to Malik and Tasha Mack dealing with a dead body in the garage and there are jokes aplenty. The characters cracking jokes in the middle of “serious” segments proves that this show is dealing with a major identity crisis. For whatever reason, we hear more laugh track during this part of the episode than in any other. If this were an episode of Martin, then the jokes would make sense. But when you are a serious show dealing with serious and grossly exaggerated issues, going for cheap laughs is pretty lame.
The show also decides that it must deal head on with Jason’s issues with black women. While this is fine in theory, the execution was piss poor. It’s as if the issue lowered its head and just ran over everything in sight, as Jason’s affinity for white women is questioned and forces his connection to Brandy’s character Chardonnay. Rather than peel layers off of Jason’s character, we get stabbed with this blunt object repeatedly until the episode ends. I’m sure that this will be an ongoing theme since Jason’s wife Kelly has been inexplicably written off forever. Whether or not we care is a whole other question entirely.
Then we have the characters turned caricatures known as Malik and Tasha Mack. Both characters have become so one-dimensional that it isn’t even funny. The permanent scowl that Malik wears does nothing for his character whatsoever. Rather than show a wide range of emotion, Malik is banished to “I’m-mad-at-the-world” land. He’s become overbearing and could easily be written off without causing an uproar. Tasha Mack has really, really nailed the ghetto fabulous queen role. So much, in fact, that she appears to be stuck in that area as her mannerisms continue to come complete with a neck roll and gum chewing.
Ultimately, the fact is that the season is chock full of plot holes, barren characters, and wayward storylines, and makes it rather difficult to be taken seriously. The “television show darling that could” has became the pompous mess that can’t. Sure, people will watch it and it will get ratings. However, the story arcs have become so ridiculous that we all have to reconsider helping bring it back in the first place. Sadly, it’s going to get worse before it gets better.
The Game was alright, I think the key is to understand where the characters and storylines are going and look to find more positive instead of immediately finding the negative. This is a comedy they are trying to turn into a drama. The Bulls don’t always come out dunking each shot, however we watch the entire game and lots of times watch the entire season win or lose. Let’s try to hang in there for a couple of episodes before requesting the plug to be pulled.
Game Over already…first of all they need to get rid of the dramedy idea and bring back the laugh track the wedding episode a few years back seemed a bit awkward because someone decided to get rid of the laugh track.
I used to enjoy the game when the characters didn’t take themselves so seriously, now its like watching a black version of the 1980″s soap “Dynasty”.
Is The Game over the top dramatic-Yes. Will I stop watching-No. I love the show and I highly support it. They came back in season 4 a little too strong and fast pace with the drama, but I can’t stop watching it. It dramatic and hilarious! It just needs to tone it down a little so I can make an emotional connection like I did prior to season 4 because it felt so real watching it, now it comes off more like a soap opera/ comedy show all in one.
I haven’t watched it yet in lieu of getting rest for an early morning workout. But I’m looking forward to watching it on my DVR tonight. What I can say is that last year was a bit of shock for me. They definitely seemed more Rated R than their original milder programming but I assumed it was what they thought would garner better ratings since their previous cancellation. But in my personal opinion I don’t think they needed to change a thing other than their network, which they did. Their previous network was notorious for bringing on black shows to get the community to watch their station and then dumping the shows for more white shows once they received a following. BET is the home of black entertainment and will protect the show’s longevity even if it comes to just airing reruns for a decade. LOL! My sentiments mirror everyone else’s I hope they tone it down just a little and decide what genre they want to follow, comedy or drama, and if it’s a hybrid of both, let it be a true hybrid and not one outweighing the other.
Thank you! I COMPLETELY agree w/the entire analysis presented in this article and I couldn’t have said it better myself. I first noticed the demise of the game last season, after having been a faithful viewer from The Game’s CW days. At first, I thought they changed writers… that’s the only thing that made sense, given the show’s complete change of direction. Then, I realized that they probably just conformed. I wasn’t able to hang on during last season and after watching last night’s premiere, I’m officially letting go. The show is simply a shell of what it once was and in the words of Marvin Gaye.. ain’t nothin’ like the real thing.
Everyone has an opinion… But I think the writers know what they’re doing so give them some time and let’s see what the season has in store for us… They are at a point where reality tv is at its prime & to compete with that is hard so a little dramedy certainly wont hurt… Just don’t be too harsh.
I absolutely love this show. It’s so real. It’s the authenticity of the show that captured my attention in the first place. The writer is awesome, he does a Great job of making the whole entire cast relatable to it’s audience which is why most of us watch the show. It doesn’t necessarily even matter what race or ethnicity you are. When Melanie cried on Season Three and told Derwin that she didn’t want anyone else to have his baby I cried with her. Any women in her situation would have felt the same way; in fact there have been many women in her situation. I can appreciate how the writers can turn a serious situation into a funny situation, that’s life, that real. I love THE GAME and will continue to support this show to the end. Ya’ll act like we have a lot of black shows to choose from. This is the best one I’ve seen in YEARS. Talk about relatable Tasha Mack is from the RICH just like me, Wendy R. you are the bomb.
I agree with everything the reviewer said. This was my favorite show and I was so excited when it came back, but it really jumped the shark. Please writers go back to the way it was before they got cancelled. And bring back Kelly Pitts!
This review is nonsense, I would ask the reviewer and those who agree with her this, is your life a comedy or a drama. I would put it this way, in your life, do you laugh and sometimes cry, oh please.
This is an awful awful awful and I do repeat awful review. I think just about every show on the air is a mix of comedy and drama. Hello, has anyone ever watched Desperate Housewives, Ugly Betty, Glee. I feel like unfortunately our own people are being incredibly harsh on one of the few black shows on the air. Is the Game exactly like it was when it was on the CW? No, duh. You dont have to be a genius to figure it out. Is it the worse show on the air, absolutely not. Is the Game different? Yes. But, will I continue to support because there are too few black shows on the air that talk about our issues? Absolutely. I think it is funny that the same people that have something negative to say will faithfully watch the garbage that is reality tv or happily support the shows that have none or the required one person of color. I actually loved last night’s episode!
Man, this is my show no matter what! Last season I like everyone else was thrown for a loop and was like wait a minute. Watching interviews from the cast and writers showed me that they had to adjust and make some drastic changes. Initially, we were to follow a storyline that we all seem to love from past seasons but after season 2 there were the talks of cancellation so the writers had to adjust and speed up the timeline, something they found out once they knew they were being cancelled.
All in all last night’s premier was better than last season and did bring back more of the comedy that we all missed. I support this show 100%.
Give the writers a break it was just the first episode. I however; would have been happy without the OD. I will continue to watch because, I hooked on the cast. Please bring back Kelly.
I disagree with this analysis, if anyone liked the final episode of Tne Game on the CW, then you know this is where the writers planned on taking the series, and it wasn’t a issue of too much drama last year, it more a problem of not enough funny and a lot of it didn’t make sense.
So in the first episode, we get writing that actually makes sense and found a good mix between drama and comedy and it gets bashed as well? This season premiere was 10x better than last year’s and if you didn’t see that I guess you won’t be pleased with where this season goes.
The gam sucked. Where did brandy come from, send het back.
I completely disagree!! Loved the premiere! Can’t wait for entire season! Perfect balance of comedy and drama! They are getting their mojo back!!!
Do not like ur review…it is not uncommon for shows to joke during serious issues…hence it being called a sitcom, dramady or dark comedy. I mean Juno was about teenage pregnancy…not a laughing matter normally…but they found the humor in something tragic. On Good Times…they did much comedy over serious matters. A Different World spoke on AIDS, domestic abuse, rape…yet found the comedy in very tragic topics. I think u need to recognize that the standard sitcom format is dying…but maybe u are a traditionalist…and don’t like change…but the fact is…the CW forced The Game out because it was too light and sitcomy….so with that…Mara is producing this show to last…by putting it in the dramady category that many shows are becoming now…Season 5 has shown much improvement from Season 4…they are finally getting the formula of their new format. I love it!!! @Maxwell BINGO!! Season 3 finale is this format and was great and hilarious! I think this season will be just like that! And yes Season 4 seemed awkward and too dramatic…probaby because everyone had to get use to each other again, the new setting, and the new shooting schedule. They seem to be getting back on track now…only up from here!!!
I was a big fan until the BET version. Now, I don’t even know which night it comes on.
I completely agree, I actually googled “The game getting worse” to see if others felt the same way I did. I can’t connect to the characters at all, half the time I don’t know what’s going on or don’t care for the boring dialog and want to skip through parts, its just awful now. You hit the nail on the head with this article, and its hurts more because you want the show to do well. I was rooting for them to bring it back as well, but I hope this fix it fast because I have no interest in watching nonsensical one dimensional acting either.
I am glad that others besides myself felt the PAIN of the new season of the GAME… where is the fun? Why does Jason’s daughter look 30 instead of 13… and by the way… no woman walks away from their daughter forever… Brandy’s role is… well offensive to other black women of lighter color… why do we still have to go there???
I think the show is pretty good. I also think that I need a role on the show.
I don’t think anybody was a bigger fan of the Game than I was. I actually cried during the “Wedding Episode”. Now BET has turned something so beautiful into a bunch of garbage. I absolutely hate this show now and completely agree with this reviewer. There’s no way that people who still say they love this show were ever true fans of the original show.
I stopped watching it after the second episode of this season. I can’t deal with where the show is going. It isn’t funny anymore. It’s too negative and it does not portray the way people act for real. All of this barely black and booghetto talk is ridiculous. And no one ever said that Jason didn’t like black women. Why did it have to go there? Why is Malik and Tasha so idiotic now? Why isn’t TeeTee funny anymore? I liked it better when it was on the CW. Now, it’s too much for my life.
Mara Brock Akil is a brilliant write. The show’s current season is perhaps showing a little growing pains as they accommodate new talent in writers, actors, and other staff as a result of their success, perhaps. Even so, it is still one of the most entertaining shows on the tube.
In fact, the show’s characters are so full that many are ripe for spin-offs. There are so many brilliant characters that would be interesting to follow long term in their own plot scenarios from Tasha Mac to Irv (Derwin’s agent), Kelly (with her friends), Pitts with Chardenay or Kelly, Chardenay herself, etc.
$0.02