Genre: Drama
Actor: Cleopatra Coleman, Clifton Davis, Corbin Bernsen, Ed O'Neill, Harriet Sansom Harris, J. Alphonse Nicholson, Jacki Weaver, Kelly AuCoin, Laurence Fishburne, Rich Sommer
Right off the bat (the basketball?), here’s what Clipped is not—it’s not a riveting sports drama, since there’s barely any on-court action to be found. It’s also not a biopic about the infamous ex-owner of the team, Don Sterling, even though the series revolves around his misdeeds. Instead, Clipped plays like a less inventive version of HBO’s Winning Time or, if you want, an episode of fellow FX series FEUD, which interestingly enough Clipped creator Gina Welch wrote for. As a juicy love triangle and depiction of disgrace, it’s undeniably entertaining. And even though it leaves little room for it, its commentary on class and race is thought-provoking. But sports just plays second-fiddle to the affair, which can disappoint fans of the team and the game. Its misleading premise also isn’t helped by an uneven pace of perspectives. As wonderful as Jackie Weaver is, I don’t understand why and how her character gets the most screen time. Clipped raises more questions than answers, but if you’re comfortable with that setup and come with the right set of expectations, you’ll find much to like in the miniseries.
