Of course, the players on that 2014 Clippers team have to have a voice here too. NBA fans will be interested in eavesdropping on conversations between the players regarding how to handle the situation, including Austin Scott as Blake Griffin, Charlie McElveen as JJ Redick, J. Alphonse Nicholson as Chris Paul, and especially Sheldon Bailey as DeAndre Jordan, who the show portrays as one of the most conflicted players regarding whether or not he even wanted to compete in the playoffs anymore. Strong performances sprout up throughout the supporting cast, including “Billions” vet Kelly AuCoin as Sterling’s right-hand man Andy Roeser, Corbin Bernsen as Shelley’s attorney Pierce O’Donnell, “Mad Men” vet Rich Sommer as beleaguered PR guy Seth Burton, Harriet Sansom Harris as Shelley’s ally Justine, a great Clifton Davis as Elgin Baylor, and LeVar Burton as himself, who apparently counseled Doc in their high-priced apartment building’s sauna.
If it all sounds like a lot for a six-episode mini-series, that’s one of the reasons “Clipped” works in an era of television seasons that are almost always too long. This one is packed with memorable characters and ideas, not content to merely rehash what people remember about the Sterling drama but seeking to offer a new perspective on its players. Coleman’s take on Stiviano is particularly fascinating, refusing to play her as a vengeful gold digger as she tries to figure out a truly strange woman who wore a face-covering visor when she spoke to the press as if she didn’t want to be seen but wanted little more than to be as famous as Kim Kardashian. I’m not sure Coleman fully gets to the bottom of Stiviano, but the effort is never boring. The trio of troublemakers in “Clipped”—Donald, Shelley, and Stiviano—are all presented as creatures of the L.A. fame circuit, with the Sterlings unwilling to leave it and V. desperate to join it. Donald Sterling’s potential dementia plays an inevitable role. Still, the show is careful not to let him off the hook while also thankfully recognizing that his ouster from the NBA didn’t solve all the racism in the Association.
The only major flaw with “Clipped” is the amount of time spent circling many of the same drains with Weaver’s Shelley. While it’s a strong performance, her angle on this story isn’t as interesting as the writers think, given how much time they devote to it. More time in the locker room or with the cadre of people trying to keep the Sterling empire from collapsing (like AuCoin and Sommer’s characters) might have led to more balance. Then again, the Sterlings were the kind of people who always thought they were the center of every story. So maybe it makes sense that they are for one last time.
Whole series screened for review. Premieres on FX on June 4th.