When one of Donald Sterling’s racist rants was leaked online in 2014, it caused quite a scandal. It temporarily flipped the sports world upside down, and led to a change in ownership for the L.A. Clippers. ESPN chronicled the story, both through live coverage and a 30 for 30 podcast series from 2019, The Sterling Affairs. And now, the story gets a screen adaptation with star power in FX’s Clipped, based on the popular ESPN podcast’s coverage.
(Kelsey McNeal/FX)
Clipped primarily focuses on four characters, one of which is naturally Donald Sterling, played by one of television's most lovable curmudgeons, Ed O’Neill (Married with Children, Modern Family). In lesser hands, a portrayal of Donald Sterling would be hard to watch across six hours of television, but filtered through O’Neill, viewers will have a love/hate relationship with him, not unlike the characters in his sphere.
The Clippers’ new coach, Doc Rivers, becomes the viewers’ entry point to the story, portrayed by the incomparable Laurence Fishburne (black-ish). He brings to the role his commanding strength while also showcasing the coach’s struggle to lead a team through uncharted media attention and backlash. Sports fans will likely find the elements of the story they’re most familiar with through Doc Rivers, as well as the Clippers team members, which includes Chris Paul (J. Alphonse Nicholson, White Men Can’t Jump), JJ Redick (Charlie McElveen, The Creator), and Blake Griffin (Austin Scott, Mr. Monk’s Last Case).
But to me, the characters who really hooked me were the two women in Donald Sterling’s life: his wife, Shelly (Jacki Weaver, Silver Linings Playbook), and his assistant/mistress, V. Stiviano (Cleopatra Coleman, Dopesick). Jacki Weaver is captivating, balancing a mix of naive charm and assertive tact from an outdated playbook. The sparring match between Shelly and V. is made particularly delicious by Cleopatra Coleman’s portrayal of a modern woman desperate to claim some of the excess that L.A. is notorious for cultivating.
(Kelsey McNeal/FX)
FX’s Clipped works on so many levels, and so, too, does its title. The L.A. Clippers, an audio snippet, and shears being taken to a powerful man’s wings are some of the ways the show’s title reverberates as viewers go deeper and deeper into the story. It’s drama, comedy, romance, and an underdog story all wrapped up in one glorious package that you’ll quickly become addicted to.
I give Clipped 5 out of 5 stars.
The first two episodes of Clipped premiere June 4th on Hulu, with new episodes dropping on subsequent Tuesdays.