Brockmire struggles to accept that Jules is dating his good friend George Brett.
In 2018, there were 495 scripted shows airing amongst the linear channels and streaming services. The way people are consuming content now is so different than it used to be. It happens according to one's own schedule. As such, there is less necessity to provide ample coverage of each specific episode in any given season from a show. Moreover, it is simply impossible to watch everything. As such, this site is making the move to shorter episodic reviews in order to cover as many shows as possible. With all of that being said, here are my thoughts on the next episode of IFC's Brockmire.
"Player to Be Named Later" was written by Amanda Sitko and directed by Maurice Marable
Brockmire has long held onto the hope that he and Jules were destined to be together as a couple. They have always been kindred spirits. They are alcoholics who can hold their liquor and are a lot of fun. They are exceptional people who are good at what they are trying to do. Plus, they are hoping to build their careers and find more success in baseball because they love the sport so much. They recognize the problems that are in front of them. Brockmire is trying to put his best foot forward in sobriety. He hopes to grow and become the best version of himself. Of course, he's still saying wildly inappropriate things and proving that he can't actually be there for people when they need him the most. The season opened with him seeming like he was isolated once more. He continued to move up in the world of baseball announcing. He's closer than ever before of achieving his dream of calling a professional baseball game again. And now, one of his friends is back to talk about how things are going for him. Jules and Charles promised to remain friends with Brockmire and support him as he continues through recovery. Neither of them have moved to Florida to be with him all the time though. He has new co-workers he has to deal with. He has more pressure than ever before and the only person who is friendly towards him is Gabby, who is more focused on her own career ambitions. She understands that she is a queer woman of color who is fetishized in so many ways by straight white man. She doesn't want to put up with that kind of behavior yet again from Brockmire. He may claim that he plays great in the lesbian market. He still finds himself embracing stereotypes in the hopes that could add more dimension to this new dynamic though. Him asking why lesbians always stay friends with their exes also punctuates just how detached Brockmire may be from his reality. He has held onto this plan of how he and Jules will get back together. He understands that it will be a long process that will slowly develop over time. That's the hope he is holding onto. And yet, he can't just expect Jules to wait for him to get his life together. He doesn't know how to maintain a healthy adult relationship. He was given the advice in the premiere that he should practice with a pet first. That's as much responsibility as he can handle right now. Meanwhile, Jules is proving just how skilled she is as a baseball promoter. She gets a sold-out crowd during one of the worst games of the year. The show makes it outrageously absurd with the game happening at the same time as a rodeo tournament. That means the area smells like farm animals. There is even a pig that is left wandering around for no reason whatsoever. That's strange. But again, it all highlights how the world is changing. Brockmire still runs in the same social circles of people who have been a part of this business for a long time. Working his way back up, he has had to interact with people making their first attempts at careers in this industry. It has worked out for some of them. It continues to go well for Brockmire. But it could all come to a devastating end because of Jules. He doesn't know how to process his emotions when she rejects him. She lays out in no uncertain terms that they will never be romantically paired together ever again. That's not what she is expecting from her life anymore. She wanted to believe she could still be friends with Brockmire. He just continues to make that difficult. He still has to put in the work to show that he is better. That means apologize to Bob Costas in order to get Jules' new boyfriend, George Brett, a great job. He does so out of selfish interests. But all of this internal conflict is suddenly presenting itself as an inability to do the job. That shouldn't be put on Jules though. She succeeds despite everything that Brockmire is putting her through. These are his own issues that he will clearly have to work out if he hopes to remain in this business.
