Blu-ray Review: WINNING TIME: THE RISE OF THE LAKERS DYNASTY: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON

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Oct 04, 2022 Posted by Kyle Nolan in DVD/Blu-ray, Reviews | Comments

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this Blog Post. The opinions I share are my own.”

The first season of Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty follows the sometimes humorous/sometimes dramatic lives of the owner, coaches and players of the Los Angeles Lakers during their game-changing 1979-80 season—a season that would not only affect the lives of those involved, but also alter the way professional basketball would be played and experienced ever since. Dr. Jerry Buss (John C. Reilly) is a real-estate mogul and current owner of the Chrysler Building, who decides on a whim that he wants to trade that in to own an NBA team. This is at a time when the NBA is losing steam and may not even be around much longer. Buss’ mother, Jessie (Sally Field), tries to talk him out of it but Jerry knows what he wants, and puts his fortune on the line. Buss has big plans for his new team, using his coveted first draft pick to bring on rookie guard Earvin “Magic” Johnson (Quincy Isiah) to join the team’s superstar center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Solomon Hughes) and point guard Norm Nixon (DeVaughn Nixon). As former player/coach Jerry West (Jason Clarke) becomes the team’s GM, new coach Jack McKinney (Tracy Letts) and his assistant Paul Westhead (Jason Segel) have some radical new ideas for the way the team plays the game—their uptempo Showtime offence will revolutionize and change basketball forever. At the same time, future coach/former player Pat Riley (Adrien Brody) is trying to figure out the next stage of his career, which he believes may be in broadcasting.

Jerry Buss doesn’t just want to revamp the team, but also the entire experience for the fans. He wants to turn the team’s stadium, the Forum, into a go-to entertainment destination that will bring in celebs, and make the games more far more entertaining. Helping him realize this vision are Forum GM Claire Rothman (Gaby Hoffmann) and Buss’ daughter/intern Jeanie (Hadley Robinson). Just like how the Showtime offense will change the game forever, so will some of the new ideas implemented at the Forum. Before Jerry Buss there was no such thing as floor seats or the Laker Girls, and now you can’t imagine an NBA game without them!

I am not generally a sports fan—I can’t say that I’ve even watched an entire NBA game. While I’ve certainly heard of people like Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Larry Bird (Sean Patrick Small), I didn’t know about their team coaches and/or owners, or anything about their personal lives. Winning Time is very fast-paced, with many characters being rapidly introduced in the fist few episodes, either with their name and a short description displayed on the screen, or Jerry or another character breaking the fourth wall to talk about them to the audience. Sports fans may already know who all these people are, but I found it a bit difficult to keep track of, especially all of the various players. Fortunately, by the third or fourth episode, I had pretty much found my groove and really started to enjoy the series. It has this nice blend of character drama and humor, spending equal time following the coaches and owner as it does with the players. While the season does have some scenes of gameplay, the series is more about the characters and their drama off the court. Whether it’s Magic adapting to and being seduced by the L.A. way of life, Kareem seeing this rookie as a potential threat, Jerry Buss trying desperately trying to stay afloat financially while trying to make his vision come true, Jerry West and Pat Riley both struggling to find what they want in the next stage of their careers, Buss’ daughter Jeanie trying to get her father to see her worth while also trying to keep the family together, and more. There’s some interesting storylines between the players and some of their personal and interpersonal struggles, as well as some so-crazy-that-it-can’t-be made-up drama with the shifting coaches. Overall, I found the story to be both fascinating and entertaining, and it never takes itself too seriously, always finding moments to inject humor geared directly at the viewing audience.

Despite the fact that the series has been renewed for a second season, this first season tells a complete story, following this team through the entire basketball season from pre-season to playoff. There is certainly more that could be told, but it doesn’t feel like you are left hanging at the end of the season. The cast is amazing, with so many recognizable faces and great performances. John C. Reilly not only delivers on the humor but also makes you really care about Jerry Buss, even though he’s a bit wild and aloof at times, there’s also this emotion at his core. He is joined by so many other excellent actors, both the recognizable folks like Sally Field, Jason Clarke, Adrien Brody, Gaby Hoffmann and Jason Segel, but also the newcomers like Quincy Isaiah, Hadley Robinson, and Solomon Hughes, as well as DeVaughn Nixon, who’s playing his own father.

The look of the series may be a bit divisive. I wasn’t really a fan, often finding it a bit jarring. The filmmakers have given the series a vintage look both in color tone and in the way it is shot. Scenes constantly flip between various handheld and wide camera styles and formats, sometimes trying to look like archival footage. However, each of these shots vary in clarity, focus and level of grain. While someone is speaking, the style may change 4-5 times, which I found a bit distracting. I would have preferred a more consistent, clean look, just with an added color filter to evoke the era. It’s hard to grade the picture quality of the Blu-ray presentation as this grainy, out-of-focus look seems to be the aesthetic the filmmakers wanted. The audio track, on the other hand, is very consistent, providing clear dialogue, a era-evoking score/soundtrack, and an immersive viewing experience.

The season’s 10 episodes are spread across 3 discs, which reside in a standard-sized Blu-ray case with a glossy slipcover slid over the top. Inside is a code to redeem for a Vudu digital copy of the episodes. The discs contain about 90 minutes of bonus material—and aftershow discussion about each episode with the cast/creators, as well as many behind-the-scenes featurettes.

What’s Included:

Episodes: (9:37:02)

All 10 episodes of the first season:
Disc 1 (3:51:23): “The Swan”, “Is That All There Is?”, “The Good Life”, “Who the F**k Is Jack McKinney”
Disc 2: (2:52:53) “Pieces of a Man”, “Memento Mori”, “Invisible Man”
Disc 3: (2:52:46) “California Dreaming”, “Acceptable Loss”, “Promised Land”
1080p / Widescreen 1.78:1
Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround, French 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Dutch

Digital (Redeem by 12/31/2023):

HD Digital Copy of the episodes redeemable on Vudu

Extras:

The Forum: (1:04:00)
Series consultant/former Laker Rick Fox hosts this post-show, bringing on the cast/creators of the series (remotely and in studio) to discuss the behind-the-scenes of each episode and some of the real-life events and people depicted in the series. Segments of The Forum can be found on the discs with their related episodes. Each segment ends with a 24-second Beat the Clock trivia challenge among the participants.
- Episode 1 (6:28)
  Showrunner/writer Max Borenstein, executive producer/director Adam McKay and star Quincy Isaiah (“Magic Johnson”) discuss casting Magic, the real-life people depicted in the show, the style and look of the series, the themes of the season, and more.
- Episode 2 (5:52)
  Executive producer/writer Rodney Barnes, and stars Jason Clarke (“Jerry West”) & Quincy Isaiah discuss retirement, Jerry’s assessment of Magic, salaries, and more.
- Episode 3 (6:38)
  Executive producer Jim Hecht and stars DeVaughn Nixon (“Norm Nixon”) & Quincy Isaiah discuss how the series came about, the theme of finding your identity, acclimating to L.A., DeVaughn playing his own father, and more.
- Episode 4 (6:27)
  Showrunner/writer Max Borenstein, and stars Gaby Hoffman (“Claire Rothman”) & Jason Segel (“Paul Westhead”) discuss these lesser-remembered coaches of McKinney and Westhead, the relationship between the two, Claire’s journey, some of the modern sports features these characters pioneered, and more.
- Episode 5 (6:10)
  Executive producer/writer Rodney Barnes, and stars Dr. Solomon Hughes (“Kareem Abdul-Jabbar”) & Quincy Isaiah discuss casting Kareem, working with one another and the relationship between these two characters, the episode title, and more.
- Episode 6 (6:12)
  Showrunner/writer Max Borenstein, and stars Jason Clarke & Quincy Isaiah discuss the title of the episode, Jerry’s trouble stepping away, why it’s difficult for Westhead to step up as coach, and more.
- Episode 7 (5:35)
  Executive producer/writer Rodney Barnes, and stars Dr. Solomon Hughes (“Kareem Abdul-Jabbar”) & Adrien Brody (“Pat Riley”) discuss how the characters are going through transitions, how they embody and get into their characters, and more.
- Episode 8 (6:24)
  Showrunner/writer Max Borenstein, and stars Hadley Robinson (“Jeanie Buss”) & Tamera Tomakili (“Earleatha ‘Cookie’ Kelly”) discuss the uncomfortable truths that come to light in this episode, Cookie’s relationship with Magic, Jeanie’s relationship with her father, and more.
- Episode 9 (6:29)
  Executive producer/writer Rodney Barnes, and stars Hadley Robinson & Sally Field (“Jessie Buss”) discuss Jerry’s relationship with his mother, the challenges of playing this character, the difference in how Jeanie and Jerry deal with Jessie’s condition, Spencer’s dramatic storyline, and more.
- Episode 10 (7:45)
  Showrunner/writer Max Borenstein, and stars John C. Reilly (“Jerry Buss”) & Quincy Isaiah discuss the idea of can you be satisfied with success, the cultural impact of this season of basketball, the relationship between their characters, their favorite scenes, and more.
Winning Time: Invitation to Set (2:58)
The cast/creators of the series discuss the events and themes covered in the series, the journey of the characters, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with executive producer/director Adam McKay, showrunner/writer Max Borenstein, basketball tech Idan Ravin, executive producer/writer Rodney Barnes, and stars Quincy Isaiah, John C. Reilly, Gaby Hoffman, Jason Segel, DeVaughn Nixon, Sally Field & Dr. Solomon Hughes.
Winning Time: Horse (2:10)
Stars Dr. Solomon Hughes, DeVaughn Nixon & Quincy Isaiah hit the court and take turns asking each other questions while playing a game of Horse.
Winning Time: Changing the Game (1:52)
The cast/creators talk about the state of the Lakers and the league at the opening of the series and how basketball changed that 1979-80 season. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with showrunner/writer Max Borenstein, executive producer Jim Hecht, executive producer/director Adam McKay, executive producer/writer Rodney Barnes, and stars DeVaughn Nixon, Quincy Isaiah, Sally Field, John C. Reilly & Jason Segel.
Winning Time: Set Tour (2:41)
Star John C. Reilly gives viewers a tour of The Forum offices and club. Quincy Isaiah then takes over to show off the locker room and Magic’s home.
Winning Time: Training Time (1:18)
Basketball tech Idan Ravin talks about his role on the series. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with stars DeVaughn Nixon, Quincy Isaiah & Dr. Solomon Hughes, who talk about the training regimen.
The Costumes of Winning Time (3:45)
Costume designer Emma Potter talks about bringing the era to life, recreating the uniforms to look authentic, outfitting the game crowds, and more. Also includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with stars John C. Reilly, Hadley Robinson, Quincy Isaiah & Gaby Hoffman.
The Craft: Rodney Barnes (2:05)
Executive producer/writer Rodney Barnes talks about how he got started in Hollywood, and his work on the series. Also includes behind-the-scenes footage.
The Craft: Richard Toyon (1:25)
Production designer Richard Toyon talks about the role of a production designer, where he gets his inspiration, and turning a modern urban landscape into a 1979 Palm Springs poolscape to recreate Jerry’s lodge. Also includes behind-the-scenes footage.
The Craft: Argya Sadan (2:06)
Set Designer Argya Sadan talks about her upbringing, how she got into architectural design and film, and recreating The Forum arena on a soundstage. Also includes behind-the-scenes footage.

Final Thoughts:

My Rating

Episodes:

Video:

Audio:

Extras:

Recommended

Not being a sports fan, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this first season of Winning Time. The series has an excellent, star-studded, talented cast, and is less about the actual basketball and more about the characters, and how this season for the Lakers completely changed the way the game was played, and experienced by the fans. Warner’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds great (though the show’s visual aesthetic may not appeal to all), and the discs contain a solid selection of bonus material. The first season tells an interesting, satisfying and complete story that would work on it’s own, but I’ll definitely check out the second season. This release comes recommended to both sports fans and casual viewers.