now watching: The Game
I’m gonna start off with a statement that has little to do with the show itself: I could NEVER be part of this world. This drama is simply for entertainment purposes, and it’s still damaging my mental health. Each of these 9 seasons had enough “pow pow pow” to make my jaw drop at least once. I can’t believe I was watching this as a kid, and I can’t believe how much of the series I actually got through in real time!
And now, to the show itself.
Starting with some highlights:
Favorite Character: Kelly or Malik
Least Favorite Character: Melanie or Keira
Favorite Season(s): 2, 3, 5, or 9
Least Favorite Season(s): 4 or 7
Best Character Development: Tasha or Jason
Worst Character Development: Tee Tee or Chardonnay
My younger self would say “There is no show without Melanie and Derwin!” That’s certainly how I felt when they made their departure in the Season 3 finale. After all this time and drama, they’re just gonna leave like that? But now that I’m old enough to understand everything insinuated and portrayed, this is where the show actually started to develop. “Merwin” is for the rookies, and everything else is first string.
We Need to Stop Shipping “Merwin”
They were the couple that got most people into the series and whom we were all rooting for…hopefully only through the first season. Early on, it becomes clear that Melanie and Derwin don’t belong in this world, but also that Melanie’s level of resistance matches Derwin’s level of reverence. This world can do no wrong to him and do no right for her - they’re doomed from the drop. The only thing keeping them together is their equal (amateur) status.
My hot take: Derwin was a good guy that got caught up, but Melanie was always a problem. Yes, her insecurities are common in many women, but you don’t want to find this type of gal relatable. She projects her insecurities so they become everyone else’s problem, yet still feels superior to everyone around her as they try to help her grow up. She is the epitome of being booksmart with no street smarts. She’s a messy brat with a toddler’s temper, and all the circles of hell she went through still ain’t teach her anything.
Drew and Janay were good matches for Derwin; they were down to earth girls who cared about their careers and genuinely loved him. Sounds a lot like Girl Melanie, but Med School messed up because she never wanted to balance their aspirations; she whined and assumed it was going all Derwin’s way vs. all Melanie’s way. Derwin’s way definitely included aggravating adjustments, but Melanie’s way required selfish sacrifices. Both Drew & Janay knew how to make Derwin feel like a priority but still remind him that they were prizes…Melanie never studied for that.
I am NOT excusing Derwin cheating, nor lying about it. He broke my heart and I supported every bit of Melanie’s rage, right up to the haircut (even though it didn’t suit her). I think he worked hard to get her back, but she was so set on playing childish, manipulative games that she pushed him right into Janay’s arms and hooha. I love that Derwin allowed himself to be humbled and gave up the bad boy act, because we know that he was truly hurting not just from losing Melanie, but also losing sight of his worth & potential. Melanie NEVER humbles herself. She just cries and people continue to take pity on her!
In the end, I’m glad they have their twins, I’m glad she’s a doctor, and I’m glad Derwin seems happy. Onto their “replacements”.
Merwin 1.0 - The Sunken “Klue” Ship
First off, if Keira was Malik’s best friend, we could’ve seen her make a few guest appearances throughout any of his mishaps in the first few seasons (we’ll discuss those when we get to his character). He and her are total opposites too, so how she could tolerate the playboy he is but not tolerate any of Blue’s sidequests is beyond me. At least Blue’s introduction makes sense to the series and cues Derwin’s transition (which was sad; we all bleed Saber blue even if they constantly make us see red).
But again, we have a couple trying to force a square peg into the circle (Keira’s absolutely the square). She doesn’t belong in this world at all, but her friends are opportunists who know what to look for and how to make meaningful moves. That’s why Ciara snags Blue, but doesn’t try to lock him down. Blue knows he’s not a playboy, bad boy, and is ultimately trying to move away from boy all together, based on his relationship with his father, The Colonel. He’s trying to shed his adolescence, similar to Keira, but she can’t help but look back because that’s all that she has - past screen credits.
So he needs, she needs, and they both try to pretend the other satisfies because they don’t want to stand alone. I’d say Blue let his guard down sooner than he thought and really wanted to like her, while Keira kept her guard up because she never wanted to like him too much. Just enough to be in this circle and get some opportunities to further her career and elevate her name. Melanie was scandalous, but she knew she didn’t need football world to make it. Keira knew what she wanted, and it wasn’t Blue or Malik - it was a career, financial security, and her fame revived.
I feel she and Melanie are both very self-involved and needed reality checks (graciously provided by Tasha Mis-zack). I think Blue really came into his own in a way Derwin almost did, had he not been so torn between Melanie and his family with Janay. Blue didn’t fear Jason or Malik, and I like that he proudly stood on Stanford, especially when he leads the team to hold the line against Roger. He didn’t try to cling to Keira, and he didn’t try to be too much of a player. He was authentically doing him, and that’s what the OGs always preach. That’s the only reason he made the cut! (Because apparently, the first round draft pick sucked for his first season or so.)
The Pitts - The Proud, The Petty, The Perfect Match
You either love them or you hate them, but you cannot deny them. The Pitts - Jason and Kelly - absolutely belong in this world. They thrive from this lifestyle and they work together so seamlessly. Nothing stands in the way of their vision, their franchise, their legacy. Things got rocky and they had to separate, but what do you know - they came back stronger than ever.
Lemonhead doesn’t deserve an abundance of praise. He’s arrogant, stubborn, cheap, selfish, conceited, and a whole lot of other negative adjectives. But his positives: resourceful, committed (he never cheated on Kelly and came back to the Sabers for the love of the game), and secretly, he’s caring. It may take him longer than necessary to realize he’s got his head too far up his ass, but when he does, he’s gonna pull it out and genuinely apologize before he puts it back in. Much praise to Chardonnay for this character development.
Kelly was my favorite from the get-go, lost my respect for a while during the divorce, and managed to have me meet her in the middle upon her return. She’s flawed like all of us, but she’s the first to own it and the first to work on it. She’s devoted like Jason is…like literally, matches his freak. Though it was kinda shady for her to come back and pay off Ty, it just shows that her and Jason are truly one and the same. Chardonnay had his best interests in mind, but Kelly “knew how to have his back”. Was 10 toes down in the beginning and the end (who knows what the hell was up in the middle lol).
