‘Survivor’s Remorse’ Holds Court on Its Hoop Dreams in Season 2

Life is not all fun and (basketball) games as Starz’s dramedy Survivor’s Remorse returns after a successful rookie season. Cam Calloway (Jessie T. Usher) is now the face of the franchise for his fictional Atlanta hoops team, but, says showrunner Mike O’Malley, “What happens to a person and what happens to the family when they have the pressure of making money and then delivering for a city? What’s it like to be the golden goose?”

The season premiere finds Cam balking at some off-court obligations that come with his lucrative contract. And while he can work on perfecting his free throws, it’s harder to manage the freeloaders in his new house: mom Cassie (Tichina Arnold), sister M-Chuck (Erica Ash) and uncle Julius (Mike Epps). “They all rely on him, and he begins to feel incredible pride that he’s been able to provide,” O’Malley says, but when Cam tells them “how to spend the money he’s given them, that doesn’t always jibe very well.” They hit back—sometimes literally—in ways Cam doesn’t anticipate. Cousin Reggie (RonReaco Lee), who is also Cam’s manager, backs off on defense. “You’ll see Reggie having to loosen the reins, allow Cam to be his own man, make some mistakes,” Lee says.

While Cam’s got game, Reggie wants to build his brand and expand their empire along the lines of LeBron James, who is an executive producer on the show. The Cleveland Cavaliers superstar appears as himself in the season’s ninth episode.

Cam even meets someone he thinks is the love of his life, which Lee contends is “long overdue.” But can this nurse (Meagan Tandy), whom Cam meets while getting an X-ray, stick around? “The Calloways are a tough bunch,” Lee says. “She’s got to be able to deal with them.”

No easy feat. O’Malley views the series, which gets a four-episode boost to 10 for Season 2, as being “a fly on the wall of a professional athlete. As people change under this spotlight of fame, it’s usually family members that are reminding you of who you were. That can be a good thing and that can be a bad thing.”

Survivor’s Remorse, Season premiere, Saturday, August 22, 9:30/8:30c, Starz