Blu-ray Review: EASTBOUND & DOWN Season 2
Eastbound & Down is foul mouthed, sex driven and definitely straying over to the low brow but I can’t really criticise the show too much as, above all else, it’s very, very funny.
rating: 3
Eastbound & Down is a relatively small venture for HBO, and rather fresh ground for them to be treading. It's a sports-themed a sports-themed dramedy (thats drama/comedy), but despite the genre's air of the high-brow, Eastbound & Down treats its audience to as much foul-mouthed, booze and sex soaked imagery as youd care to shake a semi-erect stick at. Written by and starring the potty-mouthed Danny McBride (Pineapple Express) and co-written and directed by Observe & Report helmer Jody Hill (straight out of the Judd Apatow school of comedy), you should know going in that Eastbound & Down is not for the easily offended- but usually neither is any T.V thats worth watching. Season two picks up as youd expect after the events at the end of season one; attempting to escape his failure in America, Kenny Powers (McBride) has fled to Mexico, after abandoning his girlfriend April (Katy Mixon) at a gas station. Its obviously been a dark road for Kenny and at the start of the season he makes his living as a professional Cockfighter under the alias of Steve Janowski. Youre right, thats Stevie (Steve Little), Kennys infatuated best friend from the first season and its his stolen credit card that the broke burnout is using to fund his stay in Mexico. Its not long before his presence over-the-fence as noticed by aging baseball coach Roger Hernandez (Marco Rodriguez) and hes called back onto the mound, with characteristically hilarious consequences. Danny McBride isnt always great in the roles he gets, in fact his performances can often feel false and un-organic, but he excels at Kenny Powers and he has a tough role to play too. Hes arrogant, narcissistic and otherwise completely ignorant to everyone elses needs, wants and beliefs - yet McBride is counting on us to root for him. Ive thrown about phrases like effortlessly likeable and instantly relatable in my previous work on WhatCulture! but this is the first time that Ive explored a main character whos quite instantly dis-likeable. Hes almost as bad as a grown-up Cartman from South Park. We love to hate him, but that grows throughout the on-going story into an awkward feeling of kinship towards a guy who gets dealt nothing but shitty hands. We grow to flat out relate to him, because we see where his personality lands him; sure, hes loaded with faults but its hard to see a dude suffer so continuously without feeling toward him some sense of empathy. Joining Kenny in Mexico is a whole host of new characters ready to have his special brand of ignorance spurted onto them, along with some familiar faces throughout the series. Living next door to him while across the border is Catuey (played by Efren Ramirez Pedro from Napolean Dynamite) and he and his family form an important part of Kennys road to self-discovery. Stevie returns shortly into series' run and actor Steve Little has obvious tongue-in-cheek fun with the material, delivering a great rendition of the developmentally challenged badass. Of course Miss Grande Tits (the writers words, not mine) herself April Buchanon makes a story-changing appearance in the final episode setting up a definite season three that promises to present Kenny with a whole new set of challenges outside of baseball. Season Two of Eastbound & Down explores a more personal side of Kenny Powers. It elaborates further on his lifelong sense of abandonment and the root causes of why he is the way he is. Its definitely darker, edgier and in every way much more like a second act; another reason that a third and final series is a must. Hes certainly changed from when we met him in season one, but he still retains most of his fundamental character flaws, despite his yearning to change and find inner happiness. The first season focused on Kennys desperation get his pitch back in order to re-join major league baseball, and looked at the damning nature of celebrity but season two, while passing through much darker tones, emerges to a positively charged ending. Throughout both currently existing seasons, we can see him attempting to fix himself, albeit in his own abrasive, self-destructive way and no doubt the third will round him out into someone who we can really get behind. Despite his surface penchant for douche-baggery, Kenny is often right on the money with his Dog The Bounty Hunter-like pearls of working class wisdom, even if that core of truth is buried somewhere underneath his sub-par treatment of those around him; Eastbound & Down isnt going to do it for everyone thanks to that fact. Its ludicrously offensive in places and Kenny himself is often detestable. Yeah, hes a major asshole alright, but you know what? In comedy, assholes are funny.