3. Unexpected Story Developments
The humour of Eastbound & Down is what makes the show so great, but another aspect is the story and its development over four seasons. As has been explained, the screenwriting and production team were collectively a strong unit, and this is reflected in the stories. Following protagonist Kenny Powers as he attempts to return to Major League Baseball, the story sounds simple. However, it is anything but the plot is ever-changing, with sub-plots coming and going, new characters introduced, more problems created than solved. The show is completely unpredictable. For example, after seeking the affection of April for much of the first season, who could have predicted that Kenny would high-tail it to Mexico and join a Mexican baseball team? Who could have seen the story of his estranged father coming, let alone his bizarre half-brother Casper? Who could have predicted after the events of Mexico he would return to America, and seek success at Myrtle Beach? His trike and trident paled in insignificance to the overall plot. The fourth season itself was totally unexpected, after the apparently closed-ending of Kennys faked death in season three. And just this season, who could have seen a jet-pack confrontation with protagonist Guy Young coming, and how it would work so well with the story? The last point really sums up how Eastbound & Down has captured our attention the plot may be rich with unexpected events, characters and plotlines, but they all work so well. When we watch Kenny Powers we have no idea what will happen, nor where it will end.