Eastbound and Down [HBO] [** Spoilers **]

FortuneChip

Hopefully Pat Anderson & Ivan Dochenko return.
Pat Anderson is a hero. "Gold might get you Jonas Brothers tickets..." one of the funniest things I've heard!

I'd welcome McConaughey back as well

kaimera

Season04 started last night.

Lost amidst the BB hype

JP Liz V1

The fourth and final season of Eastbound and Down will receive it's UK premiere on Thursday October 3rd at 10.30pm on Fox UK

chucksandstorm

Hit and miss, but when it hits it's pure comedy gold

Last time we saw Kenny 'Fuckin' Powers was supposed to be the last time that we saw Kenny and as such the episode ended with something of a perfect parting show with Kenny faking his own death for reasons that only make sens to him and returning to April to start life again. We all knew that it properly wasn't the last we would see of Kenny but no one expected him to return so soon for a fourth and this time final, final series.

Creators McBride and Hill have repeatedly stated that this final series is the one that they wanted to tell last series but scheduling conflicts meant that April could only be in a couple of episodes and as such they had to alter their plans. So the question that has to be asked, is there really another story to tell or this series 4 of Eastbound and Down just going to be a Kenny Powers best of. The show has never been afraid to mine cheap laughs and most of the jokes in this first episode are cheap and obvious but what's most surprising is the overbearing sense of darkness. The episode plays out as an incredibly downbeat and dark 30 minutes that feels more like something you'd expect from Breaking Bad.

Were told early on in the episode through voiceover that "This is the story of a man who won... A man who could face any peril and fucking crush it in the name of love" only this is none of those things. It is the story of, Kenny a broken man, living an emasculated life as spends his days getting shit on by a smug boss and earning the eternal love of April who Kenny has begun to resent. One of the strongest moments of the episode involve a dinner in April's honour where she delivers a heartfelt speech about just how much she loves Kenny.

It's one of the shows sweetest moments and Kenny's reaction is priceless. Rather than bask in the warm glow of love, Kenny retreat outside for one of his trademark Kenny meltdowns where he destroys everything in sight. It's clear from this and earlier scenes that it's only a matter of time before Kenny blows and he does so in spectacular fashion cultivating in him accidentally connecting with his boss during a rather angry air punching session. It perfectly encapsulates everything about Kenny and the childish way he deals with authority and allows him to once again empower himself enough to quit his job and retreat to the excess of the Kenny we loved so much.

As a first episode Chapter 22 is all about the set up and while there's little new thus far the stage is set for something a little different. Four series in and Kenny is just as funny and balls to he walls egotistical as he ever was. After all, it's not everybody who can gatecrash their own funeral or make such a racist and inappropriate impression of a Vietnamese kid so damn funny.

Now that the rails are once again off let's hope that this final series does something a little different and the dark undertones promise that things may not play out as we expect.

Chapter 22 Spoilers ahead...

Great 1st episode to a new season. I will admit that most of the time 'Any EB&D is better than none' applies to me, but there were points in the 2nd season that I found it tough to get through the odd episode.

It seems that there is one more worthwhile story to tell if Chapter 22 is anything to go by. There are some seriously dark undertones going on, and Kenny is not in the best place emotionally for most of the episode.

I loved the introduction of Guy Young, I'm sure he will pop up a few more times this season, he is an instant like for me. "I want to give that beautiful young lady aids." Only this character could say these words in a crowded room and get nothing but smiles and an applause!

Kenny's asshole boss was not your textbook asshole boss, they obviously chose not to go quite full-prick with him and there are a few funny scenes between the two characters because of this, particularly the slow motion air-punching bouts..."Sometimes people connect Mark...sometimes they connect."

There were definitely some more genuine laughs in this episode and I like where the story and character are going, even if the timeline in the show seems to have moved on about 4 years since the conclusion of season 3. It's hard to see Kenny making an active return to baseball, the character must be 40 by now, but I will be rooting for him to etch out his fortune somehow for the remaining 5-6 episodes.

Roll on Chapter 23.

ricero

the latest episode was fantastic. i was actually delighted for Kenny come the end of it. Kenny powers is ****ing back !

kaimera

ep02

Stevie. More of him and Kenny makes a better episode.

Brilliant. Kenny ****ing Powers. The man we wish we could be for a day

The latest episode is the best I can remember in I dunno how long, long live Kenny P.

Zero-Cool

My favourite episode of the series!

ShagNastii

I thought the first episode was sooo poor(neutered Kenny held zero entertainment value). Certainly a return to greatness in the second episode. The duo of Stevie and Kenny are pure comedy gold.

Think it's a pity they didn't make this series Kenny's return to the bigs. Could have been great seeing Kenny back on the main stage. I think the pundit angle is a bit boring.

Mc Love

Like the rest of ye - thats been one of the best episodes of the whole show, I was laughing out loud at a lot of the jokes!

And Steve is just brilliant!

SirDelboy18

Can't remember the last time I laughed so hard.

This scene had me in absolute bits, and I was on the train. Everyone must have thought I was having a fit.

Boom_Bap

Watching the first episode made me wanting some Kenny F*Cking Powers moment, then I got them in the second. What an excellent start.

Stevie's kids are awesome.

ben.schlomo

Watched all of season 3 and 4 (so far) in the last week, KP is definitely back to top notch form.

Notorious

While the first episode was a little bit darker (a defeated Kenny is something we aren't used to seeing), season four has seen the return of some golden KP moments.

I felt a little sad when I realised we're already half way through the final season.

I was a little mixed on last week's episode at the waterpark, even though it had a few great laughs including Kenny punching Gene out of the blue..."God damn you Gene!" The Kenny fans from Jersey especially the brother were some of the most random fúcked up characters I've seen on the show, and that's saying a lot!

This week's episode (aired last night in the US, not yet here on FX so beware of spoilers) was more my kind of viewing. I honestly can't wait to watch the episode again, I can't even remember some of the things that had me laughing. Also, I like the trajectory they seem to be taking with Kenny; I can see things going sour between him and Guy Young and they have begun to hint at Kenny copping on to Guy's thing and all not being what it seems. I do not think Sports Sesh is going to be Kenny's 'happily ever after', but maybe the baseball charity foundation he hilariously got underway this week might be his legacy. Who knows.

Holy shíte the scene where Kenny and April ambush spaghetti night hence ruining the lives of at least Gene and his family was somehow the wildest funniest stuff I've seen on the show in a while. Kenny essentially lied his ass off but in someway I could still stay onside with the character because 1) He is KP and 2) He did warn Gene literally what would happen if it got back to the "spouses" that they attended a coke and groupies party in the late hours! Where Kenny may be a bit too left field in his treatment of the ladies, the character of Gene flat out willingly lets his wife walk all over him and could have dealt with her enquiry about the bruise on his face a lot better, thus preventing any exile of April and Kenny from their dinner parties.

No matter how funny this show can be, there are some serious undertones and moments of drama echoing real life experiences and for me Eastbound has never been just a leave your brain at the door comedy fest. Last week's conclusion had Kenny initially taking the high road and not doing the easy thing in succumbing to the hot girl, but then go on to answer the call of the horn in the wee hours to only get shot down easily and embarrassingly by her and a door shut in his face. Add to that he had to deal with not only the personal shame, but the knowledge that he just shat upon his relationship with April, almost made worse that hot girl actually laughed him away, and also he let his 2 kids down. All this in an episode where his brother earlier flat-out told him that he only becomes a bigger asshole the more famous he becomes, followed by a scene where he pledged to April not to 'burn the house down'.

One more thing, am I the only one getting a dark sense of foreshadowing from Toby and the wolf? All of those scenes leave me a little uneasy but maybe the point is that Toby is going to tame the wolf and therefore Kenny will finally admire his lovable son. For some reason Kenny has not taken to Toby too kindly in his infancy and now as a 5 year old, and for some reason these scenes make me laugh as well as feel bad for poor Toby

A truly unique show is Eastbound and Down and I will miss it when it is gone. I really thought last season was the last, as it seems the creators did too, and now it's been back a few weeks and it will be gone again all too quickly, this time for good. What is left now, 2 episodes? I'm assuming this is a 6 episode season. Fúck sake.

Anyway, this is way too long for EBD thread, and I haven't even mentioned the madness that is Stevie Janowski, maybe I'll start recording an audiobook :pac:

ricero

the scene with kenny, stevie and the black kids has to be my new favorite scene in the entire series

krustydoyle

Water.... Mother nature's piss

So tonight the very last episode of Eastbound airs in the US, and I'm in two minds whether to stay up and watch or wait til tomorrow evening. A month ago it was Breaking Bad saying farewell, now EB+D, I can't take this fúcking shít!

pickarooney

Isn't it 8 episodes this season?

pickarooney

pickarooney wrote: »

Isn't it 8 episodes this season?

You can imagine my excitement upon finding that out!

Thought last night's episode was another strong one, featuring the eclectic mix of comedy and drama that Eastbound has become renowned for. It's starting to seem like Kenny will be alright career-wise, however it's gonna take some magnificent change to get April back on his side, the kind of change I don't think Kenny is capable of.

I honestly didn't see

Guy getting hot-miced

even though it was sort of obvious now that I look a 2nd time, I really thought KP was down and out but he turned it around like only he could and it was spectacular to watch!

Slight stay of execution for me now that I have 2 more episodes to look forward to...this will be the 3rd time that I've prepared to watch the show ending so it better be worth the rollercoaster I dunno how it's going to end for KP, but him screaming the words "over my dead body" during his breakdown in last night's episode did put the notion in my mind that they might kill him off for real this season...who knows.

ShagNastii

This season hasn't done it for me at all. I rate it as S1- Great. S2- Brilliant. S3- Even better. But I feel this season has just sucked the life out of the show. I always loved the balance between the totally ludicrous situations (Stevie's, Kenny's and even Shane's antics) and really investing parts, such as, the will they won't they of Kenny and April.

There was always that perfect line between the farcical and the "real" moments. This season has just dived a bit too much into the deep deep dark moments. Kenny being a dick has it's laughs but having Kenny being fully blown bad to the core person puts it all on a bum note. It's like the movie Observe and Report. Just a bit too much of the madbad stuff instead of the madfunny bits.

Needs more buddy buddy with Stevie and less marriage break down with April. I wouldn't believe or care if Kenny and April reunited at the end of the season.

ShagNastii

A jokingly poor finale for one of my favorite shows ever. Could have been one million times better.

Dermighty

Great show. Enjoyed the whole thing.

Zero-Cool

I liked it, good ending. The guy they got stevie to play him in the KP film was hillarious. Fair well Kenny, fair well....

Anachrony

That screenplay ending was phenomenal. I kind of wish they just left it at that, or somehow left it ambiguous whether it was the screenplay or real.

the whole year inn

Cohen was great as the owner and great opening sequence ,overall great show poor enough ending.

kaimera

Cohen was awesome. Different to see him as 'him' with his accent. The plane scene was all sorts of awesome.

Screenplay was brill; I did think it was over until i noticed the running time left

I liked the finale over all.

Kenny finally redeemed himself and realised family is more important.

Kenny ****ing Powers: you're out.

One of my fav tv chars. Cheers for the 29 chapters!

Dermighty

Anachrony wrote: »

That screenplay ending was phenomenal. I kind of wish they just left it at that, or somehow left it ambiguous whether it was the screenplay or real.

I felt the same, I laughed at how theatrical it was, then they went back to him on his laptop, it would have been more predictable to give him the ridiculous ending but better (imo).