HBO rarely disappoints with its original series, and when Eastbound & Down debuted in 2009, its small following grew rapidly. Now on its second season, the show finds its lead, bad-attitude and ego-driven Kenny Powers (Danny McBride) south of border in an attempt to get his life back on track, and win some cockfights.
The season opens with the formerly-beloved-but-now-total-pariah baseball legend Kenny Powers down in Mexico, where he planned to disappear among the people, become an outlaw of sorts, and tear up the streets with his pair of lackeys. Led by Aaron (Deep Roy), his two lackeys soon turn on him, mostly because they simply don't like Kenny. And if you got to know Kenny, you would know why -- the character of Kenny Powers is morally reprehensible, chauvinistic and slightly bigoted. He's 100% American, and his love for his country and his unmatched ego create one of the most narrow-minded leads in popular TV series.
Kenny eventually turns back to the straight and narrow and joins the local Mexican baseball team in hopes to win enough popularity and clout to get back on the big leagues in the States. Each episode is Kenny struggling not to fail in the boldest ways possible, trying to win over the sparse and uninterested stadium crowds. His antics provide a lot of laughs, but another large portion of the laughs come from his roommate/assistant/body guard/biggest fan, Stevie (Steve Little). Stevie is somewhat a simpleton but has a heart of gold and lives his life more or less in Kenny's footsteps. But keeping Stevie around is just more insight as to who Kenny is and what he's about.
In between the cursing and sexual dialogue, there are key moments of vulnerability where Kenny Powers becomes a character we root for despite his shortcomings and ego. Danny McBride (who's becoming more popular even though he's one of those actors who plays the same character in almost every movie) and the shows writers hint at another layer of Kenny -- he's a bastard, but with his constant cocaine use and alcoholic debauchery, it's not hard to tell that Kenny is after success like everybody else, and sees any defeat as a personal failure. It's proof that even raunchy comedies can have meaningful, well-written characters.
Apart from his venture into Mexican baseball, Kenny falls for a Mexican woman from his past, Vida (Ana de la Reguera). Having been apart of a broken relationship from the show's first season, Kenny doesn't hesitate to mention how he is "damaged goods," but wishes to be apart of Vida's life all the same, as if a favor to her. The show made some brave choices around this relationship, and for the most part, there's nothing funny about it -- the show shines a very real light on their arrangement and its effects on Kenny.
The second season also continues the format of Kenny narrating the episodes via his self-help book on audio tape. The episodes in the second season are actually a continuation of the first season, starting off the second season's first episode as "Chapter 7." It hints at an overall arc and a foreseeable ending, which has been all but been confirmed as the show's creators have talked about season three being the final act in the series. As sad as it'll be to say goodbye to Kenny, as detestable as he is, knowing when to end a show is as important as knowing how to start it. The show started great, and its second season continues its greatness.
Extras:
A couple of the episodes contain audio commentaries, a funny set of outtakes, deleted scenes, and a behind-the-scenes bit. There's also a short piece detailing the finer points of filming the tricky cockfighting scenes that took place. (No cocks were harmed in the filming of Eastbound & Down.)Â
"Eastbound & Down: The Complete Second Season" is on sale August 2, 2011 and is not rated. Comedy, Television. Directed by Adam McKay, Chris Henchy, Danny Mcbride, David Gordon Green, Jody Hill, Will Ferrell. Written by Ben T. Best, Jody Hill, Danny McBride, Shawn Harwell. Starring Ana De La Reguera, Danny McBride, Deep Roy, Michael Pena, Steve Little.
