I hated Eastbound & Down
when I first started watching it. The show's protagonist, Kenny Powers,
portrayed by Danny McBride, was just so utterly unlikable. I couldn't
get behind him, even as an anti-hero. He was just too racist, sexist,
and shitty.
I don't know what exactly changed, but for some reason, I gave season one another shot shortly before season two premiered last fall. And something...just clicked. All of the sudden, I got it. Kenny "Fucking" Powers is one of television's best characters, despicable for all the above mentioned reasons, but also unbelievably compelling, a commentary on the idea of American exceptionalism, deeply flawed yet somehow the kind of guy you want to root for.
Once it all started working for me, I really got sucked in. The show is hilarious, with truly sad undertones. It may be the darkest television comedy this side of Louie (my current favorite). To top it all off, Eastbound and Down's second season, which hits store shelves on DVD today, has one of the best soundtracks I've ever heard on television.
In addition to original music by Wayne Kramer, season two features killer songs that reflect Kenny's down and out status in Mexico. Major shout outs necessary to the Last FM group dedicated to the show's music. Fans have been awesome about collecting the stuff. If you dig around, you can find
archived soundtracks for both seasons, which haven't yet been
commercially released. I did my best not to spoil any major plot points
-- but be warned, you may figure something things out reading this
list. I don't know what exactly changed, but for some reason, I gave season one another shot shortly before season two premiered last fall. And something...just clicked. All of the sudden, I got it. Kenny "Fucking" Powers is one of television's best characters, despicable for all the above mentioned reasons, but also unbelievably compelling, a commentary on the idea of American exceptionalism, deeply flawed yet somehow the kind of guy you want to root for.
Once it all started working for me, I really got sucked in. The show is hilarious, with truly sad undertones. It may be the darkest television comedy this side of Louie (my current favorite). To top it all off, Eastbound and Down's second season, which hits store shelves on DVD today, has one of the best soundtracks I've ever heard on television.
http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/uponsun/2011/08/eastbound_down_12_killer_songs.php
