Eastbound & Down Complete First Season – DVD Review
The Show:
Does anyone remember John Rocker, that hot-headed pitcher who quickly rose to fame as an Atlanta Brave, only to open his mouth and cause some controversy when he claimed NYC was the worst place to pitch, and offered up some analysis to why, which many considered offensive, racist, sexist, and homophobic? After that he quickly faded into obscurity. Remember baseball fans?
I bring him up because Eastbound & Down’s Kenny Powers has to be modeled after John Rocker. Danny McBride has been tearing it up lately in the comedy world with quirky, raunchy, hotheaded characters in Tropic Thunder, Pineapple Express, Fist Foot Way, Land of the Lost, and he owns ever wonderful second of this show. His Kenny Powers is completely an ass; he became a celebrity star pitcher, only to squander his fame and fortune, and due to his arm velocity losing strength, he was forced out of the Majors. All of this is shown in “Chapter 1″ (the show uses chapters instead of episode names to show the chronicles of Kenny Powers) in an opening montage. The show finds him traveling back home, to a small, southern town, to be with his brother, and try to work his way back to MLB.
Eastbound & Down throws McBride into the spotlight and he gladly owns it, with his me-first attitude, his self-denial on his faded celebrity status, and his anti-PC attitude. The show is hilarious, but infused with that dark humor at every corner of the 20-some minutes. But the show has a heart, and allows his attitude to never distance the audience from liking him. He is sort of an anti-hero, a pure-blooded American, who follows all of what makes America the country it is today: proud, loud, take no-prisoners, and never assume defeat. Of course, all of this is written perfectly, as there is an arc in these six episodes, complied into season one. Kenny will learn and grow, but the trick is not to sell him out. The writing is too smart for such easy answers. For Kenny it is all about the rise back to the Majors, for us, it is all about his fall. The balance is handled correctly, giving him his glory, and us his troubles.
A show cannot be a great show without secondary characters, and the one that steals from most is Stevie (played by a dorky Steve Little). He worships Kenny and soon becomes his assistant, blindly following him to Hell and back. His character’s arc is a fun ride too. Will Ferrel shows his face in here too, as a sleazy, egomaniac BMW car dealer, and most of the episodes are directed by David Gordon Green (Snow Angels, Pineapple Express). Â Eastbound & Down is rude and loud, a show not safe for families, and I say about time. Kenny Powers is the type of asshole I root for and admire. The writing is superb, the comedy pitch black, and while the show is about Kenny trying to be a better man, we know by the end of “Chapter Six” when it seems he is going back to the top, we’re all rooting for season two to follow his stumble back into self-denial, drugs, access, and stupidity. Kenny Powers rules.
The DVD:
Audio/Video: I was very surprised to hear a nice, robust 5.1 mix for a comedy show; bass heavy and clear, this is a fine audio track. The video is anamorphic and decent, but one wonders how much better this would have looked in high definition. The picture is clear and crisp, like any modern show, but also features plenty of grain, probably due to the nature of the look, the budget, and the stock. Overall, HBO gave this a nice look and sound.
Commentaries: Each of the tracks are funny, informative, and light-hearted, making for a great listen. Tackling the origins of the show, the nature of comedy, and fun bits, these are worthwhile listens.
Kenny Powers: Greatest Hits: This is the full video Stevie makes about Kenny’s best moments from “Chapter 4″.
Schaeffer Motor Commercials: Two TV spots of advertising the BMW dealership that is run by Will Ferrell’s character.
Deleted Scenes: Runs 9 minutes and are in run form, but pretty funny. Also look out for a funnier outtakes that run after these.
Stevie’s Dark Secret: A separete deleted scene in where Stevie tells Kenny and Clegg about something in his past. Funny, but in an incomplete form, with goofs.
Conclusion: We want to see Kenny Powers back in baseball, but we are having too much fun watching him flub it up. Eastbound & Down: The Complete First Season is dark humor with a heart, and completely hilarious.
The Show: Rating: 
The DVD: Rating:
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