From Wikipedia: The series revolves around the lives of a group of friends whose little group will be rocked when the couple that brought them together, Alex and Dave, break up. This leaves the rest of the group (Max, Brad, Jane and Penny) in an awkward position of either trying to stay together as friends or having to choose sides. Alex and Dave decide to stay friends, but there are many more complications down the road
I find it very hard to get excited over sitcoms. I’m either late to the party or completely let down. But lately, I feel like I’m really hitting my sitcom stride.
I’ve resigned myself to the fact that some of the shows I used to love should no longer be watched as “comedies”, but moments of nostalgia, moments of “remember when being compared to Liz Lemon was a good thing?” This sounds bad, but I think it’s good. It means I can be updated on Ted Mosby’s wife-search AND clean my room at the same time. I’m not going to miss the concluding plot lines, but I’m also not going to waste time waiting for non-existent jokes. (If I sound bitter, it is because I am. Both shows could be doing so much better than they are: a little less celebrity cameos, a little more forward movement. A little more Dot Com, a little less Kenneth.)
And of course there are still the shows that are consistently good and occasionally fabulous: Community, Parks and Recreations, Modern Family and Raising Hope (I’m not so sure which way It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is heading).
Recently, a new show has appeared on the horizon. Happy Endings.
5ive Reasons You Should Watch Happy Endings
1. Perfect amount of pop culture references. Not so many that you go “Seriously, Lorelai? Nobody knows who that is.” but enough to give you a “Yes, these people could be me! They also know who Oprah is. Uncanny!”
“I can’t believe you got the white trash tourist braids, you look like predator. I feel like you’re going to rip my spine out and keep my skull as a trophy.”
“Max, why don’t you just admit that you eat two dinners?”
“Cause I’m not a hobbit”
“Hobbits ate two breakfasts”
“He does that too.”
2. The characters are the perfect “I could be anyone but I’m someone very specific characters”. You know how it is. Everyone seems relatively ordinary; they could be in any North American city, they could be anyone you met in university and yet they aren’t. They’re already building up their own mannerisms and identities.
3. Damon Wayans Jr. Okay, I’ve already had a disagreement about this but at this moment in time (post first five episodes) I think that he is the best character. He isn’t a douchebag husband character (reason I hate Pete on 30 Rock), he has his “feminine” quirks seen when he discussed his “t zone” (reminiscent of all HIMYM males) and all in all this “you’re cooler than you think you are” quality that is apparent in most dorky television characters. Come on, he likes beer and rattlesnakes.
Honestly I think the whole cast is great, Casey Wilson is the weakest link for me, but I already like her way more than I did on Saturday Night Live and I admit I am always initially anti-the only brunette female amongst petit blondes desperate for a man character (and the way she says amazing like “a-mah-zing” drives me insane). And this is where my friend informed me that actually Casey Wilson is capturing a brilliant “drunk Kelly Clarkson” vibe, so different strokes. Plus “drunk Kelly Clarkson” as a television trope is just a fantastic mental image.
4. They made a character who leaves someone at the altar that I do not hate (and the actress who plays her is from Popular Mechanics For Kids, it’s a twofer).
I love Sarah Chalke, I loved her on Scrubs and I loved her on How I Met Your Mother, but when her character left Ted Moseby at the altar all I could think was “oh, bitch. We are so finished.” Exact same thing happened when Big was late to marry Carrie, we were done being friends. The worst was when Xander left Anya at the altar in the sixth season of Buffy. It didn’t matter that he was a bigger character than her, it did not matter that she was an ex-demon and rebound sexed Spike. It did not matter that he apologized and had sad eyes (and then only one eye) for the rest of the series. We were done professionally. Nothing Alexander Harris could do would make me forget the heartbreak, even watching the previous seasons turned into “oh, you so already have the douchebag traits which will build up until you leave Anya at the altar, you despicable manchild.”
Yet, I do not hate Elisha Cuthbert’s character, Alex. I just can’t, even with her Predator stylie white trash tourist braids. My sister say it is because the pilot episode has nothing to do with the rest of the show and the failed wedding is hardly ever mentioned, which is true, but the truth is also that I do not miss it. I accept her explanation for bailing and while realizing she did a shitty thing, I’m able to move on and love her character. I think the “The Quicksand Girlfriend” second episode helped by showing how trusting and earnest Alex was and how she could allow a wedding she was not sure about to progress so far. Plus she taught me about science when I was a youngun alongside Jay Baruchel, I’m biased.
5. They have already done my favourite thing in the world: force actors to reference other characters they have played.
Penny: what if you were like stuck in a trap in the woods and like a cougar was trying to eat you would you date then?
Alex: that’s insane, why would that even happen?
Penny: I have no idea. Forget that… Cause maybe your dad is the head of some elite counter terrorist unit and he only has 24 hours to…I don’t know.
Oh that’s right, Elisha Cuthbert was Kim Bauer. Did not make me as happy as when Christian Slater said “Greetings and Salutations” in the second episode of Breaking In, but that show is pretty terrible.
So watch it, let me know what you think and no hand job jokes please.
