With new Fall line-ups continuing to debut over the course of September and October, there’s plenty of new fodder to waste your time on. There’s the indie-film star batting her cute doe eyes (New Girl), portals that lead back to Dino-mania (Terra Nova), and two worthy offerings from comedienne Whitney Cummings (Whitney and 2 Broke Girls). But when it comes to the best bang for your buck (er…time, rather) there’s a very special little underdog, returning for its second season, that could use a little love from your DVR schedule. And it will blow you away. That show, my friends, is Happy Endings.
I know what you’re thinking – not another show about a group of twenty-somethings who hang out in a bar (coffee place, insert-public-hangout-here) who all date each other and get themselves into awkward situations. Well, praise Allah, dear readers! Happy Endings is definitely not a new Friends (it’s too edgy for that). But as my astute fellow TV fan Jamie said: It’s the new How I Met Your Mother. Except better. Times infinity. Squared.
Goddammit, Happy Endings is so bloody perfect that I want to scream it from a mountaintop. Remember that feeling of bliss when you finally got to the fourth or fifth episode of 30 Rock’s first season and screamed out: EUREKA! IT’S GENIUS! (Maybe that was just me?) Happy Endings gives you that same “Hot damn, it’s GOOD” feeling. It’s like a home-cooked meal, all hot and waiting for you when you get home from work. It’s like a Free Unlimited Cupcake Pass! (Yeah, let’s go with that one.) It’s simply something you always want and always are looking forward to…(must resist the urge for a lame “happy ending” joke).
The cast is razor sharp – the best ensemble since, well, How I Met Your Mother. But instead of being Barney-heavy, Happy Endings’ cast is more well-rounded. Alex (Kim Bauer Elisha Cuthbert) was engaged to marry Dave (Zachary Knighton). She left him at the alter during the pilot and really effed up their sweet entourage. OR DID SHE!? Alex’s sister Jane (Eliza Coupe) is married to Brad (Damon Wayans, Jr.) who is friends with Dave and the rest of the gang. Casey Wilson (SNL) shines as Penny, the gang’s extrovert who always finds herself in awkward dating situations, and Adam Pally plays Max, the refreshingly unstereotypical gay guy of the group. With a keen eye on pop-culture, unrelenting wit and fabulous comedic timing (and writing!), the show and its cast is fresh, fun and brilliantly daring!
I haven’t even done it justice here. Trust me: Happy Endings is a special treat filled with hilarity, I tell you! If you don’t believe me, find out for yourself. Here’s the opening scene from the Season 2 premiere. For the full episode, head over to Hulu. And catch it at its regular time: Wednesdays. 9:30p.m. ABC.
Boom.
