What I’m Watching: Eastbound and Down (Series Finale)

Eastbound and Down: Season 4, Episode 8 “Chapter 29”

This is déjà vu in many ways since I reviewed what I thought was the series finale of this show over a year and a half ago. Fortunately, this episode manages to succeed wondrously while featuring some of its token over-the-top gross-out humor and some celebrity guest stars. Sacha Baron Cohen was well-used as the vile plane passenger who turned out to be the head of the network, and I enjoyed recognizing Alexander Skarsgard in the episode’s final moments as Kenny’s grown-up son. Kenny firing all of his lawyers and declaring that April should call off the divorce wasn’t a great start, but that quickly turned around once he got his own show. Taking responsibility for and apologizing for all he did to everyone in his life in his rise to power was a bold step, and it was nice to see all the different people he wronged smile while watching him on TV. Ditching his own show was great, and it was sweet to see him be selfless, going on about the benefits of Southwest Airlines in New Mexico when he accepted that his family was leaving. Luckily, his “turns out I was a success the whole time” speech won April over, and we got treated to a happy ending after all. Watching the future play out only to discover that it was just Kenny’s screenplay. It was a great way to go out, and a fantastic, highly memorable way to end this truly unique and undeniably awesome show.

Series finale: B+
Season grade: B+
Season MVP: Danny McBride
Series grade: A-
Series MVP: Danny McBride
Best Season: Season 1
Best Episode: TBD