Eastbound & Down will hit HBO’s schedule this weekend. Normally, I would spend several paragraphs explaining exactly what shenanigans Kenny Powers (Danny McBride) and co. got up to in Season 3, but HBO is already busy gearing up for the fourth and final season of the over-the-top comedy and has put together a pretty nice recap video explaining the first three seasons of the series, including Powers’ baseball career trajectory, his relationship with April (and later Toby), and his faked death at the end of Season 3, the latter of which needs to definitely be explained during the new season.
What the video didn’t show regarding Season 3 was the sad storyline involving Powers’ best friend and teammate Shane (Jason Sudeikis), who was the catcher for the Myrtle Beach Mermen. It also doesn’t show us much about Powers’ relationship with his tragic parents, who hate one another to the point where Powers’ father, Eduardo, tried to rob his mother in the third season. What followed was yet another downward spiral for Kenny Powers. He threw a party at a club that no one attended and then freaked out at the more popular party down the street. His position with the Mermen was jeopardized when a new guy was recruited. He accomplished a lot of partying and forgetting about his family. As the aforementioned examples show, Eastbound & Down often takes heart-wrenching ideas and turns them into obscene comedy.
It’s been nearly a year and a half since Eastbound & Down aired its third season on HBO. We’ve known since this summer that the comedy would be returning to the schedule this September, and HBO has done a good job of letting fans know a little bit about what they can expect from Season 4. But first, here’s the official trailer.
First of all, it’s not shocking that Powers’ few family members and friends would be extremely pissed off that he faked his own death at the end of Season 3. I appreciate John Hawkes’ Dustin coming out of his typically meek shell and punching Powers in the face. You just don’t fake your death, even if you are the one and only Kenny Powers. The rest of the trailer focuses on Powers’ never-ending quest for fame and riches. He’s also partying a lot, which is not unusual. However, it seems like Powers and Stevie (Steve Little) have come up with a plan to get rich, with Powers noting “From this moment forward, Kenny Powers only works for Kenny fucking Powers.” As anyone who watches the show knows, this is probably not going to end well for anyone involved, and since it’s the last season of the comedy, all bets should be off.
If you noticed, Ken Marino pops up in the trailer. The Party Down actor is playing Powers’ new pal, Guy Young. Tim and Eric’s Tim Heidecker is also signed on to play a role in Season 4. He’ll play Kenny’s neighbor, Gene, a dude Kenny dislikes to a great degree. Oh yeah, and Lindsay Lohan is even set to appear.
Eastbound & Down is part zany and part horrendous, but even when Powers is at the lowest of low points, there’s nothing else like the series on TV. Eastbound & Down will premiere on HBO on Sunday, September 29 at 10 p.m. ET.
