'Cougar Town' - 'Makin' Some Noise': You got served! (And owned!)
Another strong, silly episode for the Cul-de-Sac Crew
The cul-de-sac crew jams on "Cougar Town."
Credit: ABC
A quick review of last night's "Cougar Town" coming up just as soon as I explain the difference between "served" and "owned"...
The Knicks have a backup point guard named Toney Douglas who during summer league last year said his plan for his rookie year was to "Do what Toney Douglas do." Do What Toney Douglas Do quickly became his nickname (that, or the DWTDD acronym) among the poor, masochstic Knicks blogosphere, and you would see game recaps where a predictable Douglas effort (strong defense, good three-point shooting, uneven playmaking) would be summed up simply as "Toney Douglas did what he do."
This week, like usual, we got random nicknames (Square-Head/Not-Bobby), silly games (Wine 'N Spy), goofy outfits (Grayson's tight jeans, Bobby's half-shirt) boundary-pushing behavior (everyone at Travis' dorm), Ellie/Laurie gamesmanship, a good Grayson song, etc. Just fun, and if the episode had contained nothing but Laurie's "I thought it was to represent Compton" line, I'd have been pleased enough.
I don't want the show to go into a creative tailspin to give me a new angle to write about, but given how little variance there is from week to week in either style or quality, I'm trying to think how I can keep one of my favorite shows in the rotation without just listing things I found funny in it.
But as for the episode itself, what did everybody else think?
Alan Sepinwall has been reviewing television since the mid-'90s, first for Tony Soprano's hometown paper, The Star-Ledger, and now for HitFix. His new book, "The Revolution Was Televised," about the last 15 years of TV drama, is for sale at Amazon. He can be reached at sepinwall@hitfix.com
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October 7, 2010 at 9:55AM EST Reply to CommentThe last little bit with Travis making that funny noise as he kept shooting hoops made me laugh so hard I cried. And actually, I laughed more at last night's Cougar Town than I did at Modern Family... not that there's a contest, b/c the shows are quite different. But still, that was surprising.
april
October 7, 2010 at 9:58AM EST Reply to CommentWill it turn into the recap equivalent of The Chris Farley Show? You know what I thought was funny...
October 7, 2010 at 9:59AM EST Reply to CommentMany, many belly laughs this week on "Still Cougar Town." Travis is becoming a favorite character, loved how every phone call ended with him yelping, "No, don't come here, don't come here!"
cadfile
October 7, 2010 at 10:00AM EST Reply to CommentJules kept putting those glasses on Grayson had me on the floor every time.
I also loved the Archie band thing at the end and kind of hoped they all played their instruments.
Cougar Town is like what 30 Rock use to be for me and that makes me happy.
Jenn I'm pretty sure Courtney Cox actually plays the drums. Otherwise, the episode of "Pop-Up Video" featuring the music video for the full version of the "Friends" theme song lied to me!
October 7, 2010 at 1:14PM ESTBryan
October 7, 2010 at 10:04AM EST Reply to CommentGotta be honest - I started watching this show again this year because Alan had such good things to say about it and how much it had improved. I've watched all 3 shows and I just don't see it. Last night was especially bad. For this show to work it needs a lot more gags and more character variety (every damn character seems the same, meaning they all crack the same kind of jokes and seem really really stupid- you really need somebody with some intelligence in the group)
Also Alan, I don't know what it is about the show that has you so enthralled but any other show that triead a dead baby joke like they did last week and you'd have been all over them.
his dark materials if last night didn't do it for you then the show just isn't in your wheelhouse i don't care if God os telling you should should watch
October 7, 2010 at 12:08PM ESTOn more gags and more character variety - i can say the same about any show even Arrested Development which had dizzying variety...what show couldn't use more funny gags?
Kmarko Ooops.
October 7, 2010 at 12:19PM ESTAnyhoo, you're not alone, Bryan. The badness of this show is such where I feel despair if it's on for more than a minute.
Robin I agree with "dark materials." If you don't like it by now, you probably won't. Different strokes, and all that.
October 7, 2010 at 12:50PM ESTI think we all have shows, especially comedies, where we don't understand the love. Mine was Arrested Development (I know, heresy!). It may just be that Will Arnett grates on my last nerve.
Bryan to "his dark materials" - no, this type of show (Scrubs, arrested development, Always Sunny in Phil probably, etc) is very much in my wheelhouse, these type of shows need to have the gags coming fast and furious, this show just doesn't. The number of gags a show needs depends on the type of show(kind of like the line in Amadeus when when they tell Mozart his music has too many notes) - there's a big difference in the number of jokes in Scrubs vs Modern Family.
October 7, 2010 at 12:58PM ESTAnyway - I've never read any of God's tv reviews so I'll stick with Alan (even though he is wrong about this show)
his dark materials a) right and wrong about a tv show = highly subjective; when did opinion on shows become right and wrong - same reason i think alan's constant "greatest show of all time"-tag on the wire is annoying. sorry, sepinwall.
October 7, 2010 at 10:43PM ESTb) cougar town, goes into farce, but not to extent of AD or Sunny so I think it's not in the same cat. but again subjective. Don't know that there's a rule about number of gags in sitcom but please do tell HIMYM and Office people in case you are writer/show runner as those shows actually need more funny.
mgrabois
October 7, 2010 at 10:12AM EST Reply to CommentI thought Travis's college campus looked familiar, so I asked series co-creator Bill Lawrence on Twitter (@VDOOZER) "The college campus in tonight's episode was the same set as the Scrubs Medical "Sacred Heart" campus, right?" He replied "Stop paying attention so closely. It was indeed Winston university."
I missed the title card gag, I usually fast forward thru it or ignore it when I watch TV, I'll have to remember to check it out next time.
wicker How would you fast forward through the title card? It's like one second long.
October 7, 2010 at 10:47AM ESTjcpdiesel21 I also missed the title card and will have to try to catch it next week. It is really short, but there's a commercial immediately afterward, so I usually just skip through both.
October 7, 2010 at 4:17PM ESTTL
October 7, 2010 at 10:20AM EST Reply to CommentI too started watching this show after reading positive reviews on this and other sites, but I'm still not seeing the appeal. Yes, the show has some funny moments, but the characters are so one-dimensional, the stories are thin at best, and Courteney Cox's needy routine is beyond creepy. I just don't get it, but then again I don't understand why people like Parks and Rec either.
cadfile I don't get why people still like 30 Rock either
October 7, 2010 at 10:47AM ESTwicker
October 7, 2010 at 10:50AM EST Reply to CommentI'm glad the episode didn't center around the "jam room", as the previews made it seem like the central element. I'm glad we didn't get an extended sequence of the gang jamming, because that could have gotten corny fast.
Jeff
October 7, 2010 at 11:13AM EST Reply to CommentThe fact that you linked to P&T and brought up DWTDD is why I love your blog. That's fantastic.
(He played really well yesterday)
LJA
October 7, 2010 at 11:16AM EST Reply to CommentMy favorite part was how people kept ending up in Travis' dorm room and his roommate's reaction to each new person.
Bill Lawrence tweeted that the title card is going to change each week.
I love this goofy show.
belinda One of my friends said her DVR didn't record the first episode of Cougartown because it was listed as (still) Cougartown (but it did record this week with badly titled Cougartown, so, weird.) I love the title card change every week, but I hope that doesn't affect DVR viewers.
October 7, 2010 at 7:07PM ESTI think Cougartown mimics how I felt about Scrubs in its early years - not quite the best comedy while it aired, and if I missed an episode I won't go nuts (but I'd be disappointed about it), but a very, very solid pinch hitter with the trademark Bill Lawrence zaniness. If you liked Scrubs (not counting the last 2 or 3 seasons), then you'd like Cougartown.
Wade
October 7, 2010 at 11:39AM EST Reply to CommentLaurie's pranking Ellie with the nanny was hilarious stuff, especially the reveal and her monkey miming in the yard. I laughed very hard at that.
That and Bobby's mullet.
GuyITC
October 7, 2010 at 12:05PM EST Reply to CommentAs a person familiar with Hip Hop and Rap, I cracked up at the Compton line but stopped abruptly to wonder how many people are in the two subgroups labeled "Old School Rap/Hip Hop Fans" and "Watchers of Cougar Town." I'm not sure what the answer is, but at least I know Alan is with me.
October 7, 2010 at 12:44PM ESTI liked it, so it must've been a great joke.
Michelle I don't think you have to be an Old School Rad/Hip-Hop Fan to get the Compton line. I'm not, and I did, if you see what I mean. It was probably the funniest line of the night, to me.
October 7, 2010 at 12:47PM ESTGuyITC Michelle- You aren't a fan of old school rap/hip-hop and you knew the NWA was N****z With Attitude? I wasn't aware that it was that widely known.
October 7, 2010 at 12:54PM ESTRobin I think getting the reference had more to do with your age than your listening habits. I fall into the "old" part of your "old school rap fan" at least :)
October 7, 2010 at 12:54PM ESTRobin Guy- I remember NWA's name because of the controversy surrounding it, and the subsequent news and talk show coverage (usually involving Tipper Gore if I'm not mistaken). I think that's how most non-rap fans know about them, and the Compton reference.
October 7, 2010 at 12:58PM ESTAndrew L
October 7, 2010 at 12:29PM EST Reply to CommentI was worried that I was kind of racist when I wondered if Travis' roommate was Tinker from Friday Night Lights. Very glad that I saw his name in the credits.
I liked that they expanded their cul de sac a little bit and suggested other occupants beyond their circle (and creepy wine guy).
I just love Ian Gomez to death. His "Cuban Muscle Crisis" bit was phenomenal.
Andrew L
October 7, 2010 at 12:29PM EST Reply to CommentI was worried that I was kind of racist when I wondered if Travis' roommate was Tinker from Friday Night Lights. Very glad that I saw his name in the credits.
I liked that they expanded their cul de sac a little bit and suggested other occupants beyond their circle (and creepy wine guy).
I just love Ian Gomez to death. His "Cuban Muscle Crisis" bit was phenomenal.
bri
October 7, 2010 at 1:29PM EST Reply to CommentPersonally, I look forward to taking back the sac after a meal of dead baby lasagna and foot wine.
funniest show on *my* tv
M
October 7, 2010 at 2:39PM EST Reply to CommentI really love this show. I also think that after struggling early last year with the writing for the female characters, they've done a great job of finding their voice. The disucssion of their tight jeans and Laurie flipping Ellie was hysterical.
BigTed
October 7, 2010 at 5:52PM EST Reply to CommentThis show is definitely funny... but it's getting a little creepy, too. When the son went off to college, it became even more clear that these are a bunch of 40ish adults who have absolutely nothing to do with their time. They (barely) have jobs and kids, but still seem to have something like 10 hours free every day. Heck, Courtney Cox spends more time sitting around drinking wine on this show than she did sitting around drinking coffee on "Friends."
Zach Ted, if youre not 40something (i.e. have not lived all the way through 20something, then all the way through 30something, and then past 40 already) youre not going to understand why this is funny.
October 8, 2010 at 12:52PM ESTTake that on faith. Nothing wrong with that.
Angela
October 8, 2010 at 6:01PM EST Reply to CommentI thought I would try Cougar Town again because of Alan's reviews. I loved the title tag, "badly titled Cougar Town". The writers know how to be funny. And that's what confuses me. Because I didn't find the rest of the show funny, or nice, or smart, or anything that works for me.
I really like the premise of this show, meaning that a group of people, perhaps because of their age, are simply trying to find ways to make life fun and interesting. It's a cool idea. So why isn't it fun to watch?
The jeans thing was funny. I can relate to that even if I refuse to wear tight jeans. :) But that was the only part I enjoyed. And I don't even think that was well executed. Perhaps if I liked the characters more it would have seemed like it worked better.
And as someone else said, there needs to be some smarts the characters or the show. It feels like they are dumbing it down to me.
Ah well, I guess that's just another example of how were not all the same.
Sarah
October 8, 2010 at 9:48PM EST Reply to CommentThis was my favorite of the season so far. I was worried with the first two episodes that it might have lost its magic for me over the summer, but this felt right on par with season 1. Perhaps because I had a few beers before watching? Either way, it cracked me up. LOVED the bit with Travis making the goofy noise after he threw things. Enjoyed his roommate - I hope he will be recurring.
greyseal
October 11, 2010 at 5:30PM EST Reply to CommentI watched this season's pilot last night, which has been sitting on my DVR for a few weeks. Wow. I do not get this show at all.
Liz
October 14, 2010 at 9:45AM EST Reply to CommentAlan, thanks so much for championing this show! I love it and am glad that you do too as I almost always think your reviews for this and other shows are spot on.
w
November 12, 2010 at 5:41AM EST Reply to CommentI still have no idea what served and owned means from that article.