Eastbound & Down

Plot

Years after he turned his back on his hometown, Kenny Powers, a burned-out major league ballplayer who "forced himself into retirement by the depths of his own jerkiness" returns to teach physical education at his old middle school. Still trying to reclaim his fame he starts on a comeback—righting his previous wrongs along the way—only to unwittingly sabotage his own efforts.

While not based on the life of former Major League Baseball relief pitcher John Rocker, the show's creators do cite Rocker's attitude as an inspiration. Former major league pitcher Mitch "Wild Thing" Williams has often been cited as the inspiration for the Powers character, though Williams himself has disavowed any connection. Explaining the tone of the show, McBride has stated that he and his fellow co-creators had intended to "make fun of a South where you could learn an ancient martial art like Taekwondo in a shopping center next to a tanning salon."

Cast

Main cast

• Danny McBride as Kenny Powers
• Steve Little as Steven Bernard "Stevie" Janowski
• Katy Mixon as April Buchanon (seasons 1 & 4, recurring seasons 2–3)
• John Hawkes as Dustin Powers (season 1, recurring seasons 2–4)
• Jennifer Irwin as Cassie Powers (season 1, recurring seasons 2–4)
• Andy Daly as Terrence Cutler (season 1, recurring seasons 2–3)
• Ben Best as Clegg (season 1, recurring season 2)
• Elizabeth De Razzo as Maria Janowski (seasons 2–4)
• Ana de la Reguera as Vida (season 2)
• Michael Peña as Sebastian Cisneros (season 2)
• Marco Rodríguez as Roger Hernandez (season 2)
• Efren Ramirez as Catuey (season 2)
• Ken Marino as Guy Young (season 4)
• Tim Heidecker as Gene (season 4)
• Jillian Bell as Dixie (season 4)

Recurring cast

• Adam Scott as Pat Anderson (seasons 1–2)
• Will Ferrell as Ashley Schaeffer (season 1, season 3)
• Craig Robinson as Reg Mackworthy (season 1, season 3)
• Sylvia Jefferies as Tracy (seasons 1–2)
• Bo Mitchell as Wayne Powers (seasons 1–4)
• Ethan Alexander McGee as Dustin Powers Jr. (seasons 1-4)
• Don Johnson as Eduardo Sanchez Powers (seasons 2–3)
• Marlene Forte as Soledad Sanchez (season 2)
• Erick Chavarria as Casper (seasons 2–3)
• Matthew McConaughey as Roy McDaniel (seasons 2–3)
• Jerry Minor as Jamie Laing (seasons 2–4)
• Deep Roy as Aaron (season 2)
• Joaquin Cosío as Hector (season 2)
• Eduardo "Piolín" Sotelo as Announcer (season 2)
• Alex ter Avest as Andrea (season 3)
• Jason Sudeikis as Shane Gerald/Cole Gerald (season 3)
• Jon Michael Hill as Darnell (season 3)
• Ike Barinholtz as Ivan Dochenko (season 3)
• Lily Tomlin as Tammy Powers (season 3)
• Jon Reep as Jed Forney (season 4)
• Omar Dorsey as Dontel Benjamin (season 4)

Episodes

Season 1 (2009)

The montage in the intro features the song "Death Is the Answer" by Early Man, and also featured in the episode is "Your Touch" by The Black Keys, "Changed the Locks" by Lucinda Williams, and "Black Betty" by Ram Jam.

Features guest appearance of Will Ferrell. Features the song "Vamp" by Trentemoller. End credits music is "The Organist Entertains" by Tindersticks.

Features the song "For The Rest of Your Life" by Drug Rug.

Features the songs "Your Touch" by The Black Keys, "Fuck'd up" by Memphis rapper Lil Wyte and "Somerset House" by Stuart A. Staples.

Features guest appearances of Will Ferrell, Craig Robinson and Gina Gershon. Features the songs "Pour Man'" by Lee Hazlewood and "Love Will Turn You Around" by Kenny Rogers.

Features the song "Sky Pilot" by The Animals, "I Remember" by Chris Brokaw along with the instrumental to Johnny Greaseball's "Amazing" featuring a sample from Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra.

Season 2 (2010)

Features the songs "Bell Black Ocean" by Mark Lanegan and "Goin' Down South" by R.L. Burnside.

Features the songs "Real American" by Rick Derringer and "I'm Not the One" by The Black Keys.

End credits music is "Hubbards Hill" by Tindersticks.

Features the Richard Swift songs "Field Painting" and "Knee-High Boogie Blues."

Features the song "Let's Go Everywhere" by Medeski, Martin and Wood. End credits music is "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" by The Slits.

End credits music is "Comforting Sounds" by Mew.

Features The Dead Weather songs "Blue Blood Blues" and "Hustle and Cuss", as well as "Ask the Dust" by Soulsavers, and "Think I'm Coming Down" by Lee Hazlewood. End credits music is "He's Alright" by Kurt Vile.

Season 3 (2012)

Season 4 (2013)

Production

Production on the second season of the show began in May 2010. The setting moved to Mexico, with shooting actually occurring in Gurabo, Puerto Rico. The new season brought several changes to the cast, including new faces Michael Peña and Ana de la Reguera, who play the owner of a Mexican baseball team and Kenny's new love interest, respectively. Don Johnson appeared in the role of Kenny's father, whom Kenny and Stevie managed to track down in Mexico. All of the supporting cast from the first season are absent or only make cameo appearances, with the only exception being Steve Little as Stevie Janowski, who follows Kenny to Mexico. Ben Best is not a writer for Season 2 but returns in a small role as Clegg. Adam Scott returns in two episodes as the now cocaine-free baseball executive Pat Anderson.

Actor Deep Roy joined the cast as Aaron, one of Kenny's new Mexican sidekicks. The Mexican baseball team owned by Peña's character Sebastian Cisneros, the Charros, is coached by Roger Hernandez, played by actor Marco Rodriguez. Co-director Jody Hill described the season as "a cross between the films Amores perros and The Bad News Bears". Hill directed four episodes in season two, while David Gordon Green directed three.

Season 2 premiered on September 26, 2010. Vice magazine reported on August 31, 2010 that "it's worthy of the original and is its own different, more somber beast." The writers had considered setting the second season in America; according to McBride, "at one point, we considered opening on a shot of the big sombrero at South of the Border, so you think Kenny's in Mexico. And then he would have said [voice-over tone], 'I went down to the butthole of the Carolinas.' [laughs] We actually thought about setting the entire season in Myrtle Beach instead of in Mexico. I gotta say, the Myrtle Beach idea was pretty brilliant. It would have really been something. Maybe he ends up there next season. [beat] Who knows?"

Season 3 saw Jason Sudeikis join the cast, and the returns of Matthew McConaughey as Texas scout Roy McDaniel, and Will Ferrell who reprised his role as car salesman Ashley Schaeffer. Ike Barinholtz also joined the cast as Ivan, a Russian pitcher who serves as Kenny's competition. The show was filmed in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina at TicketReturn.com Field and features Kenny as a member of a minor league baseball team called Myrtle Beach Mermen.

Reception

Eastbound & Down was met with positive reviews during its run. On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season of the show has a rating of 60%, based on 15 reviews, with an average rating of 7.3/10. The site's consensus reads, "Eastbound & Down might be too profane and obnoxious for some, but its broad humor and irreverent vibe make for some great comic moments." Metacritic gave season 1 a "generally favorable" average score of 62 out of 100, based 16 critics, and seasons 2 and 3 scores of 89 and 83 out of 100, respectively, both indicating "universal acclaim". The fourth and final season of the show holds a perfect 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 11 critics.

References

References

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33. Bibel, Sara. (October 1, 2013). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'Breaking Bad' Wins Big, 'Talking Bad', 'Homeland', 'Boardwalk Empire','Masters of Sex' & More". TV by the Numbers.
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39. (June 21, 2010). "EB&D IN PR – Viceland Today". Viceland.com.
40. (August 31, 2010). "Eastbound & Down Season Dos Is Almost Here – Viceland Today". Viceland.com.
41. (June 14, 2010). "Eastbound and Down Season Two is F*cking In". Tv.gawker.com.
42. "BRING IT ON HOME – The Southern Boys Behind Eastbound & Down Send Kenny Powers' Ass to Mexico – Vice Magazine". Viceland.com.
43. (July 7, 2011). "Sudeikis set for 'Eastbound & Down'". Variety.
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45. Goldberg, Lesley. (September 1, 2011). "'Eastbound & Down': 'Mad TV' Alum Takes the Mound (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter.
46. "Myrtle Beach Mermen".
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48. (February 15, 2009). "Eastbound & Down - Season 1 Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More". Metacritic.
49. "Eastbound & Down - Season 2 Reviews".
50. "Eastbound & Down - Season 3 Reviews".
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