COUGAR TOWN: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON
(not rated)
MOVIE: ****1/2 (out of 5)
BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: *** (out of 5)
BY KEVIN CARR
While I was reluctant to start watching “Cougar Town,” after I got half-way through he first season, I became a huge fan. Now, after the second season, the show has hit a real stride and found its purpose. And that purpose is to have a group of comfortable friends (who may or may not be decent people when you boil them down) who poke fun at each other and like to escape from reality.
Like “Scrubs,” which is showrunner Bill Lawrence’s previous series, this is a single-camera sit com that uses hyper-reality and extreme characters to find the funny in everyday situations. The premise of cougars has been almost completely abandoned (with a few exceptions when Carolyn Hennesy shows up in the show), and it’s more of a “Friends” for fortysomethings.
This season shows growth in the characters, but not too much. Just when it seems to be heading down a meaningful path, things get kicked back into the bottom of a wine bottle. There are tender moments, but mostly there are funny moments, featuring everything from college and girlfriend woes for Travis to Laurie trying out Twitter (follow her at @TheLarmy) and Andy continuing his heterosexual man-crush on Bobby. Oh, and watch for the hilarious cameo by Abed from “Community” in the season finale.
This three-disc DVD set comes with deleted scenes and outtakes. There’s also a humorous look behind the scenes in the featurette “(still called) Cougar Town: Season 2” and six webisodes of “Andy’s Dreams.”