Remember how on Boy Meets World the entire continuity of the entire show changed once Corey and Shawn got to high school? Topanga wasn’t weird anymore; Eric was. Shawn and Topanga’s family structures just completely changed and Morgan turned into a completely different person. It wasn't the same show any more. So what does this have to do with Cougar Town? About as much as older women sleeping with younger men. The title, while catchy, is not very descriptive of what the show is about. The show is truly about a group of people of various ages getting involved in ridiculous shenanigans together all while getting toasted on wine (they even play wine chandeliers, which no one will ever play with me). The show is excellent but an underrated gem. If you don’t watch it, you’re either stupid or just unaware of what this modern television masterpiece has to offer. I have taken it upon myself to let you know what you’re missing out on.
The first great thing about the show is the characters. I would do anything to be a member of the cul-de-sac crew. Unlike many popular television shows (which I won’t name in order to keep from alienating readers), there isn’t a terrible character in the bunch, and they all have excellent chemistry with one another. The main characters are as follows:
· Jules (Courteney Cox), a real estate agent/wino with an unhealthy obsession with her son and a former penchant for younger men (well man).
· Her best friend is Ellie (Christa Miller), a moderately unpleasant but snarky and fun mother to a toddling terror named Stan. She’s only pleasant to be around for seven minutes of the day, but that doesn’t mean she’s not lovable.
· Ellie’s husband is Andy (Ian Gomez) an adorable little Cuban man who will do pretty much anything to be liked by everyone. He also enjoys acting out his favorite movies from Shawshank Redemption to Braveheart.
· Jules’s former foil/current fiancé is Grayson (Josh Hopkins), a tiny eyed, sarcastic man who owns a nice little bar.
· Jules’s other best friend is Laurie (Busy Phillips). She’s a thirty-something party girl who loves men of color and being loud and boisterous. She and Ellie have a love/hate relationship that usually results in me giggling. She once slept with Grayson.
· Jules’s ex-husband is Bobby (Brian Van Holt). He cheated on her, but let’s not hate him for that because he’s awesome. He’s a fun-loving redneck who lives on a boat. . . in a parking lot. He also once dated Lisa Kudrow.
· Finally, Jules and Bobby’s son is Travis (Dan Byrd). A sarcastic college kid who acts like he’s embarrassed by the adults’ weirdness, but really he thrives on it and is often just as weird.
These characters all work well together. Any pair of them can make an episode amazing. Ellie and Laurie together make for fantastic TV, and Jules and Andy together provide adorableness. In addition to these crazy kids, supporting characters include Tom, Jules’s creepy neighbor who desperately wants to be friends with the group and Barb, the show’s real cougar who sexualizes young men like it’s her job (and it might be). All the characters are brilliantly portrayed by their actors who (in my biased opinion) all deserve Emmys for their work.
When all these characters (or any combination of them) get together, crazy things happen. They all (except for the underage Travis) drink a ton of wine every episode. Jules had an enormous wine glass named Big Joe that she broke out on special occasions, but he died. Thankfully, his brother, Big Carl replaced him. I know major characters being replaced by their siblings we didn’t know existed isn’t always great for a show (I’m looking at you Facts of Life), it works here. Since the main characters are always drunk, they are constantly having adventures together such as flying on a zip line from Jules’s house to Graysons, playing an elaborate game of Sardines around their neighborhood, and following Travis to Hawaii after he ran away there. There is also a bit of irreverence (and possible immorality. . .but the fun kind) among these people. Laurie and Travis have broken into her ex’s house to steal back her stuff. The whole group convinced Tom that Ellie’s son died in order for him to do nice things for them, and Jules tries to sabotage all of Travis’s relationships because she only wants him for herself. It’s not creepy; it’s beautiful. These people are amazing, and together they are an unstoppable comedic force.
The last (and probably best) great thing is the writing. If I could personally thank everyone who has ever written for this show, I would. They have provided me with literally thousands of great quotes and hours of amusement. I think it’s illegal to transcribe every episode for you, but if I could, I would. Instead, I will just share with you some of my favorite quotes.
· Laurie: “I’m going to say something that Meredith Baxter-Birney has said in every TV movie I have ever seen. . . I will NOT give up on that boy.”
· Laurie: “I’m not sure exactly what your race is, but I’m into it in a big way.”
· Barb: “You’ll be back. The filth is strong within you.”
· Ellie: “I hate documentaries. They’re too preachy, and you can’t clap when someone dies because it’s real.”
· Bobby: “My mom says I’m colorful.”
Those Cougar Town writers do good work. Bill Lawrence should win an award for hiring them.
It’s impossible for me to truly convey how wonderful the show is because 99% of the fun is watching it. It’s full of surprises, and there’s never going to be an episode that won’t make you laugh. There are old ladies with STD’s, bicycle gangs, scary blonde children who have a talent for violent street art, and even an alligator once. Take the time to watch every episode ever, and consume a lot of wine while you do it. You won’t regret it, and if you do, maybe you should go away. I don’t want your kind around here.
PS - The show simply has to come back for another season because next season should be Travis's 21st birthday, which should be a hoot.
PS - The show simply has to come back for another season because next season should be Travis's 21st birthday, which should be a hoot.
