Cougar Town is back tomorrow night, so get your wine and penny can ready!
In the season five premiere, the Cul de Sac Crew feels weird about Laurie and Travis dating, but Jules is determined to play it cool. Bobby and Andy make it big when Penny Can goes global. But when Bobby starts throwing around money, Grayson confronts him about years of unpaid bar tabs. Meanwhile, Andy struggles to get Stan to sleep after a slasher movie.
Photo Credit: TBS
The season five premiere of Cougar Town was just as entertaining as I expected it to be while also making me question what to expect for the rest of the season. You see, I was fine with how the show was handling Laurie and Travis’s relationship, as odd as this relationship is. But the premiere episode tackles how the relationship affects Jules, Laurie, and Travis head on. I suppose because Jules catches the two in the act, forcing the three to sit down and really talk about the dynamic between the Cul de Sac Crew now.
Yes, Jules usually is a punk about facing people and telling them how she really feels but I’m hoping for this conflict in particular, Jules has said her piece and this issue can be put to bed and moving forward there will be a random comments from her about the relationship here and there like a fluffing of a pillow here and there. What I love about this show is that it doesn’t re-hash things, the story always progresses.
So while it did feel like I was on a stalled train – because really, in my mind I had already accepted Laurie and Travis – this story line was a necessary stepping stone and just as hysterical as all of the other episodes. That said, there is something to be said about season four if I had already accepted the relationship as it were presented and as Jules reacted. Still trying to work that out and how that execution affects the rest of the show but I’m hoping it doesn’t amount to staying on a base for too long.
Meanwhile, Penny Can blows up and Andy has a parenting moment that anyone who has been in this situation will find hysterical. I really enjoyed all three story lines, it’s hard to say which I enjoyed the most. Grayson was in the right for confronting Bobby about his unpaid bar tabs but that still didn’t make it any less awkward. The Andy and Stan story line felt too short to me. I loved it. I especially loved when Tom had a sit down with Stan as Freddy Krueger. Comedy gold right there. So while I had a big issue with the episode, overall this was a great episode.
“Travis, you should never accidentally hurt someone’s feelings. It should be done with intent and purpose.” – Ellie
In “Depending On You,” Jules and Grayson have to come to a compromise when Jules is invited to a wedding that she doesn’t even want to go to but she’s a pushover so… and Grayson already has plans. It’s season five. Jules needs to not be such a push over still. Character growth. C’mon. I know that’s Jules’s thing but I don’t want it to be what sets off the inciting incident for her all of the time. Meanwhile, the writers continue to ace making Tom as creepy as possible. Bobby has his own problems with puppies not in his doghouse and we see Ellie lose her edge because of it. This definitely was my least favorite story line, though it was exciting seeing Ellie in her former corporate attire. This episode as a whole delivered all of the components that make us love this show but it all felt a little stale. I hate to say this for a show that I love but I guess the problem I had with the premiere episode was a sign that this would happen. It’s time to shake things up on Cougar Town. Let’s not put all the pressure on Laurie and Trav’s relationship and other obvious things. We earned a season five, so let’s make it the very best it can be!
“I don’t want this to end!” – Jules
“I’m intrigued but I still feel like she’s gonna drain their blood and leave them all in a ditch.” – Grayson
In “The Trip to Pirate’s Cove,” Andy has mayoral duties to take care of with Buccaneer Week underway and Ellie has to turn into Charming Ellie to show her support. If each actor has a comedy gold moment this season, this is Christa Miller’s. When Ellie puts the pieces together that Jules likes Chellie more than Ellie, Jules throws out a line that will have you choking with laughter. Well done with this story line. Well done. Meanwhile, Laurie stumbles upon a new way to increase her baking sales thanks to one dirty request from Tom. There’s something endearing about seeing Laurie at work making a living and not out partying or talking about crazy moments of the past. Again, well done. Let’s not even talk about the last 30 seconds of the episode. I could not stop laughing for a good ten minutes, rewinding the screener so I could watch Grayson dance and sing over and over again. What a great episode. With pirates! Get your wine ready and stay tuned for this episode, it’s a good one!
Watch the season five premiere of Cougar Town Tuesday, January 7, 2014 at 10/9c on TBS.