S2:E6 Ah, redemption. It’s not as sweet as revenge, but it makes up for it by tasting just a bit purer. Kind of like how apples you grow yourself might not taste as sweet as store bought apples, but they taste a little better because you worked your butt off to make those things grow. And what exactly does this have to do with Eastbound and Down besides just showing how hungry I am? Well, for the first time we get to see Kenny Powers attempt to be on the right track and holy cock fights was it a delight.
Much like how we forget Michael Scott is a decent salesman underneath his ridiculous management skills, we forget KP has a reason for believing he is God’s greatest gift to men and women. He’s not a truly bad person under the mullet. He just has to stop checking himself out in the mirror. This week he finally put others feelings before his own.
What brought this about? Well, last week we got a glimpse into what KP could become when he met his father. Eduardo was pure KP, but even KP wouldn’t sink low enough to turn his own son in, so that flipped a switch in him. Then when Stevie admitted that April wasn’t married, that flipped another switch for Kenny and when Kenny has two switches flipped all bets are off.
At the end of last week’s episode, we had great momentum because it appeared Kenny was heading off to find April. I have a feeling when Danny McBride and Company were writing this season, they prepared for a six episode season like last year. However HBO gave them seven so they had to pad out for another episode. I’m pretty sure that this week was that extra episode. If it were another six chapter season, it would’ve skipped over this chapter, which would’ve been a mighty shame because it was a great episode.
We get to see KP try and right everyone he had wronged in Mexico which as we said before is a big character shift. This is most obvious in his uniform for the episode a pure white suit that is blinding in the Mexican sun. Instead of last year’s Man in Black getup, he’s the White Knight for the Mexican people. He’s the cock and balls of all that is right and good with the world. He first act is with Aaron and the big dumb guy which he does by freeing their cock fighting birds. And he also blew up their truck because apparently they had it in their budget to do that.
Next is the boss man. They almost came to blows because after all, KP stole his car, destroyed his studio, and interrupted a heavy music making session. The owner grabs a sword and Kenny counters by grabbing his computer. The boss is worried about losing his “spreadsheets” and eventually the both realize they’re acting crazy. They also realize Vida kind of played them both and it caused them to go loco in the brain. With a truce reached, KP pushes his luck and asks him for a favor by letting him play one more game which he grants him.
Then its Vida’s turn. Kenny does apologize but he tells her straight up that her spells aren’t going to work on him anymore. KP was, is, and shall forever be a tits man and her wicked ass has played its last trick on him. Of course, I myself wouldn’t mind being tricked like that, but KP is a man of standards. With one last hip shake to the left and right on stage, KP says goodbye to the ass that nearly changed his life.
Stevie was probably the hardest for Kenny to rectify. After all, Kenny had taken away the first true love of Stevie’s life and it had hurt him bad. But Kenny grants him one last roll in the hay before heading back to the states. Stevie is exuberant and before the episode is over, Maria is traveling back with them as Stevie’s new wife. Also, Stevie looks pretty weird with his combed back. He shouldn’t do that again.
But KP isn’t done just yet. He hasn’t made amends with the one person who truly matters: himself. And the only way he knows how to do that is on the mound. Now the agent who screwed him over at the end of last season (the absolutely amazing Adam Scott) is back. He had gone through a pretty rough rehab stint (but apparently not that bad since he screwed his sponsor’s wife. And sister.) but managed to find KP in Mexico anyway. Kenny is shocked that people think just because he’s in Mexico they can just walk right into his house, but whatever, he has a deal for Kenny. This time he swears he has a scout that has come to look at him pitch. It would be the perfect comeback for KP.
Hesitant at first, Kenny nevertheless agrees. His return to the locker room isn’t greeted with rounds of applause but after convincing the team he is returning, they let him back on. We’re treated to one of the best locker room speeches in the process and it ends with a hearty chant of “Mexico! Mexico! Mexico!” and Kenny is off. KP takes the mound and one after the other he brings the heat. All he had to do was behave himself and actually do what he said he’d do. Not to mention keeping April’s tits in the front of his mind for motivation kept him motivated.
The agent actually turned out to be telling the truth and he brought a scout down to watch KP. The scout? None other than bongo-tastic Matthew McConaughey. Easily the best cameo of the year, he admits to KP that he isn’t ready for the majors, not just yet. But he is on the right track so he shouldn’t be offended they’re not handing him a multi-year contract worth seven or eight figures. He’s playing the game and these are the rules. Good ‘ole boy that he is, he offers KP a spot in their AA minor league team in Myrtle Beach and Kenny accepts.
And once again, we near the end of the season with KP driving off to face his next great adventure. His neighbor fixed his Denali and pimped it out well. He’s got Stevie and Maria with him, a promise of a spot on a team, and April in his sights. They’ve set him up for a great season finale. Hopefully he won’t crash and burn like at the end of last season.
HBO recently picked up EBD for a third season, so we’re not done with KP just yet. We got another year with him still, so there’s plenty of story left. Danny McBride has stated that the third will be their last though, they always envisioned it as a trilogy. So next week we’ll get to see how the new KP will face against his old life when he makes his triumphant return but it won’t be the end. But as someone who has seen the spectacle that is Myrtle Beach first hand, they’ve set KP up for something amazing.
