On the cover of the DVD for Cougar Town‘s first season, Courtney Cox’s shirt proclaims that, “40 is the new 20.” I guess that’s true if people got to know you as a 20-something on TV some 15 years ago on Friends. What begins as a comedy confronting middle age soon descends into a slightly aged spin on Cox’s Friends. While this isn’t a wholly bad thing, Cougar Town‘s inaugural season introduces some funny characters and honest attitudes, but it seems unsure of the overall direction that it wants to head in.
With her divorce finalized, Florida realtor Jules Cobb (Cox) finds herself on the prowl for a new guy. But a lot has changed since the last time she went a courtin’. She was a lot younger then, as were the men she dated. Society rules had her as more desirable then, as well. With her friends at her side, Jules soon discovers the joys of being a man-hungry woman with some age and experience behind her. She also discovers the awkward side of things as well.
The primary cast of Cougar Town surrounds Jules with her neighbor Ellie (Christa Miller), Ellie’s husband Andy (Ian Gomez, who regularly steals the show with his conflicted take on masculinity), assistant Laurie (Busy Philipps), son Travis (Dan Byrd) and ex-husband Bobby (Brian Van Holt). Finally, there’s Grayson (Josh Hopkins), Jules’ recently divorced neighbor who’s revolving door of sleep over guests annoys her and provides, for a time, a sense of reciprocal romantic infatuation and tension.
Cougar Town‘s greatest strength is these characters. They’re all quirky and funny in their own way, yet they’re also honest. The show does capture a good sense of what it’s like to get older while still having lots of life goals left to attain. It dwells on what’s wrong with the lives of Jules and her friends, but the characters also show what each can look forward to. The strong chemistry allows them to play off one another and use their strengths to compliment others’ deficiencies.
The first season of Cougar Town works in that it’s consistently funny and, like Friends, has a wide assortment of interesting characters. I am curious, though, about how long the show can last. The obvious romantic tension angle between Jules and Grayson accelerated much quicker than I figured it would to the point of I don’t know how much else can be done before their once unique relationship becomes your average sitcom coupling. And while the whole middle-age thing is what makes Cougar Town stand out from other shows, that seems to have run its course as well. But all this is somewhat speculatory and I could be surprised. The show’s first season is successful in that I will watch more but at the same time I wonder if the concept that made it unique has already played itself out.
Cougar Town: The Complete First Season DVD Review
The first season of Cougar Town is collected on a three-disc set containing all 24 episodes. Each episode is shown in widescreen format with English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround audio. Subtitles are also available in English, Spanish and French. The bonus features are led by the featurette “Taming Cougar Town,” which charts the running evolution of the show. “Ask Barb” is a funny collection of relationship advice done by the supporting player. “Stroking it With Bobby Cobb” is what a golf show would look like if the character made one. Other extras include 15 deleted scenes from various episodes, bloopers, a spoof from Jimmy Kimmel Live and a music video.
Cougar Town Gallery
