Happy Endings: Season 1

I watched Happy Endings on Hulu after it premiered because I had heard vaguely of it - and it was a good decision. What sounded like a hard-to-continue concept, Alex(Elisha Cuthbert) leaves her fiance Dave (Zachary Knighton) at the alter and the fallout as their long-time friends try to avoid choosing "sides," actually worked here. The supporting cast of friends include married couple Jane and Brad (Eliza Coupe and Damon Wayans Jr.), perpetually single Penny (Casey Wilson), and Max (Adam Pally, a breath of fresh air in that he plays a gay character whose main source of comedy is not that he's "the gay guy").A word of warning, ABC aired a few episodes OBVIOUSLY out of order. The show appears to dismiss the problem where Alex left Dave at the alter rather briskly and then we see them trying to stay friends and move on - and what's odd is the group's easy chemistry and the fun writing mean you don't mind too much. Later, though, you'll see a pair of episodes that show Alex and Dave fighting and struggling to come to terms with the end of their relationship before recognizing that they can eventually still be friends. These were clearly meant to air second and third. If you watch them in this order, the friendship will probably seem more organic than the quick fix of the second episode as aired.Other than this hiccup, this first season is fun and light. Cuthbert and Knighton play their relationship perfectly - they have years of history and still like each other as people, but play those awkward moments where one starts to move on romantically quite poignantly. The transition is never made to look easy. Coupe, most well-known perhaps for her turn on the later seasons of Scrubs, is hilarious as the control-freak Jane and Wayans plays the long-suffering husband with just the right amount of tolerance born out of love.The episode that I would hands-down show to any first-time viewer is Dave of the Dead. The heart-warming A-story is Dave trying to revisit his dream of opening a restaurant (his idea is terrible, but Jane doesn't want anyone to crush his dream yet). However, it is the B-story that steals the show: Penny meets a great funny guy while doing laundry (and of course wearing their awkward laundry day outfits) only to discover that he ACTUALLY dresses like that. Max has the best line here: "Penny, you know what he is? He's a hipster. Everything that you like, he likes ironically." He takes her to an underground mix tape party and invites her and the group to a 90's-themed bat mitzvah, but is immediately disgusted when Penny actually dresses up for the theme because it seems like she's trying too hard.I was convinced I was the only person watching this show (though I sent links for Dave of the Dead to everyone!) and was delighted that ABC renewed it. Hopefully it can be paired with something strong in the fall to get the viewership it deserves.

HAPPY ENDINGS is a delight - it is innovative, witty, intelligent and most importantly hilarious. Many automatically compare it to FRIENDS for there are 6 main characters - 3 men and 3 women, but that is where all comparisons end. This show is in no way a copy cat to any other show that has aired. I fell in love with it when the 13 episodes of the first season aired and the awesome thing about getting the dvd is that the show when aired on network tv was not shown with the episodes in the order intended. There is a basic plot here. In the pilot Alex (Elisha Cuthbert) walks out during the wedding ceremony on her fince Dave (Zachary Knighton) and the following episodes follow how they and their mutual friends deal with the fall-out of this. Seeing them in order gives more depth to the characters and the story lines.The show manages to shine in every way, each character is in no way a caricature and each actor is perfect in their given role. Elisha Cuthbert comes from a serious role on 24 and shines. My favorites though are Casey Wilson from SNL who plays Penny and Damon Wayans Jr. who plays Brad. I was very upset when SNL just up and let go of Casey Wilson but it was truly their loss as she shines in a role that gives her a much better field of play than the now tired SNL. Episodes are filled with heart and also honest insight into the characters. And the writers deserve as much credit as the actors for each episode is filled with laughs and many that turn into full out belly laughs. I highly recommend purchasing this wonderful first season of this great show. And if you haven't given it a shot yet catch up with the second season that is airing now. This is a show that just continues to get better and better. It is fresh, witty and deserves a truly wide audience. Give it a chance and I guarantee it will pull you in fully.

When I first watched this show, I thought it was mediocre at best. Then at about episode four, I started to love it. It takes a lot for a show to literally make me "lol", but this show does it.The show is about a group of six friends living their life in Chicago. The main storyline running through the first season, revolved around Dave and Alex. In the first episode, Dave and Alex are set to be married but she ends up leaving him at the altar for a past fling that comes in at the last minute on rollerblades, confessing his undying love for her. Thus the group is forced to figure out how to handle the situation because they're all still best friends. During all of this, we also get little side story arcs from some of the other characters and to be honest, they are the funnier ones.You have Max who is not your stereotypical gay guy (which is quite refreshing to say the least) and he is probably the most hilarious character on the show. He has the best lines. His best friend, Penny, is also quite hilarious and she is desperate and single. This leads to one of my favorite episodes of the first season in which Penny dates a hipster. Hilarity ensues.Next up, you have Brad and Jane. They are the only married ones of the bunch. Brad is your token metrosexual (who is more gay than Max) and Jane is your typical control freak. It's fun to see how Jane handles the groups problems and exactly how far she'll go to prove that she will win at anything. Their relationship with one another is quite funny.What makes the show great is that all the characters are believable. We all have someone in our set of friends that matches up with at least one of the characters on the show. The cast has great chemistry together and it shows. I'm so glad it was renewed for a second season, because more people need to give it a chance. It's well written, modern, and hilarious.Definitely worth a purchase!

Happy Endings starts with the exact opposite of that...a failed wedding. This then lays the groundwork for the rest of the series where the group of six friends (including those two) deal with the break up, relationships and life in general. The humour here is very quick witted - more like Scrubs than Friends or How I Met Your Mother which is the closest comparison to this series. It doesn't have long set-ups like How I Met Your Mother does, but its characters are likable, if a little predictable at times. However, the storylines are good. The confusing thing is that it feels like the series steps back in time about four episodes from the end which seems odd.Happy Endings is a very funny series which has laugh out loud moments as well as it fair share of heart warming ones. For lovers of Scrubs and How I Met Your Mother this is recommended.

I read the reviews for this dvd and thought that it was worth purchasing. I have to say that I was not disappointed and I will be purchasing the next season as well. I was hooked from the very first episode and can't wait to find out what happens in the next season. I would also recommend this dvd.

With the success of 'Friends' we have yet another ensemble sitcom. In fact if you check the first episodes of both of theses you can see where the plot came from. 'Terms of endearment' must be coming close to the end of it's run and 'New Girl' is showing that it maybe the natural successer of 'How I met your Mother' . Held up against these 'Happy Endings' is a bit like 'okay' rather than 'Great'.

It took some time to really get into it (first couple of episodes were kinda lame) but after 4 or 5 episodes I actually started liking it. Nowhere near Friends, King of Queens or Big Bang Theory, but it can definitely hold it's own against sitcoms such as HIMYM or Rules of Engagement ...

A very good first season. Refreshing to get to know people who aren't perfect and don't live perfect lives and who don't fit into the usual stereotypes. Lots of feelgod and laughs. I would rate "Happy Endings" as second to "The big bang theory" when you look at the best comedy shows still inproduction at the moment, just narrowly beating "Modern Family".