Why You Should Watch Happy Endings

I’ve sat down and written and rewritten this article all weekend long. I have to say, normally I only talk about assassins, vampires, werewolves and ghosts, so taking a moment to sit down and discuss a group of people who aren’t shooting, eating or haunting other people… I guess I get a little lost. So I’ll start with the basics!

Happy Endings is a ½ hour sitcom on ABC. It airs on Wednesday at 9pm. The show is about a group of friends who all hang out together through thick and thin, and they aren’t using that concept lightly. In season one, two of the characters – Alex Kerkovich [Elisha Cuthbert] and Dave Rose [Zachary Knighton] are set to be married, but Alex went and left Dave at the altar. As anyone who has ever been in a break up knows, there is a lot to deal with – who gets the couch, who moves out & who keeps the friends.

But they didn’t have to argue over the last one, because everyone chose Dave. He was the one wronged, right? The dumpee, not the dumper! So Alex is left with her sister Jane [Eliza Coupe], Jane’s husband Brad Williams [Damon Wayans Jr.], and their two friends Max Blum [Adam Pally] & Penny Hartz [Casey Wilson], while Dave goes off with the rest of the world that dammed Alex to hell for her heartless ways. (Because getting married to someone, when you know you shouldn’t, that’s the right thing to do…) Then Dave realizes the truth about his “friends” and what they did to Alex when they all dumped her – so he made a decision and in the very same fashion, he left them behind, and went to work, awkwardly, through his broken relationship with Alex, and to hang out with the people that cared the most.

That’s kind of awesome all on its own accord, but not the reason you should watch it. I have 6 other reasons. 6 very wonderful reasons why you should set your DVR for this tonight, or just tune it to watch Happy Endings – and here they are:

1) Chicago Tours and Native American Culture:

2) Vision Boards:

3) Gay Husbands:

4) Halloween Costumes:

5) Blackass:

6) & most of all… Love…by the POWER…of Love…

And if those didn’t sell you, here is a bit more. The comedic timing on this show is like no other and the chemistry of the cast is unreal. Happy Endings has been compared to the likes of Friends, but to be honest, it’s funnier. I have a lot of respect for the cast, creator, and the writers – for blending a stream of pop culture and weaving so perfectly while still keeping the characters fresh, fun and original, from week to week.

No gay-man sweater vests for Max or obsessive cleaning for Jane. Just a slew of idiosyncrasies from character to character that allows them to both mesh and deflect off each other for the short 22 minutes of the show, leaving your side in stitches and the wanting for more. I would be sad if Happy Endings went away due to early cancellation, because I feel we have just begun to see the genius of this show. So when you’re done reading this, go to your TV and turn on ABC, set up your DVR, make a note on your calendar and check out Happy Endings. But don’t watch it while eating popcorn, you could choke.

Aryn Youngless is a writer and blogger, based out of Los Angeles, CA. Currently she contributes to WeHeart-TV.com, maintains WeeklyAdventureOrdinaryGirl.com and is on twitter at @weeklyadventure. Her current favorite shows are Being Human (both US & BBC), Doctor Who, Falling Skies, Nikita, Parks and Recreation, Happy Endings, Downton Abbey & Project Runway – though she only ever really talks about Being Human & Nikita.