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Season 4: Eastbound and Down Chapter 23

Eastbound & Down Chapter 23 Title Sequence

Episode Guide / Summary

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As you would imagine, Kenny Powers stayed up all night digging his own pool in a drug induced stupor. The next morning, April finds him outside with his little helpers, where she learns that Kenny not only quit his job, but also has nightly dreams of cheating on her with turned out lesbians. Confused by all of this strange talk, April demands to know what’s going on with her husband.

Kenny Powers explains that drugs have him thinking clearer than ever, and he can no longer hide from his stardom. Kenny gave up his celebrity when he chose the family, and now its April’s turn to support him in his efforts to get back in public spotlight. Kenny Powers wants to be famous again, and April walks away without even dignifying a response.

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During their talk, it's worth pointing out that Kenny Powers referenced “What Dreams May Come”, a movie where the main character dies in a car crash. In the afterlife he’s able to manipulate his surroundings by imagination, while trying to find his wife. Was Kenny making fun of faking his death, or did he really die last season, and he’s in some kind afterlife trying to make amends with April?

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Still high, Kenny visits Guy Young to get his plan kicked into motion. All Kenny needs is a shot, and Guy agrees to put him on one episode of Sports Sesh as a guest co-host. Of course Kenny wants to do more episodes, but brimming with self-confidence he proclaims only one show is needed to get famous again.

Next Kenny Powers goes to visit Stevie, where he respectfully declines Kenny’s offer to join him in his new TV endeavor. You would think being broke with a family that hates him would be a reason for Stevie to join Kenny, but obviously he’s tired of getting burned by the White Flame.

Angry at the rejection, Kenny berates Stevie for the craftsmanship of his home, his Mexican children, and tells him he’s either with him, or against him — like a terrorist / enemy combatant. Stevie does not back down from the threats as they trade insults, and throw various household objects at each other like a plate, napkins, dish drying rack, and a chandelier.

For his first appearance on Sports Sesh, Kenny dresses all business - with slicked down mullet and all black “classic western cowboy fringe.” April does not seem to approve of the attire, or the fact that he’s really going on the show either. She prefers he finds steady income for the family, instead of chasing opportunities while she financially supports the family.

At the studio, Kenny gets introduced to another Sports Sesh co-host named Dontel Benjamin, who you can immediately tell will be an adversary. Instead of shaking hands with Kenny, he hands him trash to throw out, and as we soon find out, Dontel could very well be more rude and full of himself than Kenny Powers, if that’s even possible.

The introduction to the show features the panel members running out of a tunnel to shoot hoops. Before taking their seats, Dontel rejects Kenny’s shot with authority. Introduced as their special guest, the hosts begin to discuss Kenny Powers quitting baseball in the middle of a game. Kenny is not really phased by this, and politely responds to their comments, before Dontel begins to mock his decision.

As the show goes on, Kenny tries to participate in the open forum, but constantly gets interrupted and rudely talked over by Dontel and his finger pointing. Starting to recognize his failure on the show, Kenny Powers suffers a panic attack, and inadvertently agrees Latino players should make less money.

Not only does Kenny look unprepared and foolish, but now the other co-hosts start taking him to task for being an old school racist, fashion sense, and his black Run-D.M.C jeans. Kenny Powers was being made a mockery of on national TV, as friends and family painfully watched at home.

After the show Kenny tries to hit Guy Young up for more appearance dates, where he lets Kenny Powers in on two secrets. Not only was Kenny terrible on the show, but the reason he offered him a guest spot was to neutralize Dontel, who Guy thought was destroying his show. Kenny apologizes for letting him down, and promises results for another chance, to which Guy Young agrees.

After the Sports Sesh disaster, Kenny Powers becomes convinced that his mystique had worn off, and his world was crumbling around him. Their suburbanite neighbors rip Kenny, Stevie has abandoned him, and his own wife prefers he begs for his old job back. Luckily his moping is quickly ended, when Stevie surrenders to Kenny and his nunchuk weapons the next day.

After begging for mercy, Stevie nails another motivational speech, by questioning his own manhood, and demanding to know where their spoils were, since they had already conquered the world together. With his trusty sidekick back on the team, they waste no time jumping into an 80’s style training montage. Kenny hones his skills at basketball, men’s fashion, straightening his slacks before sitting down (2 pats! Down!), and how to defend against Dontel’s motor mouth.

Stevie declares him ready, but before heading to the studio Kenny drops 80 grand on a lime green Dodge Viper, leading to immediate buyer’s remorse. Stevie talks him down off the ledge, and they confidently enter the Sports Sesh studio. Dontel makes fun of Kenny’s haircut, bringing the onset of another panic attack.

Right as Kenny was ready to bail, April shows up. She explains that she does support him, and was only worried that if Kenny Powers became famous again, she would lose Kenny Powers the husband. He assures her that won’t happen, and she gets Kenny fired up by telling him to go “f*ck sh*t up.”

Kenny rejects Dontel’s shot this time, and starts to get the crowd on his side. The first Sports Sesh topic of the day is right in Kenny Powers’ wheelhouse — athletes who leave town for more money. Of course Kenny Powers embraces greedy free agency, and soapboxes about how sports are a business, and he played for 10 different teams for a reason - to get paid.

Dontel’s take is the opposite of Kenny’s, so he tries to talk over him to make his point. Only this time Kenny fights back with a barrage of insults, comparing his teeth to an extra on the movie Blade, calling him Black Destro, a Milk Dud, and quips that his breath smells like “diarrhea stinky buttholes.”

Eventually things reach a boiling point when Dontel challenges Kenny Powers, only to get shoved off the stage by the Shelby Sensation. As he picks himself up off the ground, Dontel tells everyone to eff off. When Dontel storms out of the building, Kenny raises his fist in the air to the audience in a sign of victory.

It looks like Kenny Powers has just replaced Dontel as a full-time host of Sports Sesh.

Stevie's Best Moment(s)

Stevie Janowski

After being deprived of Stevie last week, this could have been one of his best episodes in the entire series to date:

1. Constantly disrespected by his kids who call him a d*ck licker, a bitch, want him to die, and beat him with whiffle ball bats.

2. Money was tight, so Stevie tried to steal his groceries.

3. Arguing with Kenny in his kitchen, “Four Mexican kids is equal to two white kids.”

4. Another great motivational speech and montage training Kenny.

5. Yelling in the stands at Sports Sesh: “that’s my nigga!” / “f*ck him up Kenny!”

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