The original post: /r/television by /u/Doogle300 on 2026-03-27 11:44:42+00:00.
I was always a fan of Danny’s characters in films, such as Red in Pineapple Express, Cody in Tropic Thunder, and even Thadeus in Your Highness. Each one I found hilarious and captivating when on screen, but I also thought he was one note. He played the hot head shock humour guy in every instance, and he nailed it.
Me seeing him as 2D as that prevented me from watching Eastbound and Down despite hearing how grsat it was. I saw clips and thought it looked funny, and assumed it would be a good laugh one day, but believed I could guess what sort of thing I would get.
I finally watched Eastbound last month, and while I did get the sense of humour I expected, I also found Kenny Powers to be more complex than I expected. Seeing the pain that hot head shock humour guy was dealing with kept me hooked. He was a flawed human, who continuously made mistakes and hurt people, but yet I was rooting for him to achieve his dreams. Despite being selfish and self aggrandising, I saw slivers of emotional intelligence that made him incredibly compelling.
Once I finished Eastbound, I went on to Vice Principals, and then Righteous Gemstones. Between those three characters, it’s clear that Danny is more than the surface level comedy he is famous for. Each were selfish in their own way, but they all had different motivations and flaws, and their heart was brought out by different factors.
I also have to say, the first episode of season 4 of Gemstones was some truly grast television.
Also, the kid playing young Jessie Gemstone was incredible. You know its a good cast and story when you jump to flashbacks of childhood, and you dont miss the characters presence in those moments.