Blu-ray Review: Happy Endings- The Complete Series

Synopsis: Take six twentysomething Chicago friends, add cocktails and hormones, shake and you've got Happy Endings, the hilarious comedy that asks: "When a couple splits, who gets to keep the friends?" Dave (Zachary Knighton, TV's Flashforward) finds fulfillment manning a food truck after losing his hot fiancé, Alex (Elisha Cuthbert, TV's 24), at the altar. Alex's type-A sister, Jane (Eliza Coupe, TV's Future Man), is almost happily married to horn-dog Brad (Damon Wayans Jr., TV's New Girl). Dave's roommate, Max (Adam Pally, TV's The Mindy Project), is a gay, sports-loving slob, and Penny (Casey Wilson, TV's SNL) is on the prowl for a good man. . .or men. The laughs are nonstop as they do what tightly-knit friends do best: hang out, have fun, debate the meaning of life, hook up, break up, and do it all over again!

Main Feature: "Happy Endings" was never going to live up to the heights of explore-the-lives-of-urban-young-people sitcoms like "Will & Grace" or "Friends." Needless to say, it had a high bar to get to. While the ratings didn't match those shows, the quality was certainly there. "Happy Endings" was a gem in the rough, an unfounded piece of hilarity that deserved a better audience. The writing was always sharp, the situations a refreshing take on the familiar. But the most special part of the entire show was the cast. Each brought their own abilities to the table to serve the needs of the show. Damon Wayans, Jr. takes after his father (my favorite Wayans family member) with a broad stroke of comic sensibility. Elisha Cuthbert is more than the daughter in distress of "24" and is spot on with her comic timing. but my favorite has always been Eliza Coupe. I'm always one for a dry, straight-faced, deadpan comic delivery, and she has a good portion of that market cornered--one of the best around to that. 

Special Features: Not much. Season 1 and 2 discs are the only ones with bonus features. Some short interviews and outtakes. nothing to boast about or discuss further into. Mill Creek Entertainment, who released Happy Endings, is known for their barebones releases of complete series (there are a couple coming this year that better not be botched with a lack of or sans extras).

Final Call: The creators and cast of "Happy Endings" had top notch talent that deserved a better finish, but Mill Creek allows the complete series to live on.

Grade: B+