Eastbound and Down: Kenny Powers and the End of an Era

“Eastbound and Down,” at once one of the most absurd and poignant shows to ever exist, drew to a close this past week. It, and its hero, Kenny Powers, went out the only way either knows how, in a blaze of unnecessarily theatrical glory. Kenny never did things like anybody else, and his departure was no different as he faked his death in order to live as one of the “normal” people he so viciously despises throughout his journey. “Eastbound and Down” has always been a comeback story, albeit one focused on everything but hard work, and once Kenny got back on top, he realized there was no place left for him to ascend, at least in his athletic endeavors. The series ends with a message: that the height of fame is no match for a family. Kenny, who grew up fatherless, knows this all too well.

Kenny’s final act is done with the same intentions that his sidekick, Stevie, had in leaving Kenny to fend for himself in Texas. Both men chose family over their dreams of relevance, Stevie’s, of course, being a little less grandiose. But Kenny cannot do what Stevie does and just stop. Kenny must bow out in a blaze of glory, because glory is his security blanket. Its why he destroys Ashley Schaeffer BMW in season 1, why he makes a scene upon making his Mexican league debut in season 2, and why he enters his mother’s bowling match in season 3 through the pins at the end of the lane. Theatrics and a flair for the dramatic let Kenny maintain his stardom, at least in his eyes, for the duration of the series, and they are the reason why he can affect so many lives.

Until the last episode, Kenny cannot exist in the same space that almost every other character does. This is his fatal flaw, but it is also the reason why others are drawn to him. Kenny possesses plenty of characteristics that others are glad they do not have, but he also has two things that everybody wants: an arm like a cannon and dreams that never fade. Because of this, he cannot be a regular person, he cannot teach gym and be happy, because teaching gym is inherently a failure when you have an arm destined for greatness. Dustin, April, and Stevie all can live average lives, because, although they may have aspirations of something greater, they do not possess a medium through which to achieve them. Kenny does, and it is his burden to bear. He can live life as a failure, or live life as a success but he cannot just live life, at least not until the end. Stevie and April are drawn to Kenny, and at times it seems as if they are completely resigned to his fate. Both drop everything for a piece of what he has, they want to dream like Kenny does, they want to live through his success and his failure, because they do not have the capability to occupy either end of the spectrum like he does. In the end though, Kenny is alone, because he has to be. Stevie and April can stand by Kenny, can desire all the things he does, but cannot fully understand. At some point they must fall back onto what they themselves can control, and leave Kenny with his burden. People can help Kenny, but it was always his quest, and his quest alone, that drove the series. Kenny eventually realizes that if he uses his arm, the thing that he alone possesses, then he will forever be by himself. His ultimate success needed to be achieved on his own, for himself, and as a result it gave him closure.

“Eastbound and Down” was always a comeback story, although it takes every last episode for it to be truly realized. The death of Kenny, while not real, signified the death of his baseball career, and the birth of a new chapter, a theme that Kenny constantly mentions but only fully understands at the end of the series. In his death, we fully realize the shit that Kenny has been through. Kenny is not a hard worker in the most basic sense of the word, but he never gives up. His methods are unorthodox, but his determination is constantly present. We followed Kenny to hell and back, and it is a bittersweet moment when he reaches the pinnacle of his rebound. His arrogance throughout shields us from the true idea of the series. He is fucking Kenny Powers, and he will be until he gives up. What makes him special is that he never does. We can watch, like Stevie and April, but we would never live like Kenny. It is something that only he can accomplish. And in the end we feel the one emotion that was lacking throughout the whirlwind that is Kenny Powers—respect.

-Dave Robbins