HAPPY ENDINGS: The Friends Return for Season 2

Happy Endings returns for its sophomore season tonight, after a surprise renewal from ABC. The series debuted last spring in what many saw as a move to fill a troubled slot on the network’s schedule. The quirky comedy about six friends quickly proved to be more than filler material, however. Clever, often laugh-out-loud funny, and boasting a cast with amazing chemistry and comic timing, Happy Endings is the show NBC wishes it had to fill the Friends void.

In tonight’s season opener, “Blax, Snack, Home”, viewers get a heaping helping of the show’s humor right from the start. In the cold open, two people nearly die, a secret is revealed, and an unlikely hero emerges. You may want to rewind and watch the scene again to fully appreciate the genius of the writing, acting, and directing in those 2 minutes. The meat of the story is that Penny decides to stop waiting for The One to come along so she can start her life. She declares this The Year of Penny and buys her first home, a gorgeous condo that her friends drool over. She’s feeling pretty good about herself, until a neighbor tells her that everyone in the building thinks the condo is cursed with turning single women into spinsters. This, of course, sends her into a spiral of neuroses that comes to a head at her housewarming party.

Meanwhile, Max and Brad are at odds over the status of their bromance, and Alex and Dave opt for honesty with Jane trying to facilitate. It’s a mess over there, but oh so fun to watch. Tune into the season premiere of Happy Endings tonight at 9:30/8:30c on ABC.