TV Review: ‘Cougar Town’ Season Premiere With Jennifer Aniston

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CHICAGO – Courteney Cox returns tonight to try and overcome the perception that her very-clever and consistently-improving “Cougar Town” is not a success. What better way to make instant waves than to bring former co-star on “Friends” Jennifer Aniston to the party? The result is yet-another funny half-hour of television for a program that seems to get better by the week.

Television Rating: 4.0/5.0

Aniston is good on the season premiere of “Cougar Town” as Jules’ deeply-flawed (and probably insane) therapist and I’d be surprised if she doesn’t show up again, but what’s most-promising about the episode is the writing and ensemble work that will continue with the departure of the girl formerly known as Rachel. As for Aniston, I hate to be mean, but she’s simply more effective in smaller doses. As horrible as she’s been in junk like “The Bounty Hunter,” she has undeniable comic timing and a fight between her and Cox is very, very funny. She probably won’t do it until she has a few more bombs, but she could completely dominate yet again if she ever came back to TV full-time.

Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston
Photo credit: Karen Neal/ABC

But Aniston isn’t a regular on “Cougar Town.” To make crystal clear that “Cougar Town” is now an ensemble show, the writers assemble the entire cast for an opening scene in which they play a fun movie mash-up drinking game that ends with “Scooby-Doo the Right Thing.” Sadly, the scene transitions into the fact that Travis (Dan Byrd) is leaving for school and it sucks that the talented Byrd won’t be on the season as much this year but he won’t be disappearing completely and continue to be a force on the show. Byrd’s been consistently great from day one of the program. Arguably more than any member of the ensemble.

ABC’s “Cougar Town” stars Busy Philipps as Laurie, Josh Hopkins as Grayson, Courteney Cox as Jules, Brian Van Holt as Bobby, Ian Gomez as Andy, Christa Miller as Ellie and Dan Byrd as Travis. Photo credit: Bob D’Amico/ABC

And the semi-departure of Byrd makes sense in that the writers have been slowly turning “Cougar Town” into a forty-something version of “How I Met Your Mother” through most of 2010 and it’s time to get rid of the young talent, the one that’s not like the others.

Said others are led by Jules (Cox), a driven real estate agent with romantic troubles, job troubles, and ex-husband troubles, but friends who get her through the day. Where the show was once primarily about Jules’ attempts at romance, often with men half her age, it is now completely ensemble-driven. In the premiere, there’s even a scene with three of the men at a bar with no “cougars” in sight. This is a different show and while I kind of respect the creator’s desire to just work past their title, it might not have been the worst idea to change it, as it was rumored they might do before this season.

Jules circle of “Friends” consist of the often-bitter Ellie (Christa Miller), the bubbly-but-sweet Laurie (Busy Phillips), neighbor-boyfriend Grayson (Josh Hopkins), Ellie’s husband (Ian Gomez), and Jules’ man-child ex Bobby (Brian Van Holt).

After growing pains in the first season, the cast of “Cougar Town” have gelled around Cox’s underrated leading lady work. They all bring something unique and creative to the ensemble and a full cast has always been the trademark of the successful sitcom. A comedy is only as strong as its weakest ensemble member and no one on “Cougar Town” is weak. In fact, it’s getting harder and harder to pick a favorite ensemble member — a sure sign that the show is clicking.

The cast is spectacular and improving by the episode but the writing can still be a bit hit-and-miss. Just as creator Bill Lawrence’s “Scrubs” was sometimes off its game in later seasons, it feels like “Cougar Town” is still finding its comic rhythm. But the important thing is that it IS finding it. With few exceptions, every 2010 episode of “Cougar Town” has been better than the one that came before and the pattern continues into the new season. At this rate, “Cougar Town” could be one of the best comedies on TV by 2011.

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com