Happy Endings: The Complete Series Blu-ray Review

Mill Creek Ent.; 20 hrs 20 mins; TV-14; $49.98

Many short-lived television sitcoms have never gotten released to DVD; let alone, many series never get released to Blu-ray, but that isn't the case with the 2011-2013 ABC comedy series Happy Endings. The series received "the complete series" DVD and Blu-ray treatment last month, courtesy of Mill Creek Entertainment.

Created by David Caspe, the series is set in Chicago and is centered around the breakup of Alex (played by Elisha Cuthbert) and Dave (played by Zachary Knighton) on their wedding day, which changed the lives of their friends - Alex's older sister, Jane (played by Elia Coupe), Jane's husband, Brad (played by Damon Wayans Jr.), Dave's soon-to-be roommate, Max (played by Adam Pally), and Penny (played by Casey Wilson).

Similar to How I Met Your Mother and Friends, Happy Endings follows the dysfunctional adventure of six best friends. After the breakup with Alex, Dave moves in with his gay friend Max. Later, he quits his job and starts a food truck business. "Ditzy" Alex owns a clothing boutique called Xela (Alex spelled backwards). Jane is a control-freak who wants the perfect suburban life. Brad is always trying way too hard to prove he is still manly. Penny is always on the lookout for her future husband. And Max is the gang's unemployed freeloading slob, though he does start his own limo driving service during season two.

Special Features on the Blu-ray set include:

Deleted Scenes
Outtakes
Parodies
Cast Interviews

Final Thoughts

Happy Endings is one of those television series that I heard a lot about, but never gotten around to watching it during its original run. After watching the pilot episode (and later binge watching the entire series), I can easily see why fans were upset when the series was cancelled, as the series is pretty damn funny. It reminds me of Friends, but with the smart-humor of Community. There is one homosexual character, Max, but unlike other sitcoms, he is written and treated like a realistic person. Actually, Max is my favorite character from the series. He's a freeloading slob, who likes to embarrass his friends any chance he gets.

Each season (there are 3) is split into two discs. The picture and sound quality are excellent on all 57 episodes. There are several special features on the discs for Season 1 & 2.

Overall, I enjoyed watching Happy Endings: The Complete Series Blu-ray. The cast works really well together. The scripts are smartly written with witty dialogue. It would have been nice if the series would have continued longer than it did.