Cougar Town

I began this show thinking there'd be lots of cougars prowling for young men, but it was actually only about one woman, the naive and exuberant Jules, well-played by Courteney Cox. And even that stopped after about half a season, when she found Grayson, not-so-well played by Josh Hopkins.

I expected the show to die off slowly then, but amazingly, it's now halfway through season 5 and I'm still watching. While there is no more 'cougaring', there are other characters that keep the show interesting: her ex-husband Bobby and his couldn't-care-less mode of living, her best friend neighbour Ellie (brilliantly played by Christa Miller) and her killer sense of deadpan humor, and Ellie's husband, the indefatigable and one-man-Bobby-fanclub Andy, also brilliantly played Ian Gomez. And each episode usually contains its own self-contained plot that is generally resolved at the end of 20 minutes. For the most part, those plots are engaging enough to keep you watching, especially when Ellie deploys her unique brand of humor.

And one more thing that seems insignificant yet adds interest to the show: those title cards. I'm always anticipating them with the start of each episode.

It's a new show; it's still got some kinks to work out, and I don't completely disagree with any of the previous reviews. The characters aren't well developed (yet), and, yes, some of them are essentially caricatures, especially the promiscuous male neighbor.

However, I think the previous reviewers who dismiss Cox's character as a vapid, sexually charged woman have somewhat missed the point. The show is not really about love or sex; it's about women retaining their feminine identity despite society's insistence that middle-aged women are past their prime, and about dealing with the societal prejudices that come with being a middle-aged woman (some of which can be seen on this very board; more on that later).

Jules is recently divorced, and is suddenly plunged into the single woman's dating world as a 40-something. The show is attempting to capture (with admittedly middling success), the panic and confusion that accompanies the single, middle-aged woman, as she competes with women half her age for the same men. Love? Sex? Never mind all that; Jules would settle for having some fun -- and doesn't she deserve it, after being a mother and housewife for so many years? The show extracts its humor from the awkward journey middle-aged women must often traverse, from motherhood to single-hood, and through whatever else is along the way.

This is where the neighbor's one-note caricature becomes necessary, or at least makes sense. He exists to contrast the different societal attitudes towards middle-aged men and women. Men easily rejoin the dating scene, but women are met with harsh sneers and judgmental assessments. Even in the reviews here on IMDb, some of the people complained that Jules was a sex-crazed maniac, an idiot nymphomaniac, and whatever else, despite that she waited until the tenth date to have sex with her boyfriend. A woman who waits until the tenth date is sex-crazed? No, she just wants to have fun and feel desirable, just like the rest of us.

That brings us to the show's problems, and it has a few. Cox is far too attractive to be convincing as a desperate cougar, for instance. And yes, it would be better if the other characters were more interesting, and if neighbor were more than just a one-note cad. But the show is, in my opinion, still quite funny, and the characters are becoming more sympathetic, even Jules's do-nothing ex-husband. I think the show has a lot of potential, and I will continue to watch it.

As I recall, Courtney Cox's other show, Friends, was almost unwatchable in the first two seasons. But there were good elements there, and eventually they figured it out. I suspect they'll do so with Cougar Town as well.

Just rewatched the series and really enjoyed it. Funny, smart, and plenty of heartfelt moments. They do drink a lot of wine, but they have some great ideas and conversations while doing it. I have to admit that plenty of the episodes had me tearing up as well. Can't be compared with friends, but why should you?

Cougar town may be a chick show but that doesn't change the fact that it's still really good. It's 22 minutes of irrational normalcy that is somewhat believable but extreme. Some people may think it's too far fetched but everybody knows at least one person who is always the "dramatic attention seeking type". So I buy the craziness and I can even relate to a lot of their issues. In fact I wish I had such a tight knit crazy group of friends like they have. It looks like fun.

Aside from the craziness, the episodes focus on real life issues but with a comedic edge. It's not without its flaws but overall Cougar Town is really entertaining.

Well, I see no one else likes it. Oh well. I think its hilarious. Maybe a little much for basic television, but on cable it would be awesome. I think it's really funny. I don't think it's offensive at all. Just because we don't feel like we relate to a character doesn't mean that they are offensive. I'm from Texas. Have you ever seen how they portray us on television. They act like we are all how do I put this, "Big ol' country bumpkins that say ya'll every other word and wear cowboy hats and belt buckles as large as our state, and that every word we say has to have some southern twang to it". It's a television show. It's funny. For once can we just let one show survive at least one season. I've already lost Lipstick Jungle and Samantha Who.