Eastbound & Down Season 3 Preview

And if I can turn my life around, then I bet a bunch of little poor kids like you can do the same...

Kenny Powers: Getting Wet in Myrtle Beach

Unless you live under a rock, you know that Eastbound & Down Season 3 is the series finale. Sad news, but according to Danny McBride, a short run is exactly how the Kenny Powers saga was always envisioned: “We imagined each season being an act, part of a three-act story, so we’re definitely going to complete that goal, tell that story.”

The Premise:

Kenny Powers returned from Mexico, or as he called it “the butthole of America”, with a minor league baseball contract in hand, only to discover that April was pregnant with his baby.

Now Kenny’s baseball comeback continues in the minors, playing for the Myrtle Beach Mermen, while trying to balance the responsibilities of fatherhood.

Can Kenny Powers complete his quest back to the majors, and mend his relationship with April? Or will he have another epic meltdown, and disappear on his family like Eduardo Sanchez? Oh, and one more thing — somebody dies...

Predicting Kenny Powers’ Final Season

Kenny Powers Pitching for Myrtle Beach Mermen

You don’t really think he is going to come out on top, do you? Here is what we think will happen:

Fast forward several months, and Kenny Powers has continued to stick with the “purity” virtues he adopted in Mexico. These self-assured values have Kenny taking what he considers to be the moral high ground, and have pretty much evolved into a religion for him — the white suit, good guy Kenny Powers.

The major league baseball comeback is going great until several circumstances derail things, leading up to a trademark Kenny Powers meltdown of epic proportions. He and April are not together, Reg Mackworthy and Ashley Schaeffer are plotting payback, and the Russian pitching prospect Ivan is on the fast track to the majors — not him.

Pile those ingredients on top of this mysterious death (see predictions below for more), and Kenny Powers will be questioning his pure life choices. The Shelby Sensation will realize the only way to “win” is to resurrect the old rebel persona. The black outfit, skull and baseball beltbuckle, and slicked back mullet make their triumphant return, and everything unravels from there.

Be sure to check out our Getting Wet in Myrtle Beach Season 3 Character Guide for some new characters.

Elizabeth DeRazzo Interview

Elizabeth DeRazzo portrays Stevie Janowski’s wife Maria. We stalked her down on Twitter, and she agreed to do an interview with us, which we thought was pretty cool...

We wanted to know how she got cast on Eastbound & Down, some questions about the show’s un-sung hero Stevie Janowski, and what we can look forward to in the final season.

Obviously she is not allowed to fully disclose season 3 plot, but if you read between the lines, there is a huge season 3 nugget in there. Enjoy, and Elizabeth can be followed on Twitter here.

You have worked on dramatic shows such as The West Wing, Six Feet Under, ER, Southland, and Cold Case. Eastbound & Down is definitely a change of pace from those dramatic shows. Do you prefer drama-based roles, or has your time on Eastbound & Down been a welcomed change of pace?

Before EBD I was terrified of comedy, so I would definitely say that I gravitated most towards drama based roles. But after being on set and working with such talented and amazing people who have taught me so much about comedy it has definitely opened me up to it all.

Also it’s not say that comedy isn’t drama, a friend made me come to a realization when I kept talking about an emotional scene. He said, “Don’t call it our emotional scene because all of our scenes are emotional.” And he was right, in that sense I think comedy is a different facet of drama.

How did you get the role of Maria on Eastbound & Down? Were you apprehensive to sign on for such a wildly inappropriate show?

I actually went in to audition for Catuey’s wife, it’s there that they got the idea to bring me back in to audition for Maria and to test out my chemistry with Steve Little. After that one audition I was offered the role!

I wouldn’t call the show wildly inappropriate, I would say it’s a show that likes to push boundaries. I wasn’t worried about that aspect per say, I was more worried about being able to bring something to the table because these guys are hilariously funny and improv geniuses.

You are one of the few Eastbound & Down cast members that use Twitter. Has it been a rewarding experience interacting with fans of the show? Have you tried to recruit other cast members into using it?

I think there’s a few of us on there if I'm not mistaken. But yes, it’s definitely been great interacting with people who enjoy the show. The wonderful thing about social media is that you get that instant feedback. I mean I’m a fan of several shows and twitter or facebook is where I go to say how much I loved something or in some cases didn’t love something.

I actually haven’t tried to recruit any other cast members but I have had one or two ask me to show them how to use it.

Stevie Janowski is a strange guy to say the least. What are some of his traits that you think attracted Maria to him?

I think she’s attracted to him because of his bat and ball size and he pounded the hell out of her. I kid...I kid! She’d never met anyone like him before. He definitely intrigued her and he was so strong and brave in front of her. I think many things attracted her to him including his heart, his selflessness and just that fact that he’s a really great guy! Maria see’s the man behind all that strangeness.

Once back in the states, Stevie Janowski did not adjust very well to his new marriage. In season 3 do we get to see more of what married life is like in the Janowski household?

Yes! You will definitely get to see a lot more about what their married life is like.

Stevie idolizes the ground that Kenny Powers walks on. Does his dedication to such an asshole become a friction point in their marriage? Or does Maria support Stevie at all costs?

There will definitely be some tension but you’ll have to wait and see!

“Love is the best gift ever” was a shirt (click here to see) worn by Maria last season. What does the wardrobe department have up their sleeve for Maria this season?

Our wardrobe department is amazing, Jill our costume designer is a genius! I can’t really describe Maria’s wardrobe for this upcoming season but she definitely goes through a metamorphosis.

The Flama Blanca suit that Maria made was the turning point in Kenny Powers' comeback. Does Maria get behind the sewing machine again this season?

Maria definitely gets behind something this season but it won’t be the sewing machine.

The city of Baltimore was practically a character in “The Wire.” Does Myrtle Beach have the same effect on Eastbound & Down?

I’ll let you be the judge of that!

Eastbound & Down has a knack for leaving its finales “open”. Will fans get to see a definitive closing to the Kenny Powers saga?

I obviously can’t answer that but tune in and you’ll see!

More Predictions for the Final Season

Based on what we have learned about Season Three, we wanted to make a few predictions on the final season plot, and what might be in store for some characters. These are not spoilers, and just pure speculation on our part.

We also included some other fan ideas (the baby looks white, guys) that were submitted to us through Tumblr, Facebook, or Twitter.

Audiobook: Kenny Powers’ guide to raising a child.
The Baby: A boy cause that’s “the Powers way”, and hopefully there’s a mullet growing.
The Janowskis: Maria will go crazy on the Myrtle Beach party scene leaving Stevie at home to be the nanny for Baby Powers.
Stevie Ped-nowski: Last season there were several hints that Stevie Janowski is a pedophile. Maria will find out that he has criminal charges as a sex offender.
Reg Mackworthy: Old nemesis will try to take Kenny’s eye for revenge, but will end up losing his other one.
The Death: Might be Dustin or Eduardo Sanchez, but we will stick with our incorrect prediction from season dos — Stevie.
Texas Scout: He will ask Kenny Powers to suck something more than his dream’s dick to ensure he makes it back to the majors.
Pat Anderson: Completing his own circle of redemption, Pat Anderson will become Kenny Powers’ super agent.
Ivan the Russian Pitcher: Expect a tooth-and-nail battle between he and Kenny for the top spot in the rotation, filled w/ cliche 80’s Russian jokes.
ShhBoom ShhBooms: We have always suspected that Kenny is the owner of the bar, and Clegg runs it for him. Prove us right, please.
Clegg: Look for Clegg in the stands at some games, getting kicked out for being too intoxicated. You know, alcohol, black beauties, oxy, and/or huffing pain...
Myrtle Beach Mermen: Kenny Powers will be the toast of the team (and town). All of the ballplayers will look up to him, and feed his ego asking for old stories from when he was in the majors. And then the newness will wear off.
Shane: Cast as “gullible and enthusiastic baseball player”, Shane will end up being Kenny Powers drinking buddy, and only friend on the team.
Bar Fight: The Myrtle Beach Mermen take a night on the town, and somebody will mouth off about Kenny Powers being a has-been.
These predictions were sent to us from other fans of the show:
edgeofepiphany: Aaron BETTER fucking be on the new season. (we hope so too)
Larry Unger: Larry Unger kenny gets a vasectomy that fails miserably.
mindisolvang: Kenny will get April back and be the best effin dad ever, in his opinion.
Marcus Commander: Kenny finds out that he was adopted as a child and goes on a search for his real parents little does he know his real brother lives in the same town as him and it turns out to be stevie janowski.. as the final episode airs u see kenny pitching in the world series and gets the final out and on the back of his jersey it says powers-jansowski.

Quotes from the Creative Team

According to the creative team behind the show, the final season will be the funniest yet.

These quotes from Danny McBride, Jody Hill, and Steve Little were taken from the "Eastbound & Down Season 3: Behind the Scenes" HBO video.

Here’s what they think about the final season...

Danny McBride - Star/Creator:

This season is going to definitely be the best of all three, thus far. Yes.

This is only for the hardcore.

Steve Little - Star:

I think, like, there’s a little Kenny Powers in all of us. He says things that I think people do say, but I think other people don’t put on TV.

Jody Hill - Creator/Director/Producer:

I think this season’s probably the funniest season that we’ve shot.

I think there’s two kinds of people: there’s the people who get the joke of what we’re trying to do, and then I think there’s the people who see themselves as Kenny Powers. Those are the scary people you gotta watch out for.