#leonanaess

Cougar Town’s Perfect Season Three Finale! 

It’s so very rare these days when a television series manages to balance the absurd, goofy, and silly with wit, charm, intelligence and most of all…heart.  While my love/obsession for Cougar Town is certainly no secret, i can’t begin to describe in words just how good that show makes me feel on a weekly basis. And last Tuesday’s season three finale was no exception.  God Bless TBS for prolonging the life of the Cul-de-Sac Crew for at least another season.

What’s more noteworthy to me is the fact that Season 3 MVP, Christa Miller continues to juggle the double duty of actor and Music Supervisor so flawlessly.  Throughout the season, she’s introduced viewers to artists like Ed Sheeran (who is seriously about to BLOW UP here in the US), Avalanche City, and one of my favorite bands of the past few years, the Temper Trap.  The icing on the cake though was the use of Katie Herzig’s, Lost And Found during the final scene of the finale.  Brilliant song.  Even more brilliant placement. 

Each of Cougar Town’s three season ending episodes has had a poignant beach scene that featured perfectly selected music which took the scene to new heights…both emotionally and creatively. In the show's first season,  Leona Naess’ Leave Your Boyfriends Behind, a cooky yet endearing tune, solidified the fact that Cougar Town was NOT about Courteney Cox chasin after young tail - but rather the absurdly strong and charmingly silly bond that each of the characters share with each other.

Season Two culminated in Hawaii where Ted Buckland from Scrubs appears and delivers a gut wrenching rendition of a-ha’s Take On Me - which was the perfect soundtrack for a turn of events that ultimately led those Penny Can playing Floridians to the beach once more - to stage an outdoor (and illegal) wedding this season.

Upon hearing Lost And Found - i went straight into seek and discover mode as Katie Herzig’s masterpiece nestled itself so comfortably into the episode with its “journey-like” motif…culminating in some tear soaked nuptials.  Just wonderful, wonderful stuff.  

"Leave Your Boyfriends Behind" by Leona Naess

The incomparable Christa Miller not only is the lovable Queen of Mean, Ellie Torres, on Cougar Town - but she also does double duty as the show's Music Supervisor.  She's responsible for introducing me to great artists like Gareth Dunlop, Crooked Fingers, Miike Snow and Ed Sheeran.  And she's used some lesser known songs that were already my favorites. Nuno Bettencourt, needtobreathe, OneRepublic, Rogue Wave and the National have all had their music showcased on the the best show on television that you're not watching.  

Christa used Leona Naess to perfectly capture the sentiment of the "friends first" mantra that the Cul-de-Sac Crew seemed to have adopted by the end of Season One.  It's a beautiful scene which TRULY mirrors what Cougar Town is really about...the adult friendships you cherish and carry with you as you mature and tread through life.