The first episode explores the possibility of Dane playing the part of a smart-aleck guy who has money problems, clashes with his sister-in-law, and has no luck with his girlfriend. This episode is the weaker of the two since it just feels like Cook is doing a continuous version of his stand-up routine. He just never seems to turn off the coy "just kidding" act, no matter what emotion the scene calls for. It's great for stand-up, but it feels wrong for a sitcom-style show. At least it seems wrong for this type of sitcom. On a brighter note, the supporting cast play their roles perfectly. The best moments here are when the zany Cook clashes with the straight-and-narrow sister-in-law, Paula. For the most part, the rest of the episode seems to struggle to put Cook in a believable real-world backdrop, just because he's so over the top.
The second episode seems better suited to Cook's style. He's able to be a bit more versatile in this setting since he seems to live in a world that's just as crazy as he is. The comedy is shared between Cook and his two friends as well, so it's not so much of an island of Dane Cook all the time. There's only a time or two when it seems to slip back into what feels like a direct portrayal of Cook's comedy act, but for the most part, this episode feels like a show with its own personality. And the knife-fighting monkey is just icing on the cake.
You get deleted scenes and bloopers for special features. Sometimes I couldn't tell the difference between the two, but it is a good chunk of extra content. I was hoping for a bit of commentary from Cook and the cast to explain the show, but you don't get that. Even with the special features, this is a short show. If you're a diehard Cook fan, you might want to pick it up. If you're not such a big fan, give it a rental, but line up some more entertainment if you need to fill up an evening.
