Close Enough

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Close Enough
Genre
Created byJ. G. Quintel
Developed byJ. G. Quintel
Sean Szeles
Matt Price
Calvin Wong
Voices of
ComposersMark Mothersbaugh
John Enroth
Albert Fox
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes24 (46 segments)
Production
Executive producers
ProducerRyan Slater
Running time22–24 minutes (11–12 minutes per segment)
Production companyCartoon Network Studios
Original release
NetworkHBO Max
ReleaseJuly 9, 2020 (2020-07-09) –
April 7, 2022 (2022-04-07)

Close Enough is an American adult animated sitcom created by J. G. Quintel. Originally intended to air on TBS in 2017, the project faced various delays and setbacks before eventually premiering on HBO Max on July 9, 2020. The series has received positive reviews, with critics comparing it favorably to Quintel's previous series, Regular Show, which aired on Cartoon Network from 2010 to 2017.[1][2][3][4]

In July 2022, HBO Max cancelled the series after three seasons,[5] and a month later, the show was removed from the service.[6] The show was available on Netflix in international countries until May 2023. After that point, it was removed from Netflix.[7]

Premise[edit]

A couple in their early 30s, Josh and Emily, and their young daughter, Candice, live in a Los Angeles duplex with their divorced friends, Alexander and Bridgette. They get into what seem like normal domestic crises, which tend to escalate in surreal (often even in science fiction and fantasy-esque) ways.

Cast and characters[edit]

Main[edit]

  • Joshua "Josh" Singleton (voiced by J.G. Quintel) – an aspiring video game developer who works for Plugger-Inners; a television installation company based on Geek Squad. His appearance and mannerisms are based on those of Quintel. Quintel also voices himself.
  • Emily Ramirez (voiced by Gabrielle Walsh) – Josh's wife, who works as an assistant for a food corporation called FoodCorp. Emily and Bridgette play guitar and sing at local cafes hoping to become famous. She is based on Quintel's own wife, Cassia. Walsh also voices herself.
  • Candice Singleton-Ramirez (voiced by Jessica DiCicco) – Josh and Emily's six-year-old (as of "Birthdaze") daughter, who can be very hyperactive and struggles with school work. She attends Chamomile Elementary School, after being transferred out of an unnamed elementary school where the children ran wild and killed a bus driver after tipping over his bus. DiCicco also voices herself.
  • Alex Dorpenberger (voiced by Jason Mantzoukas) – Josh's best friend and Bridgette's ex-husband, who works as a community college professor and a struggling Viking-themed fantasy author. He is a conspiracy theorist. Following the series finale "Match Made in Valhalla", Alex and Bridgette got back together. Mantzoukas also voices himself.
  • Bridgette Hashima (voiced by Kimiko Glenn) – Emily's best friend and Alex's ex-wife. She is a Japanese-American social media influencer, and a part-time comedy singer-songwriter in a band with Emily. Her middle name was revealed as "No Stress" in an episode from the first season, which also revealed that it was the result of a legal name change that she authorized while she was under the influence of drugs. Glenn also voices herself.
  • Pearle Watson (voiced by Danielle Brooks) – A retired African-American LAPD police officer, and the landlady of the duplex.
  • Randall "Randy" Watson (voiced by James Adomian) – Pearle's adopted white son, and the duplex's property manager. He was adopted by Pearle after his biological parents, Wyatt and Deborah Trickle, were arrested for siphoning gas from multiple cars. Randy is revealed to be gay in season 3.

Supporting[edit]

  • Mr. Timothy Campbell (voiced by John Early) – Candice's hippie teacher at Chamomile Elementary.
  • Mr. Salt (voiced by Fred Stoller) – Emily's boss at FoodCorp.
  • Dr. Glandz (voiced by Cheri Oteri) – A physician who works at a hospital called Pretty Good Samaritan.
  • Dante (voiced by Eugene Cordero) – One of Josh's coworkers at Plugger-Inners who has a prosthetic lower arm.
  • Jojo (voiced by Mo Collins) – A biker woman who is the leader of the Cool Moms, and the mother of Candice's classmate, Mia.
  • Trish (voiced by Kate Higgins) – A former member of the Cool Moms and the mother of Candice's best friend and classmate, Maddie.
  • Ms. Hashima (voiced by Suzy Nakamura) – Bridgette's mother.

Additional voices[edit]

Guest stars[edit]

Episodes[edit]

SeasonSegmentsEpisodesOriginally released
1158July 9, 2020 (2020-07-09)
2168February 25, 2021 (2021-02-25)
3158April 7, 2022 (2022-04-07)

Season 1 (2020)[edit]

The first season was originally set to run for 10 episodes, but only 8 episodes were released when the series launched.[8][9]

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byStoryboard directorsOriginal release date [10][11]TBS air date
11"Quilty Pleasures"Sean Szeles
Randy Meyers (animation)
Minty Lewis, Ryan Pequin, and Madeline Queripel
Storyboarded by : Mike Bertino, Kris Wimberly, and J. G. Quintel
Aminder Dhaliwal, Ryan Pequin, Madeline Queripel, and Andres SalaffJuly 9, 2020 (2020-07-09)October 25, 2021
"The Perfect House"Sean Szeles and Calvin Wong
Randy Meyers (animation)
Minty Lewis
Storyboarded by : Miggs Perez, Kris Wimberly, and Raul Guerra
Aminder Dhaliwal and Andres Salaff

"Quilty Pleasures": While picking up Candice from school, Josh and Emily learn from her teacher, Mr. Campbell, that she must turn in a family tree quilt project. Forcing Alex and Bridgette to babysit Candice, they travel to the fashion district to collect the materials they need for the quilt, only to end up stuck as the district closes. Josh's wallet is stolen, and he and Emily track the thief to an abandoned factory, where they meet a group of street urchins. Employing their help, Josh and Emily successfully create the quilt and spend the night at the factory. In the morning, Josh and Emily realize that the street urchins are actually dwarfish adults who try to force them to stay and act as their parents, although they escape. Arriving at the school, they discover that Candice has already made her own family quilt, and Mr. Campbell passes her.

"The Perfect House": Emily develops a hobby of visiting open houses, bringing her family along with her. After becoming overwhelmed by the mess in the duplex building, she visits another open house by herself, meeting Dave, a stressed-out father, and Mona Arizona, a pre-teen pop star, who are also visiting. They pretend to be a family in order to remain at the open house longer; although Emily soon realizes that they have become trapped in an 80s-style sitcom within the open house. Meanwhile, Josh orders a family bike, and goes looking for Emily when he realizes she has been missing for days. Arriving at the open house, Josh is also trapped in the sitcom, which he and Emily realize can only be escaped by doing something that can't happen on sitcoms. Emily confesses that she likes being able to escape the chaos at home, and peacefully disowns her sitcom family, allowing her and Josh to leave, although Dave and Mona choose to stay. Josh gives Emily a set of tin containers from the open houses to help her, and together with Candice, Alex and Bridgette they ride on the family bike.
22"Logan's Run'd"J. G. Quintel and Calvin Wong
Brian Hogan (animation)
Chris KulaDavid Davis and Siti LuJuly 9, 2020 (2020-07-09)November 1, 2021
"Room Parents"Aaron BurdetteJanice Chun and Cal Ramsey

"Logan's Run'd": Candice leaves on her first-ever sleepover, allowing Josh and Emily the night for themselves, which they quickly use to perform errands. Bridgette points out that they are acting "old", driving them and Alex to accompany her to the popular night club Logan's. Arriving at the club, Josh, Emily and Alex begin to party but quickly find themselves exhausted, while Bridgette tries to get acquainted with a popular YouTube influencer but is horrified to learn that he is actually a baby. Realizing that anyone in the club over thirty is deemed a VIP (Very Irrelevant Person) and killed via giant fan, Josh, Emily and Alex try to escape. When Josh is nearly discovered, Alex decides to sacrifice himself as a distraction; however, Josh, Emily and Bridgette convince him that there are benefits to growing old and rescue him from the fan. Learning that the barkeeper based his club off of Logan's Run, Alex unveils him as being an old man himself, leaving him at the mercy of the club-goers. Afterwards, the friends go out to eat pancakes, although Alex is still unnerved by having seen a man die.

"Room Parents": At a parent-teacher conference, Mr. Campbell asks for volunteers for class "room parent", to which Josh inadvertently volunteers. Tasked with organizing a fundraiser for constructing a new playground, Josh befriends a single mother named Nikki (voiced by Judy Greer), who offers to assist him. Emily realizes that Nikki is trying to woo Josh, and teams up with Pearle in order to investigate. Emily confronts Josh over her findings, and he insists to have no interest in Nikki, but comes to recognize the advances she is making. Josh visits Nikki with Emily to break off their partnership for the fundraiser, only to realize that her son is a dummy and end up held at gunpoint. Tying the couple up, Nikki reveals herself as a con-artist who poses as a single mother in order to help overworked room parents and steal fundraiser money out from under them, and leaves to take the playground funds. Escaping, Josh and Emily head to the playground fundraiser to stop Nikki, and Josh manages to recover the funds while Nikki seemingly dies by crashing into a novelty fireworks factory. Returning to the fundraiser, Josh is elected room parent for life by Mr. Campbell, much to his dismay.

Songs: "Turn Down for What" by DJ Snake and Lil Jon; "Crazy on You" by Heart
33"Skate Dad"Calvin Wong
Randy Meyers (animation)
Minty Lewis and J. G. Quintel
Storyboarded by : Mike Bertino, Raul Guerra, J. G. Quintel, and Fabien Tong
Owen Dennis, Ryan Pequin, Andres Salaff, and Sam SpinaJuly 9, 2020 (2020-07-09)November 8, 2021
"100% No Stress Day"Sean Szeles
Randy Meyers (animation)
Bill Oakley and Marlena Rodriguez
Storyboarded by : Mike Bertino, Ben Adams, Raul Guerra, Miggs Perez, and Kris Wimberly
Chris Allison, Benton Connor, Aminder Dhaliwal, Madeline Queripel, Ryan Pequin, Andres Salaff, and Sam Spina

"Skate Dad": Wanting to bond with Candice, Josh takes her and Emily to a skateboard shop, determined to teach her how to skate unlike his own neglectful father. At the store, the family meets a professional skater called "The Goosh", whom Candice begins to look up to, much to Josh's envy. Buying Candice a skateboard, Josh takes her to a skate park and tries to perform an ollie to prove his skating ability, only to end up with a severe pelvic fracture. Due to Josh's injury, Emily hires Goosh to give Candice skating lessons in Josh's place. In a fit of jealousy, Josh challenges Goosh to a race down Baxter Street, the steepest road in the city. Before Emily can try to talk Josh out of it, Candice rolls down the street on her skateboard, forcing the couple and Goosh to try and rescue her. Realizing that he is becoming like his own father, Josh apologizes to Goosh and works with Emily to rescue Candice. Afterwards, Goosh declares that Josh is not a skate dad, but rather a skate father.

"100% No Stress Day": Emily is diagnosed with stress, while Josh and the roommates beta-test his new game, Ladder World. Realizing Emily's diagnosis, Josh offers to take care of her to-do list while Bridgette takes her to de-stress. Josh, Alex and Candice complete the tasks, but are unable to buy ham due to a ham shortage, caused by a company called "Wurst Bros" who have been stealing hams across the city; and are additionally accosted by circus clowns pursuing Alex over money he owes them from a bet. Escaping the clowns, Josh and Alex arrive at Wurst Bros to steal a ham, but are captured and put into a meat grinder. Recovering a ham and Candice from the company daycare, they attempt to escap, while being pursued by both the ham-thieves and the clowns, causing Josh to bet their lives on a game of Ladder World. Meanwhile, Emily smokes marijuanna with Bridgette to relax, but ends up getting stressed out again and rushes to find a calming activity. Returning home, she finds Josh, Alex, the ham-thieves and the clowns, and joins their game of Ladder World, winning the game and forcing the criminals and the clowns to leave. Emily realizes that video games are her de-stressing activity, while Bridgette hooks up with one of the clowns.

Song: "Stay Fly" by Three 6 Mafia
44"Prank War"Sean Szeles
Randy Meyers (animation)
Minty Lewis, Ryan Pequin, Matt Price, and Madeline Queripel
Storyboarded by : Ben Adams, Raul Guerra, and Fabien Tong
Owen Dennis, Ryan Pequin, and Sam SpinaJuly 9, 2020 (2020-07-09)November 15, 2021
"Cool Moms"Alison Agosti and Matt Price
Storyboarded by : Miggs Perez and Kris Wimberly

"Prank War": Wanting to relive his youth, Josh sets up a prank war with the roommates who are none too impressed. He ends up befriending a "bush guy" to scare Emily and Bridgette, but thinking that he is assaulting them, they beat him into a coma. The two are arrested and Josh must wake Bush Guy or else Emily and Bridgette get charged for manslaughter. Meanwhile, Alex gives Candice candy.

"Cool Moms": Mr. Campbell sets Emily up with the cool moms clique and she befriends their leader Jojo (voiced by Mo Collins). However, Jojo's style of teaching affects Emily and messes up her relationship with Candice. Meanwhile, Josh and Alex take Randy to a getaway to "rescue" his mom, Pearle.

Song: "Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen
55"Robot Tutor"Sean Szeles
Randy Meyers and John McIntyre (animation)
Matt Price
Storyboarded by : Mike Bertino, Mark Maxey, Miggs Perez, Kris Wimberly, Aminder Dhaliwal, Ben Adams, Raul Guerra, Tara Helfer, and Andres Salaff
Chris Allison, Ryan Pequin, Madeline Queripel, and Sam SpinaJuly 9, 2020 (2020-07-09)November 22, 2021
"Golden Gamer"Calvin Wong
Randy Meyers and Kevin Petrilak (animation)
Storyboarded by : Owen Dennis, Mark Maxey, Tara Helfer, Miggs Perez, Kris Wimberly, Aminder Dhaliwal, and Andres SalaffMike Bertino and Sam Spina

"Robot Tutor": Josh and Emily plan to spend their Spring Break by going to the beach, but must stay when Candice is revealed to have trouble learning and are equipped with a robot they cannot leave unattended. Meanwhile, Alex and Bridgette go in their stead for "divorce sex", but end up with different plans.

"Golden Gamer": After Josh meets a fellow game designer who has become a huge success, Josh tries to revive his unfinished game Dude Man, resulting in him reverting to an immature twenty-something. Meanwhile, Alex tries to earn the respect of his students by performing a dangerous stunt.
66"So Long Boys"Calvin Wong
Randy Meyers (animation)
Matt Price and Deepak Sethi
Storyboarded by : Ben Adams, Raul Guerra, Miggs Perez, and Kris Wimberly
Chris Allison, Aminder Dhaliwal, Ryan Pequin, and Andres SalaffJuly 9, 2020 (2020-07-09)November 29, 2021
"Clap Like This"Deepak Sethi
Storyboarded by : Ben Adams, Raul Guerra, Tara Helfer, and Mark Maxey
Chris Allison, Mike Bertino, Owen Dennis, Ryan Pequin, and Sam Spina

"So Long Boys": After having a pregnancy scare, Josh agrees to have a vasectomy and brings Alex to the procedure. They discover that the facility is corrupt and Josh begins to have doubts just as Emily does so as well. At the facility, they meet two teens whom Alex is convinced are his offspring.

"Clap Like This": Josh manages to sell his game Clap Like This as he, Emily, and Candice will now be rich. When the deal falls through, Josh is forced to pick up extra shifts at his old job in secret. Meanwhile, Bridgette is financially cut off at 26 and gets a job at a clothing store where the mannequins come to life.
77"First Date"Calvin Wong
Randy Meyers (animation)
Marlena Rodriguez and Kristy Grant
Storyboarded by : Mark Maxey and Tara Helfer
Mike Bertino, Andres Salaff, and Sam SpinaJuly 9, 2020 (2020-07-09)December 6, 2021
"Snailin' It"Sean Szeles
Randy Meyers and Kevin Petrilak (animation)
Minty Lewis
Storyboarded by : Miggs Perez and Kris Wimberly
Aminder Dhaliwal and Andres Salaff

"First Date": Bridgette goes on a date with a man who is conjoined to his ex and brings Alex along as her wingman, leading to some personal issues. Meanwhile, feeling that they have lost their "spice", Josh and Emily decide to recreate their first date at a haunted attraction that is all too real.

"Snailin' It": Emily does not have enough time to spend with Candice due to her job. A seemingly friendly snail allows her to use his magical time hat to get things done. Unfortunately, this causes her to rapidly age with every use and the snail tries to kidnap Candice. Elsewhere, Josh spends the day with Randy.

Song: "Too Much Time on My Hands" by Styx
88"The Canine Guy"Calvin Wong
Randy Meyers (animation)
Andres Salaff and Deepak Sethi
Storyboarded by : Mike Bertino, Mark Maxey, and Miggs Perez
Aminder Dhaliwal, Andres Salaff, and Sam SpinaJuly 9, 2020 (2020-07-09)December 13, 2021

In this half-hour special, after Alex bails on their annual Medieval Times Dinner/Jim Carrey celebration, Josh ends up meeting a genetically modified dog-human hybrid named Tery and spends time with him, much to Alex's jeleaously. Meanwhile, Bridgette gets Emily away from home so that they can write more comedic song material, but Emily is constantly distracted by things Candice is doing back home, and Pearle becomes suspicious of a cold case involving Meredith Breedmore, Tery's creator, and recruits Candice and Randy to resolve the case.

Song: "Don't You (Forget About Me)" by Simple Minds

Season 2 (2021)[edit]

Every episode in this season was directed by J. G. Quintel and Calvin Wong.

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleWritten byStoryboard byOriginal release date [10][11]TBS air date
91"Josh Gets Shredded"Gabe DelahayeJen Lee and J. G. QuintelFebruary 25, 2021 (2021-02-25)January 24, 2022
"Meet The Frackers"Aaron BurdetteJanice Chun and Cal Ramsey

"Josh Gets Shredded": After breaking his back trying to lift Candice, Josh is told that he must exercise his core. He goes to a special gym that works its visitors until they are absolutely ripped. Soon, Josh becomes more obsessed with keeping his muscles than he does with wanting to play with Candice and tries to reach his peak.

"Meet the Frackers": Randy learns through a DNA test and Pearle that his biological parents, Debra (Wendie Malick) and Wyatt (David Koechner), are fuel thieves who did time in prison and now are on the straight and narrow with their own fracking business. But when Debra and Wyatt plot to frack the apartment for natural gas, Randy must choose between being like his criminal parents and saving his adopted family. Meanwhile, Josh buys Candice a leaf blower as a toy.
102"Sauceface"Chris KulaRaul Guerra and Jessica XuFebruary 25, 2021 (2021-02-25)January 31, 2022
"Houseguest From Hell"Melissa HunterDavid Davis and Siti Lu

"Sauceface": In this parody of Mafia crime films like the 1983 version of Scarface and the 1990 film Goodfellas, Candice and her friend Maddie start an illegal hot sauce ring (after Mr. Campbell bans hot sauce from the school cafeteria) to raise money for remote-controlled drones.

"Houseguest from Hell": Emily is reunited with her obnoxious college friend Becca (voiced by Heidi Gardner), who ends up crashing at their apartment after breaking up with her latest boyfriend, Luc (voiced by Beck Bennett). Things get worse when Becca reveals that she's pregnant, is planning a home birth, and that the father of the unborn child is literally The Devil.

Song: "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" by The Rolling Stones
113"Joint Break"Gabe DelahayeRaul Guerra and Jessica XuFebruary 25, 2021 (2021-02-25)February 7, 2022
"Cyber Matrix"David Davis and Siti Lu

"Joint Break": In this parody of the 1991 action crime film, Point Break, Pearle reluctantly takes water aerobics (after discovering her hip replacement surgery is not covered by her insurance) where she meets a group of elderly women who live life to the fullest by robbing banks.

"Cyber Matrix": Alex is finally convinced to get a new phone called Fractal which has the Siri-esque A.I. Kira. Alex becomes addicted to his new phone until he is in a suspended cocoon. The rest of the gang must rescue Alex from having his consciousness downloaded with Josh entering the cyber matrix while the rest take Kira's power.

Song: "All Star" by Smash Mouth (Close Enough Mix)
124"Haunted Couch"Alison AgostiJohnny Koester and Jen LeeFebruary 25, 2021 (2021-02-25)February 14, 2022
"Man Up"Chris Kula

"Haunted Couch": In this parody of the 1990 paranormal romance film Ghost, after getting ghosted by her recent boyfriend, Bridgette comes home to a new couch that Josh and Alex found and cries on it. She meets the ghost of a French aristocrat named Henri and starts a relationship with him. However, Bridgette begins to see that might be the problem.

"Man Up": In this parody of the 1988 action movie Die Hard, after bailing on Emily and Candice during an alien invasion at Hollywood bank (which turned out to be a publicity stunt), Pearle teaches Josh the art of "manning up" and the skills get put to the test when a group of European terrorists hold everyone hostage at Emily's boss' holiday party.

Song: "Unchained Melody" by The Righteous Brothers
135"Handy"Marlena RodriguezRaul Guerra and Jessica XuFebruary 25, 2021 (2021-02-25)February 21, 2022
"Birthdaze"John Aboud, Aaron Burdette and Michael ColtonJen Lee

"Handy": Upset that Pearle would rather hire another handyman than her own adopted son, Randy goes out to sea and ends up shipwrecked on a desert island, where Bob Vila, Tim "The Toolman" Taylor from the 1990s sitcom Home Improvement, and the IKEA Man help Randy become a competent handyman.

"Birthdaze": Sick of the forced, cheesy fun of children's birthday parties, Emily and Josh decide to have another party in the garage just for the adults while having a birthday party for Candice, but a birthday party magician takes the children to another dimension to teach Emily and Josh a lesson in being there for their daughter.
146"Time Hooch"Chris Kula and Craig RowinRaul Guerra and Jessica XuFebruary 25, 2021 (2021-02-25)February 28, 2022
"World's Greatest Teacher"Chris KulaJanice Chun and Cal Ramsey

"Time Hooch": After Bridgette finds out that Alex never signed the divorce papers, he and Josh get drunk on some homemade moonshine the two made in college that gives them the power to time travel. Alex keeps going back to try and salvage his relationship with Bridgette, but ultimately decides to try and prevent himself from meeting her.

"World's Greatest Teacher": Mr. Campbell is upstaged by a more competent female teacher named River Lake who can sing and is better at interacting with the kids. Campbell's "World's Greatest Teacher" mug urges him to sabotage River, but she catches on and decides to toy with him leading to a sing-off.

Songs: "Greatest Love of All" by Whitney Houston; "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" by George Michael and Aretha Franklin
157"Where'd You Go, Bridgette?"Marlena RodriguezJanice Chun and Cal RamseyFebruary 25, 2021 (2021-02-25)March 7, 2022
"The Erotic Awakening of A. P. LaPearle"Chris KulaMarcy Bones and David Davis

"Where'd You Go, Bridgette?": Pearle opts for Bridgette to go on a no phone cleanse and she begins to go cold turkey. Due to not posting anything, Josh, Emily, Candice and Alex believe that she has been kidnapped and team up with a pair of podcasters who cover kidnappings. However, the podcasters believe that they killed and ate Bridgette.

"The Erotic Awakening of A.P. LaPearle": Alex's latest Viking erotica novel disgusts and offends everyone, except for Pearle. When Alex's work gets rejected, Pearle suggests that she be the author while Alex be the ghostwriter.
168"Men Rock!"Stephanie Amante-RitterMarcy Bones and David DavisFebruary 25, 2021 (2021-02-25)March 14, 2022
"Secret Horse"Alison AgostiJanice Chun and Cal Ramsey

"Men Rock!": Emily and Bridgette's new song "Men Rock" -- meant to be an ironic anthem about modern sexism and misogyny -- becomes a hit with an Eastern European dictator who sees the song as a celebration of sexual discrimination and oppression towards women.

"Secret Horse": On a day affected by California's Santa Ana winds, a fat, wall-eyed horse (named "Pickles" by Candice) escapes a farm and ends up at the duplex. He interacts with Candice, Josh, Bridgette, Alex, Randy, Pearle and Emily and gives each of them a moment of clarity.

Season 3 (2022)[edit]

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleWritten byStoryboard byOriginal release date [10][11]
171"Where the Buffalo Roam"Eileen Alvarez and Aaron BurdetteSiti Lu and Hye Lynn ParkApril 7, 2022 (2022-04-07)
"Venice Vengeance"Eileen AlvarezSammy Savos and Tynan Wilson

"Where The Buffalo Roam": After years of saving their pocket change, Emily and Josh finally have enough to go on the honeymoon they never had... and end up going to a resort overrun by bison.

"Venice Vengeance": Pearle helps Candice win a sandcastle-building contest. Meanwhile, Josh and Alex try to get their burgers back from a seagull.
182"Hellspital"Aaron BurdetteDavid Davis and Bea RitterApril 7, 2022 (2022-04-07)
"Candice Candice Revolution"Sean O'ConnorSammy Savos and Tynan Wilson

"Hellspital": Alex is suffering from stomach cramps but refuses to go to the hospital because of his father's death instilling him with a fear of hospitals.

"Candice Candice Revolution": After Josh serves pancakes for dinner (after the planned dinner of hot dogs gets eaten by Alex after he got high and stuffed himself in the refrigerator), Candice gets it in her head that following rules are meaningless and leads the students of Chamomile Preschool into a Lord of the Flies-style anarchy.

Song: "Judy is a Punk" by Ramones
193"Randy Free Solos"Aaron BurdetteSiti Lu and Jessica XuApril 7, 2022 (2022-04-07)
"Summer Job"Alison AgostiSammy Savos and Tynan Wilson

"Randy Free Solos": Randy falls for a climbing instructor and lies to him by saying he can free solo.

"Summer Job": Alex gets a job at Plugger-Inners (the Geek Squad-esque store that Josh works at), and Josh must keep his boss from discovering that Alex is inept at technology.
204"Bridgette the Brain"Sierra KatowSiti Lu and Hye Lynn ParkApril 7, 2022 (2022-04-07)
"Never Meet Your Heroes"Aaron BurdetteDan Davis and Bea Ritter

"Bridgette the Brain": Bridgette's sister Olivia has always been treated as the favorite by her mother, but when Olivia announces that she's unveiling a new pill that helps with cognitive function, Bridgette takes one of the pills and becomes smarter than her sister.

"Never Meet Your Heroes": Alex decides to ask his favorite author (guest voiced by Brian Blessed) to help him with his manuscript, only to learn that he has a bizarre secret behind his genius.
215"Robots with Benefits"Jordan YoungRaul Cuerra and Jessica XuApril 7, 2022 (2022-04-07)
"The Weird Kid"Alison AgostiJohnny Koester and Jen Lee

"Robots with Benefits": Josh and his co-workers, Dante and Anders, feel like their jobs are on the line when their boss unveils a new robot named Obo that can do their jobs at twice the speed, and resolve to try and get rid of it.

"The Weird Kid": When Emily notices that Candice is starting to ignore her, she wishes she could reconnect with her daughter and, thanks to a magic Viking pendant owned by Alex, wakes up in the body of a 5-year-old. Meanwhile, the same pendant curses Alex into being obsessed with listening to "Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)" by The Offspring.

Song: "Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)" by The Offspring
226"Legend of the Pier"Sierra KatowDavid Davis and Bea RitterApril 7, 2022 (2022-04-07)
"Bike & Survive"Alison Agosti, Eileen Alvarez, and Aaron BurdetteJanice Chun, Siti Lu, and William Wibisono

"Legend of the Pier": Bridgette attempts to regain her social media relevance by redoing a stunt she did on a Ferris wheel years ago.

"Bike & Survive": Alex grows attached to his new exercise bike because of the instructor on the screen, but is unaware that the instructor has a dark motive.
237"Halloween Enough"Aaron Burdette, Sean O'Connor, and Opeyemi OlagbajuDavid Davis, Siti Lu, Bea Ritter, and Jessica XuApril 7, 2022 (2022-04-07)

In this, the show's first Halloween special and the second full half-hour episode, after trick-or-treating gets canceled due to rain, Emily, Josh, Bridgette, Alex, Pearle, and Randy decide to stay home and tell three tales of horror. In the end, Candice has a nightmare where she discovers she is an animated character.

Song: "Margaritaville" by Jimmy Buffett
248"The Perfect Couple"Alison AgostiJanice Chun and William WibisonoApril 7, 2022 (2022-04-07)
"Match Made in Valhalla"Sierra KatowSiti Lu and Bea Ritter

"The Perfect Couple": Sick of being invited to kiddie venues, Alex and Bridgette decide to stop hanging out with Josh and Emily. While Josh and Emily befriend a seemingly normal couple with a daughter that turns out to be a dog, Alex and Bridgette find themselves caring for a party animal named Cokey Brian.

"Match Made in Valhalla": Bridgette uses her knack for matchmaking to set up her string of failed boyfriends with more compatible partners, but when she pairs Alex with a woman who loves everything Alex loves, Bridgette must choose whether to tell Alex that she still has feelings for him or let him go. She confesses that she still has feeling for Alex, who tells Bridgette he feels the same.

Song: "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" by The Darkness

Release[edit]

The series was announced in May 2017, four months after Quintel's previous series, Regular Show, concluded its run on the sibling Cartoon Network. The series was originally announced to air on TBS,[12] but was delayed several times. It would later be revealed that TBS had planned to premiere the show as part of its own animation block, but those plans fell through when production on lead-in program The Cops was shut down after its co-creator Louis C.K. admitted to several instances of sexual misconduct.[13] On October 29, 2019, it was announced that the series would instead move to HBO Max.[14] The second half of the third episode was premiered at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival on June 15, 2020.[15]

On August 6, 2020, the series was renewed for a second season.[16] The following month, the series was distributed internationally through Netflix as a Netflix Original, beginning September 14, 2020 in Latin America.[17][18]

The second season premiered on February 25, 2021 on HBO Max.[19] Prior to the season premiere, a third season was announced on February 10, 2021.[20] The second season was released internationally on Netflix on May 26, 2021.[21] The series altogether was removed from Netflix globally in May 2023.[22]

On October 24, 2021, the first two seasons became available to buy digitally on iTunes.[23][24] The third season was released digitally on May 8, 2022.[25]

With the announcement of TBS and TNT's Front Row blocks, the series debuted on the former network on October 25, 2021.[26][11]

The third season premiered on April 7, 2022 on HBO Max.[27] On July 15, 2022, HBO Max cancelled the series after three seasons.[5]

On August 17, 2022, the service announced the removal of several shows, including Close Enough.[6] The show was removed from digital purchase in October 2023.[28]

Reception[edit]

Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 100% based on 19 reviews, with an average rating of 8/10, for the first season. The website's critical consensus reads, "Completely absurd and yet, utterly relatable, Close Enough captures the strange experience that is being an adult."[29] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 74 out of 100 based on 6 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[30]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "HBO Max Unveils Exciting Second Wave Slate of Max Originals to Debut Throughout the Summer Beginning June 18th". Pressroom. May 13, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  2. ^ Trumbore, Dave (July 9, 2020). "'Close Enough' Review: J.G. Quintel's Comedy Gets Parental in HBO Max Animated Series". Collider. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  3. ^ "'Close Enough' Will Make You Feel Good About Getting Old". Decider. July 9, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  4. ^ "'Black Mirror' has a cartoon counterpart in the artful 'Close Enough'". Los Angeles Times. July 9, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  5. ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (July 15, 2022). "'Close Enough' Canceled By HBO Max After 3 Seasons". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
  6. ^ a b White, Peter (August 17, 2022). "'Ellen's Next Great Designer', 'The Not-Too-Late Show With Elmo' & 'My Mom, Your Dad' Among Unscripted & Animated Titles Pulled From HBO Max". Deadline. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
  7. ^ Moore, Kasey (April 26, 2023). "'Close Enough' Seasons 1-2 Leaving Netflix Internationally in May 2023". What's on Netflix. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  8. ^ Close Enough on HBO Max [@CloseEnoughMax] (June 18, 2020). "Prepare to clear your schedule for approx. 221 minutes" (Tweet). Retrieved July 21, 2020 – via Twitter.
  9. ^ "Shows A-Z - close enough on hbo max". Thefutoncritic.com. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  10. ^ a b c "Close Enough Episode Listings". The Futon Critic.
  11. ^ a b c d "Close Enough Timeslots". Zap2it. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  12. ^ Jennifer Wolfe (May 17, 2017). "TBS Greenlights 'Close Enough,' New Animated Series from J.G. Quintel". Animation World Network. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  13. ^ Rogers, Olan [@finalspace] (October 30, 2019). "Lol what No. No. No. The entire block failed. Cops was shut down because of Louis CK. Tarantula was burned out and canceled. Close Enough had their own production struggles unrelated to Final Space. Bad Luck is what happened. -Olan" (Tweet). Retrieved November 25, 2019 – via Twitter.
  14. ^ HBO Max [@hbomax] (October 29, 2019). "No more searching. The most beloved TV, movies, and family favorites, plus new originals, all on #HBOMax [VIDEO](@0:53)" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  15. ^ "TV Films in Competition Close Enough "100% No Stress Day"". Annecy. June 15, 2020. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  16. ^ Taylor, Drew (August 6, 2020). "'Close Enough' Renewed for Season 2 on HBO Max". Collider. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
  17. ^ "Close Enough, la nueva serie del creador de Un Show Más, llegará a Netflix en Latinoamérica". TVLaint. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
  18. ^ Evershed, John (2020). Adult Animation Finally Breaking Free of its Comedy Shackles (PDF) (Report). High Concentrate, LLC in Squarespace. p. 27. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 3, 2020. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  19. ^ "HBO Max Highlights - February 2021". WarnerMedia (Press release). January 27, 2021. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  20. ^ "HBO Max Orders Three Adult Animated Series, CLONE HIGH, VELMA and FIRED ON MARS, Picks Up Two More Seasons of CLOSE ENOUGH". WarnerMedia (Press release). February 10, 2021. Archived from the original on February 10, 2021. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  21. ^ "'Close Enough' Season 2 Coming to Netflix Internationally in May 2021". Whats-on-netflix.com. May 5, 2021.
  22. ^ Moore, Kasey (April 26, 2023). "'Close Enough' Seasons 1-2 Leaving Netflix Internationally in May 2023". What's on Netflix. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  23. ^ "Close Enough, Season 1". Itunes.apple.com. July 9, 2020. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  24. ^ "Close Enough, Season 2". Itunes.apple.com. July 9, 2020. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  25. ^ "Close Enough, Season 3". Itunes.apple.com. July 9, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  26. ^ "TBS and TNT Launch Front Rowa Limited Commercial Interruption Programming Destination". WarnerMedia Pressroom. May 19, 2021. Archived from the original on May 19, 2021. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  27. ^ "This April Stream "The Flight Attendant," "A Black Lady Sketch Show," "Barry," "The Survivor," "We Own This City," "Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off," and More on HBO Max" (Press release). WarnerMedia. March 21, 2022. Retrieved March 21, 2022 – via The Futon Critic.
  28. ^ "Cartoon Network: Several Hit Shows Are Disappearing From Streaming". Anime. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  29. ^ "Close Enough: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
  30. ^ "Close Enough: Season 1". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved April 28, 2022.

External links[edit]