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A writer comes to learn you can go home again as he returns and tries to re-enter the lives of his friends, family and former love.

October Road: The Complete Second Season has Nick (Bryan Greenberg) still trying to write his sophomore novel. Meanwhile, he’s continuing to mend fences with his old pals about whom he wrote his first book. Owen (Brad William Henke) is still reeling from finding out his wife and best friend Ikey (Evan Jones) were having an affair. He goes to New York City to unwind. Eddie (Geoff Stults) and Nick follow him to try and bring the man back for the sake of his kids. In the city Eddie sees Nick’s other, more glamorous life as a best-selling author. We see Nick still trying to figure out his relationship with Hannah (Laura Prepon) and the news that he is not her son’s father.

Added to the drama are the facts that he dated a student, Aubrey, and his dad and brother aren’t sure if he’s staying or leaving Knights Ridge again. Just as Nick decides Hannah is the one he wants to be with, she decides to move on from her fantasies of the perfect relationship with Nick and returns to her ex-boyfriend, Ray (Warren Christie). Ray (also known as Big Cat) just happens to be an enemy of Nick and his friends. Things get awkward when Hannah and Ray quickly get engaged. Making things more complicated, Ray’s ex-wife makes it clear to Hannah that she’s less than thrilled about their engagement and goes out of her way to sabotage their relationship. Meanwhile, Owen tries to figure out the dating world, but it soon becomes clear he can’t move on from what happened to him and he may never forgive Ikey. Ikey goes from having a close bunch of friends to being an outcast and is forced to work for Big Cat, the only person who isn’t shunning him in town.

We also see that Eddie, who is still living in the past as a high school football hero, has begun a relationship with Hannah’s best friend Janet (Rebecca Field) who is also the local bartender. Janet feels insecure as she still sees herself as the fat girl and Eddie as the football hero. As their relationship develops, Janet gives into her insecurities as she tries to navigate the relationship while in the shadow of her popular best friend and her boyfriend’s beautiful ex who returns to town. Meanwhile, with Hannah off the market, Nick goes back to his former flame Aubrey (Odette Yustman) who comes with her own set of emotional baggage, including an absent father who rolls into town only to leave again.

Nick also learns, just as he’s embarking on a tour as an author with U2, that his father, the Commander (Tom Berenger), has bone cancer. His brother Ronnie (Jonathon Murphy) gives a heartfelt and innocent performance as he shares his fears that his dad’s illness will be just like losing their mom again. Later, Ronnie vents to Aubrey about his fears of losing his dad and his crush on her.

The show is so well-written with each character fully developed. We see the storyline of the Commander’s bone cancer from the point of view of Nick, his brother Ronnie, the Commander himself, and his girlfriend. The setting is wonderful, incorporating the scenic beauty as well as the intricate and homey sets. The homes were so perfectly decorated that I almost got distracted. They all feel like real houses as no detail is overlooked. The acting is top notch with standout performances from Murphy, Field, Henke, and Jones.

If you are a fan of October Road you will definitely want to check out this DVD set. It contains an amazing bonus feature, “The Road’s End: The Final Chapter,” where we learn the identity of Sam’s father as well as what happened to most of the cast (with the exception of Owen and his estranged wife for some unknown reason). It is a short feature, but it does answer many of the lingering questions the series ending left behind. The other bonus features, a serious of bloopers, and a behind the scenes tour are also worthwhile.

October Road: The Complete Second Season is a must have for fans and worth checking out if you enjoy well-written shows set in small towns. I would highly recommend this set and cannot believe the show was canceled. It is (sorry, was) one of the best shows to air in a long time.

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