Review roundup: 5x04, "Cooperative Polygraphy"
Good morning, fellow suspected murderers of Pierce Hawthorne! "Cooperative Polygraphy" was a widely admired episode, but you don't need to hook me up to a polygraph to see I'm telling the truth about that; just check out these review excerpts!
Gabrielle Moss, TV Fanatic:
Hawthorne's cranky, volatile rages were regularly the weakest element of Community; and Hawthorne himself was often the weakest link, much funnier on paper than he was in action. Which is what made [this episode] the perfect tribute to Pierce - from weirdo religious cult to gross-out semen jokes, the episode played with Pierce as a concept, and served as a reminder to me of just how damned funny that concept was. (4.5/5)
Alan Sepinwall, HitFix:
In the way the best "Community" episodes do, it all builds up to a lot of genuine emotion, as the study group unburdens itself of its remaining secrets, followed by Pierce - having successfully brought them all down to his level - being magnanimous and wise and kind in the way he was capable of being (but also petty and racist at times), leaving them all advice and gifts, each of them reflecting his specific relationship with that person.
Tim Surette, tv.com:
"Cooperative Polygraphy" was one heck of a great episode of Community, and the best of the revitalized Season 5. End of story. Well, not the end of this story, but at least the and of any lingering doubt that Community is back to form.
Matt Carter, cartermatt.com:
This actually was more emotional than funny most of the time, but there is not necessarily anything wrong with that. Sometimes, "Community" can be strong just based on its characters, and producing moments that feel real and genuine. (B+)
Eric Goldman, IGN:
Goggins had the perfect dry delivery as he coldly asked Pierce's questions, which was even funnier given these were clearly Pierce's words. While it's too bad we couldn't actually say a final goodbye to Pierce onscreen, this was certainly a good way to make the best out of a tricky situation. (9.0/10)
Todd VanDerWerff, A.V. Club:
"Cooperative Polygraphy" is easily the best episode of the show since the third season and maybe even since that magical stretch around the midpoint of season two. It's an episode that contains ample amounts of both the laughs and the deeply felt emotional core that make this show work so well at its best. (A)
Britt Hayes, ScreenCrush:
This week's episode is truly our first great episode of the season. The script just pops and never once loses momentum, from the moment Troy and Abed open with "Troy and Abed are in mourning!" as the group convene following Pierce's funeral - which is suitably outlandish, with Pierce's life force contained in some sort of tube.
Joe Matar, Den of Geek:
Namely, it demonstrated that this cast is so awesome and that these characters are so strongly defined that, with the right writing bolstering them, it's still an utter delight just to watch these people do nothing but play off of one another for twenty minutes. Furthermore, these characters are so solid that one of them can be conjured into the room without actually being there. (5/5)
Brian Collins, Badass Digest:
That this poignant moment comes at the tail end of what is, for my money, the funniest episode of the year thus far (and, goes without saying, funnier than last year too, making it, get the blurb police ready: "the funniest episode in years!") is just icing on the cake.
Jared Russo, GeekBinge:
I did like "Cooperative Polygraphy", but I feel this episode may be a little overrated when we all examine the season in the near future. It was a pretty good all-around episode, not so unbelievably great that it blew my mind or left me in stitches. (8.5)
Randy Dankievitch, Sound on Sight:
It would be easy to just write off Chevy Chase and Donald Glover with gimmicky resolutions: "Cooperative Polygraphy" actively rejects this idea, turning two huge departures for the show into a celebratory moment of character redemption - and in the case of Troy, reinvention.
Ben Umstead, Twitch:
Truth be told I didn't laugh out loud despite a lot of fine bits, but this episode's real strengths were all based around the darker edges the group had to go to face Pierce one last time.
Jennifer Marie, Just About Write:
The revelation that Annie laced the group's coffee with Adderall (she says amphetamine, but for all intents and purposes it's the same thing) to keep them awake to study for their Anthropology final during their sophomore year is a LOT sadder than any other confession that's made and also the only thing in this episode to rub me the wrong way (if I had to give a grade, I would give the episode an A- and the minus would ONLY be due to this tiny but significant issue).
Sarah Shachat, ScreenCrave:
"Cooperative Polygraphy" is that special episode of Community that manages to do ALL THE THINGS! It's deeply and consistently funny. It takes a concept and runs it far past the finish line to somewhere new and surprising. (9/10)
Nick O'Malley, MassLive.com:
Getting into each individual development from this episode, be it a reveal secret or final message from Pierce, would take some time. The point is that it was great to watch.
Anthony Nowicke, TV Overmindhttp://www.tvovermind.com/community/community-5-04-review-cooperative-polygraphy-227826:
Though the episode had as much laughs as any of this season yet, it was by far the most tender. Community's farewell episode to Pierce's spirit was a pivotal one for the series, and the writers made the right choice in focusing on the group and the interactions between them, as opposed to their more unique hijinks.
Samantha Sobolewski, TV Guide Canada:
Overall, the episode seemed like a nice way for Dan Harmon to leave viewers with a positive final thought on Pierce (you know, besides the sperm gifts and the fact that he died creating them.)
Joe Thompson, Red Carpet Crash:
So score another hit for the rejuvenated Community. So much of this episode feels like it would be at home in the earlier seasons and that's a good thing. "Cooperative Polygraphy" is another confidant, funny, and surprisingly emotional installment in what's been a great season.
John Wood, Half Decent:
The episode isn’t flawless; it’s close of course, but I would be remiss if I didn’t bring up the awkward closing minutes, where the episode wasn’t sure how to end. It was an okay gag, but at the detriment of the great work by Walter Goggins, who really shined in his guest spot.
Jacob Harrington & Spenser Milo, Based on Nothing:
For me this was a good episode with some very low moments. (JH) Not that the execution was flawed or lacking in laughs, pathos, or any emotional beat it reached for, but it does raise the question: Do we need, after five seasons, the group to understand one another yet again? (SM)
Jocelyn W, TV Equals
What was brilliant about last night's episode is that it wasn't just a carbon copy of the "Cooperative Calligraphy" episode. Indeed, it was a bottle episode, but "Cooperative Polygraphy" was a great demonstration of the growth our favorite study group has experienced over five seasons.
Thanks for reading, every one, and my apologies to the reviewers whose reviews went up too late to be included in this earlier-than-usual review roundup!
Gabrielle Moss, TV Fanatic:
Hawthorne's cranky, volatile rages were regularly the weakest element of Community; and Hawthorne himself was often the weakest link, much funnier on paper than he was in action. Which is what made [this episode] the perfect tribute to Pierce - from weirdo religious cult to gross-out semen jokes, the episode played with Pierce as a concept, and served as a reminder to me of just how damned funny that concept was. (4.5/5)
Alan Sepinwall, HitFix:
In the way the best "Community" episodes do, it all builds up to a lot of genuine emotion, as the study group unburdens itself of its remaining secrets, followed by Pierce - having successfully brought them all down to his level - being magnanimous and wise and kind in the way he was capable of being (but also petty and racist at times), leaving them all advice and gifts, each of them reflecting his specific relationship with that person.
Tim Surette, tv.com:
"Cooperative Polygraphy" was one heck of a great episode of Community, and the best of the revitalized Season 5. End of story. Well, not the end of this story, but at least the and of any lingering doubt that Community is back to form.
Matt Carter, cartermatt.com:
This actually was more emotional than funny most of the time, but there is not necessarily anything wrong with that. Sometimes, "Community" can be strong just based on its characters, and producing moments that feel real and genuine. (B+)
Eric Goldman, IGN:
Goggins had the perfect dry delivery as he coldly asked Pierce's questions, which was even funnier given these were clearly Pierce's words. While it's too bad we couldn't actually say a final goodbye to Pierce onscreen, this was certainly a good way to make the best out of a tricky situation. (9.0/10)
Todd VanDerWerff, A.V. Club:
"Cooperative Polygraphy" is easily the best episode of the show since the third season and maybe even since that magical stretch around the midpoint of season two. It's an episode that contains ample amounts of both the laughs and the deeply felt emotional core that make this show work so well at its best. (A)
Britt Hayes, ScreenCrush:
This week's episode is truly our first great episode of the season. The script just pops and never once loses momentum, from the moment Troy and Abed open with "Troy and Abed are in mourning!" as the group convene following Pierce's funeral - which is suitably outlandish, with Pierce's life force contained in some sort of tube.
Joe Matar, Den of Geek:
Namely, it demonstrated that this cast is so awesome and that these characters are so strongly defined that, with the right writing bolstering them, it's still an utter delight just to watch these people do nothing but play off of one another for twenty minutes. Furthermore, these characters are so solid that one of them can be conjured into the room without actually being there. (5/5)
Brian Collins, Badass Digest:
That this poignant moment comes at the tail end of what is, for my money, the funniest episode of the year thus far (and, goes without saying, funnier than last year too, making it, get the blurb police ready: "the funniest episode in years!") is just icing on the cake.
Jared Russo, GeekBinge:
I did like "Cooperative Polygraphy", but I feel this episode may be a little overrated when we all examine the season in the near future. It was a pretty good all-around episode, not so unbelievably great that it blew my mind or left me in stitches. (8.5)
Randy Dankievitch, Sound on Sight:
It would be easy to just write off Chevy Chase and Donald Glover with gimmicky resolutions: "Cooperative Polygraphy" actively rejects this idea, turning two huge departures for the show into a celebratory moment of character redemption - and in the case of Troy, reinvention.
Ben Umstead, Twitch:
Truth be told I didn't laugh out loud despite a lot of fine bits, but this episode's real strengths were all based around the darker edges the group had to go to face Pierce one last time.
Jennifer Marie, Just About Write:
The revelation that Annie laced the group's coffee with Adderall (she says amphetamine, but for all intents and purposes it's the same thing) to keep them awake to study for their Anthropology final during their sophomore year is a LOT sadder than any other confession that's made and also the only thing in this episode to rub me the wrong way (if I had to give a grade, I would give the episode an A- and the minus would ONLY be due to this tiny but significant issue).
Sarah Shachat, ScreenCrave:
"Cooperative Polygraphy" is that special episode of Community that manages to do ALL THE THINGS! It's deeply and consistently funny. It takes a concept and runs it far past the finish line to somewhere new and surprising. (9/10)
Nick O'Malley, MassLive.com:
Getting into each individual development from this episode, be it a reveal secret or final message from Pierce, would take some time. The point is that it was great to watch.
Anthony Nowicke, TV Overmindhttp://www.tvovermind.com/community/community-5-04-review-cooperative-polygraphy-227826:
Though the episode had as much laughs as any of this season yet, it was by far the most tender. Community's farewell episode to Pierce's spirit was a pivotal one for the series, and the writers made the right choice in focusing on the group and the interactions between them, as opposed to their more unique hijinks.
Samantha Sobolewski, TV Guide Canada:
Overall, the episode seemed like a nice way for Dan Harmon to leave viewers with a positive final thought on Pierce (you know, besides the sperm gifts and the fact that he died creating them.)
Joe Thompson, Red Carpet Crash:
So score another hit for the rejuvenated Community. So much of this episode feels like it would be at home in the earlier seasons and that's a good thing. "Cooperative Polygraphy" is another confidant, funny, and surprisingly emotional installment in what's been a great season.
John Wood, Half Decent:
The episode isn’t flawless; it’s close of course, but I would be remiss if I didn’t bring up the awkward closing minutes, where the episode wasn’t sure how to end. It was an okay gag, but at the detriment of the great work by Walter Goggins, who really shined in his guest spot.
Jacob Harrington & Spenser Milo, Based on Nothing:
For me this was a good episode with some very low moments. (JH) Not that the execution was flawed or lacking in laughs, pathos, or any emotional beat it reached for, but it does raise the question: Do we need, after five seasons, the group to understand one another yet again? (SM)
Jocelyn W, TV Equals
What was brilliant about last night's episode is that it wasn't just a carbon copy of the "Cooperative Calligraphy" episode. Indeed, it was a bottle episode, but "Cooperative Polygraphy" was a great demonstration of the growth our favorite study group has experienced over five seasons.
Thanks for reading, every one, and my apologies to the reviewers whose reviews went up too late to be included in this earlier-than-usual review roundup!