"Community: The Complete Fifth Season" Review (Spoilers)
Also reviews for Guardians Of The Galaxy and the latest episodes of Teen Titans Go!, Beware The Batman, Under The Dome, Defiance, and Black Jesus.
Upcoming reviews include The Lego Movie, Teen Titans Go!: Couch Crusaders, Batman: Assault On Arkham, Beware The Batman: Dark Justice, Batman: The Movie (Adam West), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Good, The Bad, And Casey Jones, The Spectacular Spider-Man: The Complete Series, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (Blu-Ray), Once Upon A Time: Season 3, Toy Story Of Terror! (Blu-Ray), Frozen, Muppets Most Wanted: Extended Edition, Revolution: Season 2, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: Extended Edition, The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug (Blu-Ray), Power Rangers: Zeo: Volume 1, Power Rangers: Zeo: Volume 2, Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie, Power Rangers Turbo: Volume 1, Power Rangers: Turbo: Volume 2, Power Rangers In Space Volume 1, and Power Rangers Samurai: The Complete Season.
Guardians Of The Galaxy
Fun. But I thought it would be funner.
I think they should have made this more of a comedy like Men In Black. They had some of that but there was some of that Marvel Comics pathos that made the tone very uneven. Seriously, that opening scene with young Peter Quill was terrible. An opening scene should sort of tell you what you are in for. There is nothing in the movie as depressing as that (although there ARE things that are more depressing than they should be).
Am I the only one who thinks it's weird The Collector's appearance isn't all that much longer than his showing up in the tag for Thor: The Dark World? It seemed like they were kinda teasing he would be a bigger character, weren't they?
Bradley Cooper was good as Rocket Raccoon. Why? Because you couldn't tell it was him. He used a totally different voice than his speaking voice. The last voice actor I've heard who could hide that deeply inside a character was Scott Grimes as Steve Smith on American Dad. Now Cooper's not as good as Grimes. But it was one movie and Grimes had YEARS to get as good as he did. I'll cut Cooper some slack.
This is a cinema first: a movie Howard the Duck appears in that doesn't suck. 100 years from now there will be film classes discussing this game-changing moment in movie history in hushed tones.
I did really enjoy the movie though. Not up to either Captain America 1 or 2's standards or The Avengers', but about as good as the first Thor and the third Iron Man. Me likey. ****.
Teen Titans Go! "Knowledge"
That was 11 minutes of my life I will never get back. 0.
Beware The Batman "Reckoning"
Am I the only one disappointed by Tobias Whale double-crossing Batman? Because his reasons for joining him in the first place were quite excellent ("This city is MINE!") and his gambling metaphor didn't hold up since ANYBODY with a brain could tell that Batman was the guy who was gonna win. If Whale truly DID team up with Batman for the reasons he said he did, it makes me think less of his intelligence at being unable to read the situation better than he did.
The rest of the episode was great though. What was Ra's THINKING releasing the Rogues like that? This version of Ra's is MUCH dumber than the BTAS version.
And, I'm sorry, but I don't think Katana should have forgiven Alfred quite so easily. Maybe she didn't AFTER all, and that's why he left, but they should NOT have come to any sort of understanding, even after the truth came out. Why? Because if what happened to her father was as benign as Alfred said, he should have told her YEARS ago. There is NOT a good reason he should have kept that from her and had that "secret" hanging over their heads, for precisely the reason that someone like Ra's could exploit it. I wouldn't so readily mended fences with Alfred were I Katana.
But as I said, the episode was great. But BOY, I wish Whale was a better strategist. ****1/2.
Under The Dome "Awakening"
Now DAT'S an ending. Frankly, they should have had an ending that big and exciting two weeks ago, but I'll take as much competence from this show as I can get.
I am glad Phil is alive. Seriously relieved. He shouldn't get to die not knowing the truth about Dodie. That wouldn't be fair to Barbie.
There is a SERIOUS flaw in the episode: considering how much the town hates him, it is NOT credible that they would just accept Big Jim becoming sheriff. As crazy as it sounds, the job should have gone to Junior. I feel weird just typing that, but Junior on the show is a completely different person than the Junior in the book: I genuinely believe the one on the show is good deep down. He may eventually be driven over the edge by the end of the series, but as of now, he would be the best choice of sheriff of anyone available. How messed up is that? I really should not be thinking so generously of a creep like Junior after what he did to Angie, but the series (and even Angie!) were basically asking us to forgive him. I'll play along. For now.
Like Heroes, this show can occasionally deliver a good episode. Also like Heroes, that doesn't make it suck any less. ****.
Defiance "Bottom Of The World"
I was shocked when Irisa did that to Tommy. They surprised me good.
I can't believe Treasure Doll thinks her relationship with Alak is anything but what it is. She was purposefully poisoning both him and Christie against each other and she believes he genuinely loves her? What happened to her in the next episode was inevitable.
Quentin is an idiot for telling his mother the truth the way he did. I had no idea he was such a psycho. A smart person would have realized EXACTLY why Rafe did what he did without his mommy having to spell it out for him. The cretin is actually PROUD of the fact that he sent his innocent father to jail, and is dumb enough to think his mother will be pleased.
Good episode. ****.
Defiance "Doll Parts"
I knew one thing the episode did wrong going in, because it is the same problem with ALL Defiance crimes: that the wrong person would wind up paying for Treasure Doll's "murder". It is beyond cliched at this point. Only Datak and Doc Yewell were nabbed for actual things they did in last season's finale. It makes Nolan and Amanda look SUPER incompetent to always be arresting the wrong people.
Still, I love that it was Christie and WHY she did it. Alak seemed a bit shocked that she didn't regret it, but honestly? If I were in her position I wouldn't have regretted it either. Her husband's mistress tried to give her a forced abortion and then beat the snot out of her while she was very pregnant. She had it coming.
Amanda gave Treasure Doll the absolute worst advice I have ever heard a Madame give one of her girls. It's hard to believe that is Amanda's actual profession if she give out such unrealistically stupid advice.
That stuff Irisa said to Nolan hurt. It actually hurt me to hear it. I REALLY hope it was just the AI tech talking. Because if she meant it I'd be depressed. When Tommy got freed from the tech I knew that was a gamechanging moment and that there was a way out for Irisa. But it won't be easy. I hope Tommy survives.
This was a great episode. I can't wait for next week. *****.
Black Jesus "The S*** Heist"
I have decided something. This Jesus is NOT a conman. Whether he's actually Jesus or just a crazy guy, I realized after the gentle way he treated Floyd he was genuine. He truly believes, whatever the truth may be. That was all kinds of awesome.
I don't think Jesus should ever be shown using the N word though. Aaron MacGruder was the same dude who had Martin Luther King use it in an episode of The Boondocks, but the first couple episodes of this show have shown that for all of the foul language, Jesus believes in doing the right thing and basic human decency. There is nothing decent about the N word. At least when MacGruder had King use it, it was SUPPOSED to shock and sound wrong, but Jesus using it so casually is somehow worse. Believe in your premise, man.
I loved the solution to get that guy out of his date. That was the cleverest take I've EVER seen on that. Why? Because the guy REFUSES to put his girlfriend second. He outright turns DOWN the questionable shenanigans in favor of not disappointing the woman he loves. So how does Jesus get him out of there? He creates a scenario is which the dude's GIRLFRIEND had to leave dinner early! Why haven't I ever seen that scene before? It seems REALLY obvious and I kind of think that that isn't something that would ONLY work with Jesus Christ. This isn't the first time the show has completely subverted an expectation like that, and it's probably the best thing about it.
Not as great as the first two weeks. ****.
Community: The Complete Fifth Season
Controversial opinion: Community: Season Five, for the most part, is not necessarily better than Community Season Four. Look in your hearts and you'll know its true.
It bums me to say that, but there are two major reasons I think so:
1. I don't think this season was as great as everybody said and up to the snuff of seasons 1-3.
2. Season 4 was nowhere near as bad as people said. I think people were ticked off at the situation with Dan Harmon and Chevy Chase, and I think reviewed the season MUCH harsher than it would have been if Harmon's name were attached to it. It did in fact deliver two classic episodes ("Cooperative Escapism Into Familial Relations" and "Intro To Knots") and yet this season only delivered three ("Repilot", "Cooperative Polygraphy", and "G.I. Jeff"). Granted, there is a LOT less room for a ton of great episodes in seasons that are only 13 episodes long, but frankly? I could pick out at LEAST 13 episodes that were four and a half star quality and higher in each of the first three seasons (ESPECIALLY seasons two and three). Only four episodes this year that I can say that for.
And you know what? That's fine. Three perfect seasons is unheard of on television, and I never expected the show to be of that high a quality for as long as it was. Three perfect seasons in a row was pretty much unprecedented. I think a LOT of people who rag on the gas leak year seem to forget that.
By the way, thank you Hulu for renewing the show. Now, that means I can't watch it until season six hits DVD, but the show hit "Six Seasons and (possibly) a movie" WITHOUT NBC. Good for them.
Best episodes are the season premiere (Repilot), Pierce's best episode that he didn't even appear in (Cooperative Polygraphy), Shirley's worst showing ever (VCR Maintenance And Educational Publishing), and possibly the best gimmick episode so far (G.I. Jeff). There is actually a bad (for this show) episode on this set (Basic Intergluteal Numismatics). I don't recall an episode this lousy last year but it's been awhile. Season overall: ****.
Repilot:
I was always impressed with this, but looking back on it, it was also a LOT better than I remembered too. And I remembered loving it. It was both a mea culpa from Dan Harmon, and I think an acknowledgment that the "Gas leak year" didn't actually change things that much. It didn't actually change things at ALL. The cartoonish characters that people always complained about were already present for seasons two and three. It's just that since there were more great episodes, we didn't mind. But yeah, it has NOT been lost on me that Britta started out the series as an eclectic anarchist and wound up the group airhead. Thank you? Or that Troy's entire identity became about Abed. That happened LONG before season four. MUCH longer. It was so long ago you could blame owls for Britta sucking at analogies. And it was genius for Harmon to have Chevy Chase come back and do a cameo as a proper last scene. I know NBC didn't renew the show, but based solely on that stunt, it should have. THAT is how you create buzz. Could you imagine if the South Park creators had been smart enough to bury the hatchet with Isaac Hayes rather than burning every last bridge they had with him? Nobody would have stopped talking about Chef returning, rather than being appalled by their low-rent hatred and bile and trying to forget it. And God bless Chase for being smart enough to do it. He basically just said that even if this show isn't his thing, other people like it, and that means it has merit. That is cool. Alan was great this episode. Rob Corddry is a VERY easy actor to hate and he capitalized on his loathsomeness here. Jeff isn't even gonna waste a Winger monologue on him. I like the fact that he slept with his wife's sister so now his complaint is that the whole family won't talk to him. Perspective: Alan does not have it. Another big laugh was Donald Glover calling Zach Braff an SOB and grousing "After all Scrubs has done for him!" Honestly, Troy leaving was a mess, but it was much LESS of a mess than it could have been. For the record, the thing that got the group to turn on Greendale (the rehiring of Chang) as a teacher is actually worse than if there HADN'T been a season four with him in it. Keep in mind all of the criminal stuff he did, he did while Harmon was showrunner. It was Harmon's decision to bring him back as a teacher instead of writing him out of the show, not the Gas Leak Year's producers who (wisely I think) chose to make him claim he wasn't responsible for his actions the year before. I think it was the perfect thing to get the group good and riled up over. I loved the joke of his ankle bracelet's radius being a thirty additional feet from the hunk of wall Chang was carrying's extension cord. I was like "What?!" I love, love, LOVED the 555 number joke. It was probably the best 555 joke I've ever seen. Why? Because it stayed within the reality of the situation while pointing out how unrealistic it is. Just by doing that, I now believe there are only 10,000 different phone numbers in the Communityverse. Abed's reason for never returning Time Bandits to the video store was similarly deep: Nobody else deserved it. And Troy is much sadder than the rest of us and will figure out why soon. I like that the group wasn't mad at Jeff for manipulating them because they had grown to trust him. That's kind of cool. Best line goes to Jeff: "Abed. I already know why you're off-putting." All things considered, this was probably the best season premiere the show ever did. *****.
Introduction To Teaching:
Good, but the days of flawless Dan Harmon seasons are over. The episode took some risks, and failed in some very big ways. First off, let's talk Hickey: good or bad (get it?). I don't think he makes a great first impression here, but you know what? Neither did Troy or Britta in season one. And Harmon is ALREADY giving him layers by making him a failed cartoonist in his first episode. I would have killed for early Troy or Britta to have a quirk that endearing right off the bat. I love that Troy asked if he was the coolest person in the world. Second, I think if that thing with minuses were actually true, a riot would be justified. I don't think riots are usually the answer to anything, but if I were in school and learned that, I'd throw a chair through a window too. Pop PAAAUUUGGGHHHHP!!! Nicholas Cage: good or bad? I actually think the answer is bad. I've seen him in a couple of things I've liked, but none of the things I've liked were because of him. And a good actor would choose better projects. Good for the callback to the Who's The Boss conundrum but the episode REALLY dropped the ball on something: Danny Pudi cannot convincingly play over-the-top insane like Donald Glover and Alison Brie can. Even at his nuttiest Abed is usually subdued, and I think that's the only level of comedy Pudi can handle. I truly felt pained and embarrassed for him here. He was awful. Do you know who wasn't? Kevin Corrigan was terrific as Gerrity. "That was brilliant." I loved the observation that Jeff won the argument with Annie by sitting back and letting her argue with herself. That's kind of deep and I can tell the class was as impressed with that idea as I was. One thing doesn't ring true: the school not being appeased by Jeff's monologue. It was frankly, one of his best, and it was also completely true. I have a VERY hard time believing people would boo it, much less people who LIKE Jeff like Annie, Britta, and Troy. If they were trying to say that Jeff can't monologue his way out of every situation, they shouldn't have given him such a fantastic and compelling one to show it. It's not believable. And what other ways can you use a human head for other than a head? I liked Shirley's smart observation that if someone appears in over 70 movies they may someday accidentally win an Oscar. I also love that she knows Hellraiser. And the Trobed tag with Hickey was one of their best because it was also depressing and real, and they were trapped in a living nightmare. Playtime does NOT usually go so wrong for Trobed. Hickey calling his mother and telling her she couldn't be buried next to his dad was horrifying (and hilarious). I liked Britta complaining that there were no Asians on the committee, Annie brightly bringing up Chang, and Britta muttering that she was only making an observation. I am having a hard time deciding whether this episode is good or bad, but I'm not going to get up on a desk and do a terrible Nic Cage impression over it either. ***.
Basic Intergluteal Numismatics:
A failure on nearly every level. I do NOT think this season is as flawless as fans claim. Yeah, it's good to have Harmon back in the driver's seat. But it STILL isn't as good as seasons 1-3. First off, this episode was badly placed in the season's episode run. It was the lousiest possible scenario to do an episode where Pierce dies. Community can be ridiculous but it has its share of normal sitcommy episodes. They needed to pick one of those. Pierce dying at the end made the episode seem even more pointless than it actually was. Second, there are no stakes for this episode. True, they make Troy a "victim". But that's an afterthought. And as Hickey pointed out, they were spending a lot of money to solve a "crime" that netted the victim 25 cents. It wasn't as bad as people were making it out to be. In the Law and Order episode the yam crime seemed to matter more because it affected Annie and we were rooting for her to solve it. A Fincher parody is not funny. Still, the producers revealed on the commentary the culprit was actually Annie, which made the episode's unresolved ending a little less annoying. Good things? The return of Harmon means the return of people that went with him like Duncan and Starburns. And I like how Abed made fun of Hannibal's Will Graham and refused to play along (which he is NEVER smart enough to do). Hannibal deserves to be mocked more. It does not deserve its critically and fan beloved reputation, especially compared to Community (which is what I'm betting the frustration for that show came from) And I think the scene with the Dean, Jeff, and Annie was the only scene that properly felt like a crime scene show. It was riveting. I had no idea Jim Rash could play the Dean so sternly before. And his pointed observation that Jeff and Annie's relationship is completely inappropriate was crazy-insightful. We ship them, but we shouldn't. "What is THIS? What is this creepy thing?" Go Dean! I loved him snapping his fingers to try to get Rhonda to trace the call and her looking at him blankly. And Neil calling Pierce a great D&D player in his radio eulogy put a lump in my throat. This isn't technically bad television and would be passable on any other show. But Community isn't just any other show. **.
Cooperative Polygraphy:
Also, sperm. Troy and Abed are in mooooouuurning! I love that Troy JUST got that. Tied with "G.I. Jeff" as the best episode of the year. You know what? I'll give it to this one. Because it wasn't a gimmick episode. It was that awesome all on its own. This is definitely Pierce's best episode and he wasn't even in it! I LOOOOOVED those secrets. My favorite revelations are that Abed uses Jeff's movie account and keeps rewriting his review of The Gray, the fact that Shirley calls the rest of the group "those people" when she's alone with Troy, and that Trobed's plans for the zombie apocalypse only include them. But the BEST secret was that Abed planted trackers on everyone and stayed so close to Pierce's body at the funeral because he was trying to retrieve his because they're expensive. "I can't tell by your expressions. Are you mad at me or hungry?" I think it was beyond appalling that Abed was the only person Pierce didn't give an actual gift to. Here's your sperm. But I DID like him confirming to Annie that she was his favorite. Do you know what was funny? Mr. Stone breaking character in the tag and nobody being happy about it. I have to say Dan Harmon constructed the only plausible reason I'd ever believe for Troy to leave Abed. He had a lifelong dream of having millions of dollars and the other thing that Pierce just said. I just hope Donald Glover comes back next year. I loved that Pierce got Jeff a bottle of scotch so he'd be less tempted to drink his sperm. I loved Troy saying "Awesome" to Jeff's reasoning of winning underwear in battle. I also found it VERY funny how everybody held their breath when Abed was asked the question about strangling a squirrel. Abed seemed to be the one person totally unashamed and unapologetic about his actions. That's hilarious. And the fact that he can't stand other people chewing gum is another admission he's on the spectrum. Troy telling people he went to Legoland so they'd think he was cool was funny, as was Britta pointing out that there is an element of suspense at a bris. What I found most interesting was the amount of secrets Pierce knew, and how he never said anything about them before this. He obviously knew Abed planted trackers in everyone, and both didn't say anything, or even have his own removed. That's REALLY thought-provoking. This was the best episode of the season. *****.
Geothermal Escapism:
Troy and Abed in a buuuuuubble! Here's my problem. Tell me I'm nuts. Why does Shirley even HAVE that bubble? Much less in her sandwich shop and already blown up? Something like that would take hours to do. And yet, she has it at the ready. You may be tsk-ing me for trying to apply logic to this cartoony situation, but didn't Jeff JUST say in "Repilot" that the show had gotten too unrealistic and cartoony? Because that was probably the single unlikeliest plot twist the show has done up to that point. And why DO they call it Star Trek instead of Planet Trek anyways? Gotta love LeVar Burton. I thought the single coolest moment was Jeff quietly admitting to Troy he had never left Colorado and that that made Troy cooler than him. Britta is SO getting kickbacks from Big Buzzkill. Hickey was starting to grow on me at this point too, and I notice that they are seeding his disdain for everybody humoring Abed here. I also love that his son is getting gay-married and he is totally okay with it. I totally loved Britta being Jeff's equal in nonsense trash talk. I cannot state enough how big a smile it put on my face to see the group airhead actually making Jeff Winger struggle for an argument. That meant more to me than it probably should have. But it meant a LOT. I also love that 911 has blocked Greendale's calls. This was very enjoyable but I DO have to point out it's a step down from Paintball and Pillows and Blankets. Just because those scenarios seemed plausible. I mean, Hickey riding a tank is cool, but we are just supposed to believe he constructed it in a half an hour without being able to touch the floor? Nah, nah, nah. Do you know what I just realized? Abed starts the episode on the Dean's desk. They seeded that he saw the floor as lava at the beginning of the episode. Great use of "Come Sail Away" at the end too. ****.
Analysis Of Cork-Based Networking:
Honestly? I don't believe Britta would do that to Abed. Not for a second. Not over something that stupid. It was totally out of character. The idea that she was surprised at his reaction is not at all credible either. I'm glad Harmon's back, but this season is NOT inherently better than Season 4. And it's to his credit Harmon knows this. A lesser writer would have basically ignored everything not done under his tenure (I'm looking at you, Steven Moffat) but Harmon is not afraid to take things from the gas leak year (like Coat Check Girl) and bring them back if they worked. Do you know what I loved about Ken Jeong's performance as Chang? Even if we as audience members don't buy it, he plays the break-down moment completely genuinely, and as a legitimate dramatic scene of a distraught man whose entire life is falling apart. My one regret is that John Oliver, Joel McHale, and Yvette Nicole Brown were unable to do that when it was their turn. Maybe they didn't need to because we were now in on the joke, but BOY that would have been something. The other thing I liked about the episode was Annie and Hickey getting to know each other. The idea that brought them together was again ludicrous (they picked the absolute least credible red tape scenario of all time) but even if it didn't work, Annie being insightful about Hickey's hang-ups and Hickey about the system's was fun. Robert Patrick was riveting. He did great. When he said that Annie's father's power came from his lack of hugs I was like: "Wow!" I also loved Paget Brewster being surprised and happy that she could use her position for extortion. "I didn't know we could do that!" Two great Dean Pelton moments: his deciding it "felt right" to tear up the contract (Jim Rash is adorable) and him calling David Bowie a macho rocker. That had me rolling especially because the bisexual glam rocker joke was made earlier in the episode. And Nathan Fillion don't hurt none either. He's a great comedian. The look on his face and voice inflections as he said "Now how can I do that when I'm dealing with this?" were sublime. There is one thing I just realized: this episode is the first time Chang is actually invited into the study room with the group, at least as himself. Sort of a big moment. But the episode is a mixed bag. ***1/2.
Bondage And Beta Male Sexuality:
Buzz Hickey is my new personal hero. We got a good glimpse of Abed without the Troy filter and it wasn't pretty. And you know what? It wasn't out of character either. He SO thought he was in control of that situation and was being manipulative as all get-out. First off, Hickey was right to be mad. Abed didn't care that he wrecked his drawings and needed to be taught a lesson. Nobody ever tells Abed no and someone doing that for the first time made me take a good hard look at Abed. Did you see how easily he came up with those insults against Hickey's cartoons? It made me realize that Abed is a VERY cruel person and that his lovable act is pretty much a put-on. He probably has all of these same horrible thoughts about his friends on the tip of his tongue but never voices them because he wants to manipulate them. I'm on the spectrum and even I can recognize that Abed needs help and he hasn't been getting the right kind from Troy. What a mess. The scene was one of my favorite scenes of the season. I love that Harmon took his most lovable character and said that deep down, Abed is a manipulative butthole who has been getting a free pass from his friends for years. I wonder what the rest of the group would have thought if they witnessed Abed's behavior. I'm betting they'd be appalled and never treat him the same way again. His idea of how to repair the situation was inventive but it wouldn't have been necessary if he wasn't being such a spiteful human being. I did like Hickey telling Abed he now drank scotch. That was funny. With his performance I'm strongly thinking him asking to team up with Buzz to write a screenplay isn't genuine, but just another case of manipulation. Do you know who impressed me besides Hickey? Duncan! I LOVE that he cared enough about Britta to not take advantage of her, and realized the real relationship he should have been trying to fix was his friendship with Jeff. I didn't think he had either of those two things in him and I'm glad that he did. John Oliver was great. Him and Joel McHale have great chemistry, like at the beginning when he was trying to indicate to Jeff he didn't want him to go along, while having to browbeat him into doing so to not to look bad in front of the group. And Jeff not letting him get away with it. That was great acting by them both. I liked Duncan saying that all of the women who liked him, even if he never met any of them, were probably all terrible, as well as his comparisons to Britta and America in decline. And his Dane Cook run with Jeff is classic. Chang's weird Shining subplot was the weak link of the episode. It was weird and stupid and felt tonally wrong with the rest of the story (although the "old timey photo club 2014" was cute). I just noticed that Annie's brother Anthony is in the photo. This episode was pretty great because of Hickey. ****.
App Development And Condiments:
This was MUCH more enjoyable on a second viewing, mostly because I was able to ferret out people's motivations better. For the record, Jeff did NOT owe Shirley an apology. Yes, he was being a control freak. But he was doing it for the right reasons. Shirley was using her newfound power to hurt people. Poor Vicky. I get that Jeff suffers from white privilege and that Shirley has to work at what comes naturally to Jeff. But you know what? Jeff being cool for the sake of being cool is one of the character's most unattractive qualities, so I'm not really seeing where Shirley is coming from by wanting that for herself. And face it. The very reason we EXCUSE Jeff's coolness and ego is the precise reason we love Tina Fey and not Seth MacFarlane, even though they have the exact same shtick of wanting to be loved: there is no malice behind Fey or Jeff. As annoying as Jeff being cool without even trying is, he doesn't use his popularity to hurt other people. Shirley enjoys making other people suffer while Jeff does not. She's Seth and he's Tina. Like Seth, I get why other people would like Shirley. But also like Seth, I personally don't. I sort of understood Jeff's somewhat inexplicable behavior this time out through. Despite his protestations that he HATES meowmeowbeenz, he and Britta didn't actually share the same goals. Britta wanted to take down the entire system. Jeff only wanted to take down Shirley. But I found his bummed reaction at the end of the episode to be frankly inconsistent with his behavior leading up to it. That should not have been an "I hope you're happy" moment for him. That was a "By any means necessary" achievement of Jeff's goals. He should have been elated. His reaction should have been that of a suicide bomber greeting 78 virgins in the afterlife. He wanted to get Shirley and he got her GOOD. The Britta mustard face joke still makes no sense. They said it made Britta seem "less intense" and therefore easier to listen to? That's nonsense. Nobody takes Britta seriously precisely because she FAILS at being intense. Everyone can tell she doesn't actually have the force of her convictions. They ignore her because they aren't buying what she's selling. They aren't scared off by her commitment. It is in fact, the exact opposite. And when did Mitch Hurtwitz become a rock star? Yes, Arrested Development is awesome. But I'd feel similarly weird if someone cast as schlub like Dan Harmon as the hottest guy on campus. The other inconsistent reaction I didn't like was having Hickey get aboard the craze, no matter the reason. I'm sure it wasn't written as big of a deal as it was, but Jonathan Banks made some VERY interesting acting choices in showing his disgust for meowmeowbeenz at the beginning of the episode, that shouldn't have been undone. He doesn't seem to just be disgusted. He seems genuinely shocked and upset, and offended on a very deep and personal level. He was SO offended you could tell by the look in his eye, that he actually regretting serving his country, a country that allowed something like this to happen. It was the reaction of a man being completely devastated to the point of questioning every decision he's ever made. I'm sure the scene wasn't WRITTEN like that, but once Banks played it like that, they should have rewritten his entire role in the episode. But this is definitely better the second time around even if Starburn's disgusting nipple rings are no less revolting. I can't decide on a best line. Probably a three way tie between "And 1's don't get a rhyme, because they're garbage", "I like your optimism, Garrett", and "I've been getting a lot more email and trust me, my penis needs no enlargement." I love that this episode both put Abed in his element, and made the entire universe fit him so completely that he wound up hating it. That is SO Abed. "You people are monsters." Heh. Two more great Jeff observations: that everyone dressed in gray looked like the before portion of a Starburst commercial, and Jeff saying that if Abed was happy, he was unsettled. Good episode. ***1/2.
VCR Maintenance And Educational Publishing:
Paul Williams! Whenever Jeff Winger says "Hold on. Everybody slow down. Let's just talk about this...", you know something VERY bad is about to happen. This episode illustrates a truth about conservatives like Shirley that no-one seems willing to talk about. It is SUCH an obvious flaw with religious fundamentalists, that if secularists weren't so concerned with not hurting Christians' baby-feelings because of some liberal need to "play fair", they would screaming it from the rooftops: atheists and agnostics are inherently more moral that religious people. By far. The fact that liberals have allowed fundies to constantly claim the opposite is just a TRAGIC circumstance of liberals sucking at messaging. Because it is true. And I say this as someone who has dabbled both in spirituality and being an agnostic, but for me? I think an atheist living a life cleanly and nicely, and in fact doing non-religious charity work, is probably someone more likely to get into Heaven than a Christian who only attends Church bakes sales because they're afraid of going to Hell if they don't. It has been hinted that Shirley is an alcoholic. Her fundamentalist nature is SO over-the-top, unpleasant, and judgmental of other people, that she could only be a convert. She wasn't always this way. She bottomed out and this was her last resort. She's Stephen Baldwin. She NEEDS the idea of an invisible person in the sky telling her what to do because it is in fact HARD for her not to do bad things. There is no point in being good unless you believe that by doing so you will be rewarded an eternity in paradise where your every whim and desire will be fulfilled. That is the fundamentalist point of view. Atheists don't HAVE that to look forward to, so every single atheist, plowing through life, trying to do the right thing, and leave the world a little better than before they got there, is definitely a better person than someone who believes if you hate the right people, you will be rewarded with The Rapture. And honestly? It isn't hard to do the right thing and live a moral life. At all. It's actually really easy and shouldn't trouble a good person in the slightest. That fact that a LOT of Christians describe morality as a "struggle" just shows that they have a complete lack of perspective. Fundies act like being nice is SUCH a chore and hard work, that you start to think that they actually believe that is normal, instead of insane. It's no big thing not to break the law or hurt other people deliberately. It is NOT a "Cross to bear". It's SUPER easy. And like I said, it is SUCH an obvious truth that the episode brilliantly demonstrated, that you'd figure would actually gain traction with not only atheists, but liberals in general (even Christians). The idea of religious fundies calling ATHEISTS immoral is such a sickening lie that it is shocking nobody has ever really pushed back on it, especially since the opposite is true. If Bill Maher were truly as smart as he thinks he is, he would end every one of his shows with a two-sentence version of that message. It could be the same kind of bit as Bob Barker telling people to neuter their pets at the end of The Price Is Right. Because until more people hear that truth, and hear it over and over again, Christians are going to continue to be able to get away with bloody murder and never be called on it. Shirley is in fact, a dirtbag and a terrible person. Unless she believes she better than somebody else, and that God will reward her for her "acts" of virtue, she can't sleep at night. You may think this makes me HATE Shirley and find her despicable. I don't. I find it humanizing and relatable. Shirley's answer that there WAS no moral to be learned from that experience was the biggest lie she ever told. The actual moral that Shirley has borderline criminal and sociopathic thoughts bubbling beneath the surface kind of makes me feel REALLY bad for her. That is NO way to go through life, and I imagine that deep down, Shirley is a VERY unhappy person. Yvette Nicole Brown was amazing. She commanded the screen the second she put herself in charge. Her negotiations with Britta and Jeff were awesome, especially her calmly calling Britta's demand of fifty percent "silly". I also unreservedly love Annie's brother. First for him insightfully pointing out to Abed that Rachel just dumped him, just in case it wasn't clear to anyone witnessing that mess, and then him disgustedly rebuking Annie when she tried to make his leaving all about their relationship with their mother: "Screw you. What did I have to do with Mom? I was thirteen." God, I want that character to return. That is SUCH an insightful thing to say in only a few words, that told you everything you needed to know about how that guy viewed his sister's many hang-ups. He's not going to play along with her fantasies. And on this show that is a REALLY big deal. The other Anthony scenes I liked were Abed making fun of him not knowing whether to continue to cut carrots when he wanted to poop, and him creepily mirroring Abed's smile right back at him. And Rachel was right. The way Abed made up to her WAS adorable. He was never in any real danger of losing her if he kept doing stuff like that. I'm also glad that the episode noted that with Troy gone Annie and Abed would start having problems. But I REALLY wish that they had just outright called it what it was: sexual tension. I think THAT was the thing that Rachel objected to (she's a smart cookie) and I'm betting Alison Brie and Danny Pudi's chemistry with each caught the writers of the episode off-guard. Also give it up for the rapping Dean. I don't know where that came from either. Best moment was probably the tag with Vince Gilligan's hot wife giving him increasingly tragically bad career and life advice. That was some dark, subversive stuff right there. Do you know what I've noticed about Ken Jeong as Chang? Whenever Chang tries to pretend he's sane, Jeong plays it REALLY unsettling. As if a sane Chang is the craziest of all. Best line goes to Rachel: "Are we sure this isn't some sort of art film?" You know what? This episode was fantastic. ****1/2.
Advanced Advanced Dungeons & Dragons:
Dan Harmon was VERY unhappy with the episode, mostly for the reasons Abed stated at the beginning. They'd make a sequel and unlike every other sequel ever made it would be bigger and better than the first! Except it wasn't. Sort of. Harmon seems on the fence whether this was a good episode or not but deeply resents it for it throwing off the rhythm of the rest of the season. But you know what? I was probably the only Community fan who was VERY unhappy with the first D&D episode. Pierce was just insufferable during it, and turned what should have been a fun outing into an act of humiliation for poor Neil. This episode? The stuff between Hickey and his son was fun! I don't really care if the effects or "action" sequences are a step down, I was actually able to enjoy this. I loved the Dean's impaled hug of Jeff and Joel McHale's expression was worth the price of admission. Dear Lord! Worth it! But my favorite scene was the one of Hickey interrogating Abed pretending to be two Goblins. I liked the scene for two reasons: First, you can tell Abed LOVED it, and never in his wildest dreams thought he'd get to do something that awesome in a D&D game. The other reason was that it was the only time (outside of the end) that Hickey seemed to enjoy the game for what it could do, and realized that role-playing games can pretty much fit into anybody's wheelhouse if they let them (and have a good Dungeon Master). I don't know if a ton of Dungeon Masters would be as open to crossing genres as Abed was here. But Abed just proved they SHOULD be. It would make the game a lot more fun. I think every D&D player should send Dan Harmon a thank you note. He proved (MUCH more than the first outing) how fun the game could potentially be if you relaxed the rules a bit. The first episode didn't do that. In fact it did the opposite. When Pierce was breaking the rules he was ruining the game, and the game only got back on track when everybody agreed what the logic of the rules were. This game was fun from start to finish and nobody ruined anything. Abed's behavior as Dungeon Master was fascinating. He correctly noted that he would be a bad Dungeon Master if he helped, and that he owed Hickey and Hank nothing at the end, and that it was their own poor planning that allowed the Necromancer to escape. I loved him telling Hickey to learn his character and take the game more seriously because his son did. I also loved the idea that Hank never went to Aunt Rachel's at Christmas and Thanksgiving because his father was there and he would if he wasn't. That is another thing much like Annie's brother's "Screw you", that let you know volumes about a previously unseen character in the space of a few sentences. I love it when Community gives the guest actors meat and real depth. It makes the world MUCH more credible. David Cross did a surprisingly good job with the dark dramatic bits. When he says his father was at a place that "rhymes with not there" I felt for the dude. I also really loved the expression on Chang's face as Dingleberry died. He looked up innocently while holding up his hands in a helpless manner, which is a precise image I've seen from a lot of fantasy elf deaths (even though Dingleberry's a troll). This was a good one. ****.
G.I. Jeff:
A classic. So much fun stuff. I loved Britta's observation that all of the Joe characters either look like serial killers or strippers. The messed up thing is that goes for the men too. Those vintage toy commercials were the best part of the episode. When I first saw the first one I thought they had simply reaired an actual one until Wingman makes an appearance. I cannot overstate how much I loved them. Wingman sliding rocks on Fourth-Wall after he says they were in a toy commercial, and Abed saying it didn't hurt because it wasn't real was hysterical, as was the last ad with the kids getting freaked out by the toys moving on their own. And hey! The same guy DID do He-Man commercials! The moral of Fourth-Wall teaching Buzzkill how to make proper P.S.A.'s was great too. Unfortunately it's a lesson the old show should have taken. I loved everybody's shocked reactions to Destro's death and Jeff easily guessing it was the Overkill in the middle who was the real one. And Chang forgets he's Chinese and thinks he's Korean because of course he does. I think the funniest observation was at the beginning: That Cobra attacking a tourist destination made little sense from a tactical point of view (the Taj Mahal has no strategic value), and also that the Taj Mahal is in India. Why is that the Joes' problem? Take notes Futurama: this is how you do an authentic cartoon parody. I laughed that the episode played up the homoerotic overtones of Cobra Commander and Destro. I also loved Duke taking a dig at Cobra Commander's lisp and Cobra Commander saying he looked like an Aryan foosball figure. *****.
Basic Story:
Sory, Dan Harmon. I think the two-part finale, which you rag on in the commentaries, is actually pretty good. But seriously. NBC did this show NO favors by acting as if the Jeff / Britta proposal was a big deal forward for them instead a case of two characters making a big mistake. I do not get NBC's promotional decisions. It's a wonder someone still watches their network at all. That jokes about 5 of the 6 deaths from vending machines were by the inspectors testing it was hilarious, (and you'd figure probably true) as was Hickey saying that he's seen insurance appraisers bleed and that their blood is "darker". That tag between Hickey and Duncan was fabulous. I loved them being relieved they weren't father and son, and then uneasily realizing they may be related after all. Abed called Troy and Britta "boring". You know what? I never thought of it like that, but that's true. Jeff's analogy to Greendale's fear of crisis being like a Hurricane Katrina dog refusing to be picked up was interesting. I loved the Dean sunnily telling everyone over the loudspeaker that he loved them and everyone chirping they loved him right back. As I said, Jim Rash is adorable. I groaned at the joke that Greendale had its first anti-segregation / civil rights march in 1987. Best line goes to Hickey: "When I get over there, you are going to hear two sounds: me hitting you... twice." The Subway "bread" run was great too. Subway never answered the question. We're waiting. They just made Annie's joke more hilarious. I love that Carl and Richie seem to have full lives and backstories with each other than we are not privy too. They have never been funnier than in this two part finale. Great first part. ****.
Basic Sandwich:
I think the President of Subway getting up and leaving when Chris Elliott went to shake his hand was what I thought was a pretty good summation of Greendale's relationship to the real world in general. I love Abed telling Russell the three least comforting things a hippie who spent 40 years underground could hear (that Dennis Hopper was dead, TV theme songs no longer existed, and that Woody Allen played a cartoon ant), and then introducing him to cat pictures. "That is so... STUPID!" Annie was right. Russell was one of them. I love Jeff mindlessly clocking him. He forgot how big he was getting. And Hickey WAS thinking of a hang glider because of course he was. I love that Carl and Richie have been slowly revealed over time to be completely insane. Brady Novak is amazing as Richie. "I robbed your brain. I ROBBED it." What a great line reading. "Don't worry, I've been drinking." SMASH! Boy, that scene of Jeff blowing up the computer makes you even MORE embarrassed at how badly NBC blew last week's ship. But NBC got theirs at the end. Duncan has a building shaped penis. Let's all look at the freak. Bionic Woman won an Emmy? What is wrong with society when THAT has an Emmy and Joel McHale doesn't? I love that both Jeff and Pelton are on Team Sutherland. Jim Rash pretending to choke was comedy gold. There is an actor who commits. I love that the 70's are outside of Abed's wheelhouse. And Abed was right. Annie was TOTALLY going to lean in to kiss him. That's not even a question. Abed, stop developing! Why DID the Goonies always talk over each other anyways? Carl was SO Dean Wormer at the end. "It's called Wednesday!" Heh. Chang's diamond teeth were hilarious too. I'm just glad the Earth didn't blow up after all. Thank you, Hulu. This deserves a much better reputation than Harmon claims for it. ****. Two Part Average: ****.
Re-Animating the 80's:
Killing Destro was the best way to open the episode. And Dan Harmon wryly notes, they probably killed themselves over the episode for nothing, and that most people watching it wouldn't care about the level of authenticity. Do you know who thinks like that? The Futurama producers. As great as the cartoon parodies on that show are, you can tell it isn't QUITE right enough to fit in with whatever classic style they're spoofing. The producers of that show seem to be perfectly content in making their parodies SORT of like that. Community made it EXACTLY like that. The idea that Futurama made their version of G.I. Zapp so bloody and fatally violent just tells me they never saw the show. The producers of Community know that no-one ever dies on that show. Because they've actually seen it. In G.I. Jeff, the only thing that feels weird is the widescreen. One of the producers noted that when they filmed the commercials the kids didn't know how to hold the action figures when they played with them. That's would be depressing if it wasn't a truth I had already been aware of for years. ****1/2.
Outtakes:
Jonathon Banks is exactly as grouchy in real life as I could have hoped. The universe feels right. ****.
Advanced Television Production, 5 Days, 2 Scripts, No Sleep:
This was the longest and most boring Community featurette I've ever seen. Only two (brief) things of interest: Ken Jeong (correctly) noting that Dan Harmon coming back meant that he was able to stretch as an actor for the first time in his career, and Danny Pudi and Jonathan Banks rehearsing Abed's despicable meltdown scene. That was cool. The rest of the feature was a drag. *.
DVD Menus: Better than last season but I miss the beautiful animated main menus from seasons 1-3. **1/2.
Upcoming reviews include The Lego Movie, Teen Titans Go!: Couch Crusaders, Batman: Assault On Arkham, Beware The Batman: Dark Justice, Batman: The Movie (Adam West), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Good, The Bad, And Casey Jones, The Spectacular Spider-Man: The Complete Series, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (Blu-Ray), Once Upon A Time: Season 3, Toy Story Of Terror! (Blu-Ray), Frozen, Muppets Most Wanted: Extended Edition, Revolution: Season 2, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: Extended Edition, The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug (Blu-Ray), Power Rangers: Zeo: Volume 1, Power Rangers: Zeo: Volume 2, Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie, Power Rangers Turbo: Volume 1, Power Rangers: Turbo: Volume 2, Power Rangers In Space Volume 1, and Power Rangers Samurai: The Complete Season.
Guardians Of The Galaxy
Fun. But I thought it would be funner.
I think they should have made this more of a comedy like Men In Black. They had some of that but there was some of that Marvel Comics pathos that made the tone very uneven. Seriously, that opening scene with young Peter Quill was terrible. An opening scene should sort of tell you what you are in for. There is nothing in the movie as depressing as that (although there ARE things that are more depressing than they should be).
Am I the only one who thinks it's weird The Collector's appearance isn't all that much longer than his showing up in the tag for Thor: The Dark World? It seemed like they were kinda teasing he would be a bigger character, weren't they?
Bradley Cooper was good as Rocket Raccoon. Why? Because you couldn't tell it was him. He used a totally different voice than his speaking voice. The last voice actor I've heard who could hide that deeply inside a character was Scott Grimes as Steve Smith on American Dad. Now Cooper's not as good as Grimes. But it was one movie and Grimes had YEARS to get as good as he did. I'll cut Cooper some slack.
This is a cinema first: a movie Howard the Duck appears in that doesn't suck. 100 years from now there will be film classes discussing this game-changing moment in movie history in hushed tones.
I did really enjoy the movie though. Not up to either Captain America 1 or 2's standards or The Avengers', but about as good as the first Thor and the third Iron Man. Me likey. ****.
Teen Titans Go! "Knowledge"
That was 11 minutes of my life I will never get back. 0.
Beware The Batman "Reckoning"
Am I the only one disappointed by Tobias Whale double-crossing Batman? Because his reasons for joining him in the first place were quite excellent ("This city is MINE!") and his gambling metaphor didn't hold up since ANYBODY with a brain could tell that Batman was the guy who was gonna win. If Whale truly DID team up with Batman for the reasons he said he did, it makes me think less of his intelligence at being unable to read the situation better than he did.
The rest of the episode was great though. What was Ra's THINKING releasing the Rogues like that? This version of Ra's is MUCH dumber than the BTAS version.
And, I'm sorry, but I don't think Katana should have forgiven Alfred quite so easily. Maybe she didn't AFTER all, and that's why he left, but they should NOT have come to any sort of understanding, even after the truth came out. Why? Because if what happened to her father was as benign as Alfred said, he should have told her YEARS ago. There is NOT a good reason he should have kept that from her and had that "secret" hanging over their heads, for precisely the reason that someone like Ra's could exploit it. I wouldn't so readily mended fences with Alfred were I Katana.
But as I said, the episode was great. But BOY, I wish Whale was a better strategist. ****1/2.
Under The Dome "Awakening"
Now DAT'S an ending. Frankly, they should have had an ending that big and exciting two weeks ago, but I'll take as much competence from this show as I can get.
I am glad Phil is alive. Seriously relieved. He shouldn't get to die not knowing the truth about Dodie. That wouldn't be fair to Barbie.
There is a SERIOUS flaw in the episode: considering how much the town hates him, it is NOT credible that they would just accept Big Jim becoming sheriff. As crazy as it sounds, the job should have gone to Junior. I feel weird just typing that, but Junior on the show is a completely different person than the Junior in the book: I genuinely believe the one on the show is good deep down. He may eventually be driven over the edge by the end of the series, but as of now, he would be the best choice of sheriff of anyone available. How messed up is that? I really should not be thinking so generously of a creep like Junior after what he did to Angie, but the series (and even Angie!) were basically asking us to forgive him. I'll play along. For now.
Like Heroes, this show can occasionally deliver a good episode. Also like Heroes, that doesn't make it suck any less. ****.
Defiance "Bottom Of The World"
I was shocked when Irisa did that to Tommy. They surprised me good.
I can't believe Treasure Doll thinks her relationship with Alak is anything but what it is. She was purposefully poisoning both him and Christie against each other and she believes he genuinely loves her? What happened to her in the next episode was inevitable.
Quentin is an idiot for telling his mother the truth the way he did. I had no idea he was such a psycho. A smart person would have realized EXACTLY why Rafe did what he did without his mommy having to spell it out for him. The cretin is actually PROUD of the fact that he sent his innocent father to jail, and is dumb enough to think his mother will be pleased.
Good episode. ****.
Defiance "Doll Parts"
I knew one thing the episode did wrong going in, because it is the same problem with ALL Defiance crimes: that the wrong person would wind up paying for Treasure Doll's "murder". It is beyond cliched at this point. Only Datak and Doc Yewell were nabbed for actual things they did in last season's finale. It makes Nolan and Amanda look SUPER incompetent to always be arresting the wrong people.
Still, I love that it was Christie and WHY she did it. Alak seemed a bit shocked that she didn't regret it, but honestly? If I were in her position I wouldn't have regretted it either. Her husband's mistress tried to give her a forced abortion and then beat the snot out of her while she was very pregnant. She had it coming.
Amanda gave Treasure Doll the absolute worst advice I have ever heard a Madame give one of her girls. It's hard to believe that is Amanda's actual profession if she give out such unrealistically stupid advice.
That stuff Irisa said to Nolan hurt. It actually hurt me to hear it. I REALLY hope it was just the AI tech talking. Because if she meant it I'd be depressed. When Tommy got freed from the tech I knew that was a gamechanging moment and that there was a way out for Irisa. But it won't be easy. I hope Tommy survives.
This was a great episode. I can't wait for next week. *****.
Black Jesus "The S*** Heist"
I have decided something. This Jesus is NOT a conman. Whether he's actually Jesus or just a crazy guy, I realized after the gentle way he treated Floyd he was genuine. He truly believes, whatever the truth may be. That was all kinds of awesome.
I don't think Jesus should ever be shown using the N word though. Aaron MacGruder was the same dude who had Martin Luther King use it in an episode of The Boondocks, but the first couple episodes of this show have shown that for all of the foul language, Jesus believes in doing the right thing and basic human decency. There is nothing decent about the N word. At least when MacGruder had King use it, it was SUPPOSED to shock and sound wrong, but Jesus using it so casually is somehow worse. Believe in your premise, man.
I loved the solution to get that guy out of his date. That was the cleverest take I've EVER seen on that. Why? Because the guy REFUSES to put his girlfriend second. He outright turns DOWN the questionable shenanigans in favor of not disappointing the woman he loves. So how does Jesus get him out of there? He creates a scenario is which the dude's GIRLFRIEND had to leave dinner early! Why haven't I ever seen that scene before? It seems REALLY obvious and I kind of think that that isn't something that would ONLY work with Jesus Christ. This isn't the first time the show has completely subverted an expectation like that, and it's probably the best thing about it.
Not as great as the first two weeks. ****.
Community: The Complete Fifth Season
Controversial opinion: Community: Season Five, for the most part, is not necessarily better than Community Season Four. Look in your hearts and you'll know its true.
It bums me to say that, but there are two major reasons I think so:
1. I don't think this season was as great as everybody said and up to the snuff of seasons 1-3.
2. Season 4 was nowhere near as bad as people said. I think people were ticked off at the situation with Dan Harmon and Chevy Chase, and I think reviewed the season MUCH harsher than it would have been if Harmon's name were attached to it. It did in fact deliver two classic episodes ("Cooperative Escapism Into Familial Relations" and "Intro To Knots") and yet this season only delivered three ("Repilot", "Cooperative Polygraphy", and "G.I. Jeff"). Granted, there is a LOT less room for a ton of great episodes in seasons that are only 13 episodes long, but frankly? I could pick out at LEAST 13 episodes that were four and a half star quality and higher in each of the first three seasons (ESPECIALLY seasons two and three). Only four episodes this year that I can say that for.
And you know what? That's fine. Three perfect seasons is unheard of on television, and I never expected the show to be of that high a quality for as long as it was. Three perfect seasons in a row was pretty much unprecedented. I think a LOT of people who rag on the gas leak year seem to forget that.
By the way, thank you Hulu for renewing the show. Now, that means I can't watch it until season six hits DVD, but the show hit "Six Seasons and (possibly) a movie" WITHOUT NBC. Good for them.
Best episodes are the season premiere (Repilot), Pierce's best episode that he didn't even appear in (Cooperative Polygraphy), Shirley's worst showing ever (VCR Maintenance And Educational Publishing), and possibly the best gimmick episode so far (G.I. Jeff). There is actually a bad (for this show) episode on this set (Basic Intergluteal Numismatics). I don't recall an episode this lousy last year but it's been awhile. Season overall: ****.
Repilot:
I was always impressed with this, but looking back on it, it was also a LOT better than I remembered too. And I remembered loving it. It was both a mea culpa from Dan Harmon, and I think an acknowledgment that the "Gas leak year" didn't actually change things that much. It didn't actually change things at ALL. The cartoonish characters that people always complained about were already present for seasons two and three. It's just that since there were more great episodes, we didn't mind. But yeah, it has NOT been lost on me that Britta started out the series as an eclectic anarchist and wound up the group airhead. Thank you? Or that Troy's entire identity became about Abed. That happened LONG before season four. MUCH longer. It was so long ago you could blame owls for Britta sucking at analogies. And it was genius for Harmon to have Chevy Chase come back and do a cameo as a proper last scene. I know NBC didn't renew the show, but based solely on that stunt, it should have. THAT is how you create buzz. Could you imagine if the South Park creators had been smart enough to bury the hatchet with Isaac Hayes rather than burning every last bridge they had with him? Nobody would have stopped talking about Chef returning, rather than being appalled by their low-rent hatred and bile and trying to forget it. And God bless Chase for being smart enough to do it. He basically just said that even if this show isn't his thing, other people like it, and that means it has merit. That is cool. Alan was great this episode. Rob Corddry is a VERY easy actor to hate and he capitalized on his loathsomeness here. Jeff isn't even gonna waste a Winger monologue on him. I like the fact that he slept with his wife's sister so now his complaint is that the whole family won't talk to him. Perspective: Alan does not have it. Another big laugh was Donald Glover calling Zach Braff an SOB and grousing "After all Scrubs has done for him!" Honestly, Troy leaving was a mess, but it was much LESS of a mess than it could have been. For the record, the thing that got the group to turn on Greendale (the rehiring of Chang) as a teacher is actually worse than if there HADN'T been a season four with him in it. Keep in mind all of the criminal stuff he did, he did while Harmon was showrunner. It was Harmon's decision to bring him back as a teacher instead of writing him out of the show, not the Gas Leak Year's producers who (wisely I think) chose to make him claim he wasn't responsible for his actions the year before. I think it was the perfect thing to get the group good and riled up over. I loved the joke of his ankle bracelet's radius being a thirty additional feet from the hunk of wall Chang was carrying's extension cord. I was like "What?!" I love, love, LOVED the 555 number joke. It was probably the best 555 joke I've ever seen. Why? Because it stayed within the reality of the situation while pointing out how unrealistic it is. Just by doing that, I now believe there are only 10,000 different phone numbers in the Communityverse. Abed's reason for never returning Time Bandits to the video store was similarly deep: Nobody else deserved it. And Troy is much sadder than the rest of us and will figure out why soon. I like that the group wasn't mad at Jeff for manipulating them because they had grown to trust him. That's kind of cool. Best line goes to Jeff: "Abed. I already know why you're off-putting." All things considered, this was probably the best season premiere the show ever did. *****.
Introduction To Teaching:
Good, but the days of flawless Dan Harmon seasons are over. The episode took some risks, and failed in some very big ways. First off, let's talk Hickey: good or bad (get it?). I don't think he makes a great first impression here, but you know what? Neither did Troy or Britta in season one. And Harmon is ALREADY giving him layers by making him a failed cartoonist in his first episode. I would have killed for early Troy or Britta to have a quirk that endearing right off the bat. I love that Troy asked if he was the coolest person in the world. Second, I think if that thing with minuses were actually true, a riot would be justified. I don't think riots are usually the answer to anything, but if I were in school and learned that, I'd throw a chair through a window too. Pop PAAAUUUGGGHHHHP!!! Nicholas Cage: good or bad? I actually think the answer is bad. I've seen him in a couple of things I've liked, but none of the things I've liked were because of him. And a good actor would choose better projects. Good for the callback to the Who's The Boss conundrum but the episode REALLY dropped the ball on something: Danny Pudi cannot convincingly play over-the-top insane like Donald Glover and Alison Brie can. Even at his nuttiest Abed is usually subdued, and I think that's the only level of comedy Pudi can handle. I truly felt pained and embarrassed for him here. He was awful. Do you know who wasn't? Kevin Corrigan was terrific as Gerrity. "That was brilliant." I loved the observation that Jeff won the argument with Annie by sitting back and letting her argue with herself. That's kind of deep and I can tell the class was as impressed with that idea as I was. One thing doesn't ring true: the school not being appeased by Jeff's monologue. It was frankly, one of his best, and it was also completely true. I have a VERY hard time believing people would boo it, much less people who LIKE Jeff like Annie, Britta, and Troy. If they were trying to say that Jeff can't monologue his way out of every situation, they shouldn't have given him such a fantastic and compelling one to show it. It's not believable. And what other ways can you use a human head for other than a head? I liked Shirley's smart observation that if someone appears in over 70 movies they may someday accidentally win an Oscar. I also love that she knows Hellraiser. And the Trobed tag with Hickey was one of their best because it was also depressing and real, and they were trapped in a living nightmare. Playtime does NOT usually go so wrong for Trobed. Hickey calling his mother and telling her she couldn't be buried next to his dad was horrifying (and hilarious). I liked Britta complaining that there were no Asians on the committee, Annie brightly bringing up Chang, and Britta muttering that she was only making an observation. I am having a hard time deciding whether this episode is good or bad, but I'm not going to get up on a desk and do a terrible Nic Cage impression over it either. ***.
Basic Intergluteal Numismatics:
A failure on nearly every level. I do NOT think this season is as flawless as fans claim. Yeah, it's good to have Harmon back in the driver's seat. But it STILL isn't as good as seasons 1-3. First off, this episode was badly placed in the season's episode run. It was the lousiest possible scenario to do an episode where Pierce dies. Community can be ridiculous but it has its share of normal sitcommy episodes. They needed to pick one of those. Pierce dying at the end made the episode seem even more pointless than it actually was. Second, there are no stakes for this episode. True, they make Troy a "victim". But that's an afterthought. And as Hickey pointed out, they were spending a lot of money to solve a "crime" that netted the victim 25 cents. It wasn't as bad as people were making it out to be. In the Law and Order episode the yam crime seemed to matter more because it affected Annie and we were rooting for her to solve it. A Fincher parody is not funny. Still, the producers revealed on the commentary the culprit was actually Annie, which made the episode's unresolved ending a little less annoying. Good things? The return of Harmon means the return of people that went with him like Duncan and Starburns. And I like how Abed made fun of Hannibal's Will Graham and refused to play along (which he is NEVER smart enough to do). Hannibal deserves to be mocked more. It does not deserve its critically and fan beloved reputation, especially compared to Community (which is what I'm betting the frustration for that show came from) And I think the scene with the Dean, Jeff, and Annie was the only scene that properly felt like a crime scene show. It was riveting. I had no idea Jim Rash could play the Dean so sternly before. And his pointed observation that Jeff and Annie's relationship is completely inappropriate was crazy-insightful. We ship them, but we shouldn't. "What is THIS? What is this creepy thing?" Go Dean! I loved him snapping his fingers to try to get Rhonda to trace the call and her looking at him blankly. And Neil calling Pierce a great D&D player in his radio eulogy put a lump in my throat. This isn't technically bad television and would be passable on any other show. But Community isn't just any other show. **.
Cooperative Polygraphy:
Also, sperm. Troy and Abed are in mooooouuurning! I love that Troy JUST got that. Tied with "G.I. Jeff" as the best episode of the year. You know what? I'll give it to this one. Because it wasn't a gimmick episode. It was that awesome all on its own. This is definitely Pierce's best episode and he wasn't even in it! I LOOOOOVED those secrets. My favorite revelations are that Abed uses Jeff's movie account and keeps rewriting his review of The Gray, the fact that Shirley calls the rest of the group "those people" when she's alone with Troy, and that Trobed's plans for the zombie apocalypse only include them. But the BEST secret was that Abed planted trackers on everyone and stayed so close to Pierce's body at the funeral because he was trying to retrieve his because they're expensive. "I can't tell by your expressions. Are you mad at me or hungry?" I think it was beyond appalling that Abed was the only person Pierce didn't give an actual gift to. Here's your sperm. But I DID like him confirming to Annie that she was his favorite. Do you know what was funny? Mr. Stone breaking character in the tag and nobody being happy about it. I have to say Dan Harmon constructed the only plausible reason I'd ever believe for Troy to leave Abed. He had a lifelong dream of having millions of dollars and the other thing that Pierce just said. I just hope Donald Glover comes back next year. I loved that Pierce got Jeff a bottle of scotch so he'd be less tempted to drink his sperm. I loved Troy saying "Awesome" to Jeff's reasoning of winning underwear in battle. I also found it VERY funny how everybody held their breath when Abed was asked the question about strangling a squirrel. Abed seemed to be the one person totally unashamed and unapologetic about his actions. That's hilarious. And the fact that he can't stand other people chewing gum is another admission he's on the spectrum. Troy telling people he went to Legoland so they'd think he was cool was funny, as was Britta pointing out that there is an element of suspense at a bris. What I found most interesting was the amount of secrets Pierce knew, and how he never said anything about them before this. He obviously knew Abed planted trackers in everyone, and both didn't say anything, or even have his own removed. That's REALLY thought-provoking. This was the best episode of the season. *****.
Geothermal Escapism:
Troy and Abed in a buuuuuubble! Here's my problem. Tell me I'm nuts. Why does Shirley even HAVE that bubble? Much less in her sandwich shop and already blown up? Something like that would take hours to do. And yet, she has it at the ready. You may be tsk-ing me for trying to apply logic to this cartoony situation, but didn't Jeff JUST say in "Repilot" that the show had gotten too unrealistic and cartoony? Because that was probably the single unlikeliest plot twist the show has done up to that point. And why DO they call it Star Trek instead of Planet Trek anyways? Gotta love LeVar Burton. I thought the single coolest moment was Jeff quietly admitting to Troy he had never left Colorado and that that made Troy cooler than him. Britta is SO getting kickbacks from Big Buzzkill. Hickey was starting to grow on me at this point too, and I notice that they are seeding his disdain for everybody humoring Abed here. I also love that his son is getting gay-married and he is totally okay with it. I totally loved Britta being Jeff's equal in nonsense trash talk. I cannot state enough how big a smile it put on my face to see the group airhead actually making Jeff Winger struggle for an argument. That meant more to me than it probably should have. But it meant a LOT. I also love that 911 has blocked Greendale's calls. This was very enjoyable but I DO have to point out it's a step down from Paintball and Pillows and Blankets. Just because those scenarios seemed plausible. I mean, Hickey riding a tank is cool, but we are just supposed to believe he constructed it in a half an hour without being able to touch the floor? Nah, nah, nah. Do you know what I just realized? Abed starts the episode on the Dean's desk. They seeded that he saw the floor as lava at the beginning of the episode. Great use of "Come Sail Away" at the end too. ****.
Analysis Of Cork-Based Networking:
Honestly? I don't believe Britta would do that to Abed. Not for a second. Not over something that stupid. It was totally out of character. The idea that she was surprised at his reaction is not at all credible either. I'm glad Harmon's back, but this season is NOT inherently better than Season 4. And it's to his credit Harmon knows this. A lesser writer would have basically ignored everything not done under his tenure (I'm looking at you, Steven Moffat) but Harmon is not afraid to take things from the gas leak year (like Coat Check Girl) and bring them back if they worked. Do you know what I loved about Ken Jeong's performance as Chang? Even if we as audience members don't buy it, he plays the break-down moment completely genuinely, and as a legitimate dramatic scene of a distraught man whose entire life is falling apart. My one regret is that John Oliver, Joel McHale, and Yvette Nicole Brown were unable to do that when it was their turn. Maybe they didn't need to because we were now in on the joke, but BOY that would have been something. The other thing I liked about the episode was Annie and Hickey getting to know each other. The idea that brought them together was again ludicrous (they picked the absolute least credible red tape scenario of all time) but even if it didn't work, Annie being insightful about Hickey's hang-ups and Hickey about the system's was fun. Robert Patrick was riveting. He did great. When he said that Annie's father's power came from his lack of hugs I was like: "Wow!" I also loved Paget Brewster being surprised and happy that she could use her position for extortion. "I didn't know we could do that!" Two great Dean Pelton moments: his deciding it "felt right" to tear up the contract (Jim Rash is adorable) and him calling David Bowie a macho rocker. That had me rolling especially because the bisexual glam rocker joke was made earlier in the episode. And Nathan Fillion don't hurt none either. He's a great comedian. The look on his face and voice inflections as he said "Now how can I do that when I'm dealing with this?" were sublime. There is one thing I just realized: this episode is the first time Chang is actually invited into the study room with the group, at least as himself. Sort of a big moment. But the episode is a mixed bag. ***1/2.
Bondage And Beta Male Sexuality:
Buzz Hickey is my new personal hero. We got a good glimpse of Abed without the Troy filter and it wasn't pretty. And you know what? It wasn't out of character either. He SO thought he was in control of that situation and was being manipulative as all get-out. First off, Hickey was right to be mad. Abed didn't care that he wrecked his drawings and needed to be taught a lesson. Nobody ever tells Abed no and someone doing that for the first time made me take a good hard look at Abed. Did you see how easily he came up with those insults against Hickey's cartoons? It made me realize that Abed is a VERY cruel person and that his lovable act is pretty much a put-on. He probably has all of these same horrible thoughts about his friends on the tip of his tongue but never voices them because he wants to manipulate them. I'm on the spectrum and even I can recognize that Abed needs help and he hasn't been getting the right kind from Troy. What a mess. The scene was one of my favorite scenes of the season. I love that Harmon took his most lovable character and said that deep down, Abed is a manipulative butthole who has been getting a free pass from his friends for years. I wonder what the rest of the group would have thought if they witnessed Abed's behavior. I'm betting they'd be appalled and never treat him the same way again. His idea of how to repair the situation was inventive but it wouldn't have been necessary if he wasn't being such a spiteful human being. I did like Hickey telling Abed he now drank scotch. That was funny. With his performance I'm strongly thinking him asking to team up with Buzz to write a screenplay isn't genuine, but just another case of manipulation. Do you know who impressed me besides Hickey? Duncan! I LOVE that he cared enough about Britta to not take advantage of her, and realized the real relationship he should have been trying to fix was his friendship with Jeff. I didn't think he had either of those two things in him and I'm glad that he did. John Oliver was great. Him and Joel McHale have great chemistry, like at the beginning when he was trying to indicate to Jeff he didn't want him to go along, while having to browbeat him into doing so to not to look bad in front of the group. And Jeff not letting him get away with it. That was great acting by them both. I liked Duncan saying that all of the women who liked him, even if he never met any of them, were probably all terrible, as well as his comparisons to Britta and America in decline. And his Dane Cook run with Jeff is classic. Chang's weird Shining subplot was the weak link of the episode. It was weird and stupid and felt tonally wrong with the rest of the story (although the "old timey photo club 2014" was cute). I just noticed that Annie's brother Anthony is in the photo. This episode was pretty great because of Hickey. ****.
App Development And Condiments:
This was MUCH more enjoyable on a second viewing, mostly because I was able to ferret out people's motivations better. For the record, Jeff did NOT owe Shirley an apology. Yes, he was being a control freak. But he was doing it for the right reasons. Shirley was using her newfound power to hurt people. Poor Vicky. I get that Jeff suffers from white privilege and that Shirley has to work at what comes naturally to Jeff. But you know what? Jeff being cool for the sake of being cool is one of the character's most unattractive qualities, so I'm not really seeing where Shirley is coming from by wanting that for herself. And face it. The very reason we EXCUSE Jeff's coolness and ego is the precise reason we love Tina Fey and not Seth MacFarlane, even though they have the exact same shtick of wanting to be loved: there is no malice behind Fey or Jeff. As annoying as Jeff being cool without even trying is, he doesn't use his popularity to hurt other people. Shirley enjoys making other people suffer while Jeff does not. She's Seth and he's Tina. Like Seth, I get why other people would like Shirley. But also like Seth, I personally don't. I sort of understood Jeff's somewhat inexplicable behavior this time out through. Despite his protestations that he HATES meowmeowbeenz, he and Britta didn't actually share the same goals. Britta wanted to take down the entire system. Jeff only wanted to take down Shirley. But I found his bummed reaction at the end of the episode to be frankly inconsistent with his behavior leading up to it. That should not have been an "I hope you're happy" moment for him. That was a "By any means necessary" achievement of Jeff's goals. He should have been elated. His reaction should have been that of a suicide bomber greeting 78 virgins in the afterlife. He wanted to get Shirley and he got her GOOD. The Britta mustard face joke still makes no sense. They said it made Britta seem "less intense" and therefore easier to listen to? That's nonsense. Nobody takes Britta seriously precisely because she FAILS at being intense. Everyone can tell she doesn't actually have the force of her convictions. They ignore her because they aren't buying what she's selling. They aren't scared off by her commitment. It is in fact, the exact opposite. And when did Mitch Hurtwitz become a rock star? Yes, Arrested Development is awesome. But I'd feel similarly weird if someone cast as schlub like Dan Harmon as the hottest guy on campus. The other inconsistent reaction I didn't like was having Hickey get aboard the craze, no matter the reason. I'm sure it wasn't written as big of a deal as it was, but Jonathan Banks made some VERY interesting acting choices in showing his disgust for meowmeowbeenz at the beginning of the episode, that shouldn't have been undone. He doesn't seem to just be disgusted. He seems genuinely shocked and upset, and offended on a very deep and personal level. He was SO offended you could tell by the look in his eye, that he actually regretting serving his country, a country that allowed something like this to happen. It was the reaction of a man being completely devastated to the point of questioning every decision he's ever made. I'm sure the scene wasn't WRITTEN like that, but once Banks played it like that, they should have rewritten his entire role in the episode. But this is definitely better the second time around even if Starburn's disgusting nipple rings are no less revolting. I can't decide on a best line. Probably a three way tie between "And 1's don't get a rhyme, because they're garbage", "I like your optimism, Garrett", and "I've been getting a lot more email and trust me, my penis needs no enlargement." I love that this episode both put Abed in his element, and made the entire universe fit him so completely that he wound up hating it. That is SO Abed. "You people are monsters." Heh. Two more great Jeff observations: that everyone dressed in gray looked like the before portion of a Starburst commercial, and Jeff saying that if Abed was happy, he was unsettled. Good episode. ***1/2.
VCR Maintenance And Educational Publishing:
Paul Williams! Whenever Jeff Winger says "Hold on. Everybody slow down. Let's just talk about this...", you know something VERY bad is about to happen. This episode illustrates a truth about conservatives like Shirley that no-one seems willing to talk about. It is SUCH an obvious flaw with religious fundamentalists, that if secularists weren't so concerned with not hurting Christians' baby-feelings because of some liberal need to "play fair", they would screaming it from the rooftops: atheists and agnostics are inherently more moral that religious people. By far. The fact that liberals have allowed fundies to constantly claim the opposite is just a TRAGIC circumstance of liberals sucking at messaging. Because it is true. And I say this as someone who has dabbled both in spirituality and being an agnostic, but for me? I think an atheist living a life cleanly and nicely, and in fact doing non-religious charity work, is probably someone more likely to get into Heaven than a Christian who only attends Church bakes sales because they're afraid of going to Hell if they don't. It has been hinted that Shirley is an alcoholic. Her fundamentalist nature is SO over-the-top, unpleasant, and judgmental of other people, that she could only be a convert. She wasn't always this way. She bottomed out and this was her last resort. She's Stephen Baldwin. She NEEDS the idea of an invisible person in the sky telling her what to do because it is in fact HARD for her not to do bad things. There is no point in being good unless you believe that by doing so you will be rewarded an eternity in paradise where your every whim and desire will be fulfilled. That is the fundamentalist point of view. Atheists don't HAVE that to look forward to, so every single atheist, plowing through life, trying to do the right thing, and leave the world a little better than before they got there, is definitely a better person than someone who believes if you hate the right people, you will be rewarded with The Rapture. And honestly? It isn't hard to do the right thing and live a moral life. At all. It's actually really easy and shouldn't trouble a good person in the slightest. That fact that a LOT of Christians describe morality as a "struggle" just shows that they have a complete lack of perspective. Fundies act like being nice is SUCH a chore and hard work, that you start to think that they actually believe that is normal, instead of insane. It's no big thing not to break the law or hurt other people deliberately. It is NOT a "Cross to bear". It's SUPER easy. And like I said, it is SUCH an obvious truth that the episode brilliantly demonstrated, that you'd figure would actually gain traction with not only atheists, but liberals in general (even Christians). The idea of religious fundies calling ATHEISTS immoral is such a sickening lie that it is shocking nobody has ever really pushed back on it, especially since the opposite is true. If Bill Maher were truly as smart as he thinks he is, he would end every one of his shows with a two-sentence version of that message. It could be the same kind of bit as Bob Barker telling people to neuter their pets at the end of The Price Is Right. Because until more people hear that truth, and hear it over and over again, Christians are going to continue to be able to get away with bloody murder and never be called on it. Shirley is in fact, a dirtbag and a terrible person. Unless she believes she better than somebody else, and that God will reward her for her "acts" of virtue, she can't sleep at night. You may think this makes me HATE Shirley and find her despicable. I don't. I find it humanizing and relatable. Shirley's answer that there WAS no moral to be learned from that experience was the biggest lie she ever told. The actual moral that Shirley has borderline criminal and sociopathic thoughts bubbling beneath the surface kind of makes me feel REALLY bad for her. That is NO way to go through life, and I imagine that deep down, Shirley is a VERY unhappy person. Yvette Nicole Brown was amazing. She commanded the screen the second she put herself in charge. Her negotiations with Britta and Jeff were awesome, especially her calmly calling Britta's demand of fifty percent "silly". I also unreservedly love Annie's brother. First for him insightfully pointing out to Abed that Rachel just dumped him, just in case it wasn't clear to anyone witnessing that mess, and then him disgustedly rebuking Annie when she tried to make his leaving all about their relationship with their mother: "Screw you. What did I have to do with Mom? I was thirteen." God, I want that character to return. That is SUCH an insightful thing to say in only a few words, that told you everything you needed to know about how that guy viewed his sister's many hang-ups. He's not going to play along with her fantasies. And on this show that is a REALLY big deal. The other Anthony scenes I liked were Abed making fun of him not knowing whether to continue to cut carrots when he wanted to poop, and him creepily mirroring Abed's smile right back at him. And Rachel was right. The way Abed made up to her WAS adorable. He was never in any real danger of losing her if he kept doing stuff like that. I'm also glad that the episode noted that with Troy gone Annie and Abed would start having problems. But I REALLY wish that they had just outright called it what it was: sexual tension. I think THAT was the thing that Rachel objected to (she's a smart cookie) and I'm betting Alison Brie and Danny Pudi's chemistry with each caught the writers of the episode off-guard. Also give it up for the rapping Dean. I don't know where that came from either. Best moment was probably the tag with Vince Gilligan's hot wife giving him increasingly tragically bad career and life advice. That was some dark, subversive stuff right there. Do you know what I've noticed about Ken Jeong as Chang? Whenever Chang tries to pretend he's sane, Jeong plays it REALLY unsettling. As if a sane Chang is the craziest of all. Best line goes to Rachel: "Are we sure this isn't some sort of art film?" You know what? This episode was fantastic. ****1/2.
Advanced Advanced Dungeons & Dragons:
Dan Harmon was VERY unhappy with the episode, mostly for the reasons Abed stated at the beginning. They'd make a sequel and unlike every other sequel ever made it would be bigger and better than the first! Except it wasn't. Sort of. Harmon seems on the fence whether this was a good episode or not but deeply resents it for it throwing off the rhythm of the rest of the season. But you know what? I was probably the only Community fan who was VERY unhappy with the first D&D episode. Pierce was just insufferable during it, and turned what should have been a fun outing into an act of humiliation for poor Neil. This episode? The stuff between Hickey and his son was fun! I don't really care if the effects or "action" sequences are a step down, I was actually able to enjoy this. I loved the Dean's impaled hug of Jeff and Joel McHale's expression was worth the price of admission. Dear Lord! Worth it! But my favorite scene was the one of Hickey interrogating Abed pretending to be two Goblins. I liked the scene for two reasons: First, you can tell Abed LOVED it, and never in his wildest dreams thought he'd get to do something that awesome in a D&D game. The other reason was that it was the only time (outside of the end) that Hickey seemed to enjoy the game for what it could do, and realized that role-playing games can pretty much fit into anybody's wheelhouse if they let them (and have a good Dungeon Master). I don't know if a ton of Dungeon Masters would be as open to crossing genres as Abed was here. But Abed just proved they SHOULD be. It would make the game a lot more fun. I think every D&D player should send Dan Harmon a thank you note. He proved (MUCH more than the first outing) how fun the game could potentially be if you relaxed the rules a bit. The first episode didn't do that. In fact it did the opposite. When Pierce was breaking the rules he was ruining the game, and the game only got back on track when everybody agreed what the logic of the rules were. This game was fun from start to finish and nobody ruined anything. Abed's behavior as Dungeon Master was fascinating. He correctly noted that he would be a bad Dungeon Master if he helped, and that he owed Hickey and Hank nothing at the end, and that it was their own poor planning that allowed the Necromancer to escape. I loved him telling Hickey to learn his character and take the game more seriously because his son did. I also loved the idea that Hank never went to Aunt Rachel's at Christmas and Thanksgiving because his father was there and he would if he wasn't. That is another thing much like Annie's brother's "Screw you", that let you know volumes about a previously unseen character in the space of a few sentences. I love it when Community gives the guest actors meat and real depth. It makes the world MUCH more credible. David Cross did a surprisingly good job with the dark dramatic bits. When he says his father was at a place that "rhymes with not there" I felt for the dude. I also really loved the expression on Chang's face as Dingleberry died. He looked up innocently while holding up his hands in a helpless manner, which is a precise image I've seen from a lot of fantasy elf deaths (even though Dingleberry's a troll). This was a good one. ****.
G.I. Jeff:
A classic. So much fun stuff. I loved Britta's observation that all of the Joe characters either look like serial killers or strippers. The messed up thing is that goes for the men too. Those vintage toy commercials were the best part of the episode. When I first saw the first one I thought they had simply reaired an actual one until Wingman makes an appearance. I cannot overstate how much I loved them. Wingman sliding rocks on Fourth-Wall after he says they were in a toy commercial, and Abed saying it didn't hurt because it wasn't real was hysterical, as was the last ad with the kids getting freaked out by the toys moving on their own. And hey! The same guy DID do He-Man commercials! The moral of Fourth-Wall teaching Buzzkill how to make proper P.S.A.'s was great too. Unfortunately it's a lesson the old show should have taken. I loved everybody's shocked reactions to Destro's death and Jeff easily guessing it was the Overkill in the middle who was the real one. And Chang forgets he's Chinese and thinks he's Korean because of course he does. I think the funniest observation was at the beginning: That Cobra attacking a tourist destination made little sense from a tactical point of view (the Taj Mahal has no strategic value), and also that the Taj Mahal is in India. Why is that the Joes' problem? Take notes Futurama: this is how you do an authentic cartoon parody. I laughed that the episode played up the homoerotic overtones of Cobra Commander and Destro. I also loved Duke taking a dig at Cobra Commander's lisp and Cobra Commander saying he looked like an Aryan foosball figure. *****.
Basic Story:
Sory, Dan Harmon. I think the two-part finale, which you rag on in the commentaries, is actually pretty good. But seriously. NBC did this show NO favors by acting as if the Jeff / Britta proposal was a big deal forward for them instead a case of two characters making a big mistake. I do not get NBC's promotional decisions. It's a wonder someone still watches their network at all. That jokes about 5 of the 6 deaths from vending machines were by the inspectors testing it was hilarious, (and you'd figure probably true) as was Hickey saying that he's seen insurance appraisers bleed and that their blood is "darker". That tag between Hickey and Duncan was fabulous. I loved them being relieved they weren't father and son, and then uneasily realizing they may be related after all. Abed called Troy and Britta "boring". You know what? I never thought of it like that, but that's true. Jeff's analogy to Greendale's fear of crisis being like a Hurricane Katrina dog refusing to be picked up was interesting. I loved the Dean sunnily telling everyone over the loudspeaker that he loved them and everyone chirping they loved him right back. As I said, Jim Rash is adorable. I groaned at the joke that Greendale had its first anti-segregation / civil rights march in 1987. Best line goes to Hickey: "When I get over there, you are going to hear two sounds: me hitting you... twice." The Subway "bread" run was great too. Subway never answered the question. We're waiting. They just made Annie's joke more hilarious. I love that Carl and Richie seem to have full lives and backstories with each other than we are not privy too. They have never been funnier than in this two part finale. Great first part. ****.
Basic Sandwich:
I think the President of Subway getting up and leaving when Chris Elliott went to shake his hand was what I thought was a pretty good summation of Greendale's relationship to the real world in general. I love Abed telling Russell the three least comforting things a hippie who spent 40 years underground could hear (that Dennis Hopper was dead, TV theme songs no longer existed, and that Woody Allen played a cartoon ant), and then introducing him to cat pictures. "That is so... STUPID!" Annie was right. Russell was one of them. I love Jeff mindlessly clocking him. He forgot how big he was getting. And Hickey WAS thinking of a hang glider because of course he was. I love that Carl and Richie have been slowly revealed over time to be completely insane. Brady Novak is amazing as Richie. "I robbed your brain. I ROBBED it." What a great line reading. "Don't worry, I've been drinking." SMASH! Boy, that scene of Jeff blowing up the computer makes you even MORE embarrassed at how badly NBC blew last week's ship. But NBC got theirs at the end. Duncan has a building shaped penis. Let's all look at the freak. Bionic Woman won an Emmy? What is wrong with society when THAT has an Emmy and Joel McHale doesn't? I love that both Jeff and Pelton are on Team Sutherland. Jim Rash pretending to choke was comedy gold. There is an actor who commits. I love that the 70's are outside of Abed's wheelhouse. And Abed was right. Annie was TOTALLY going to lean in to kiss him. That's not even a question. Abed, stop developing! Why DID the Goonies always talk over each other anyways? Carl was SO Dean Wormer at the end. "It's called Wednesday!" Heh. Chang's diamond teeth were hilarious too. I'm just glad the Earth didn't blow up after all. Thank you, Hulu. This deserves a much better reputation than Harmon claims for it. ****. Two Part Average: ****.
Re-Animating the 80's:
Killing Destro was the best way to open the episode. And Dan Harmon wryly notes, they probably killed themselves over the episode for nothing, and that most people watching it wouldn't care about the level of authenticity. Do you know who thinks like that? The Futurama producers. As great as the cartoon parodies on that show are, you can tell it isn't QUITE right enough to fit in with whatever classic style they're spoofing. The producers of that show seem to be perfectly content in making their parodies SORT of like that. Community made it EXACTLY like that. The idea that Futurama made their version of G.I. Zapp so bloody and fatally violent just tells me they never saw the show. The producers of Community know that no-one ever dies on that show. Because they've actually seen it. In G.I. Jeff, the only thing that feels weird is the widescreen. One of the producers noted that when they filmed the commercials the kids didn't know how to hold the action figures when they played with them. That's would be depressing if it wasn't a truth I had already been aware of for years. ****1/2.
Outtakes:
Jonathon Banks is exactly as grouchy in real life as I could have hoped. The universe feels right. ****.
Advanced Television Production, 5 Days, 2 Scripts, No Sleep:
This was the longest and most boring Community featurette I've ever seen. Only two (brief) things of interest: Ken Jeong (correctly) noting that Dan Harmon coming back meant that he was able to stretch as an actor for the first time in his career, and Danny Pudi and Jonathan Banks rehearsing Abed's despicable meltdown scene. That was cool. The rest of the feature was a drag. *.
DVD Menus: Better than last season but I miss the beautiful animated main menus from seasons 1-3. **1/2.