series rewatch discussion post: s02e22 - s0301
Season 2, Episode 22 - Applied Anthropology and Culinary Arts
While taking the final in Anthropology class, Shirley goes into labor. Jeff and Britta help get together help for her and Chang gets anxious in anticiaption of the baby's arrival. Greendale hosts a World Food Festival in the parking lot and a riot breaks out.
Season 2, Episode 23 - A Fistful of Paintballs
Once again a paintball tournament is held in the halls and classrooms of Greendale Community College. Taking a western turn, the study group makes unlikely allegiances whilst trying to survive the backstabbing of disloyal companions and the mysterious stranger who is hunting them down.
Season 2, Episode 24 - For a Few Paintballs More
The game of paintball continues at Greendale as new intruders arrive. Even with their arguments about strategies to defeat the enemy, the group must unite to win the reward of $100,000.
Season 3, Episode 1 - Biology 101
As the new school year starts, the group is back together and choice to take Biology. Jeff and their ex-convict Biology teacher instantly start off on a bad foot, which leads to strife within the group. Meanwhile, Senor Chang is living in the air vents and is given a new position of authority from the Dean, who has to make cut-backs due to the intimidating Vice-Dean's choice on spending arrangements.
Reminder: No bashing of other characters, ships or fans. Gifs, graphics, recs and other fan creations in relation to these episodes are encouraged in the comments. Be civil and respectful in all discussions and have fun!
Alright, alright, alright... Last stretch of season two and the first inklings of season three! We made it, guys! So, I solemnly swear to be kinder in my opinions. I can't express my lack of interest or my dislike without writing six paragraphs. For at least this entry. Given how little I actually said about Paradigms, itself, I will also try to practice brevity. Now on to the episodes.
Applied Anthropology and Culinary Arts
I found myself grinning right away as the episode started and I think it was just the music. In doing the rewatch, I am rediscovering and falling in love with Community all over again. The music cued and endorphins flowed and I smiled and thus, a love story was born. (What was that about brevity, you say?) But to be fair, music aside, the episode starts with Annie trying to be studious and getting paper balls thrown at her at Duncan's urging. It's a strong start. It's humourous, it has a callback, and it leads into Jeff looking right at Annie as he announces that Anthro is the ultimate blow-off class. If you recall, Anthro was Annie's suggestion, so, it's clearly as galling to her as the idea of everyone getting As, regardless of effort. It's those little details that really lend itself well to the ins and outs of character work, for me. We know Annie's studious, we know she's ambitious, and competitive. And we know that Jeff is a jerk who isn't above rubbing salt in the wound.
So, question, I recently had a discussion with some friends who insisted that Britta was dumbed down to the point of idiocy. Now, I know that's actually accepted as fact in fandom but the degree to which it's accurate is sometimes debated. The connectedness-with-their-bodies-you-have-a-booger exchange with Jeff.. What's your opinion? Personally, second season was when I really started liking Britta. She became as fallible as anyone else in the study group and she was funnier, in general. I think it built on her S1 characterisation while significantly softening her edges but I do see people's point. I just happen to think that shift toward "stupid" Britta happened more in S3 when they, perhaps, overcorrected. Do you think Britta was best in S1? Did she change the most in S2, S3? There is (was?) a Britta appreciation day happening on Tumblr, so I've been thinking about her character a lot today.
This has never really been one of my favourite episodes. The reason for this is two-fold. Well, three-fold, and only one of the reasons is new to this rewatch. I'll be succinct. My first issue (the one new to this rewatch) is the scene when Pierce tells Troy to "earn your money, whore!" which is meant to be funny because it parallels Troy having to give up his handshake for money to someone who is being paid (and apparently, is unwilling?) for sexual favours. I mentioned this in the comments last week but I work in a helping profession and I've focused (both academically and professionally) on counselling and social issues so it bothered me this time around because not only did I think it wasn't funny but I also thought it was tasteless. The second issue is pretty minor in retrospect. This episode focuses pretty heavily on the Jeff/Britta dynamic which, I know, some people love but I am not a huge fan of. He makes fun of her, she insults him, they bicker, rinse and repeat. Given the episode prior reveals they were secretly sleeping together, I was nonplused the first I watched. Now, while I'm still not a fan, it bothers me much less. How did you feel about their interactions, in light of Paradigms?
Finally, and this issue continues to bother me, this episode while ostensibly about Shirley actually ends up being mostly about Britta. To be honest, I've never been Shirley's biggest fan. I get the impression that Dan Harmon didn't really know what to do with her after S1. The entire pregnancy storyline was Shirley-centric on the surface but it concerned (and gave screentime to) people like Andre, Chang, and Britta far more frequently. Consider that this criticism is coming from someone who, though I do now love Shirley, would not pick her as my favourite character. And yet, I still think it's crappy that so much of her big overarching plot this season is more about other people where she's just the catalyst for their story or development. That really sucks for her as a character. Please, share your Shirley-related feelings. I'm curious as to how other people saw this plot line.
One of the last J/B bits is Jeff trying to give Britta a pep talk which (just like S1's Romantic Expressionism) has her bringing up the possibility of motherhood, which Jeff then shoots down and laughs at. Specifically, it goes like this.
Britta: "Are you saying I'll be a good mom?"
Jeff: "Whaaat? No! Man, you will really force anything, won't you?"
I don't know if there's an exchange that better exemplifies why I can't ship these two even if I occasionally experience an 'mmm' moment with them. Jeff is casually cruel to her and Britta is constantly undermining him. To be fair, Shirley and Britta and Annie and Britta (okay, I'm noticing Britta as a common factor in this) are sometimes like this too. I don't know if it's a purposeful choice or not, that this happens so frequently with Britta but it really doesn't seem to happen quite so frequently or so cuttingly with Shirley and Annie. And Shirley and Britta often end up apologising, where Jeff just moves on. Am I seeing things that aren't there? Let me know, I'm sincerely interested in people's take on this. Oh, and in ending, I loved every scene with the Dean.
A Fistful of Paintballs
I remember loving this episode pretty unequivocally. The opening alone (the credits too) is just amazing. It probably doesn't seem this way but Annie isn't my favourite character but because she's a young female character, I can't help but feel a shade protective of her and this episode? This episode finally lets her get her due. She isn't dressed immaturely, she gets to be aggressive and honest and a badass. It's awesome. Plus, they did a fantastic job with the western tropes. As someone who isn't the biggest fan of spaghetti westerns (I had to watch Once Upon a Time in the West [Dir. Leone,1968] for a class and thought I was going to die trying to get through it), I loved what they did. The title cards are, perhaps, one of my favourite affectations. Were there are any particular details that you really dug?
Jeff and Annie's interaction in this episode is pretty stellar because I think it helps set the tone going forward. Annie doesn't take his guff or cave to his pouty guilt trips. This is, to me, actually key. If you want to argue power imbalances, Annie is demonstrating that she can not only see Jeff's bullshit and call him on it, but that she doesn't bend to his petty or selfish entreaties. Jeff, on the other hand, usually does cave to Annie's (slightly more) altruistic pleas because they're most often about being a better person (where his are most often about being a worse person) so... Does any of that make sense? To be fair, I just started typing as I was thinking about it, she says defensively. The only thing that bothered me in this interaction is the way Jeff worded his admonition (?) about Pierce, "And the last time I checked, you were the last one feeling sorry about it." His tone seems to imply she wasn't feeling sorry about but his words are meant literally - she was the last hold out. I found that confusing but I get it if it was only me who did.
Let's talk about the Black Rider for a minute. I loved him. I like Josh Holloway (weird to say for someone who has never seen an episode of Lost, right?) and he was clearly meant as a rival for Jeff/someone for Annie to flirt with. In an episode that essentially celebrates (even if it also objectifies) Annie, I really appreciated that she basically had two guys to exchange witty repartee with. Annie deserves that, you know? It was also nice to see a guy who could, in looks and personality, go head to head with Jeff Winger (and maybe even win). That doesn't really happen on the show because the study group always, always chooses Jeff (and most frequently, that's whose attention he's competing for anyway). So it's nice to see the Black Rider for a multitude of reasons. Did you hate him? Love him? Think his jaw was *too* square?
Oh, P.S., was it just me or did the confrontation scene have some intentional similarities to S1's paintball ep? Troy was in a garbage can this time! Someone's always in a garbage can... I actually really liked the teams that developed in this episode. Jeff and Annie have great chemistry and Abed is a strong enough personality to counterbalance their romantic/sexual energy. Britta and Shirley have great interplay and Troy adds enough whimsy to keep them from spiralling into nitpicking fights. How'd you feel about those team dynamics? Of course, then you have Pierce on the sidelines, a one-man team. I loved his defense of Vicki which was, for obvious reasons, rather ironic. I must say that I didn't really foresee his betrayal of Jeff. Like, I was vaguely suspicious of him but I didn't really figure out how it would go down at all. This is the scene where they go meta and identify Pierce's season-long arc of villainy. Did you predict the downward development of Pierce the Dickish? Another P.S., did Pierce just tell the group the same thing Britta said to Jeff in the S1 paintball ep? Yes, yes, he did.
I don't think I ever previously caught Troy's joke about needing to pump. That's why this show is worth rewatching a thousand times. Anyway, I didn't love that moment between Jeff and Annie. He reaffirms that she's a "good kid" and he wants to help her stay that way. Like, okay, whatever, Jeff. This time last year, you guys were making out, so maybe take your phooey and shove it? However, about twenty seconds later, we get an acknowledgement of how badass Annie is, so, did it balance for you? Or did you even care one way or another about the scene prior?
Immediately, after, is Annie's one-on-one scene with the Black Rider. So, there's a lot of stuff that i just never picked up on in this scene. Annie (and boy, does Alison Brie look like she wants to laugh), as far as I can tell, tries to recreate her dynamic with Jeff. She calls him on trying to fluster her with his handsomeness and tells him it won't work because he's creepy. Well, she did say Jeff was gross in Paradigms. Except that Black Rider doesn't consider himself creepy for being attracted to Annie, so he calls her on the lie. This is my take on the scene this go-round and you can't convince me otherwise. I shall assume it's meta-commentary from here on out and that's that.
The scene with Pierce is pretty affecting. Episodes like Competitive Wine Tasting notwithstanding, S2 really was a truly excellent season of TV overall. This is yet another example, in a season rife with them, of how to do pathos properly. Pierce is angry. But more than that, Pierce is hurt. And the group is suddenly (but not really, because Pierce chose a crappy time to do it) forced to confront their roles in his downfall. And then he fakes a heart attack and Black Rider, who was criminally underused, is out of the game. It's interesting to note that Pierce's underhanded and unfair tactics are mostly what wins the game. Playing above board and being good at it doesn't actually do Annie or Abed or anyone any favours. Was it at all a surprise that Annie admitted they were voting on Pierce? I find it really intriguing that there is obviously and clearly so much that goes on behind the scenes that we, as viewers, don't get to see since the show isn't on 24/7. It's one of my favourite things about being in fandom that we get to fill in the blanks with whatever we want.
But I digress. I'm assuming, looking back, that the "Too late, Bean Allergy. You blew it." is a joke that I'm just now getting. I appreciate deeply that Dan Harmon and his writer's room were not above making sophisticated fart jokes in 2010. And though it might be obvious by now, if you've read through last week's comments section, I definitely ship Annie/Black Rider. Anyone else with me? The episode ends with Chang getting his comeuppance (deeply satisfying) and the beginning of the Star Wars parody. Another trilogy of movies I haven't seen but get the gist of...
For a Few Paintballs More
One of the things I most love about these two episodes is how many tiny bit characters come back. We see Vicki, Neil, Garrett, Leonard, Starburns, but also, truly minor characters like Pavel, Red Haired Guy, Mike the bully, etc. It's such good world-building. It's a lot of fun to do these discussions for me (because I get a soapbox to stand on, you ask) because I get to gush about all the stuff that I remember making Community great for me the first time around. Please, I beg of you, do the same in the comments.
So, they point out right off the bat that they've left the western motif and are entering the Star Wars theme right away. I don't recall Community being so utterly meta and practically breaking fourth wall but I suppose, I just didn't pay as much attention. Is that something that stood out to you too? Oh, when Abed called dibs on Han Solo (good call, Abed), he winks at Annie who makes a face. Abed's initial Han Solo impression wasn't doing it for her, please note. But oh my god, do I ever love the Dean in these two episodes. He's just such a fan of Jeff and the study group. And while his conduct is mostly inappropriate as a dean, he hadn't yet crossed the line into creepy and invasive that he waltzes right on by in bits of S3 and... All of S4. Out of curiosity, is anyone not a dean fan at this point?
What do you guys think of the conflict between Troy and Jeff? Long time coming, too easily resolved, didn't care for it? Personally, I think it was great that Troy stepped up to challenge Jeff. In introducing Inspector Spacetime and this fictional universe where there's a clear hero-and-sidekick, S3 effectively pigeonholed Troy into a supporting role, I think, and the show flat-out acknowledged that in the excellent Pillows and Blankets. In S2, Troy was still a leader and his maturing meant that he didn't always want to follow Jeff (or Abed). I actually wish they had explored it more and taken more time with the plot.
And that brings us to Annie/Abed... It's funny because I ship Annie with a lot of people but I don't find much chemistry between her and Troy (though I don't object to the pairing) and I don't think Annie and Abed make sense because I sincerely believe they want different things from life and relationships but when Abed hits on Annie (as Han Solo), she rejects him. She says she wants an adult conversation but he seems to win her over by telling her that she needs more immaturity. I'm just spitballing here, but do you think that was an effective line because someone was finally telling Annie that being immature or wanting/needing immaturity was okay? She's been shot down and condescended to on the basis of her perceived immaturity quite a lot (especially in the last few episodes), so someone telling her that it's okay, in fact, encouraged, seems like it would be something to get her on board. Any theories about Annie/Abed that you want to share? After the fact, she tells him she doesn't think he's immature but... Can't he be immature and great? When they do their big kiss (won't lie, I was kind of digging it for a minute), he tells her he won't be Han Solo after they die and I think that's a big part of why they don't work long-term as a couple. Abed doesn't turn off his weird - that's his default setting. Annie turns hers on, which would be exhausting for her to match Abed's energy, I imagine.
Anyway, going back for a minute... Not that it matters whatsoever, but I noticed the staging changed without any real reason right after Troy explains his plan and the fighting breaks out. The entire time, Britta was standing beside Jeff, and when the arguing begins, Annie is standing beside him with Britta in the background. It's not something that matters but it popped out at me. I'm not really the person who notices staging, you know?
One of the most enjoyable things about this episode is that everyone gets a chance to be a hero. Vicki, Magnitude, Quendra, Shirley, Britta, Abed and Annie, Troy... Even Leonard. And then there's Pierce. Real talk, what did you think we going to happen the first time you watched this episode? Did you think Pierce was going to come through? And can anyone tell me what they were chanting? The episode ends on a surprisingly dramatic note. It seems like Pierce is willingly to give them a shot with his speech about acceptance and then, bam! He tells them he's done. (If anyone is keeping track, the Black Rider said they were all terrible people.) I would never have imagined that someone leaving the study group, not even the show, the group, could be so dramatic and terrifying. But there you go.
Biology 101
Well, this episode starts out spectacularly. The opening number is colourful and catchy and promising. (Spoiler alert: they never sleep together, which is one broken promise too many. Pierce rejoins the group within the first three minutes so kudos to the writers for not leaving us hanging, right? I wasn't wholly impressed with the way they decided to resolve the situation which was to, effectively, ignore the dramatics that came before. But then, the group is pretty excellent at that and sometimes that's just the way it goes. I didn't notice it before but Jeff spends a lot of this episode in his own head/fantasy. In the first five minutes alone, he needs to be roused twice.
Now, once they get to class, Annie starts questioning what they just did - the decision to, basically, continue excluding Pierce and follow Jeff. It wasn't really subtle but the first time I watched, I did not realize that they were setting Jeff up to be the villain of his own story. They do a really good job of it, given the run time 21.5 minutes which includes denouement and credits. For instance, I would totally be Annie when Jeff's phone keeps ringing. The person who is experiencing second-hand embarassment and a keen sense of 'ugh, who does that?!?' I did feel for Jeff, just a little, when he was told not to come back. That's an extremem response. I respect him getting kicked out but there's making an example of someone and then there's overkill. Your feelings about Dr. Marshall Kane?
They really went whole hog on the Cougar Town joke, huh? It starts in Conspiracy Theories and Interior Design and then just trails, trails all the way into S3. It's a slight plot but, I have to admit, I enjoyed it. And the Britta/Abed interaction sets the stage really well for their coming "therapeutic" relationship. In that same scene, Jeff stalks in, assuming they're switching classes, a notion of which Annie debases him. I loved that she called his bluff because, well, someone had to do it. It really seemed like right from the get-go in S3 they had walked back from the Jeff/Britta path and firmly decided to head in the general direction of Jeff/Annie, didn't it? She even looks at him with faux-concern which he can't really contradict with looking like a giant ass. I have to admire his commitment to the cause.
It occurs to me that it's not the security team's fault that they didn't check the air vents for people. Because why should you have to do that? But, should they really have sealed the vents off with plastic and duct tape? Beside the point, I guess. Jeff is awfully entitled this episode, isn't he? I like how he just casually takes the picture on his professor's desk and runs. And his own strange, made-up obsession leads to Chang (a person who likely has some actual, real psychological issues) stealing said picture and a jaunt through the air vents. Basically, Jeff has nobody to blame for this entire mess but himself. It's such a neatly packaged story that I don't think I ever quite appreciated the direct and detailed storytelling behind it.
Jeff's reappearance in the study room is strange to me because if you came across a friend, entirely covered in some kind of white powder, in the middle of the day at school or work (and neither you nor they worked in a kitchen), wouldn't you ask what was going on? Why they were covered in white powder? The only concession they make is that Annie acknowledges he's gone off the deep end, which, white powder or no, is very obvious. I thought the resolution scene was weird in that same way. Annie can't forgive Jeff because he attacked the table with an axe... There's no doubt that's scary and maybe it triggered her or maybe she just doesn't tolerate violent people in her life but it doesn't seem to jive with a lot of what we know about Annie. I, just, never really understood why she asked him to stop being her friend. Jeff doesn't react much which, to be fair, he's pretty far gone on monkey gas.
What do you think about Pierce's sudden (and rather magnanimous) decision to take the fall for Jeff? It seemed... Out of character. This goes back to my wish that they'd explored the whole Pierce leaving debacle a bit more. His character shift (or reboot, whatever you prefer) doesn't work for me because we never really get to see it happen. In this case, it's more of a tell than show. The episode ends quietly, the gears slowly turning toward the plot arcs involving Vice Dean Laybourne and Chang. I can't say I didn't enjoy the Vice Dean's introduction because John Goodman does a superb job playing darkly menacing despite saying the most ludicrous dialogue. When the episode ended, were you looking forward to the bright and sunny future ahead of us?