Community

[LMP]

If only THE BRIE! showed up on Always Sunny you'd be 3 for 3.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

My friends, I'm way more excited for tonight's episode of this show than I probably should be.

Thursday!

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

So far I'm liking it . Favorite lines thus far:

"Excuse me, sir? You're all he needs"

and

"That's your Carson?"
"Jon Stewart."
"You depress me"



Angela

 

[Imperor]

First half didn't even record for some reason. G-d damn it.

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

Aw. That sucks, I'm sorry . It'll be up online soon, though, so there's that .

Angela

 

[PhilsFan]

I missed the first half of it as well.

 

[mobvok]

After what I thought was an amazing season premiere, this episode bobbled the ball a little with how it handled Jeff. I can rationalize how a summer away from the study group and close contact with his law firm would cause Jeff to backslide and reinforce some of his worse habits, but I didn't like how abruptly the show handled it, and his "redemption".

Not really sure how I feel about Chang and the break-dancing.

Happily, though, the other set pieces in the episode like Annie's charades, Annie's chloroform, Annie's boobs, and the credits tag were awesome. It feels like the show is at full power in bringing the funny.

 

[PhilsFan]

Troy and Abed are the best.

 

[Imperor]

The way Cheezy hopped around after Annie chloroformed the janitor was amazing. On that topic, Annie stoically staring forward and pouring more on the rag at the end of the office party was the best non-Gogurt-related laugh of the night.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but was this not the first episode to have a big chunk of it take place other than Greendale?

 

[mobvok]

The way Cheezy hopped around after Annie chloroformed the janitor was amazing. On that topic, Annie stoically staring forward and pouring more on the rag at the end of the office party was the best non-Gogurt-related laugh of the night.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but was this not the first episode to have a big chunk of it take place other than Greendale?

Yes! Dan Harmon talked about how the 1st season was specifically focused on Greendale, while the 2nd season would start pulling things away from campus. I thought it was a neat touch to have last week start with that bedroom montage, setting up both the episode and where the season will be going.

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

That's cool to hear. It'll be nice to kinda branch out and delve a little more into their lives outside of school .

After what I thought was an amazing season premiere, this episode bobbled the ball a little with how it handled Jeff. I can rationalize how a summer away from the study group and close contact with his law firm would cause Jeff to backslide and reinforce some of his worse habits, but I didn't like how abruptly the show handled it, and his "redemption".

I can agree with this a bit. Course, maybe his backslides and such will be a recurring theme throughout the season, which if that's the case, would make a bit more sense...

The chloroform thing was hilarious. All four of them sprawled out on the floor, Troy's pathetic flailing around over the unconscious body.... And the end thing with the tunnel-I actually got fooled for a moment, too .

Angela

 

[mobvok]

c'mon, I quit doing blow, not being rad!

 

[Imperor]

I can explain.

Let me explain.

 

[PhilsFan]

Did you hear what she said?

Nope.

All I heard was "sup."

 

[mobvok]

Neat article I found: Link

Last week, I was completely floored by Community‘s mindblowingly ingenious season premiere, which so perfectly wed the show’s beyond-rapid-fire dialogue and meta self-awareness with its character-based humor in what might have been its best episode to date. I was dying to write a more in-depth review, but what with all of the premieres, I didn’t have the time. After last night’s almost-as-brilliant follow-up, though, I just had to praise again what is rapidly becoming one of my all-time favorite sitcoms.

Last season, all around awesome TV writer Jane Espenson blogged about what makes Community such a brilliantly written show, her basic argument being that whereas most sitcoms have wacky ideas and then attempt to shoehorn their characters into those zany situations, Community‘s special brand of crazy springs from character. Each zany situation illustrates or uncovers a new layer to each character involved. For example, the pottery class episode last season wasn’t funny simply because Jeff was taking a pottery class or even because of the Ghost parody, but because of the surprising insecurities the popular doctor brought out in him. The parody scene sprang directly from this, as well. Espenson went on to point out how specifically targeted each plot is. The pottery episode brought out Jeff’s insecurities about needing to be the coolest in the room. The chicken fingers episode brought out his need to be in control. As she explains, both are related but different: “Similar. But not identical…And that’s marvelous, because if you can write your episodes with enough focus that those become distinct character flaws, then you get two great precise stories instead of one mushy one about Jeff feeling usurped in some general way.”

And, of course, Jeff isn’t the only one being examined thusly. The characters all intersect with one another. Heretofore unexplored aspects of each character are brought out by the simple act of pairing them with one another. Last season, Annie and Shirley made an unexpectedly hilarious buddy cop team, with each one trying to be the badass, which said so much about the aggression beneath their sweet exteriors, and how they both feel the desire to prove themselves, rejecting the images they usually project. Meanwhile, Pierce of all people managed to convince Shirley how similar they are to one another, by dint of being the older people in the group, neither of whom the others treat as closely simply because they project a parental/grand-parental vibe. In another episode, he revealed to Jeff how similar the two of them are, despite their external differences. He is the future that Jeff could become if he doesn’t give up his greed and narcissism. At one point, Abed revealed how similar Jeff and Britta are to one another and how their competitiveness comes from similar insecurities. Each one of these character revelations is surprising in the moment but also makes complete sense, because unlike the majority of sitcom characters, these are complex, layered individuals who are well-crafted people first and funny second, which consequently makes them all the funnier.

On to last night’s episode, “Accounting for Lawyers,” here is another perfect example of how well Community writes its characters and plots. Although Jeff has gradually acclimated to Greendale life, there is one temptation from his past life that he had never gotten over, namely the lure of returning to law. And so, when he is given the opportunity to potentially return to his law firm as a consultant right now, and thus disappoint and reject his new friends in the process, he finds it very hard to dismiss. Again, this is not quite the same issue he’s ever dealt with before, for in the past he may have let his friends down because he felt he was better than a community college student, and he may have returned to them those times because he is more loyal than he can even admit to himself, these were always for small things like trying to date Slater, or just not caring about school pride. Actually being told he could return to law right now and leave Greendale behind is a much stronger enticement, and one it initially seems he may not be strong enough to fight.

What makes this show so superior to most other sitcoms is his initial reaction once he realizes all over again what a corrupt world the law firm is, as opposed to Greendale. His immediate impulse isn’t to proudly march out and pronounce this life not for him any more, but rather to protect his friends at the party. He tells Britta that she isn’t a prostitute, and Annie that she shouldn’t get all litigious, etc., because he doesn’t want them corrupted. Even once they provide him with evidence that his former friend, Alan (hilariously portrayed by the great Rob Corddry), had been the one to betray him, he acknowledges it but doesn’t allow that to sway him to leave. All of this actually implies that he thinks less highly of himself than he lets on–he sees himself as already corrupt and twisted, but wants to keep his friends safe from this fate. And when he finally does realize that he doesn’t actually want to be in this backstabbing environment–as the result of Alan trying to sell out another lawyer in the firm–he doesn’t ruin Alan in the process. In fact, he gets him a promotion, because Alan represents all of the sleazy corruption with which Jeff used to view himself but doesn’t any more: Alan may be a disgusting human being, but that’s exactly how one has to be to succeed at that firm, and so Jeff allows him to do so. I can’t think of any other sitcom that would have resolved this plot thusly.

Meanwhile, not only is this episode steeped in Jeff’s back story (we even get to learn what inspired him to be a lawyer in the first place), and a necessary step in his gradual evolution to being a better person, thanks to Greendale, but Annie’s history dovetails with this plot. She knows that Alan betrayed Jeff right off the bat, because he had confessed it to the Narcotics Anonymous group that she had been in due to her high school pill addiction. That is some truly crafty writing: two characters’ back stories intersecting, and unlocking truths about one another’s. And just as Jeff continues to break out of his self-created box over the course of the episode, so does Annie, whose chloroforming antics are among the series’ all-time funniest moments–not to mention all of the wonderful character moments that everyone is given throughout, and how Chang’s continued attempts to break into the group mirror Jeff’s attempt to break back into his last group. Oh, and of course the show would have Jon Stewart gags on an episode in which Rob Corddry guests.

This is the first episode to have an extended plot off-campus (in fact, the only two previous off-campus scenes in the show’s history are extremely brief, the first a flashback to Jeff’s childhood in the aforementioned pottery episode, and the second those brief shots of the characters waking up in their homes in last week’s episode), and fittingly, it is done to to reaffirm Jeff’s commitment to being on campus. By the end, one doesn’t necessarily get the sense that Jeff won’t be a lawyer in the future, but that he might be a much better and kinder one. There’s so much more to Community than meets the eye.

I don't think I quite appreciated the implications of Drew Carey telling Jeff that he could return to law right now, and how that affected Jeff's later actions. But the guy is off at the very end. Jeff may have let Alan go out of appreciation for how well his sleazy antics fit at the law firm, but he also bragged about how he has Alan in his back pocket in case he needs him later.

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

His immediate impulse isn’t to proudly march out and pronounce this life not for him any more, but rather to protect his friends at the party. He tells Britta that she isn’t a prostitute, and Annie that she shouldn’t get all litigious, etc., because he doesn’t want them corrupted. Even once they provide him with evidence that his former friend, Alan (hilariously portrayed by the great Rob Corddry), had been the one to betray him, he acknowledges it but doesn’t allow that to sway him to leave. All of this actually implies that he thinks less highly of himself than he lets on–he sees himself as already corrupt and twisted, but wants to keep his friends safe from this fate.

Hit the nail on the head with this bit. I thought similar things-I liked his inadvertent defense/protection of his friends. And yay for reference to the pottery episode, I loved that one.

Neat article, thanks for sharing that . It's nice to see this show getting some good buzz/praise.

Here's the bit from Entertainment Weekly about the Christmas thing I mentioned recently, for those who are curious:

Scoop: 'Community' pulls a 'Rudolph' | Ausiello | EW.com

It also sounds like they've got something big planned for Halloween, too. Can't wait.

Angela

 

[kramwest1]

Did you hear what she said?

Nope.

All I heard was "sup."

 

[UberBeaver]

The way Cheezy hopped around after Annie chloroformed the janitor was amazing. On that topic, Annie stoically staring forward and pouring more on the rag at the end of the office party was the best non-Gogurt-related laugh of the night.

That whole scene was brilliant. Also, when the dean came in to say they were celebrating German culture, the face the BRIE made (she being of the Jewish persuasion) was awesome.

 

[kramwest1]

That whole scene was brilliant. Also, when the dean came in to say they were celebrating German culture, the face the BRIE made (she being of the Jewish persuasion) was awesome.

That was great.
There were so many little things in that episode, I'm gonna have to watch it again tonight or tomorrow.

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

Also, when the dean came in to say they were celebrating German culture, the face the BRIE made (she being of the Jewish persuasion) was awesome.

I totally missed that-looks like I'll have to do some rewatching, too . That's great.

Angela

 

[LMP]

This show's really hitting its stride, ratcheting up the in-jokes, keeping the characters fresh and most importantly, maintaining the tone between being a deconstructionist sitcom and genuinely entertaining. It's the awareness of sitcom conventions that allows the show to constantly subvert or reinforce them each week, and that shit's rewarding.

Two episodes in and the progression of Senor Chang's already killing me. Holy shit, that Gollum/Smeagol moment at the end of the premiere's an instant favorite for me.

It's light years ahead of every other network sitcom, to me at least.

 

[Lila64]

There is a Senor Chang page on Facebook.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlM_bSF0VOE

 

[Imperor]

The "mysterious, inscrutable man" thing always killed me.

 

[mobvok]

The "mysterious, inscrutable man" thing always killed me.

"Beunos dias, children!"

 

[mobvok]

So, uh, anyone catch the Abed subplot? I noticed the cafeteria scene but apparently there was a whole pregnancy/delivery arc that I only picked up on vaguely/subliminally.

 

[Imperor]

Yeah, he helped the girl walk when her water broke and then delivered it in a car behind a shot of Shirley. Speaking of Shirley, I loved her saying she hadn't seen him much this week. Oh so meta.

And in addition to the welcome return of John Oliver, how about THE PATT! cameo? "Wait, did I accidentally tell you have AIDS? Cause I've done that before."

 

[PhilsFan]

What is anthropology?

Seriously, does anyone know?

You, in the boobs.

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

John Oliver! Yes ! Nice to see him here again-loved his battle with Chang, the scene in the lunchroom was awesome. Britta and Annie's feud was great, too.

And the music at the end of the message Pierce's mother had for him.... Great episode.

Angela

 

[mobvok]

John Oliver! Yes ! Nice to see him here again-loved his battle with Chang, the scene in the lunchroom was awesome. Britta and Annie's feud was great, too.

And the music at the end of the message Pierce's mother had for him.... Great episode.

Angela

It felt like I missed something with the message from Pierce's mom. She just had a CD lying around in Pierce's possession in case of her death?

"Well, I can't be the first person to tell you that the temple doesn't last forever. I mean, it's made of hamburger. It's a Temple of Doom! And like the real Temple of Doom, it represents the inconvenient fact that all good things, be they people or movie franchises, eventually collapse into sagging, sloppy, rotten piles of hard-to-follow nonsense."

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

It felt like I missed something with the message from Pierce's mom. She just had a CD lying around in Pierce's possession in case of her death?

Well, they did say at the start of the show that his mom had been in bad shape for a while, so given that, it would make sense that she'd have a CD message to leave for him to find.

"Well, I can't be the first person to tell you that the temple doesn't last forever. I mean, it's made of hamburger. It's a Temple of Doom! And like the real Temple of Doom, it represents the inconvenient fact that all good things, be they people or movie franchises, eventually collapse into sagging, sloppy, rotten piles of hard-to-follow nonsense."

How very true this is.

"I want my donuts back!" Poor Jeff (incidentally, I just had a couple donuts earlier ).

Angela