Talk about Community here

[Porochaz]

God I was so sad when Jack Black was accepted into the other group instead.

Jack Black would have ruined the show.

[Porochaz]

Chang spoiler.

Chang will be in a position of power next season - security guard

General Overview of Season spoiler

Less themed episodes, more serialised arc

I wonder peoples thoughts on this.

[Porochaz]

I enjoyed it, shame noone actually watched it.

[Porochaz]

I dislike Garret, he is to whiney and I cant bare listening to him.

In other news, that episode was dull. The Britta-Chang thing was funny to begin with but got boring quickly and Annie vs Annie was just boring. I mean it was all by the numbers and hearing Allison Brie get increasingly - almost Monica Gellar - shrill was not fun. I dont enjoy her episodes at the best of times, much preferring seeing her as a supporting character but basically they cut out Pierce, Shirley, Troy and Abed from the episode (mostly) and Dean Pelton completely. I understand they can't highlight everyone each week but they could have done a better job than that.

[Porochaz]

I understand that the humour of Community is almost never about the plots, but the plots keep it grounded to the funny.

I think Garret could have easily been replaced by Dean Pelton and it would have made for a funnier episode.

Im not much of a chevy fan either (altough the two episodes you mention are two of my favourites), I felt the whole Abed thing was kinda forced in so that this episode could have a resolution. It is an Abed kinda thing, but it was jammed in there. Pierce was funny but as he featured in the episode so minorly, it didn't matter too much. Asian Annie could have been better utilised, I kinda expected her to descend into drugs and end up like Annie before Community or something like that. I've seen community do better one off students, better teachers, better "competitions" and just better storylines overall. I mean even the ending with the game of Chevy operation was meh.

I'd totally disagree with you. I'd say this is in the bottom 5.

[Porochaz]

Episode 3 was a definite improvement on the first 2.

[Porochaz]

Its important to remember NBC swapped the episodes and I hear the next episode will be "interesting". But I do agree with Recks point four although Chang has always been on the main cast only missing the first episode. I enjoyed this weeks episode but it was very similar to what had come before. If it had a stronger episode before and after (like next weeks and the week afters halloween episode - oh wait it was like that) I think people would be a lot more receptive to it.

[Porochaz]

8 episodes is what I heard.

[Porochaz]

2 week break well at least that episode was great. I was unsure about it until Troys timeline

[Porochaz]

Repeats on NBC... World series going. Other good shows going. Just burn off a re-run slot early. Interestingly enough NBC got beat by the CW on Thursday.

No they didnt. Whitney was the lowest rated NBC show on Thursday with a 1.2/4.1. CW's highest was 0.8/1.9

[Porochaz]

It was a good episode but I preferred last years, although I liked the call back. Also, anyone surprised at the end?

[Porochaz]

Last episode was good. I hope they have found there middle ground now. It was significantly up in the ratings last night as well.

[Porochaz]

SPOILER WARNING

Just seen some new promo photo's

Jeff dressed as Dean Pelton

Looks to be a funny one.

[Porochaz]

Reck, beating the CW is = 0. However, it is a different story on Monday nights... NBC loses to cable, and telemundo. But I'm pretty sure that community will hang on for 1 more season at least...

Almost everything loses to cable on Monday nights because Monday Night Football is on ESPN.

No we are talking USA Network beating NBC on some nights.

Already proved this to be untrue.

[Porochaz]

This was a pretty fantastic episode.

[Porochaz]

Waiting three months between Mid-December and March is not that bad, if we get all 11-12 episodes in a row, without breaks, from March to May, as long as the show is back. Last year, between late February and mid April, there were only 2 new episodes I think, that was pretty annoying. This time, it's just a longer break with not a single episode in the middle, but then there will be a whole bunch of new episodes, without jeopardizing the show's chances of getting a fourth season. It could be much worse, like during the 5 minutes I thought Community was cancelled, a half hour ago.

And also, people, there's a fantastic news in NBC's lineup for midseason, that makes me very confident in a fourth season of Community (other than my blind fanboyness) : the duo Whitney/Are You There Vodka on Wednesdays at 8. Mwahahahaha !

Both shows are/will be the dregs of TV and will implode withing a few weeks. I guarantee you they will both be cancelled in May, if not sooner, because they are in a shitty timeslot, thank you NBC for that one. Whitney has decent ratings right now only because it airs after The Office. This January, all alone at 8pm on Wednesdays, no one in their right mind will tune in for that ! And they both will be up against American freaking Idol ! I'm so happy of that. This might be the first time I want American Idol to have huge, enormous ratings. Go, crappy real TV ! Please get 30 million viewers so that Whitney gets barely 2 million viewers, mwahahaha (but leave 8/9 millions to Suburgatory (on ABC at 8:30), it's a great show).

And the news of Whitney/Vodka's upcoming doom, as Shirley would say, that's niiiiiiice

Taken from: SpoilerTV http://www.spoilertv.com/2011/11/commun ... z1dk1cZGgc

Im taking this as good news.

[Porochaz]

I dislike Garrett.

[Porochaz]

and losing chevy wouldn't be a big loss.

[Porochaz]

its an interesting show since its semi-well known todd wants the show cancelled

[Porochaz]

My comments on the episode:

Didn't like this episode. Love Community but this has to be in my bottom 5 episodes, (If not bottom 3). The weirdness to funny ratio was off. The whole Jeff storyline was rubbish, the hook wasn't there, and the whole concept of having an even bigger ego wasn't really a good one. When he turned into the hulk it was cringeworthy and I mean "Glee" cringeworthy

The main Troy/Abed storyline didn't really work either. Mainly because beyond Yvette, none of the characters looked like who they were meant to be. Seriously Jamie Lee Curtis? Troy running round shouting "Get to your quadrant" was not great and the whole celeb impressionist/loan shark comparison just didn't work.

Its a shame because up until the party it was a good episode and Yvette and Gillian were funny throughout. Shame the rest wasn't. Both stories ended limply so the consequences of Abeds actions and Troys feelings didn't feel right.

Im upset because I hate criticising Community and I usually don't feel the need to. But I felt this weeks story was so poor - so poorly written - that I would rather be watching Big Bang Theory. And that's what the show needs to avoid.

Shame. And really upsetting.

Also I wish the show would admit their mistake and put chang back in a teaching role or kill him off. He's like a horrible growth on a good show at the moment.


Also edited to add.

I guess what I hated most was that in episodes like last weeks we have these really fleshed out interesting characters who are the most three dimensional I've seen in a comedy sitcom and this week we have characters flatter than characters on the big bang theory. EDITED AGAIN: up until troy at the end.

[Porochaz]

blanket forts!

[Porochaz]

I really enjoyed this weeks episode. I was slightly disappointed by the lack of actual blanket fortage and actually troy and abeds story in general (minus dean ladybourne) disappointed. Fortunately the Britta/Shirley/Pierce storyline was really good. Even if I don't see Shirley going that far with the plan (although I do see her wanting to take down Subway). The Jeff/Annie story was good as well, using Kim as a conduit for what Annie felt was a good way of telling the story.

That said even with the storylines progressing in some areas, I feel we're treading water a bit now. I want the kind of episode that I fell in love with towards the end of season 1. Hopefully the next episode will bring back some of the great memories I have of the first blanket fort episode. As Abed said in what was meant to be (I think) a cool meta reference, but in actuality sounded ridiculous and totally out of place... to be continued.

[Porochaz]

Still think this is an april fools.

[Porochaz]

Yeah... but I can still want chevy to leave, can't I?

[Porochaz]

I've worked it out. You just don't like good things.

This is the first episode since it came back that I've really properly enjoyed apart from the wedding.

[Porochaz]

Woah there, sorry I havent read anything past the first line of your reply but it was meant as a joke! I didnt mean offence by it!

[Porochaz]

That said I watch the show as a smart comedy, between the wedding episode and now I have felt they have been trying to force a story and character development, taking characters and using them as caricatures of themselves. I found myself telling myself "that was a shit episode" after Contemporary Impressionists. Like if I were to score every episode of Community none of them would get less than 7 (off hand) but everything in that episode was so contrived, from Jeff's ego problems to Abeds money woes. It was like, how can we ignore everything that has happened previously to crowbar this story in, get a few cheap laughs and essentially be the Big Bang Theory replacement while its not on. They took the characters from Season 1 episode 1, mixed in a scenario out of a late season 2 episode and made such a thin storyline that it made absolutely no sense and passed it off as an episode.

I would have been generous and gave it a 2, why? For Yvette Nicole Browns Opera impression and because I actually got pulled in by Troys character progression in the closing minutes before realising that he had already been naturally growing up in previous episodes and didn't need some unconvincing lightbulb switch change to convince us of that.

I like Community because its a comedy with smart writing and it is varied enough with its humour that I will keep coming back to it, despite some of its more outlandish storylines, because despte being outlandish, the majority (I can think of one exception currently, that being Halloween - which I think is allowed a by) of stories have some sort of foot in reality, in that its extremely unlikely to happen but what if... quality. Jeff having some imaginary problem based off a drug and Abed owing money to a impressionist mob boss, it went too far.

Which carried through to the next two episodes. Which I enjoyed more but again felt a bit meh, like the pillow fort was great because it was a place of wonder, of excitement These two episodes were just a giant pillow fort, which was let down by a poor initial execution of a storyline and no imagination, which is what I want from an episode, it was just a war episode, which Community has done before, in a documentary format, which Community has done to death, in a pillow fort, where the original was so SO much better. Yes, the side storylines were alright in the first episode. But it was an extended let down.

I liked tonights episode because it felt like they went back to being the characters they were with new unused ground. Yes, Chevy Chases comments ring in my ear and some of the laughs were cheap but at least it felt like something had happened in the story and that it had moved away from this troy/abed thing, which should have been better than it was.

To be honest, I generally ignore Pierce and Chang in episodes (the exception being if Pierce has a big part) I have always stated that they detriment episodes they have had a major part in this series. I disagree with you though that Annie was the only one to have character development, Britta, has a massive amount of development allowing herself to sit back and let it go and allow herself to realise that she does have people who care about her a lot and actually continuing Troy's route to maturity in a somewhat more meaningful way. Some would argue Jeff also had some development here, but I would disagree with that.

I hope my expanded reasoning makes sense and is so you understand my p.o.v. and that I wasn't trying to be a dick

[Porochaz]

I can safely say I am both. Whenever I describe it I compare it to the Big Bang Theory.

"Smart comedy with dumb people in it - Community
Dumb comedy with smart people in it - BBT"

Is me paraphrasing myself. However they are inextricably linked in that the reason I hate BBT so much is that we get the same episode structure and character developments week on week. With Community, yeah it can occasionally take a couple of goes to do but you do feel these characters are working towards an end point. I love the pop culture references as well though, it all contributes towards why Community is great, it's not another Friends or How I Met Your Mother. It breaks away from the sitcom format and can be self referential and self-deprecating. That's what makes it hilarious to me.

Tonights episode was funny and generally good (despite me feeling that Professor Kane wouldn't indulge the whole concept and in extension to this, my feeling that its stopped being a community college where outlandish things happen but its still a college but more a sandpit where stories and settings can be created on a dime) although I hope come Season 4, we tether it back to the study room again.

[Porochaz]

It was a good episode but not the best.

[Porochaz]

Yeah, looks like NBC are trying to sort out their comedies. If Community does decently and others bomb expect Season 5/the back 9.

Shitney got renewed as well though... so NBC aren't exactly thinking straight.

[Porochaz]

I lol'd

Also, successfully resisted the urge to look up Donald & Danny Glovers' Wikipedia page to confirm they were unrelated.

[Porochaz]

Rewatching from the beginning...

[Porochaz]

Wait till the third season...

[Porochaz]

I can be fairly harsh critic wise and I hated some of season 3 episodes and felt a lot of episodes featured characters being parodies of themselves but season 3 had enough good episodes to not be as bad as you are making out.

[Porochaz]

[Porochaz]

Could Canada get in a month earlier? - http://www.spoilertv.com/2012/10/commun ... nuary.html

[Porochaz]

BBT is kinda insulting to nerds, Jews, women, Indians and basically everyone ever. It's awful.

I still watch it though.

QFT.

I hate it.

Managed to stop caring this season.

[Porochaz]

The other 70 episodes though aren't.

[Porochaz]

by the way umbrage, your about to get into a whole load of crappy episodes...

[Porochaz]

or, apparently, anyone. Please let some things go...

I actually enjoyed the episode. Although I did feel it was a lot of wasted opportunities. Shirley and Annies plot could have been built upon and have more laughs, Jeffs as well, I reckon if they focused on the Hunger Games more it would have been up there with the best (with maybe more study group members entering). It did feel with all bar Abeds storyline that it was like "this is what this character is doing this week" - moving on...

It felt very much like the writers had a point to prove with this episode and they handled it head on, and therefore very poorly. Abeds storyline grew irritating fast and the whole cartoon segment seemed to be put in there just for the kookiness value. I felt the writers tried to hard this episode and conversely failed to make a good impact, it also felt it lost some of that Community feel, like Shirley deciding to do a prank with Annie. Usually there would be a reason behind it, more than "just cuz" there were a few instances of that which I think is what was truly wrong and could be the potentially most worrying sign about the change.

That said, I did enjoy the episode and whilst I only laughed a couple of times (and really they could have just cut Pierce out of the episode - once again he detracted from the viewing experience) I was smiling throughout. It could have been a lot worse. I'd be hard pushed to say this was even close to my favourite episodes but I would definitely not put it anywhere near the bottom. (Try the goddamn awful Abed hiring celebrity impersonators episode)

In other news, I keep wondering if some of this storyline changed later on. Like why was Pierce different in some of those Abed scenes? Im wondering if there was some quick editing to make it seem like a joke when it was actually a rewrite after he left. I mean even for Community Pierce had basically nothing at all to do that episode.

[Porochaz]

Really enjoyed it.

[Porochaz]

Although Matt Lucas can fuck off. Forever.

I dont mind Matt Lucas, except in Little Britain, oh and he was really badly misused here.

Overall the episode was okay, I mean I liked the first few minutes a lot. I actually liked Annies storyline and I didnt see it as a regression. Jeff getting his shirt off and pretending to be British not so much.

Im starting to get bored of the whole couples getting together thing though, I mean Im already completely over Troy and Britta, and as much as I like Troy and Abed its now a crutch, yes a lot of people like that pairing, yes they are good together, but Community was more than just them two.

[Porochaz]

Right I see noone else has so I'll say it.

That was the worst episode ever.

And apart from the look-a-like episode no other episode ever came even slightly close to being as bad as that. Where were the laughs, like am I watching a Sims version of the same show where people are like the characters but not really and without feeling. No, because old community would have made that hilarious.

Didn't laugh once.

[Porochaz]

This is what I wrote elsewhere.

(Exlude the lookalike episode from this)

I have loved every single episode of Community, loved it. Its my favourite show ever. I even loved Paranormal Parentage. I didn't ever think Dan Harmons gone, its going to go down the tubes. I had faith.

I've now had two good but feels off episode and now this. This piece of god-damn awfulness, there was no laughs. It was there, there were characters that I knew, but the light in there eyes had gone. They were acting out the show but there was no oomph, no punchline that went through.

It was terrible.

I mean truly awful.

At this juncture I'd rather have watched this weeks episode of Two Broke Girls. Because at least then I wouldn't have been so damn disappointed.

I mean, if I had to put a positive on the episode, Jim Rash, did a great job. I could have almost seen that as passable. The others, not so much. It was very "going through the motions". Troy has a dumb moment, Britta has a protest moment (I did smile a small amount at that joke, I will admit), Abed has a geek moment, Pierce has an old man moment, Shirley has a family moment and Annie has a naive girl moment. Things and lines that we broke out of to get 3 dimensional characters.

Whats more this episode has the gall to flashback to other episodes and taint them. For instance, Dungeons and Dragons, was about making someone feel included who was excluded, the clip in this episode totally went against the feeling in the Dungeons and Dragons episode. The Missing Pencil episode, wasn't everyone at the puppy parade? And Jeff in a costume as a punchline? Community can do so much better.

On the basis of this week, the big bang theory was more intelligent that this rag.

[Porochaz]

I will say that I was happy that they got back in the college again.

[Porochaz]

I now cant find my feline aids awareness day youtube clip...

[Porochaz]

How have I nor anyone else posted this video up before.

This is an awesome youtube music video thing. Will make you forget about the episode you liked least in this current batch.

[Porochaz]

Watched the sneak peak. I laughed. So its already an improvement.

[Porochaz]

I lolled.

[Porochaz]

I really enjoyed this week, it felt like an actual episode of Community. There was a little "this is different" but not in a glaringly obvious way and more in a "I can see it but Im not bothered by it" way. It might be relief that it was a good episode over last weeks bad one, but I laughed pretty much all the way through. Between Britta, Troy and the Dean, I just thought it was great. They still haven't got Abed right, but really he's so overused anyway, they need to push him into the background for a few episodes, Community doesn't need to hinge on him.

[Porochaz]

Community got 1.5 in the ratings (18-34) this week with repeats of P and R and the office. It's risen these past two weeks (although 1.1 is extremely low) It gives it slightly better chance at renewal compared to the others. Its interesting its maintaining its level of interest. You would have thought after the standard of the past few weeks it would have completely sunk. I wonder if making it more dumb is giving it more favours and drawing a larger crowd in? I know thats not what the hardcore fan base want but is the plan to try and hit some sort of balance?

[Porochaz]

I didnt think it was bad but I did think it was dull.

[Porochaz]

Emmm... I think I prefer this season overall to season 3...

[Porochaz]

I would disagree with AniX I think its a bit unfair, that said, it didnt quite work for me. The singing felt jammed in and I know they were sticking to a genre, but still. The secrets varied in there intensity, Britta and Pierce's for instance came nowhere near the rest of the groups and there wasn't enough laughs.

That said, it was a solid episode and I liked the format.

[Porochaz]

I somehow have gained the script for a deleted scene in this episode:

Jeff: Hey Britta.
Britta: Yeah...
Jeff: You know we're in a sitcom right?
Britta: Duh Doi.
Jeff: We're so meta.

I don't know why it was deleted, it basically summed up the episode.

[Porochaz]

Bet she reappears in the finale

[Porochaz]

I dont know, but I cant see them dropping it completely without at least a reference.

I still have hope...

[Porochaz]

...or not if they decide to wipe the slate completely clean. (-parks)

That said - http://www.vulture.com/2013/05/communit ... eason.html

[Porochaz]

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/0 ... ed/182100/

YEAH!!!

[Porochaz]

http://www.avclub.com/articles/deadline ... -co,97631/

Yeah, probably not...

[Porochaz]

[Porochaz]

It made me laugh and that has me hopeful

[Porochaz]

From what I've heard from people who have seen screeners of the first two episodes "It's like an old friend coming home" and described as hilarious.

In regards to chang, and some other footage I've seen.

He's a maths teacher now, having gone to prison and come back he is now under "work arrest", which Im quite glad about because Chang was always best when he was teaching

[Porochaz]

It wasn't a great couple of episodes. But its the best new episodes I've seen in over a year.

[Porochaz]

2>1=5>3>4

This.

[Porochaz]

More gutted than I should be. Hoping for another network to pick it up is a pipe dream... Comedy central may want a few more episodes for syndication purposes but I doubt it...

[Porochaz]

Even then, Parks is slipping big time and B99 has a lot to prove before I can call it a great show.

Tone down Andy Samberg (easily the weakest element of the show) and get rid of the creepy Boyle/Roza storyline, then you are there... It is a shame when the big name/main character is the only thing holding it back.

P and R wasn't as good this year, Leslie didn't really grow until the last few episodes and they made her more manipulative-y and portrayed her worst qualities without her really getting any come uppance and at this point I have grown to hate Tom so much that the episode he wasn't in was by far the best one of the series. That said, with Community's departure, its the best comedy still on.

[Porochaz]

So happy!

[Porochaz]

The one thing I disliked about Community was that they didn't give YNB more to do. I certainly could have used more of her and less of Abed or Pierce. (I know Im in the minority, but considering how much time they gave to Abed, I think an adjustment wouldn't have been so bad) I mean fair enough use your assets, Shirley was never as funny as the rest of the class, but I think that was in part because they never knew what to do with her.

[Porochaz]

I am rewatching all of community, the worst thing about it is that they had an episode with both Matt Lucas and Tricia Helfer in it and they managed to fuck it up into the worst episode of the series.

[Porochaz]

Hadn't realised that they had set up the baby thing so far in advance. Thought it was just the episode joke.

[Porochaz]

Second episode was better than the first, I would agree with CDB except maybe not as harsh. I agree though it did feel slightly empty, it felt like it was going through the motions and neither episode had a stand out moment, although I did enjoy the ending tags of both episodes. Paget Brewster was the best thing about the two episodes. As the first two episodes were establishing characters I feel that it might be where the "lack of zip" has gone and hopefully will be better next week now that I think we are done with that. Although it's in it's sixth season now, I don't think we will get back to the height of the second season.

I laughed and I enjoyed them quite a lot, but they weren't the best. Certainly not the worst either, and Community has a habit of starting slow out of the gate.

[Porochaz]

That episode, excluding the Jolene cover, which possibly wasn't as funny as I found it, was dire. Not the worst but probably bottom 5.

I am starting to get a bit jaded about the whole thing.

[Porochaz]

I really have no idea what you were watching.

They tried to explain something that was better left unexplained with the Dean, which they over-acknowledged. The

bird freeing

was absolutely ridiculous and I just didn't understand the need for it at all. And the Annie/Chang storyline was fucking dumb and a bit mean, albeit from a guest character, but it wasn't the kind of thing I expect from Community.

Oh also the rest of the committees reaction to the play, it all seemed off.

[Porochaz]

Having said that I only just realised who the IT woman was, and had a "oh yeah, thats pretty cool" moment.

[Porochaz]

I noticed it as well, it doesn't last.

[Porochaz]

I enjoyed that episode more than most, but the steel drums were a let down.

[Porochaz]

That was weird. I didn't hate it. I didn't exactly love it. It was maybe a bit too weird. And the Jeff sub plot was really badly tacked on at the end.

[Porochaz]

It was good. I am surprised.

[Porochaz]

I think that Community may have just stuck the landing.

[Porochaz]

I used adblock, but it did have the unfortunate side effect of rewinding the show back to the start at every ad break.

[Porochaz]

Its not really a news story.

"We will do something at some point. Probably."

[Porochaz]

I'm watching it backwards, season 6 was definitely not as good as the earlier seasons but it still has some amazing things in there. Frankie is a great character but the problem is with Shirley, Troy (and to a lesser extent Pierce) gone it just lacked a bit of oomph. The other thing that became apparent was that Jeff and Abed were the only 2 characters to really remain three dimensional characters. That might be a bit harsh - but Britta especially got short-changed in the last season (and season 5 actually) but Annie and the Dean feel like sketches of their previous selves. Which seems odd because even in season 5 all the characters remained fully formed (except Britta). It kind of felt they ran out of stories to tell. Also I hate Garrett.

Don't get me wrong though, that season finale holds up, and a lot of the episodes were better than I remember plus it did give me one of my favourite moments in this (reminds me of a rant I've wanted to have in a few games) -

Season 5 is a lot better. Especially since they were going through a lot of upheaval, but I think they got through DG leaving okay and managed to get good replacements in Buzz and Ian Duncan. Chang doesn't stick out as much in this series and it's fun. I do forget how much I dislike Abed post-Troy this season though. Im also not quite finished the season.

Not looking forward to season 4, although I have 2 episodes I remember absolutely despising and only 1 of them was in season 4. (The convention episode) The other one was the lookalike episode in season 3 (I think). Maybe Im just indifferent to a lot of it, I don't know, but I can't remember much of it.

[Porochaz]

I've been watching the odd clip of Britta in seasons 1 and 2 and they made her nuanced and quite an interesting character, but certainly in the latter seasons and I think even early as season 3 they decided that she should just be an airhead, which would be fine on any other show but they had put a lot of work into making her an intelligent character with principles and as a foil to Jeff, and I understand that having a perennial buzzkill around doesn't really work but they got to a sweet spot with her and kept driving straight past it into constantly goofy territory and it sucks. I mean even during the show I always felt they didn't give Shirley enough to do, but what they did to Britta was worse in that they assassinated her character.

Also, so much for not sexualising Annie. That GI Joe episode...

[Porochaz]

The middle of season 5 there is a few Shirley episodes. Meow Meow Beanz and the episode before are pretty Shirley heavy but Im not convinced there was much development there. It almost makes up for the fact that they completely removed her from the episode immediately before and after

[Porochaz]

I think it was changed to play to Gillian Jacob's strengths, I think she's a very goofy actor and they felt limited in using that by having her in her foil role.

I don't think I agree with that. I really don't like goofy Gillian Jacobs.

[Porochaz]

So finished season 5, I think the last few episodes and I think it lost its way. The episodes aren't bad, just that it went to the high concept well too often and repeated previous season stories but not as good. Then the finale went just a bit too off the rails.

So to go onto season 4, the big thing about the premiere is that its gimmick is Abed's headspace being a generic sitcom. Except the non-gimmicky parts of it move that way as well. There is an argument that that could be deliberate but it continues onto episode 2. I mean Pierce spends episode 1 sitting there saying "balls", "gay" etc. and they run through things like the dreamatorium, the dean being the dean and everything else with almost a knowing wink. That's including the Community Babies segment, doing high concept for the sake of it. Yet none of these stories feel like they have any stakes. Shirley and Annie plan to do a prank - they do a prank. Abed struggles with the groups final year, he resolves it with no help from anyone. Britta and Troy have an argument, they solve it off screen. Jeff enters the games, decides he cares more about his friends so stops. There is no journey in any of these, it is just a checkpoint of beats with no rhythm.

Episode 2 is the same, I'm only a few minutes in but it's all very contrived set-up that isn't smartly or naturally done at all (and I remember liking this episode). I wrote that sentence as the Dean walked in, in an outfit and that ticks that box. There is a lot of explanation to get from point A to point B. That's lazy storytelling and then they feel the need to use exposition to explain previous character history.

[Porochaz]

Finale was perfect.

Here's hoping we get a movie.

Season 6 finale? Yeah it was really good.

[Porochaz]

So I just finished Season 2, only Season 1 to go. 4 wasn't as bad as I remember, it's still a step down, mainly because they felt they had to explain the jokes in that season rather than just let it flow and they were all playing caricatures of themselves.

What is eye opening watching it backwards is how it actually dropped in quality before 4. 3 isn't as good as I remember, and I remember being vaguely disappointed in it. My worst episode is still the impersonator episode, especially since I didn't overly mind the Tricia Helfer episode... sorry the convention episode. But there were other episodes in there where all the characters get so cartoonish that I got disappointed. It's a good show, one of the greats, but 3 failed in some regards. Especially since I watched 2 after and 2 is amazing. The characters actually feel like real grounded people even when 2 went off the deep end of concept episodes, the tone and the characters changed in the premiere of season 3. Even Pierce in 2, who threatens to become a comic-book villain at points still retains enough human-ness to be sympathetic, the stories that run through the whole series like Shirleys pregnancy also help in that regard, Troys jealousy of Jeff, Annie trying to find her place, etc. They feel like flawed humans, Troy is young and naive but smart in his own way, which disappears as we go on. Britta is principled and whilst a lot of that is unfounded, it's not totally, and she's caring and smart - that completely disappears, when in season 2 they balance that off her goofiness well. Also I hated Abed through season 3 (and then subsequently 5/6) at a certain point the selfishness of his character, which I know is the point in the show sometimes overtakes his positive points and makes him one note, the opposite of what Harmon intended.

I think what I also noticed though was the wide range in acting ability, and this all comes back to Gillian Jacobs who is really decent when she isn't being goofy. She isn't good at it, but she is a great comic actor, as is most of the cast. YNB, Ken Jeong, Danny Glover, Alison Brie, Jim Rash, Chevy Chase, all great at what they do. Danny Pudi plays his character well at times, I think he struggles at others but it's a difficult role. But the weak link I've found is Joel McHale, he gets better ironically the later you go but in 2, he is a strong contender for the weakest link in the cast acting wise which I never noticed before. But quite often he's wooden and delivers his line stilted. It was particularly apparent during the middle and end of Season 2. Maybe it's because he's the lead and he has more to do it's more apparent but when the rest of the cast is out-performing you and some of the guest stars are too... it's sad, because I like him, but once I started noticing I couldn't stop. That Halloween episode was a prime example, the wine tasting, my dinner with andre (which was a good Abed performance) etc.

Im being negative, and I really enjoyed re-watching season 2. Im looking forward to season 1 but I found it interesting that to me the problems started in 3, not 4. (except they were worse in 4)

EDIT: Huh, looked through my past comments, I'm agreeing with myself from 8 years ago. I thought I was more positive on season 3.