Talk about Community here

[zoraster]

i'll buy that. i've just adjusted my expectations for community drastically downward since Harmon is gone. That doesn't mean I don't hope for some solid episodes, and overall I'm glad I've still been watching. But I don't expect boundary pushing to be much of a thing this season. Also, I don't think the cast is that talented, honestly.

[ChannelDelibird]

After the travesty of the opener I mildly enjoyed both ones since. I pretty much agree with Anix's assessment though.

[zoraster]

my first reaction was to defend the first episode as I think people overreact to middling episodes. but then i realized that really was a terrible, terrible episode.

[Battousai]

...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.

Troy/Abed is not a crutch. What's been happening is that that pairing is being misused by the new writers. They can't seem to get it right.

[xRECKONERx]

Finally watched it... honestly, at this point, an episode that gets a few laughs out of me is considered a winner in my book. The storyline was fairly typical shit... the new showrunners clearly don't know what to do with Pierce & Shirley being so much older than the group, and they obviously just want to focus on the hip young couples + weird quirky Abed to anchor the show. I see why Chevy left, now... the writing for his character, specifically, has been atrocious.

The whole thing with Jeff pretending to be the villain guy so that girl would talk to him was stupid as fuck. Annie's "Mrs. Winger" sideplot was unfunny borderlining on creepy. I did thoroughly enjoy the Toby/Abed/Troy/Britta stuff, even though none of it was

actually

funny. I think Britta being in this new setting is good for her character, but it's almost happening too quick and I don't feel like I even know the character anymore.

Most laugh out loud moments of the night for me:

Abed: "You're really pushing me here."

Shirley: "This is why I don't hang out with you guys on the weekend."

Abed: "I hate you."

But even those were mild chuckles at best. Meh. At least it wasn't abysmal.

[ZONEACE]

Chevy quit cause he said [removed] on set and there was no coming back from that. He got terrible writing because he was a pain in the ass to work with but they had to use him contractually.

[Gammagooey]

yeaaah I think this episode was better than the previous two and I actually enjoyed all of the Troy+Abed+Britta stuff except Troy going ballistic when the english nigerian dude didn't know his name but jeff immediately dropping all hints of dignity to get with the chick who watches inspector spacetime and annie doing whatever the hell she was doing seemed really contrived.

The opening with Britta sneaking out and back into the apartment was really good though.

[xRECKONERx]

yeah i loved that opening, esp abed's "I really like donuts" bit

[zoraster]

to be fair, i don't think harmon knew what to do with britta, shirley or pierce, so...

the strength of community was always its conceptual humor. the ensemble nature works well, and troy and abed are awesome and jeff is strong and annie has her moments, but i don't really think the whole relationshipy stuff was ever the things dreams were made of.

[Umbrage]

it's like every season they lose track of a character - season one it was Chang, two was Britta, three was Shirley

that character is always awkwardly thrown into stuff they shouldn't be in and just generally acts a drag on the whole show

[saporovirus]

There were some great Britta facial expressions in the last episode.

[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.

[zoraster]

i liked the episode.

[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.

[zoraster]

I thought the flashbacks were the best part of the episode, they were conceptually interesting like many old episodes (even if not fleshed out as much as similar fare such as the psych hospital one). I thought that it was interesting that they pulled back and addressed the fact that for everyone else, life isn't about the greendale 7. How do they get that study room all the time? We've seen flashes of resentment before, but I think this was good.

And finally, I think the show worked because it returned to Greendale and worked as an ensemble piece where they were all together for the episode rather than individually going off doing their own things.

I thought it was the best episode of the season, and it was probably the only one that I think would fit comfortably within the other seasons.

Oh. Not a fan of the Chang storyline, but then again I haven't liked Chang since Season 1 (other than the continual Chang puns)

[Porochaz]

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

[ZONEACE]

fucking disaster

What I said about the hyena and my mother before. Well, scratch that. The hyena has now killed her and is raping the corpse.

[Bub Bidderskins]

I agree with Zoraster that I thought this was the best episode of the season so far. I can't speak for the flashbacks because I only started following Community relatively recently, but I thought that overall it was funny and returned to where Community is best: at college.

[Mert]

I haven't seen this week's episode yet but I would say I've definitely enjoyed all of season four so far. It does feel

different

to Harmon-era seasons I guess but it's really hard to say how and, moreover, I'm not sure if I'd necessarily notice if I wasn't aware of his leaving. There have definitely been some great Harmon-esque moments in episodes.

Is it as great as it was before? On current viewing perhaps not but having three (potentially four) episodes that can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the mid-tier Harmon episodes is no small accomplishment in itself. Even at its worst, Community is better than the vast majority of stuff on TV and I hope the new showrunners begin to find their own voice for it soon. Right now I think their biggest crime is trying to be too Community and not enough David Guarascio and Moses Port's Community, if that makes sense.

[BBmolla]

"I know what you're thinking and the answer is yes, I am the descendant of William Richard Cornwallace the third who gave up the bla bla bla in England."
"Was anyone thinking that?"
"No..."

WHAT THE FUCK

THEY'RE SPELLING OUT THEIR JOKES

STOP

WHAT ARE YOU DOING

EDIT1: OH GOD WORLD WAR TWO JOKES AND JEFF IS BEING A DICK

OH GOD SYSTEM IS DOWN REFERENCE IS THAT EVEN LEGAL, I'm actually okay with this.

Tonight we dine in jesus christ

Edit2:
"This... means..."
"Let me guess... war?"
"Let the lady finish her sentence."

Please. Just stop. It's like I'm watching a youtube series made by a fifteen year old.

Okay this middle part isn't too bad. Cept the Pierce electrocution.

Jeff being out of character k...

Oh god are you freakin kidding me THE DEAN ISNT BLATANTLY RACIST JUST ACCIDENTALLY WHAT ARE YOU DOING



Dear god I cant ecven
God

Dear lord

No

[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.

[Brandi]

"I know what you're thinking and the answer is yes, I am the descendant of William Richard Cornwallace the third who gave up the bla bla bla in England."
"Was anyone thinking that?"
"No..."

WHAT THE FUCK

THEY'RE SPELLING OUT THEIR JOKES

STOP

WHAT ARE YOU DOING

EDIT1: OH GOD WORLD WAR TWO JOKES AND JEFF IS BEING A DICK

OH GOD SYSTEM IS DOWN REFERENCE IS THAT EVEN LEGAL, I'm actually okay with this.

Tonight we dine in jesus christ

Edit2:
"This... means..."
"Let me guess... war?"
"Let the lady finish her sentence."

Please. Just stop. It's like I'm watching a youtube series made by a fifteen year old.

Okay this middle part isn't too bad. Cept the Pierce electrocution.

Jeff being out of character k...

Oh god are you freakin kidding me THE DEAN ISNT BLATANTLY RACIST JUST ACCIDENTALLY WHAT ARE YOU DOING



Dear god I cant ecven
God

Dear lord

No

I agree with this man

One part with Abed got a small laugh out of me but overall this has been the worst episode ever.

[ZONEACE]

Watching this show now is like watching a man with now arms try to perform an abortion with his dick.

[Nexus]