COMMUNITY IS BACK!

[Calamity Panfan]

Community season 5 is hot-and-fresh-out-the-kitchen with Dan Harmon back as the fearless leader of the show, and judging from the first two episodes, everything is back to normal.

The show is really funny again because there are actual jokes, unlike season 4 in which lines had the cadence of a joke but never really worked out.

The second episode of the season might end up being one of my favorite episodes of the show any season. I'd go into detail but I don't want to spoil anything.

[United Nations]

I didn't have a chance to watch it, but I'm so glad it's not like season 4 according to your review. That was just awful. Maybe I'll watch it today. I was hesitant.

[Marilink]

My thoughts

Are in French

[Bomby]

The cold open of the first episode was funnier than the entirety of season 4.

[Calamity Panfan]

"Season nine of Scrubs, Zach Braff was only in the first six episodes."
"Son of a bitch. AFTER EVERYTHING SCRUBS DID FOR HIM!?"

[b l a n k]

I don't know...the first episode seemed a bit darkly high-brow to resemble the classic, creative episodes of old. At least they're trying again now that Harmon's back in power. When he was away, it was all kind of phoned in.

[ZeldaGirl]

It was everything I needed, and more.

[Calamity Panfan]

[spoiler]"Cool... cool cool cool"
"That was a lie."[/spoiler]



btw that last episode was perfect in so many ways

[b l a n k]

I still don't know...I'm kind of shaking my head at the dark, bleak, depressing turn this show's taken. I only counted like three or four laughs in the entire episode (including Abed's lying about being "cool cool cool"). It just doesn't feel like Community has the creativity, spontaneity, or playfulness it used to have.

*Sigh,* I remember when the show used to be more about community college and less about the characters' psyches.

However, I will say that Troy's catharsis at the end was worth waiting for. Chivalric!

[Calamity Panfan]

what the hell there were definitely more than four laughs in the episode, the episode was sometimes incredibly fast-paced with how many jokes it was packing

[ZeldaGirl]

Yeah, if you only laughed 4 times, you missed a crap-ton of jokes. I actually think there were more laughs-per-minute this episode than the previous ones.

I really think this episode was the most solid we've seen yet (yeah, even better than Introduction to Teaching and ABC). It moved the story along and gave us awesome character development (something lacking last season).

And the show has ALWAYS been about the character's psyches.

[Bomby]

I concur with Panfan and ZeldaGirl. This was a fantastic episode. Probably my favorite since season 3.

[b l a n k]

Season 2 was still the best, IMHO.

And the show has ALWAYS been about the character's psyches.

Now, now, I didn't say the show never dealt with the character psyches...it used to be ALSO about the fun classes and bizarre scenarios they got themselves into, the variety between the episodes. There used to be more cultural pastiches that even Tarantino himself would be proud of, and that's what made Community so unique: the pastiche of plot elements AND the pastiche of personalities. They reflected each other in a way.

The show is really becoming less like a sitcom and more like high art. It's cold, dark, bleak, distant, and when I do laugh, it's painful. I mean, how are you supposed to laugh when the characters keep getting angry with and critical of each other in ways they didn't used to get? It's just not the same show. That's probably why there are fewer and fewer viewers with every season.

And they could've done without the cryogenically frozen semen or Chang's awkwardly-timed interlude about touching himself.

[ZeldaGirl]

Fair enough. Then don't watch?

[b l a n k]

...For some reason, I have hope for a rebound.

And I want to see if they actually do make it to six seasons and a movie.

[United Nations]

I think this show is doing much better than last season. Dan Harmon knows how to bring it! That last episode, for me, was every reason I fell in love with the show in the first place. I was laughing the entire episode, like ZG said. I can't wait for the rest of this season! :3

[ZeldaGirl]

I mean, I personally think you're way off-base, KR. The entire premise of the show is dark and cynical - that's always been Harmon's MO, and there have been plenty of episodes dedicated to exploring the dark places characters might go (Remedial Chaos Theory, anyone?). But at the end of it, there is also heart. The fact that you would watch this episode and completely ignore the culmination of Pierce's final questions makes me wonder if you're really paying attention (I mean, besides the fact you only laughed four times ;) ).

Like I said, if that's what you think, fair enough, but I have to wonder what you've been watching all along. Yeah, Community is famous for it's references and send-ups, but what you are describing is nothing new to the series, and has been there all along.

[b l a n k]

No, I didn't ignore the final questions--that was worth watching, too--but I guess what darkness and cynicism you say has always been there has been communicated in more subtle ways until now. In fact, I saw the whole Six Timelines paradox as nothing more than a convoluted genre/stylistic parody.

That's probably one of the reasons why I never saw the show as dark and cynical before. There's this article I read that said the darkness and cynicism was an undercurrent waiting for its time to show its true colors.

[b l a n k]

Just saw the episode where Troy leaves. It actually was better than last time because it had a nice mix of Season 2 spontaneity with current sentiments.

[Calamity Panfan]

"Why don't they call it Planet Trek? They never go to a star. Not one episode."