awkwardreviews

Advanced Criminal Law

Football, Feminism, and You

Introduction to Statistics

The ball is rolling

Episodes without a specific direction or strategy are almost always the best episodes of this show, so perhaps the first true directional episode of this show being one of it’s weakest is still understandable. Even at it’s worst, this show is still a solid block of entertainment that doesn’t cease to impress me.

Here, Jeff is still selfishly going after Britta, masking the false care with proper “lawyer” words. But this episode never forgets its routes, comedy. Here we get an absolute comedy. Scenes made just for the punch line, which is more casual sitcom-ness.

I don’t have too much to say about this episode, funny enough. This is because previous episodes wanted to establish this one, this episode wanted to establish the kind of world Greendale is. A world where the judges jury is held near a swimming pool near a swimming naked old man named Leonard… this pretty much defines Community if you think about it!

Episode 6:

In football, Feminism, and You, we get the first glimpse of drama within the show. As well as hilarious setpieces, and the first episode that truly sets up Troy (played masterfully by Donald Glover) as the funniest character within the show. His dialogue with Jeff, on the football field, was a compilation of hilarious physical gags within the background, as well as two actors with fantastic chemistry.

Also, Annie’s unkempt jealousy helped her sprout a “crazy” side that we will be seeing more often as the show progresses. The fact that this show did not venture into the “everything works out in the end” territory really speaks pages about how it’s ahead. A regular, down to earth, sitcom would have both characters get together within the episode, or create some sort of tension there to be resolved within the season.

Not community, that’s just too easy for Community. Instead, they shut Annie out of the T-bone steak, she has to be dealing with that now. And she’s a bigger character for it, rather than if this relationship nonsense sprouted between them, and the rest of the show was them bickering or breaking up.

Episode 7:

Truly, this episode is an “Introduction to Statistics”, a thorough analysis of what the characters mean to Jeff Winger, the disbarred lawyer. And as his cold heart melts in this school shaped toilet, so does the status which these emotionally driven characters take within his heart.

In this episode alone we saw this progress, and we also saw chevy chase be amazing. Not only popping pills like a champ, but also in perhaps the best constume ever invented for the actor.

But I can’t really finish this review without mentioning the highlight. Abed is batman, batman is abed. And troy and abed are hilarious.

Grades:

Episode 5: B

Episode 6: A-

Episode 7: A

The first three, with the El Tigre!

             Within the second episode of the show, we get some resounding developments. One, the character of Senor Chang, and two, that amazing rapping tag at the end of the episode. Not to delve too deep, this alone warrants praise.

Community decides to continue laying it’s ground work throughout this episode, trying to develop these characters as much as possible, but thankfully, not too quickly. Jeff is still after Britta, and Abed is still hilariously unaware of his surroundings.

But most importantly, it began the development of the character, Pierce. Who gets shown as a lonely old man, trying to grasp onto a family as drastically as possible. He’s trying his hardest to bond with Jeff (Jeffrey) because Jeff is the leader, bonding with the leader breeds respect from the rest of the gang.

Did he succeed? Nope. But further developing the three dimensionality of the character, Jeff understands the unsuccess of Pierce. The familiar bonds of this group grow from that, that even the most perturbing and hard to like character of the show is still welcome, still allowed in this circle of weirdos.

Episode 3:

While episode three examines Abed, thankfully. Although I view this episode as slightly less successful than the standout before this, it still did wonders for this growing world.

Abed has issues, not his disability, but parental issues. The character of Britta, with her slightly motherly and protective nature, wanted to care for abed. But as uniquely as this show does things, she of course, fails. But she does this by providing too much care, too much protectiveness on a character that is really not in any trouble at all.

He may have emotional issues, but he is still just as human as the rest of us. In a way, he is just like, if not more capable than the rest of us. However, Britta sees the disability, she sees the issue and springs to help. A move that’s both ignorant and noble, which is her character in a nutshell for quite some time. She learns this lesson, sooner than later, and Abed proves to not only have more depth, but also to be more keen on the situation…

While Jeff and Britta didn’t understand the metaphoric situation Abed put them in, the answers that he seeked, and the way he structured them. It was oddly poignant to see his father understand his son. Seems funny, a father understanding his son… Duh! But in this situation it was something unexpected, and heartwarming.

Community really doesn’t hesitate to bring the big guns when necessary!

Episode 4:

To anyone who has seen this episode, they should notice an ongoing theme. Every character is getting an interesting pair, but not only that, the character is also getting developed. This week we get the riotously funny “Social Psychology”.

It’s not only called that because of Abed’s hilarious departure in the B-story with Anne (another new pairing). But also Jeff’s jealousy of Britta’s new boyfriend, and Shirley’s attempts to fit in. After all, gossiping is still something that bonds people over a common interest.

Episode two has Pierce attempting this, while this episode had Shirley trying. While both end in failure, somewhat, they still work to various degrees. This is either breeding sympathy, or falseness of character.

Best of all, they breed comedy. Although this may be the emptiest episode of the show thus far, it’s definitely the most funny. If only for Professor Dunkin’s absolutely hilarious freakout.

This episode is not remarkable by any means… but it still never neglects to make me giggle at the bonding of Jeff and Shirley, and the very funny B-plot. Congratulations Community, you never cease to impress!

Grades:

Episode 2: A-

Episode 3: B+

Episode 4: B+

The saga begins

With this, I begin to talk about a show that has changed my life, a show that is so different, unique, original, interesting, hilarious, and developing that it dwarfs any competitor. A show that is underrated, a show that makes the weirdo’s in the world feel normal, and the normal people in the world feel weird. A show that for once makes me feel that someone around earth understands what comedy is, someone who doesn’t stop trying until he is fired. And then when the void of his loss was noticed, rehired once more, only to capture the essence of this show. The essence of what makes “Community”, “Community”… What is that essence, you may be wondering? It’s heart.

The first episode of this series starts it off on a pretty “normal” foot. We get introduced to the characters in an understandable fashion, and get ready to embark on a journey like no other. For what it is, a regularly scripted pilot of a sitcom no one was sure about, it does it’s job splendidly. On my second, third, fourth, or even fifth rewatch, I still laugh at some of the incredibly clever jokes published within the script.

The viewers didn’t hesitate to notice the standout performance of Danny Pudi, who plays the Asperger’s stricken character, Abed, whom associates real life with Tv and film to try and understand it. Troy, the underdeveloped Jock (whom becomes my favorite character of the show). Shirley, the divorced Christian house mom. Pierce, the lovable old racist. Anne, the used-to-be pill addicted teen. Britta, the rebel. And lastly, Jeff, the disbarred lawyer.

This is a simple setup to a complicated show, a budding flower, sprouting from the harsh beginnings with regular sitcom shtick, but still never hesitates to be resoundingly “Community” in it’s delivery.

This pilot is what is needed to start this show, to lay the groundwork, and to produce what I feel is not only the most post-modern show, but also the most resoundingly human show we have in our generation. So I say, to everyone who decides to read this… let’s begin!

Grade: A-

Goodbye Pierce

I’m writing this right now not as someone whom thought this was the funniest episode of the show, or best directed episode of the show, or even the richest episode of the show. I’m sitting down in my chair, applauding this show, Community, for delivering one of the most poignant episodes it has ever done, any comedy show has ever done.

There are so many shows out there with characters whom people are just born to hate, who are made to be hated. The comedy comes from them being jerks to their surroundings, ones that even a small speech at the end of an episode can’t redeem. And then there are characters whom you are born to love, unconditionally, as they are who you want to be.

The characters in “Community” are neither one of these. They are us, they are flawed, happy, sad, angry, tormented, pained, distraught, funny, delusional, stupid, and smart all at the same time. What I’m trying to say, is that they are all of us, every single one of us has a sliver of them. Why? Because each one of them has humanity, no matter how cartoonish and absurd this show can be, at the end of the day, these characters remain.

Each one doused in the flames of human emotion, not pivotal comedy, or hysterical realization, but in pure, simple, humanity. Even a character whom was drifting into the territory of villainy is treated with such respect, some vigilance and care, that no matter why or how he left, he is still sorely missed. This episode says this, bluntly. Each and every one of them is faulty, defected, broken, and the first step to fixing yourself is to admit your flaws.

The most hated character on the show, meaning the one that is the rudest, most racist, spiteful character… is also the most attentive, the most self-realized. Perhaps in death he is able to pass that one sliver of humanity he has to them.

This is a powerful episode, one rife with subtle emotion, and grace that rival some of the most world-renown TV-shows out there. There is nothing this episode strictly did wrong, it was just there. I could not have entered the writing studio, a few months back, and told them how fix it. It was its own being, its own centralized exposition. The group, the family, the community, that we have known for the past five years saying goodbye to someone whom they just now started to appreciate.

However, the ride is not over, and as they say goodbye to Pierce Hawthorne, another character has a revelation. One of them had the biggest revelation, and that was Troy. So in next week’s episode, we will be saying our sorrowful goodbyes to him.

As I said, this isn’t the funniest episode of the show, it’s not the best shot, but it’s the deepest. An episode that re-establishes this group’s personality and dynamic three years after they established it in season two’s episode “Cooperative Calligraphy”. The characters have changed. They changed in both subtle and blatant ways, and are darker for it. Each one seemingly holding on to that last string that they have their humanity invested in… each other.

Grade: A   

This episode gets awarded, with not only an “A”, but also the ‘Seal of Approval’, signifying the highest ranking I could possibly give to an episode of a show.