208 replies to this topic

[Ryan H.]

I thought would have had a thread on this show, but a search didn't turn up anything.

Is COMMUNITY the best comedy on network TV? Well, it was during its first season, which started quiet but quickly built into true-blue hilarity, climaxing with the awesomeness that was the paintball episode, a relentless send-up of action movie cliches.

I'm not sure about this second season. It's been funny, but it's been struggling. Gone is the connective character arcs/relationships--they tossed out the romantic tension within the first episode--and instead, we've had one send-up of genres after the other. Some of them have been quite witty (I dug their Halloween zombie episode). Some of them have been bizarre (the Jesus movie episode was odd, though they get points for their mockery of the wailing voices on the soundtrack). But this Thursday night's episode, I think I saw a glimmer of the first season again. I'm hoping it keeps up.

[Josh Hurst]

I love Community-- and yes, it probably is the best comedy on network TV, at least that I've seen, given that Parks and Rec is M.I.A. right now and 30 Rock has slipped just a bit the last two seasons.

And I'm not sure that I agree that it's been stumbling this season. The only episode I haven't been big on was the Abed one you mention, Ryan, simply because its tone was so different from the rest of the series. But I have to give them props for hanging an entire episode on what was essentially an extended Charlie Kaufman reference.

The great thing about the show is how it balances its impulses toward the broader, reference-heavy shows (like the paintball and zombie episodes) with more intimate, character-driven humor. And thus far, I don't think that balance has been shaken too much. Yes, they did a few reference-heavy shows in a row, though even with those, I feel like the Apollo 13/KFC episode still brought some good character-based moments. Meanwhile, the first two episodes of the season were pretty light on the references, as was this past week's. So I wouldn't say that they've veered too far in one direction. I think the show's doing just fine.

[Ryan H.]

Josh Hurst, on 13 November 2010 - 08:33 AM, said:

The only episode I haven't been big on was the Abed one you mention, Ryan, simply because its tone was so different from the rest of the series.

Yeah, it was a very, very odd episode. Not necessarily bad, but strange.

I'd say one of the more obviously problematic things about COMMUNITY right now is the arc they've given Chang. He was very amusing the first season, but I've found him borderline annoying this season.

[Josh Hurst]

Ryan H., on 13 November 2010 - 01:24 PM, said:

Josh Hurst, on 13 November 2010 - 08:33 AM, said:

The only episode I haven't been big on was the Abed one you mention, Ryan, simply because its tone was so different from the rest of the series.

Yeah, it was a very, very odd episode. Not necessarily bad, but strange.

I'd say one of the more obviously problematic things about COMMUNITY right now is the arc they've given Chang. He was very amusing the first season, but I've found him borderline annoying this season.

I've appreciated that they're using him in fairly small doses, and that they've naturally worked him into the episodes instead of forcing him into the study group. The only issue I have with him is the subplot of him hooking up with Shirley-- which will, I'm sure, reap some big laughs, but seemed to come out of the blue.

[Ryan H.]

Josh Hurst, on 13 November 2010 - 05:59 PM, said:

I've appreciated that they're using him in fairly small doses, and that they've naturally worked him into the episodes instead of forcing him into the study group.

Small doses is the right way to use him. But pushing him into super-madman outcast territory, as they've done so far, isn't quite working for me. He was funnier when he was less desperate.

Josh Hurst, on 13 November 2010 - 05:59 PM, said:

The only issue I have with him is the subplot of him hooking up with Shirley-- which will, I'm sure, reap some big laughs, but seemed to come out of the blue.

Yeah. And now the pregnancy thing... I can't tell where this is going.

[Tyler]

Behind the scenes on the stop-motion Christmas episode.

[Gavin Breeden]

NY Magazine's TV Critic calls Community the best TV show of 2010.

[Josh Hurst]

So, the Christmas show was masterful: Not only one of the best Christmas episodes, of any show, that I have seen, but also splendidly true to the spirit of the show. The stop-motion thing wasn't just a witty pop culture reference, but it serviced the characters and the story. And best of all: The LOST joke was priceless.

[Thom Wade]

What I really like is that they seem to have thought of all sorts of little aspects about the characters that most shows gloss over. I understand why shows avoid something like establishing a religious background for a characters... but seeing how something like Troy's being a Jehovah's Witness impacts the group dynamic (the group pretending to ignore Troy's birthday by having a party that just happens to fall on the day he was born-since JW do not celebrate holidays/birthdays was just a sweet moment).

I agree that last night was terrific. It was fun and stayed in tone with the show. I love that Community takes risks like this, rather than simply coasting on critical response.

[Ryan H.]

Okay, the most recent episode, "Advanced Dungeons and Dragons," is one of my favorites. Hilarious. This show might be founded in spoofing movie genres and sub-genres, but it does it so wonderfully.

Oh, and "You're the AT&T of people" is one of my favorite lines from the show.

Edited by Ryan H., 05 February 2011 - 10:13 AM.

[John Drew]

I wish I could remember to watch or DVR this show. I caught an episode about two weeks ago, where the cast was putting on a "Don't Do Drugs" play for young adults. As a former actor/technician in a company that performed for children, this was one of the funniest things I'd seen on TV in a long time.

[Ryan H.]

Baal_T, on 05 February 2011 - 01:07 PM, said:

I wish I could remember to watch or DVR this show. I caught an episode about two weeks ago, where the cast was putting on a "Don't Do Drugs" play for young adults. As a former actor/technician in a company that performed for children, this was one of the funniest things I'd seen on TV in a long time.

You could Hulu it. That's what I do.

[Tyler]

Ryan H., on 05 February 2011 - 03:46 PM, said:

You could Hulu it. That's what I do.

So many things are verbs these days.

[Peter T Chattaway]

Of course, Hulu only works in the United States. (And so does much of Netflix, etc. Sigh.)

[John Drew]

Ryan H., on 05 February 2011 - 03:46 PM, said:

Baal_T, on 05 February 2011 - 01:07 PM, said:

I wish I could remember to watch or DVR this show. I caught an episode about two weeks ago, where the cast was putting on a "Don't Do Drugs" play for young adults. As a former actor/technician in a company that performed for children, this was one of the funniest things I'd seen on TV in a long time.

You could Hulu it. That's what I do.

Dude, I can't even remember to click one button on my DVR... now you expect me to hunt it down on Hulu? Do you know how much clicking that involves?

Edited by Baal_T'shuvah, 06 February 2011 - 12:08 AM.

[Ryan H.]

Baal_T, on 05 February 2011 - 11:38 PM, said:

Ryan H., on 05 February 2011 - 03:46 PM, said:

Baal_T, on 05 February 2011 - 01:07 PM, said:

I wish I could remember to watch or DVR this show. I caught an episode about two weeks ago, where the cast was putting on a "Don't Do Drugs" play for young adults. As a former actor/technician in a company that performed for children, this was one of the funniest things I'd seen on TV in a long time.

You could Hulu it. That's what I do.

Dude, I can't even remember to click one button on my DVR... now you expect me to hunt it down on Hulu? Do you know how much clicking that involves?

There. I did the work for you. Just one, single click.

[John Drew]

Ryan H., on 06 February 2011 - 08:38 AM, said:

Baal_T, on 05 February 2011 - 11:38 PM, said:

Ryan H., on 05 February 2011 - 03:46 PM, said:

Baal_T, on 05 February 2011 - 01:07 PM, said:

I wish I could remember to watch or DVR this show. I caught an episode about two weeks ago, where the cast was putting on a "Don't Do Drugs" play for young adults. As a former actor/technician in a company that performed for children, this was one of the funniest things I'd seen on TV in a long time.

You could Hulu it. That's what I do.

Dude, I can't even remember to click one button on my DVR... now you expect me to hunt it down on Hulu? Do you know how much clicking that involves?

There. I did the work for you. Just one, single click.

Thanks... and I'm glad you didn't take me to task in another thread where I discovered a few things about the "multiquote" button, and all the clicking I ended up doing over there.

[Tyler]

"Intermediate Documentary Filmmaking" is already one of my favorite episodes of the series.

Spoiler

Levar Burton is great in his guest role.

[Josh Hurst]

Tyler, on 18 February 2011 - 01:41 PM, said:

"Intermediate Documentary Filmmaking" is already one of my favorite episodes of the series.

Spoiler

Levar Burton is great in his guest role.

It was definitely hilarious.

... but Community has a big problem right now, and it's Pierce. Time to cut him loose.

[Gavin Breeden]

Community and Glee are basically the same show....except for tone, sense of humor, and overall quality.

A swing and a miss from the usually very astute Todd VanDerWerff.

Of course, the similarities he points out are somewhat accurate, but to say they are basically the same show is a bit much.

(Of course, I'm now just one of those Community fans who is up in arms that my darling has been compared to Glee.)

Edited by Gavin Breeden, 27 February 2011 - 07:00 PM.