Community

[Zarathustra]

Wow, I cant believe there's no thread for this one. We are Netflix newbies to this show, first seeing it last year when my wife had surgery and I was keeping her company by TV-binging. We went through the first 10 episodes in one sitting, and were blown away. It's one of the funniest, wittiest, most original shows I've ever seen. All the characters are great. Joe McHale (already a fan from The Soup) is awesome. Even Chevy Chase is funny again after decades of irrelevance. [His D&D episode is a classic!] The show is self-referential, ironic, and hyper-aware of the formulaic nature of pop culture, using those "rules" and tropes in a way that transcends them.

After three fantastic seasons, S4 started out a bit slow, but it's starting to find its footing. I'm not sure how much longer they can keep it going. It's starting to get a little too self-referential and looping, especially with this week's episode. But given their gift for endings (each epic season finale, for instance), I can't wait to see where they end up.

[Akasri]

Season 4 has really dropped off for me - other than a couple highlights here and there.

Season 1-3 are awesome, though

[Shaun das Schaf]

I always wondered why there was no thread for this too Zarathustra, but unlike yourself, I was too lazy to start one.

I've watched every episode of Community. For seasons 1-3, it was basically my favourite show. I still chuckle thinking of naked pool, paintball, chicken fingers, zombies, fake flashbacks etc etc etc.

Many fans blame the sacking of Dan Harmon for what they perceive as the lower quality of season 4. Whilst I agree it hasn't been as strong, I think the eccentric, referential nature of the show's comic voice was always going to have a 3-4 year used by date. Plus, the characters have to graduate at some stage.

[[Syl]]

I loved season one and two but found season three hard to watch. Four has been a little better, though I've still only watched a few episodes. Mainly, i think my problem had been with the Chang and Pierce characters, where they've gone with them.Abed is kind of meh for me.

[Mega Fauna Blitzkrieg]

Without getting into the whole drama between Dan Harmon and Chevy Chase...season 4 has not been as good but, a LARGE part of that for me is what I assumed--and turned out to be correct in--was them attempting to placate Chevy Chase.

His character lost any edge or interest it had, by trying to humanize him and make him more accessible. Which happened because Chevy Chase didn't want to play a 'bad guy' anymore. Then he ends up just walking off the show halfway through the season anyways? ...

Well, if the show does continue into a fifth season, you should all greet it unbiasedly, as Chevy Chase will be gone, and with him all the diva-esque restrictions on the show. Dan Harmon will be gone, but how much of the first 3 seasons was him? I really don't know.

At the very least, they still have a lot of funny people on the show, and enough interesting characters to keep going. Donald Glover is like the funniest person on the damn planet, so depending on how involved he is with the writing, we can reasonably expect a turn-around of the show, now that all the drama is finally done with. (I hope?)

I agree that it is sinking further into self referential humor, but Family Guy did that a decade ago, and is still mostly pretty good.

Final question, did anyone notice Brie Larson a few episodes ago, as Abed's 'girl i really like cliche' during his sitcom double-date cliche episode, mentions that this was the best work-study she had ever done 'since that old guy broke the frozen yogurt machine'? In Thursday's episode, when they did retracing their origins, in one of the last scenes Pierce (presumably) ends up breaking the frozen yogurt machine where they all had gathered in the mall.

Think Ms. Larson was supposed have a larger role in the show, and be involved in at least that origin story episode? But something went wrong on their dramafilled set? I was really wondering why she didn't make a second appearance...

[Zarathustra]

Damn, I didn't realize all that was going on with Chase. It's ironic that in his desire to play a "good guy," he has ended doing exactly what his own charcter would do in this situation: throwing a "temper tantrum" because he's not being accepted as one of the group. Instead of being a team player and supporting everyone else in the role that was written for him, he's taking his toys and going home in a huff. Pathetic.

Chase, you are Pierce.

[dANdeLION]

I love the show, but have been unable to watch it since season 1 (or the Office, 30 Rock, and Parks & Recreation) due to Thursday night rehearsal every week. I need to get the dvd's I guess.

[I'm Murrin]

After all the fuss on Twitter when this show was cancelled, I decided to start watching. I got the season 1-4 box set and I'm up to the start of season 3.

Really great show! I didn't expect to like it so much. Very much enjoy the way it approaches a lot of the usual cliche stuff.

One of the episodes I watched today while finishing up season 2 was the one where they did a clip show - with 100% original footage, not a single actual clip from earlier episodes. Appreciated that subversion.

And the background stuff! I noticed a woman giving birth in a car in the background of one of the episodes, and then at the end of the season Abed mentions that he delivered a baby in the back of a car ("somewhere in the background"), ha.

Getting a teeny bit tired of all the back and forth on the will-they-won't-they between Jeff & Britta and Jeff & Annie, though (and now the opening of season 3 signposts that Jeff and Annie will sleep together sometime that season).

[I'm Murrin]

Anyone watched the new episodes on Yahoo?

I watched the first one, but the streaming on Yahoo Screen is awful, and the second episode was pretty much unwatchable when I tried.

[Sffasia]

Anyone watched the new episodes on Yahoo?

I watched the first one, but the streaming on Yahoo Screen is awful, and the second episode was pretty much unwatchable when I tried.

Sorry, that sucks, Murrin. I finally remembered a few weeks ago yahoo was doing community season six and checked out the first 3 episodes and watched on my phone. Love all episodes as much as the first 3 seasons, variable but never less than great. Eagerly wait every Tuesday for new episodes. Currently watching Daredevil, will jump to Daredevil thread.

PS I watched first three seasons only here in Singapore. I didn't watch season 4 or 5 although I would have if I could have watched both in order on tv here. Season 6 I watched cos it seemed to start afresh. And I may have seen recaps on yahoo of previous seasons.

[Zarathustra]

We're almost caught up on this season. The streaming Yahoo thing is working great for us. This season is awesome! Better than the last two for sure. It takes a few episodes to really hit its stride--or maybe for me to get used to the new characters--but we've laughed our asses off this season. I love the twist at the end of each episode.

The Japanese kid pretending to be Jeff on the phone w/Dean was an inspired choice, one that we could extrapolate backwards in time and imagine as the explanation for many of their interactions over the years, as if it's been happening 'off-screen' privately and we've only been seeing the public results.

They're making great use of Chang this season--a character I've not really liked until now. The new characters are great, too.

The creativity on this show is off the charts. Crazy stuff. I don't see how they come up with some of the ideas they have.

[Zarathustra]

The season finale was incredible. If that's the last episode of Community ever, it will be fitting and worthy. Depending on your connection with these characters, it was almost a tear-jerker. Very sentimental and sweet, but also a great example of their 'meta lens' treatment of the format. Incredible.

[Mega Fauna Blitzkrieg]

The last episode was such a fitting last episode for Community, both inside the show and outside.

The whole theme of "I'll definitely be back. Probably. Maybe." sums up the shows actual history so perfectly.

You can rightly assume that it was the last episode, but even so they never actually...say it. It's like even the cast&crew don't know for sure. I can only imagine how terrible it must have been to work on that show at times.

Last I checked, it isn't actually cancelled, like Sony is denying that it is cancelled, and is considering one year contracts for the actors and such, but Dan Harmon is saying that season 7 is very unlikely, but a movie is slightly less unlikely.

Let's hope they get a movie.

#SixSeasonsAndAMovie

I was a little sad Professor Hicky didn't come back (anyone know why?) but did anyone else notice that Todd apparently is the storm drain serial killer that he was always on about, maybe?

I mean he got fired from being a cop 15-20 years ago, so Todd would have been a teenage serial killer? Sounds unlikely but who knows with them.

Sad that Donal Glovar (30 Rock joke) didn't come back for the last episode, but the rest of the season was surprisingly great, I was really worried when I heard it was moving to Yahoo for season 6.

Season 5 was great too, the fully animated G.I. Joe episode?! So perfectly authentic, I wouldn't be shocked if that was even the same narrator from G.I. Joe/Commercials/etc.

...Then again, apparently the main female boss voice in Saints Row 3&4 Isn't Jennifer Hale(Alex Roivis, Commander Shepard) despite it obviously being Jennifer Hale.