Community

[Reply #440 on:]

Yeah, Abed was pretty awful this episode, his 4th wall Shtick is getting really old

[Reply #441 on:]

I don't mind that too much, it just doesn't play off the other characters as well as with Troy, they just shut him down.

[Reply #442 on:]

*bump*
SEASON FINALE! (soon)
Will you Americans and possibly Mexicans watch the thing so it gets a good rating and we can get some more?
There's a good lad.

[Reply #443 on:]

I was pretty disappointed in tonight's episode and this season has been a bit of a letdown in general

[Reply #444 on:]

I agree. Advanced Introduction To Finality was a much better season-ender than this was.

I know it's not the popular opinion, and I know the likes of Beamer and cyber_turnip will label me ripe with dementia, but I honestly think that overall this season was even weaker than season 4, as season 4 had more standout episodes to me. I liked that this season tried its hand at more high-concept stuff, but it never really led to much. The running storylines didn't culminate in any awesome way, and honestly I even thought the comic timing was somewhat off in most of the episodes. Not to mention the absence of Troy throughout most of the season.

Whenever people talk about how horrible season 4 was and how this season is some kind of return to the show's former glory, I wonder what the fuck show they've been watching, or if they're just so obsessed with the idea that Dan Harmon is the mastermind behind the show's humor (and don't get me wrong, I do love the guy and his influence on the show) that their opinions are somewhat biased. I don't think that's necessarily the case, and I can understand why people would like this season over season 4, but I do think people are perhaps exaggerating when they make this season out to be a high point of the series compared to the travesty that was apparently the fourth season.

Anyway, I definitely still enjoy the show and will watch it to its end, but at this point I have no expectation for it return to the quality of seasons 2 or 3, unless Troy returns and they bring back a strong focus on subtly interesting running storylines and high concept episodes that manage to be ridiculous without sacrificing humor.

[Reply #445 on:]

I can see that. The meow meow episode was the only real standout, everything else seemed like a rehash of better episodes

[Reply #446 on:]

They really did almost nothing with the premise of Jeff as a teacher, did they? I guess they can still get some mileage out of that next season.

[Reply #447 on:]

There was one episode with him and Annie

[Reply #448 on:]

They probably didn't find a good story way to use him as a teacher, unless he actually started teaching Annie, Britta, Shirley and Abed, they'd have to get a whole load of the extra cast into a law class or just have brand new people (Troy - "Who are these people?!"), as with the bit where he didn't learn everyone's names.

I found it to be a good season, not amazing, but some good laughs.

[Reply #449 on:]

I agree. Advanced Introduction To Finality was a much better season-ender than this was.

Okay, now you're just trolling.

Seriously, Advanced Introduction to Finality was the worst fucking episode ever produced of this show.

I agree the way they tied everything together was somewhat underwhelming (and again, I'll chalk a lot of this up to the 13 episode order being really limiting in terms of allowing the show to craft a season-long story arc while still having room to experiment with high-concept episodes and the like), but right from the get-go, this season fixed up some of the biggest flaws it had developed in season 4; The characters had ceased to be living, breathing people and became one-dimensional caricatures of themselves that were simply there to spurt out predictable punchlines.

Was this season as good as 2 and 3? Not quite (save from a few stand-outs), but it sure as hell came closer than 4 ever did.

[Reply #450 on:]

I do consider re-watchability to be a factor in what makes a good show/episode/season for me. There was really nothing about season 4 I wanted to go back and re-watch save for maybe the episode where Abed meets Rachel because Brie Larson is great. I'll concede that season 5 hasn't really made me want to re-watch any episodes and that honestly the show seems to have plateaued with its characters and settings but I did appreciate season 5 more because there were bits I remember fondly.

However, I'm really over this "oh it's just 13 episodes that's an excuse for the under-developed storylines".



THAT'S GOBBLEDYGOOK

Comedy shows are more than capable of developing storylines and character arcs in under 13 episodes. The foundation of contemporary British television is based on extremely short 6 episode seasons. And I don't doubt for one minute that Dan Harmon isn't capable of creating a thorough story-arc for a show he created in under 22 episodes. He chose to go with high concept episodes that pertained very little to an overall story. There was story in Jeff's role as a teacher, the departure of Troy and Pierce, the changes of Greendale itself that could have all been addressed without the extreme concept episodes that were often self-contained and didn't really relay into one another. Why is it that so many of these episodes this season reminded us of better previous episodes? Because the old episodes still had some kind of linking to character development, not just this notion that the writers expect the audience to know the characters at this point in the series' run that they don't need to have crazy things happen to them for development sake but just because it's funny to see these characters in wacky situations. Again, didn't even like season four but at least it TRIED to have an on-going story with Jeff coming to terms with his absent father (awfully mishandled as it was). Here, Jeff gets to be a teacher for one actual episode and then ten episodes later he's extremely depressed and almost kills himself because he's at a point in his life where he didn't expect himself to be except we haven't actually seen how that's effected him in the longevity of the semester.

Community isn't out of concepts it just doesn't know what to do with the characters anymore as they are destined to be stuck in Greendale where nothing will change and the status quo needs to remain. And I'm sick of hearing Abed refer to life in that way. Change is inevitable. Maybe not for TV sitcoms but that is how life happens and this show is too smart to stay dormant as it is.

(I spent too long making that gif so I needed to justify it with a long rant).

[Reply #451 on:]

I agree that season 5's biggest flaw has been offering us very little that hasn't been done before, but it still did almost everything that it did extremely well.

It was hugely enjoyable and I wouldn't say it contained a single bad episode. In fact, I'd say that almost every episode was at least great.


Season 4 may have given us quite a few new concepts and ideas but not one of them was pulled off well enough to fit in with the other seasons of the show and most of them were handled downright terribly. It was unfunny and awkward and I really don't understand what people found in it.

I should add that I really don't care about Dan Harmon like many of his fans do. I've never listened to his podcast, I don't like Rick and Morty and I'm only really aware of the guy because I watched Community and it was excellent. I went into season 4 of Community expecting it to be largely the same as before - in fact, I laughed at the opening scene in which it was recreated as a three-walled sitcom, because I thought it was an excellent satire of how people were complaining about how it was going to change for the worse.

[Reply #452 on:]

I agree. Advanced Introduction To Finality was a much better season-ender than this was.

Okay, now you're just trolling.

Seriously, Advanced Introduction to Finality was the worst fucking episode ever produced of this show.

Nope, I really enjoyed that one. I honestly thought it was much better set up, better structured, and funnier than this season's finale.

I guess in comparing the seasons I may have been hasty. I do think season 4 felt more cohesive and did more service to its running storylines, but that said it definitely had more weak episodes. History 101, Alternative History Of The German Invasion, Advanced Documentary Filmmaking, Intro To Felt Surrogacy, and Intro To Knots were all pretty lackluster. I'd say the only fairly weak episodes this season were Repilot, Basic Intergluteal Numismatics, and the finale, so yes, it's been a much more consistent season.

The absence of Troy felt like losing a key comedic factor though. And while I love Jonathan Banks and John Oliver, I felt like they were really only used well in one episode (Bondage And Beta Male Sexuality, probably my favorite episode of the season). And oddly enough, after Troy's departure, Abed's character seems to have totally reverted back to his season 1 or 2 self, ignoring what seemed like actual character development he'd been experiencing ever since the excellent season 3 episode Virtual Systems Analysis.

But as I said, it was the lack of running storylines that paid off that disappointed me most. I think the storylines in season 4 were actually relatively well-executed, bringing back things set up in season 3 (for all the people who joke about Britta and Troy's relationship being stupid, they did hint pretty heavily at setting that up in season 3, and it did end up leading to the best episode of the season, Basic Human Anatomy) as well as introducing new stuff that carried into season 5 (obviously the writers liked Brie Larson's character enough to bring her back). And ya, I liked the finale and thought that season ended on a much more interesting note than this one did.

[Reply #453 on:]

Mildly interesting: Graph of each seasons IMDB ratings.

[Reply #454 on:]

Wow what a drop from season 3 to 4.

[Reply #455 on:]

Most of those episodes only have 3 or 4 reviews.

Edit: Never mind, I'm dumb. Didn't realize you can give a rating without writing a review.

[Reply #456 on:]

Looking at the highly rated episodes on those Graphs it ties with my favourites.   I still think that, as a fan since episode one, season four wasn't all that bad (the Britta/Troy "relationship" aside), but season five was a return to the season 3 level.  Maybe the 13 episode run doesn't allow for better arcs but, I still think there were more highlights than lowlights...   Plus, another season will give us more stuff on TVtropes (Community's page is a couple of hours of fun reading - see also Arrested Development).

[Reply #457 on:]

http://m.eonline.com/news/539592/community-canceled-by-nbc

Not really surprised considering how rocky things have been

[Reply #458 on:]

[Reply #459 on:]

I would've been more upset had they cancelled it after seasons two or three. It's already widely syndicated, so I'm not feeling a tremendous loss this time

[Reply #460 on:]

Now to just wait and see what other outlet will pick it up.

[Reply #461 on:]

No. It doesn't need to be picked up. Season five was proof enough that while maybe not out of ideas, the creative apex was reached two seasons ago. The logistics of keeping everyone at Greendale for as long as they did didn't even make sense. Maybe it would have if they tried some kind of actual season arc but they didn't.

Two meow meow beanz.

[Reply #462 on:]

I agree, but that doesn't mean that outlets won't be interested in picking it up, or that I would mind seeing more of it. If they can fulfill the "six seasons and a movie" prophecy, why shouldn't they?

[Reply #463 on:]

Sure why not? But I'm ready to move on and see all these fine actors in other things. Except Ken Jeong. He can go away now.

[Reply #464 on:]

[Reply #465 on:]

*sigh*
I've always disliked the way American TV works. I bet Community still is enjoyed by a lot more people in the rest of the world than any other show NBC has now. But since they don't profit from it, why should they order more episodes?

I was also disappointed with the cancellation of My Name Is Earl. Of course that was different as it was a cliffhanger.

While I'm here. What were they parodying (if anything) during the final episode? It just felt cheesy. They also went too far with the way they pulverized the fourth wall.

Edit: Also, not sure if anything at all:

I, however, would be shocked if Community didn’t find a new home in short order. Entertainment Weekly is reporting that Sony Pictures TV is already looking for a new home. The poorly-rated cult-favorite comedy is a perfect candidate for any number of streaming services looking to distinguish themselves with original content — Hulu already owns the digital rights. It would certainly have an easier time making new episodes than Arrested Development, which had to contend with significant demands on the superstar cast’s schedules so long after its original run.

There is, of course, the significant possibility that Community isn’t dead altogether. Sony Pictures TV, which produces Community, will now try to find another home for it on cable or a streaming service. The show has already been sold in syndication to Comedy Central, while Hulu owns the digital rights.

[Reply #466 on:]

I agree, but that doesn't mean that outlets won't be interested in picking it up, or that I would mind seeing more of it. If they can fulfill the "six seasons and a movie" prophecy, why shouldn't they?

Harmon said just a few weeks ago he was dead set on doing so. I think one final season on, say, Netflix or something certainly isn't out of the question. And while season 5 wasn't as good as seasons 2-3, I still care about the show tremendously, and would like to see it get a proper wrap-up.

[Reply #467 on:]

Even if another studio decides to go forward, it's probably gonna take some time, and that might run the risk of not getting the entire cast

[Reply #468 on:]

I'd say that season 5 was the best comedy on TV in the past year, personally and I'd hate for that to be the end of the show. Obviously, the six seasons and a movie thing would be nice to see through, but more than anything, I'd just like a season that wraps up the story a bit better.

As much as I hated season 4, that finale made for a better series finale than "Basic Sandwich". Not a better episode by any means, but a more fitting conclusion to the story.

I suppose the film would be the best place for a proper conclusion, and that still seems pretty likely to happen, even if it ends up having to rely on Kickstarter.

[Reply #469 on:]

Even if another studio decides to go forward, it's probably gonna take some time, and that might run the risk of not getting the entire cast

I think it's still possible. Aside from what gets filmed in the study room, the show generally has very few scenes that feature the entire cast as a whole. Hopefully they won't have to pull an "Arrested Development season 4" in order to work around the scheduling (in AD's case, they executed it brilliantly, but I just don't think it would work for Community), but it's doable, even if the entire cast as a whole moves on. I know Netflix generally film seasons of their shows in one bulk production as well, as opposed to doing it episode-by-episode like the major networks do.

Not that I should really be speculating about such things so soon after cancellation, though it still seemed worth noting.

I'd say that season 5 was the best comedy on TV in the past year...

I'd rank Veep, Silicon Valley, Bob's Burgers and Brooklyn Nine-Nine ahead of it in terms of both quality and laughs this season, though it was certainly on par with, say, season 6 of Parks & Recreation.

Obviously, the six seasons and a movie thing would be nice to see through, but more than anything, I'd just like a season that wraps up the story a bit better.

As much as I hated season 4, that finale made for a better series finale than "Basic Sandwich". Not a better episode by any means, but a more fitting conclusion to the story.

I agree with all of this. Advanced Introduction to Finality is one of show's worst outings for a number of reasons (rehashing far too many things that didn't need to be brought back, having a nonsensical storyline and rushing through major plot points, to name a few), but at least it had a "series finale" kind of vibe to it. While Basic Sandwich is a much better episode in its own right, it doesn't serve very well as an ending to the series as a whole.

[Reply #470 on:]

Well that's encouraging:
https://twitter.com/hulu_support/status/465677746891681792
I'm not on the tweeters, are you goys?

[Reply #471 on:]

I'd say that season 5 was the best comedy on TV in the past year...

I'd rank Veep, Silicon Valley, Bob's Burgers and Brooklyn Nine-Nine ahead of it in terms of both quality and laughs this season, though it was certainly on par with, say, season 6 of Parks & Recreation.

I like Veep and Silicon Valley but neither have come close to matching my enjoyment of season 5 of Community. I've always found Bob's Burgers to be rather average and I'm afraid I'm yet to see Brooklyn Nine-Nine. I'd also say that it was miles ahead of any season of Parks and Recreation - another show that I like.

[Reply #472 on:]

Nice Daybreak rap

[Reply #473 on:]

I decided to check out this show less than two weeks ago, and have now finished it. Great stuff. Meta humor, movie and TV referencing, parodying and a nice group of funny characters made my marathons very pleasant. Last 2 seasons though had too much of Abed's crazy adventures and Dean's shenanigans. Troy dating Britta was pointless, and Jeff becoming a teacher was stupid since there was only one proper episode of him teching. But both season 4 and 5 had their share of good episodes, season 5 had some great ones as well.

Also, the cast is surprisingly good. I hadn't seen any work of the main 7 until now. Danny Pudi is probably the best out of these, because of the constant laughs he delivers. And Alison Brie is a huge distraction, damn she's pretty. The monkey was named for all the right reasons.

I would be thrilled to see more adventures of the study group, but the show not getting picked up wouldn't be a huge loss, there were signs of running out of ideas.

I'll definitely put this show on my "buy on DVD if you see a good deal" -list.

[Reply #474 on:]

Troy dating Britta was pointless...

Chalk it up to the gas leak.

[Reply #475 on:]

Eh, they strongly hinted at that late in season 3, unless the gas leak started earlier

[Reply #476 on:]

Yeah I thought in season 3 it was sweet, season 4 just didn't know what to do with them.

[Reply #477 on:]

As said, it was heavily hinted at in season 3. And it led to Basic Human Anatomy, which was a great episode and probably the best of that season. So overall, it didn't really bother me at all...not sure why people are so down on it. It was far from the biggest flaw of season 4.

[Reply #478 on:]

I would attribute Basic Human Anatomy's success to Jim Rash's excellent writing as opposed to the Troy/Britta story arc (if you can even call it that).

Granted, shippiness is a big part of Community, but the show would always handle it in the most subversive way possible. In season 4, whatever was happening between Troy and Britta became a straight-up, boring old relationship, and like Spacedal said, the writers had no fucking idea what to do with it.

[Reply #479 on:]

Sure, it was boring. I just never thought it negatively got in the show's way.