Community

[Mr Sausage]

I laughed a lot, but man this episode got unpleasant and negative, and I'm not sure the swing into sentimentality at the end either saved it or worked on its own.

I'm glad they gave Boyd Crowder that tag at the end, it was pretty funny.

[domino harvey]

NBC sez renewal likely

[Andre Jurieu]

Uh... did anyone else notice the update provided during tonight's episode on Troy's sea adventure? It was rather concerning.

Also, great guest stars on the episode.

[Murdoch]

I was running cool on this season, but last night's episode easily ranks among my favorites of the series. Great to see the show in top form.

[Red Screamer]

Ben Fold's full "Ass Crack Bandit" song

[Moe Dickstein]

Too much downtime at work, going to have to go read this thread from the beginning. This is one of my favorite shows and I'm fortunate to be acquaintances with Dan Harmon and several people that characters were named for and based on, so this has always had a special place in my brain.

[Moe Dickstein]

I'm only through page 2 - but has everyone seen the original Greendale webisodes starring Harmon? They weren't put on any of the DVDs and they're pretty great. There's a whole story as to why Dr. Isaakson never appeared on the show proper, but I hope that Dan changes his mind before the end of the series.

Especially watch to the end to see a truly epic explosion

http://youtu.be/i3z5QO2O3cU" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[domino harvey]

This is one of my favorite shows and I'm fortunate to be acquaintances with Dan Harmon and several people that characters were named for and based on, so this has always had a special place in my brain.

[bainbridgezu]

Name-dropping? Sure. But let's get to the meat of the matter: What does Dan Harmon think of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World?

[Moe Dickstein]

Whatever, knowing these people is a part of my fandom of the show for better or worse. Don't mean it to be dickish about it but suppose that's an impossible trap. I'm just going to dump some thoughts and experiences here and then I'll chime in as we go. It was a trip reading this whole thread today and reliving all the same feelings I had over the last 5 years with this show.

I was involved with Channel 101 back when the pilot script got picked up and Dan's then current 101 show Water and Power even had an episode with cameos from the stars of his new pilot. It was really cool to see someone I knew getting a show on TV, and then having it be something you loved was even better. The webisodes I linked were done by my friend Dave Seger who was Dan's longtime assistant, and he's part of the glee club on the stage in the last one. Seeing those was great, like your friends are making real stuff.

Then the Facebook version of the Pilot which was a couple minutes longer led me to quoting jokes to people that I didn't realize had been cut out of the NBC version. The first two seasons were pretty great, then it got kind of awkward during season 3, some great things but overall a big step down.

Dan has usually had a few when I see him at screenings but more than anything he's not someone that takes praise well and that was usually what I had to give. I do remember telling him just after the season 3 pickup that meant he was a lock for season 4. That if Sony was going to carry that piece of shit Til Death into Syndication, that they'd certainly do the last 17 odd they'd need to get to the Magic 88. It truly seemed like this hadn't occurred to him, but of course the cruel joke happened and he didn't get season 4 after all.

So there was the big upheaval, the well meaning but fan-fiction esque season 4, where I gave up after the Thanksgiving episode, not on purpose, I just let the episodes build up on the DVR, not really moved to watch them anymore where before it was countdown to Thursday night to see what was next.

Season 5 really feels more like a new show than anything else to me - if you wanted to make a band analogy, Season 1-2 were the really great albums that got you hooked, 3 was the breakup album that has some gems but you can see why it ended. Season 4 is a cover band album and Season 5 (and 6) is the wiser band members reuniting years later and have something new to say that's worth listening to. Maybe it's not just the same as their old stuff, but after the cover band you can feel the truth in its bones that this is the voice you missed hearing, even if time has aged it a bit.

At this point with the state of NBCs schedule I'd be pretty shocked if Community doesn't reach season six, and likely a full season again. If anything the current reruns in Syndication on local stations and Comedy Central should help bring a bit more life to things in terms of viewership, but this show is never going to break out. But it's on NBC so as long as they beat the CW they're ok.

[Moe Dickstein]

Name-dropping? Sure. But let's get to the meat of the matter: What does Dan Harmon think of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World?

That joke is not streets ahead. Very season 4.

[domino harvey]

I'm finally getting caught up and this show seriously did two Game of Thrones storylines in a row?

[Mr Sausage]

The break seems to've done the show some good as that was my favourite episode of the season. Unfortunately, that seems to be because the primary group interacted with secondary characters rather than each other, but it was nice to see them learning something other than the same four or five lessons they always learn (helps the emotional beats to seem less rote). Plus they managed to find something funny for Chang to do. Been a while since I could say that.

[Moe Dickstein]

I'm in agreement with Sausage (especially on Chang), I wrote a long post the night of the show that I lost in a browser crash and I just went to bed in frustration rather than try to recreate it, but it was really good to see a different spin on Britta, and so good to see more of Duncan. My hope is that he will become a regular in season six. But for me this was so far the best of the season. I especially liked Abed's rant which is the sort of thinly veiled voice of Dan Harmon we often get via Jeff.

[Andre Jurieu]

I'm just so happy they provided more material for John Oliver. That entire sequence of endless lines about Dane Cook movies has so far been the comedic highlight of the season for me. I was actually laughing hysterically for at least a minute.

[mfunk9786]

Oh man, Vince Gilligan was just the icing on the best-episode-of-the-season cake. And you must hang on for the stinger during the credits.

[Roger Ryan]

Yep, Gilligan was hilarious; I just wish Paul Williams was given a little more to do!

[mfunk9786]

His rant as he was walking away was pretty delightful, though. Ah, it's so nice to have this show back and firing on all cylinders, especially as Parks and Recreation is beginning to majorly fade.

[The Narrator Returns]

[mfunk9786]

The D&D episode from Thursday night: Worst ever?

[Murdoch]

Maybe my judgment was clouded, but the entire time I was thinking "Do we really need another D&D episode?"

[Red Screamer]

David Cross makes everything better so I ended up enjoying the episode, even though it wasn't particularly funny or well done.

[Mr Sausage]

Community more or less ran out of ideas at the end of season two. It's been replaying the same four or five conceits ever since, with moments of inspiration here and there. This season alone has now seen two of my favourite episodes--Dungeons and Dragons and Pierce's bequeathing--poorly remade, as well as two more mediocre 'the school takes a game too seriously' episodes. The show also lacks self-awareness; I miss the days when it knew it was a tv show and could cleverly play on that.

That said, stuff like last week's episode keeps giving me hopes that stuff like this week's episode keeps dashing.

[Roger Ryan]

All the same, I'm really enjoying what Jonathan Banks is bringing as the "Pierce" replacement. He has a conviction to the role that Chase didn't.

[Mr Sausage]

I remember thinking the same thing. Tho' the father/son angle was tired, he really sold it. I was never fond of Chase, so I already like Banks a lot more.