Review of Community Season 5-Part 1

I’ll be the first to admit that I was late to this party.  I hadn’t heard of Community until Season Four, when a bunch of fanboys on nerd websites started bitching about it.  I didn’t start watching it until it went into syndication, right before Season Five started.  The first episode I watched was Accounting for Lawyers. I had no idea about the setting or any character knowledge and yet, was completely floored.  I sat there watching with my mouth open the entire time.  I was in the act of laughing, but the jokes were so rapid fire, I was afraid to start doing so that I might miss something.  Then the next episode came on right after, Basic Rocket Science, rifting off of one of my favorite movies, The Right Stuff.  

Suddenly I had a new favorite show, which I talked about incessantly.  I was able to get a co-worker to watch with me one night.  He started laughing immediately, with only slightly more show knowledge than I started with.  While he’s only watched a couple more episodes, he’s still occasionally quoting from what he’s seen. 

I have little qualifications to review this show.  I’m not a long-time fan.  I still haven’t seen every episode (working on it).  I thought Season Four was funny.  I really don’t get the animus against it.  Yeah, the show’s creator, Dan Harmon, wasn’t there, but so what?  It was still good.  Are you a fan of the show, or Harmon?  Well, he’s back for Season Five at everyone’s request.  One would be tempted to map out the show and its characters as has been done with Hideaki Anno and his anime show, Evangelion.  (Anno is Shinji.  Rei is the audience.  Etc.)  Abed is Dan.  The “Save Greendale” storyline is Dan trying to “save” the show after Season Four.     

If the Season Four was the “Gas Leak” year, Season Five is the “Suicide Watch” year.  The show’s return has been mostly joyless and depressing.  Chevy Chase’s departure should, theoretically, have not hurt the show.  And yet, the will-reading episode, where it was like he was there, was probably the best episode of the season.  The inherently depressing Hickey, more of less replaced him. 

Troy’s leaving was going to hurt, but we had no idea badly.  Watching some older episodes, I had the epiphany that Troy was my favorite character.  Donald Glover had a unique ability to take even the dumbest lines and make them hysterical.  Troy and Abed worked so well together, but Troy had enough depth that he could carry stories by himself (unlike Abed).  

Chang was brought back, unfortunately, as an evil mastermind (okay, perhaps an oxymoronically dimwitted one) reduced to a strange annoyance.  The flimsy concept of the study group was replaced with the “Save Greendale” committee.  I could see Jeff somehow ironically (or karmically) ending up back at the college as a teacher.  The rest of the cast, especially Chang, coming back was a real stretch.  What should have been an opportunity to clean house and start over with a new concept, just got recycled and shoehorned into the same old thing, but with missing pieces.       

In my mind, the main problem with this show is that somewhat poor name.  Whatever relevant connotations it has in relation to the show, it’s weak and vague.  Worse, it’s been paired up with the equally badly named, Parks and Rec, forming an hour-long block of inherent disinterest.  At least it has this going for it.  Everyone who sees this show for the first time, immediately says the same thing, “Hey, it’s that guy from The Soup.”  Even I, a guy who doesn’t watch The Soup, recognized Joel Mchale as such.  He is the show, thankfully he’s pretty good in it. 

"Repilot"

At least things started off well.  Jeff and group leave Greendale and find themselves to be total failures outside it.  In the process of blaming the school, Jeff is drafted as a new teacher.  The group re-enrolls and forms the “Save Greendale” committee.  It’s a flimsy premise, but could have worked.  At least it made more sense than the Study Group.    

"Introduction to Teaching"

Here we see Jeff getting off to a shaky start as a slacker teacher, but pulling it together by the end of the show, as he demonstrates that he does have some knowledge worth passing along.  Unfortunately, this is all we get to see as Jeff as a teacher. 

Is anyone else intrigued by this story potential?  You’d think this would be a wide-open opportunity to at least have an episode with a new study group of characters in his class that has a totally different perspective on the “Greendale Seven.”  From a geek angle, it could mirror the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, “Lower Decks.”  Regardless of missed chances, this episode’s enjoyment squarely rests on an insane Abed doing a flat-out nuts Nicolas Cage impersonation for 30 seconds.    

"Basic Intergluteal Numismatics"

For sheer mood, this one is also a winner.  Jeff and Annie continue their off-and-on flirtation in the context of a police procedural-like search for the “Ass-Crack Bandit.”  It’s clever as heck and a total spoof of any number of serial killer movies.  Unfortunately, in what would set the tone for the rest of the season, news of Pierce’s death suddenly intrudes at the end.  It’s almost like they were afraid to let the audience enjoy an entire episode.          

  

"Cooperative Polygraphy"

This was it.  This was the last great episode of Community.  It was a total “Bottle” episode, highlighted by the group at each other’s throats, as usual.  Somehow, no matter how many times it’s done, this setup works for the show.  It was so poignant because this would be the last time they could really do it correctly.  This was the reading of Pierce’s will to the group as they are all hooked up to a polygraph.  Troy was still in cast, and while Pierce was gone, he was certainly there in spirit.  From here, everything goes downhill. 

Continued