And to that I say, “amen.”
I would have been okay if “Community” had gotten canned
after its third season. However, if it had ended with the bitter taste of
season four, that would not have felt right. So, there is a fifth season of
“Community.” And once again, I say “amen.”
The “Community” fans of the world waited many uncertain
months for the show’s return and man, was it worth the wait. Finally, it seems
like NBC is with us and not against us. They ran two episodes in one night,
which was preceded by a good amount of advertising. Plus, that little
#Community at the corner of the screen shows that the network finally realized
that the Internet exists.
I didn’t really want to talk about the dark battle to get
“Community” back on the air, but it is impossible not to, given how meta and
self-referential the show can get. In tonight’s first episode, titled
“Repilot,” Troy rants against Zach Braff for leaving “Scrubs” early. Donald
Glover is only starring in the season’s first five episodes. With two down so
far, that means there is only three more chances for another “Troy & Abed
in the Morning.” Fingers crossed.
Only two episodes into the new season, and it’s as if no
time has passed at all since Harmon was fired from the show. “Community” has
already settled back into its dark, multi-layered self. There was a cloud of
sadness shrouded over these first episode. The study group has gone their
separate ways after graduation, but none of them ended up in the place they
wanted to be. Jeff’s law firm went under. Annie is pushing prescription pills.
Troy doesn’t know what to be sad about. Finally, everyone starts to realize
that Greendale is a mess. Worst of all, Jeff has slipped right back into his
sleazy lawyer persona. But once he remembers how important the study group is
to him, he goes from wanting to bring Greendale down to wanting to save it. I
guess we all needed a reminder of how important Greendale is, and how different
this season is going to be.
The second episode, “Introduction To Teaching,” was lighter
and a real return to form. It also marked the first episode with the amazing
Jonathan Banks as the bitter forensics teacher who just wants to make it as a
cartoonist. The best thing about his performance is that he basically delivers
all of his lines with the same intensity that he did on “Breaking Bad,” but
this time he gets to talk about duck bills instead of secret meth empires.
More importantly, there was a plotline involving a pop
culture reference that the sum total of pop culture references on “Community”
was most likely leading to: Nicolas Cage. The gang takes a class called
“Nicholas Cage: Good or Bad.” Of course, Abed takes it way too seriously. His
madness over determining the answer to this question leads to the best Nicholas
Cage impression I have ever seen. While Donald Glover is the master of the
freak out, Danny Pudi will do just fine covering for him once he leaves the
show.
Abed, the show’s unofficial narrator and audience surrogate,
takes a turn for the cynical tonight when he realizes that people are “random
and pointless.” “Community” realizes this. I mean, Troy has a Clive Owen Tumblr
and The Dean’s thoughts are in French. Who could predict that? By bringing the
show to such a dark place, “Community” rediscovered its meaning tonight: this
is a show about troubled people who get the chance to redeem themselves. Give
the members of Greendale, and “Community,” a second chance, because they have
proven their worth once again.
The Best Lines/Moments
· “It’s
like me blaming owls for how much I suck at analogies.” Britta knows she’s the
worst, but she totally owns it. And that’s why we all love her.
· “I’m
on sabbatical.” “You’re Jewish?”
· For
anyone who thought Jeff’s ad was ridiculous, I go to school in Upstate New
York, and every lawyer and car dealer has a commercial that’s about that
ridiculous as well.
· Someone
give Rob Corddry a medal. He is a master at playing d-bags.
· “Well,
Jesus wasn’t in 70 movies.”
· “When
I asked you to explain the Sixth Amendment you pled the Fifth.”
· Funny
small moment: When Alan (Cordrry) starts a slow clap, Abed awkwardly claps
along with him in the background.
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