Community - Season 2 Thread (1 Viewer)

[spshultz]

Did not see that ending coming. Not at all.


Oh, and......Cougar Town!!!

 

[Hanson]

Did josh die? I hope he's not dead. It's 2:37pm EST and no Community review.

 

[joshEH]

Sorry...was in session all yesterday and today (and had to DVR all of last night's episodes), but finally caught them this afternoon.


"Denny's is for winners."


It was pretty good overall, and I think would have played much better playing right after the Western one, but it lacked the confidence and inventiveness of the best Community episodes, like last week's, "Magic Trampoline," or "AD&D." I love that nearly the entire Greendale-verse was included this time, from Magnitude to Quendra. All that was missing was Professor Duncan.


That being said, maybe it's because I'm sick unto death of all things Star Wars, but I wish they'd kept the Western motif going. I would have killed to see Troy do a riff on Tombstone's Wyatt Earp-in-the-creek scene: "No! NO! NO!!!"


Troy's death was incredible, though. In fact, Donglover was just awesome in general. You can count on him doing three funny things in even the least of episodes. (Desperately needed more paint-soaked Annie, though.)


As for the Pierce stuff, I was surprised to find out he'd been going there twelve years. It's been really fun to see that they've completely made him a fucked-up, miserable crank. Very curious to see how they deal with it next season, assuming Chevy does indeed return. Also, next season, if Chang is part of the group, they'd do well to ground him slightly better than they did this year.


And may I say, holy crap, Community. The stuff you are able to get away with:


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v668/cellophane00/communitywoe.png

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Originally Posted by joshEH

That being said, maybe it's because I'm sick unto death of all things Star Wars, but I wish they'd kept the Western motif going.

Me too. I loved the Western first half, only liked the Star Wars second half.

 

[TravisR]

I'm not sick of Star Wars but even I'm kinda bored with Star Wars parodies/spoofs. As much fun as they can be, it's become a comedy cliche.

 

[Adam Gregorich]

Originally Posted by joshEH

That's fair, although I was exaggerating a bit when I talked about quitting so soon into "Original Song" (it was more like around halfway through, with commercials, from what I remember).


It's true I don't watch Glee regularly any longer, but I have seen a good number of episodes (perhaps slightly more than half of the total run), and I'm not fundamentally opposed to Glee, or of comparing it to Community, but while I feel there are some surface-level comparisons to be made here, the primary problem with this is that it assumes Glee actually achieves its goal of being the kind of show it strives to be.


I was amused by some of this season's early episodes, but dismayed by its later turns to melodrama and "lessons of the week," which now seem to be its primary objective. Ironically, I really think that if they would just stick to over-the-top jokes and musical numbers, it could be a decent show, for what it is.


Instead, most of the episodes now seem to be taken up by maudlin storylines and forced "themes," with the characters molding themselves to whatever that week's stories and themes require, while Community's characterizations tend to remain far more consistent, even though the premise of the show itself may change from week to week.

The lack of overlap between Community and Glee fans is interesting. As you mention, I'm a Community near-obsessive (it's fine, don't worry!), but I also have friends who (conversely) love Glee and despise Community. There's a lot of people out there who just don't want to watch an episode centered on Dungeons & Dragons, or try to figure out why the hell these people are in a stop-motion cartoon (even if the episodes are quite good).


Glee, though, masks its own toying with reality behind frequently-undercooked writing and inconsistencies in character, which some people either can't or don't want to pick up on. To be sure, Community has its share of writing-based issues too, but I've talked to hardcore Glee fans about some of the problems with that show, and they (in my experience) either have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, or they brush it off by saying that the show is just about "fun," and that "you're overanalyzing it."


I've seen my share of Glee episodes, and my real gripe isn't with the cast-versions of songs (it's about a glee-club, who admittedly usually don't perform many original songs), as much as the show's inability or unwillingness to develop a "voice."


Conversely, Community knows exactly the type of show it wants to be: possessing a persistent tone punctuated by clever writing (and, occasionally, genuinely-touching moments) delivered by a cast of consistent characters. Even if one doesn't like Community, you probably can't really argue with the fact that it has a steady goal in mind at the end of the day.

The funny thing is they are both filmed at Paramount on the same side of the lot. The Gleesters need to walk past the "library" to get to their practice area.

 

[Greg_S_H]

Haven't read the comments for this week yet, but I just want to say that the City College flag raising was the dirtiest thing I've ever seen on network television. I hated the idea of them going back to the paintball well again this year, but it worked out.

 

[TonyD]

I didnt like it too much was just ok.


also the flag has appeared before. I think it was near the end of season one.

 

[Greg_S_H]

The Greendale flag, yes. I believe it was introduced early in season two. But, having the phallic City College flag "enter" the Greendale anus was new.

 

[joshEH]

"VIIIICKIIIIIIIIII!!!!"


Calling it now. Or rather, fervently praying for it:


Professor Pierce.


I just realized that the model of the school that they strategize over in the finale is likely the result of the study group's year-long dedication to building dioramas. And the whole season now makes total sense.


Also, what's the title for the Season 3 thread gonna be?


COMMUNITY (Season 3): The RePiercing


COMMUNITY (Season 3): Like God Spilled a TV Show


COMMUNITY (Season 3): Time-Hoodier


COMMUNITY (Season 3): Make Your Money, Whore


COMMUNITY (Season 3): Your Mother's Lover


COMMUNITY (Season 3): Let's Kick Some Taint


COMMUNITY (Season 3): [SIZE= 24px]I WILL BECOME A LIVING GOD[/SIZE]

 

[TonyD]

"VIIIICKIIIIIIIIII!!!!"


Calling it now. Or rather, fervently praying for it:


Professor Pierce.


I just realized that the model of the school that they strategize over in the finale is likely the result of the study group's year-long dedication to building dioramas. And the whole season now makes total sense.


Also, what's the title for the Season 3 thread gonna be?


COMMUNITY (Season 3): The RePiercing


COMMUNITY (Season 3): Like God Spilled a TV Show


COMMUNITY (Season 3): Time-Hoodier


COMMUNITY (Season 3): Make Your Money, Whore


COMMUNITY (Season 3): Your Mother's Lover


COMMUNITY (Season 3): Let's Kick Some Taint


COMMUNITY (Season 3): [SIZE= 24px]I WILL BECOME A LIVING GOD[/SIZE]

Josh I'm not sure I understand any of that, I think it went over my head.

 

[Quentin]

I vote for "Let's Kick Some Taint" just because I thought that was one of the two funniest things in the episode...I can still hear him in the background: "I think they call it the taint."


Funniest line? "Pop what?? POP WHAT?????!!!!"

 

[joshEH]

COMMUNITY (Season 3): Prepare to Get Balled.


Part of me thinks it would be funny if next season started five seconds after the end of this episode, and Pierce just comes right back.

Buuuttttttt...that would rob them of some pretty good storytelling opportunities. I'm wondering what the "over/under" is on how long until Pierce comes back into the group. Mid-season? First episode? Maybe he won't at all?


Also:


"What are we, the Little Rascals?"


"I was!!"


Seriously. Leonard killed in this.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

My guess is that Pierce becomes a character like the Dean, a series regular who's around but not necessarily part of the group.

 

[Hanson]

There's an epic four part avclub interview with Dan Harmon:


http://www.avclub.com/articles/dan-harmon-walks-us-through-communitys-second-seas,57085/

http://www.avclub.com/articles/dan-harmon-walks-us-through-communitys-second-seas,57209/1/


The other parts haven't been posted yet. If you're on the fence about reading it, it's an episode by episode walk through.

 

[joshEH]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hanson Yoo


The other parts haven't been posted yet. If you're on the fence about reading it, it's an episode by episode walk through.

I've been creeping through this throughout the workday, and it's just great. I wish the creator of every show I love would give this kind of play-by-play. Not just sitcoms (though if they can get Mike Schur to do the same thing, that'd be aces), but how awesome would it be to hear how the last season of Breaking Bad or Justified came together?

And I would seriously murder a stranger if it meant getting Lindelof and Cuse to walk through the evolution of Lost in this detail (ideally with the aid of a polygraph).


What most amazed me about that interview is how critical Harmon is of certain elements of Community that I absolutely adore. Yet, I understand it. Hell, we're always our own worst critics.

 

[Joe_H]

I really liked the interview, but I couldn't help but wonder if he had a few drinks before it, the way he answered. He just rambled on a bit, and sort of changed his mind in the space of two questions, and that sort of thing. Or maybe that's just how he is in general.

 

[joshEH]

Yeah, this is the sort of thing I expect to see from a Mitch Hurwitz or Rob Thomas after their show gets cancelled. To see this kind of candor about an ongoing show is faintly shocking. In a good way. Very interesting to hear his honesty about not really knowing who Shirley "is."


Seriously, I've never seen such amazing honesty from a showrunner without the benefit of a lot of years after the ending of the show (apart from maybe, say, J. Michael Straczyncki and Babylon 5). That he's so blunt about how things came about, and exactly when they knew things, and even what things he thinks were enormous mistakes, that's just great reading.


I do also like that he essentially forgives himself both with how the zombie outbreak started, and the convenient amnesia because he essentially just wanted to do a zombie episode, and thought he'd never get another chance. Good for him.


Harmon is passionate to the point of psychosis, but you can see the drive needed to make a great show. As so many of the commenters over there said, you just want to sit the guy down, fix him a drink, and tell him to relax, dude, we fucking love your show.


(Actually, I want him to be as manic as he needs to be to churn out 2-3 more seasons at this level of quality, mental health be damned.)

 

[Derek Miner]

Another recent interview with Dan Harmon was on Marc Maron's WTF podcast. Maron will often touch on his neuroses, which in turn leads to similar candor from his guests, so if you want to get that kind of insight into Harmon, this is the place to go:


http://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/episodes/episode_179_-_dan_harmon

 

[Josh Dial]

Click this link, right now. No, seriously; click it:


http://www.gq.com/entertainment/movies-and-tv/201108/alison-brie-gillian-jacobs-community-gq-lesbian-photo