Community: Season 3 thread (1 Viewer)

[joshEH]

8:30 on Fridays, next fall.
Friday @ 8:30? The "death-slot"?
After Whitney??
Ouch.
Well, at least we get a real short, final season to say goodbye...

 

[Patrick Sun]

Well, the Thursday timeslots are the network's most lucrative ad-wise, so with Community not perforning ratings-wise, and on its last legs, a move to Fridays is not surprising. The CW did the same to Smallville (which have gone on for 2 more seasons after the day/timeslot move).

 

[joshEH]

Although, for about two weeks, there, we saw a considerable uptick in the ratings-numbers, when Big Bang was pre-empted for March Madness.
This show can definitely perform above its current numbers when given a reasonable shot -- hopefully this move will provide that, although I still would've been happier with a Thursday-night timeslot-shift, as opposed to an outright move to Fridays.
Community has pretty consistently outpulled Up All Night in the ratings on Thursdays, which would seem to make it a much stronger candidate for sticking around on that night, rather than its counterpart. Maybe this is NBC trying to "anchor" Whitney on Fridays with a show that already has a fierce, passionate fanbase.
(Also, with Justin Kirk having a new show, does this mean this will finally be the final season of Weeds?)

 

[joshEH]

So...it looks like Dan Harmon has yet to officially sign on for a fourth season of Community:
http://www.vulture.com/2012/05/harmon-isnt-signed-for-new-community-episodes.html
However, this seems to be more of a formality than anything else; the chance still exists for a Harmon-less season coming up, but it's hugely doubtful he'd let his baby continue on without him.
Also from the article, an explanation for the Friday-night move, next season:

Meanwhile, Greenblatt also explained why Community has been shifted to Fridays. It turns out it's all about Grimm. The latter drama has done decently on Fridays at 9, where it's often the top show on Fridays among viewers under 50. Putting scripted shows in front of it, instead of reality, might boost ratings even more. Plus, "Both [Community and Whitney have core audiences that seem to travel with them," he said.

Yvette Nicole Brown just Tweeted:

yvette nicole brown ‏ @yvettenbrown
Guys, focus! It's not the the end of the world. We'll be on in the Fall so a back 9 is possible & it's a less competitive night. Yay Friday!

(If Shirley's optimistic, I guess I can be, too.)

 

[TravisR]

Yeah, I don't think a move to Friday is that bad of a thing. Expectations are virtually non-existant for that day and the fanbase will follow it whenever it's on so the move might actually work in the show's favor.

 

[joshEH]

And while the show ending is sad, I'm giddy at the thought of this show tackling a finale in its usual, meta-meta-fashion. Which ending will they go for? Everyone in a diner while "Don't Stop Believin'" plays, or everyone in a white-washed church hugging the living crap out of each other?

 

[joshEH]

Community's characters are getting converted to 8-bit video game characters tonight (with Giancarlo!). I hope Annie's Boobs is the final boss, throwing barrels:
http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/05/16/community-characters-enter-a-video-game
So the schedule tonight goes, Community, 30 Rock, then two more episodes of Community. Would it be that hard for NBC to toss 30 Rock at 8:30, and let all three episodes of Community to run back-to-back-to-back?

 

[Josh Dial]

Brilliant episodes tonight, capping off an amazing season. The funniest show on TV; glad it's renewed.

 

[Paul D G]

Absolutely loved tonight's episodes. I think I've mentioned this but I've begun letting my eldest (10) watch with me over the last few weeks. A lot of it is over his head but I think he enjoys the 'vibe' of the show, and that every week is different. I've never seen him laugh and smile during a 'grown up' show as much as he did during the video game ep - it was a world he completely understood. And that final episode was clearly meant to be the series finale and I think I would have been satisfied if it were.

"That's racist! And Swami's and Indian and he can't drive!" (now, that line got a hearty laugh out of my wife)

 

[Patrick Sun]

Not sure if I could handle 3 episodes of Community each week, but a nice treat for the season enders.

 

[spshultz]

Digital Estate Planning was absolutely top notch! That one is going to get a repeat watch. And I noticed that the baby at the end said "Cool, Cool, Cool". Is that the baby that Abed helped deliver?

First Chang Dynasty was good but not one of the best for me.

However Introduction To Finality was absolutely superb and a perfect season finale to a great season. #sixseasonsandamovie indeed. I truly hope that the numbers are much higher in the Friday time slot come next season. This is the best comedy show currently on TV.

 

[joshEH]

OK, so...had to DVR this whole, epic thing last night, since the wife and I were busy attending an end-of-year faculty dinner at her university (watched it super-super-late), but some initial thoughts:

• Chang eats the sun and drinks the skies, and they both go with him when he dies.
• Fuck, goth-Britta was hot.
• The Britta costume was doing it for me, no doubt. But Alison Brie could be dressed up as Margaret Thatcher, and I'd still have a raging hard-on.
• "What happened to us?" "Well, I have a drinking problem."
• Having rewatched the Season Two premiere recently, I can confirm that Britta does indeed have a Pixies poster in her room.
• "Never wear a rubber." "Never listen to Pierce."
• Timeline Darkness: 2%.
• Jeff: "I just want to reiterate that this should be the only time you seduce a child over the Internet."
  Britta (petulant): "...I know."
• "An Irish and a Jew walk into a bar with a gay duck…" [ THREE JOKES LATER ] "...So you're telling me they're not good at basketball!?!?"
• "Not a lot of people get a second chance. Just you and...probably Obama."
• STARBURNS LIVES!
• #sixseasonsandamovie (Or, at this point, more like: #ThirteenEpisodesAndABackNine)
• Leonard lives with a black dude with dreads? (Holy shit...was that "Sexy Dreadlocks" from the chicken-fingers episode??)

As much as that episode would work as one, here's to hoping it doesn't go down as the "Dan Harmon finale." But if it does, it's okay. I mean, better to finish with Fredo on the water, than Pacino on the church-steps. It was strange -- watching those final, closing moments, I damn near choked up, thinking that this could've very easily ended up being the series finale, as much as it was the season-ender.
(Note: The video game episode was the last episode produced, due to the animation, and was the episode where Chevy stormed off the set during its final moments of shooting. That said, the episode itself was wonderful. Would I play a game where you ride golden dinosaurs that spit lava? Yes, I would.)
Annie murdering the blacksmith and his family, and the repercussions of that, were so awesome. Loved all the little character-bits the avatars had, like Pierce running in the corner, Troy jumping everywhere, Jeff using his "cool" Megaman slide-move, etc.
This sounds so stupid, but I didn't like the graphics on the end-boss battle. The armor on Pierce's dad seemed less "genuine" 8-bit, and more "smooth-Flash-animation imitation 8-bit." Also, I love that this show allows me to type that last sentence in a totally serious way.

 

[joshEH]

God bless the Tumblr:

 

[spshultz]

"Annie murdering the blacksmith and his family, and the repercussions of that, were so awesome."

I was laughing so hard during this scene I couldn't catch my breath. And then Troy figuring out how Hilda worked with all of the information she has put me down for the count. And then when the team came back to find out that Abed had been busy with Hilda I started all over again.

Oh and +eleventy billion on goth Britta.

 

[Joe_H]

So it's official, Harmon is out:
http://www.vulture.com/2012/05/dan-harmon-community-future-nbc-sony.html
Or for his take on it:
http://danharmon.tumblr.com

 

[spshultz]

Damn.

It will be interesting to see if Sony tries to "broaden the appeal" of the show.

 

[Joe_H]

It will be interesting to see if Sony tries to "broaden the appeal" of the show.

I suspect they will, but really, the show has a 13 episode pickup for Fridays... that ship has already sailed. Maybe Harmon is a dick, but now you risk alienating and losing a very passionate fanbase while also giving yourself such small chances of bringing in an additional audience. If it was me, I'd have just given him the 13 to end the series, and that would've been the end of it.
At least if the show completely tanks next year, this season finale also served as a really great series finale.

 

[TravisR]

It will be interesting to see if Sony tries to "broaden the appeal" of the show.

I'm sure they'll try and I'm sure they'll fail. The only people who are going to be watching the show are existing fans (and half of them are probably going to boycott the show or are soon going to be in prison for trying to burn down Sony). That being said, I do think the show can work without Harmon. He's got a very specific comedic voice that would be hard to replicate so the show probably won't be as good but they do have a great cast, presumably some of the other writers/producers are sticking around and I imagine that the people they hired are big fans of the show and are going to do their best to make it as good as possible.

 

[joshEH]

"Season Faux-r"? Is that going to be the thing now? That's fun.
I can't count the reasons I should stay. One by one, they all just fade away. That final montage just became a lot more poignant.
Or, to quote Ian Malcolm, "Boy, do I hate being right all the time."
This is the exact reverse of the whole "Darabont"-situation from last summer -- Sony actually stood up for (and shielded) Vince Gilligan when AMC attempted to have him removed as Breaking Bad series showrunner. This time, it was Sony themselves who did the removing.
I'm betting the new helmers won't play with "meta" at all next season, since the fanbase (and critics) are going to eat them alive if they reference anything that resembles this feud and Harmon's departure.
It's not like the show was going to run for four or five more seasons with Harmon as this millstone around the network's neck. They had 13 episodes left. Surely putting up with Harmon for half a season was preferable to the inevitable fan-backlash that's probably already on its way (or has already arrived).
Frankly, I could give a crap about Harmon's personality. He made a product I enjoyed. If he's removed, I get to be mad at the people that removed him.

 

[joshEH]

Chris McKenna just confirmed he's quitting the show, too.
The last remaining Season One writer, besides Harmon. He was expected to take on a much bigger Exec Producer role in the new season, with Donovan and Goldman out.
Is Ganz next? It's certainly possible. I wouldn't be surprised if there's something of an in-house revolt in the works, as no one outside of the studio (and Chevy, probably) seems to be happy about this development. A smattering of thoughts from around the 'net:

• Dino/Starburns' reactions on both Twitter and Facebook.
• D.C. Pierson, of Derrick Comedy and "occasional Community-extra" fame.
• A slightly more measured Jim Rash, but he's the first regular to broach the topic publicly.
• And finally, for kicks, Damon Lindelof. I like this idea. (I really, really like it.)

Hell, I think even best-case scenario, it'll be like the 7th season of Gilmore Girls -- a well-intentioned attempt to stay true to the tone and the rhythm of the thing, but without the person/people who ran and controlled everything, it generally felt hollow. And that was (A) a less-ambitious and weird show than Community, and (B) a show where the creator at least got to hand-pick her successor. Ugh.
I think everyone at NBC and Sony want it to be more like the recent Tron: the same overall tone, with a harmless Daft Punk soundtrack, and maybe some ambiguous Boxleitner. Now we'll never get to find out what Harmon planned for the group when they graduated, for Jeff's celebratory dinner, for a hundred other little things.
"Harmon will be asked to stick around as a writer and consultant"?
I think his Tumblr answer was a double-handed, two-fingered response -- and not of the "Siskel and Ebert" variety -- to that whole idea.
Being a smart show for smart people was this show's downfall. The lesson here is just make shows where people split their pants and slip on banana peels.
Way to pull a Britta, Sony/NBC. This is a truly Chang-ful day.