Community 3x2 - "Geography of Global Conflict"

Earth-2 is out there. You can't ignore it forever.


This episode was a model showcase of the Community I know and love.

Model UN was incredible. CRISIS ALERT! Troy's Georgia accent. Pierce's making Somalia sound like a vacation paradise. "Switzerland is very concerned about Earth-2." "Uruguay kindly requests that Somalia stop pronouncing it 'Uru-gay'." Greendale Model UN > Real UN. Plus Martin Starr! Martin Fucking Starr!


But My God. My God! Gillian Jacobs! Last season, it became clear to me she is the sleeper breakout star of this show. Britta sneakily became my favorite character last season. Gillian Jacobs was incredible in this episode, N-Words!



And then she spit in Chang's face!

I heart Gillian Jacobs to infinity.

Are we Facebooking this?!

Community 2x1 - "Anthropology 101"

I watched the entire NBC comedy block of premieres and I thought overall, Community killed everything.

The third act where "Jeff Learns About Respect" and Chang does a riff on Norman Osborne/The Green Goblin* (Donald Glover waking up in Spider-Man pajamas was brilliant) was the weakest act but it was preceded by about a million comedic hand grenades. The best of which was pretty much the entire second act blowing through a Jeff/Britta relationship and wedding storyline in the worst possible manner, preceded by the nastiest French kiss makeout between two attractive people I may have ever seen. 

Not only did they blow through Jeff/Britta as a couple in one act, they did it by simultaneously demolishing the study group before putting it back together. 

There isn't enough love in this world for Alison Brie and her beautiful reaction shots. Nor is there enough of her reaction shots in this world.

Plus Betty White drank her own pee and sang a Toto song with Abed and Troy at the end.

They're back, baby! Now, we go to school!

Before the episode was the experimental Community "Twittersode" setting up the season 2 premiere.

Jeff, Abed, Troy, Britta, Annie, Shirley, Pierce, Starburns, Dean Pelton, Senior Chang and Annie's Boobs the monkey are all Tweeting between 7pm-8pm Eastern time setting up the first class of the new semester.

And it actually is funny. Read them here:

http://twitter.com/​​​​BackoftheHead/​​​​greendale

This being Twitter, you have to read from the bottom up, and the Twittersode officially starts with Annie:

@AnnieEdisonGCC OMG I HAVE THE LAZIEST MOST DISORGANIZED INATTENTIVE FRIENDS ON THE PLANET // #NBCCommunity

But there's funny stuff before that even.

* Yes, I realize now it was Gollum:

@kenjeong Thank you all for the kind comments! Good Smeagol always helps. #Gollumchang #MyPrecious 

Community 1x25 - "Pascal's Triangle Revisited"

Drama 101 to finish off the first season. For all of Community's numerous strong points, Jeff (and Joel McHale) as a romantic lead isn't one of them.

BUT...

All of the call backs to characters and events from the first half of the season were great. Vaughn going to Delaware and being written out of the show. John Michael Higgin's "sieze the day" professor. Where were Jack Black and Anthony Michael Hall's bully?

So Britta and Professor Duncan have been conducting therapy sessions all year! "He'll make you talk all year long and then at the end tell you to get a makeover."

The rivalry between Duncan and Senor Chang was great. As was Senor Chang's shots at Britta about wearing too much lipstick: "Your mouth looked like a coin purse."
 

Pierce's Greendale song was back. Greendale's the way it goes. (Oh, Annie believes in me.) It took me forever to get "That's Just The Way It Is" out of my head the first time that episode aired.

The Dean's dalmatian fetish was weird. We need to find out more about it. Wait, no, we really, really don't.

I loved Britta telling off Slater at the Tranny Dance, hearing her name called, bragging, "Excuse me, I just won a contest for being hot", and then starting to make an acceptance speech as Tranny Queen only to find the Dean was just reading the names aloud.

Jeff and Britta. Jeff and Slater. Jeff and Annie. I cast my vote with John Michael Higgins: "Jeff, choose Britta." Annie deserves better.

Regardless, Troy and the giant cookie and the lesson he learned pwned the love quadrangle.

Troy: "There was an episode of Happy Days when someone actually jumped over a shark, AND IT WAS THE BEST ONE!"

Have a great summer, Greendale!

Community 1x23 - "English as a Second Language"

They really took the piss out of Good Will Hunting. Fantastic. Good Will Hunting's had it coming for 13 years. And shockingly, no one hugged Annie and whispered "It's not your fault!" over and over.

The joke of the nature sounds - "And here come the crickets!" - just amazing.

It was nice to see Jeff in command of The Group again. "Does anyone know how to study?"

I thought the paint gun war would have been the ideal season finale, but there was still work to be done to set up season 2. Anthropology in place of Spanish class. Senor Chang joining them as a student.

I also feel the same way about Avatar as Britta and know when to shut up when everyone else in the world voices how much they love it in unison.

I would have to say that except for Arrested Development, Community had the best season one of a sitcom I've personally ever seen.

Community 1x21 - "The Art of Discourse"

The turnaround on Britta the last oh, four to six episodes or so, has been nice. They've done a good job of making Britta likable. I think "bagel" and her reaction to being mocked had a lot to do with it. Taking the piss out of Britta is funny but also softens her up considerably.

Annie's still dating Vaughn? I don't mind as long as I don't have to see it.

Community's patented "Reaction Shots from Around the Table" is an incredible series of visual gags they keep finding new ways to spin on. I especially liked everyone mocking Annie's gasps.

I was dying at that goat sitting in Pierce's place. The goat's reaction shots were at least as good as Chevy Chase's.

Hearty laugh from me when Pierce walked by Shirley and sat next to an apologized to a different black lady. "Of course."

"You invited me to a 'pool party' that turned out to be a baptism!"
"Well, excuse me for trying to sneak you into Heaven!"

Who is the hottest girl in Greendale Abed made out with if it's not Annie or Britta?
I hate teenagers.

Community 1x19 - "Beginner Pottery"

"Want to come, Abed? There's black people!"

Top five episode of the series so far, right here. If I tried to list all the jokes that worked, it'd be as long as the episode itself.

How much do I want to attend Greendale when we now know you can take classes there taught by Tony "I made that Patrick Swayze sign before he died, so it's not in bad taste" Hale and Lee "I see seamen inside you" Majors?

We got the terms "Ghosting" and "Goldbluming" coined, and the return of Abed's voice over.

Annie's phallic pottery - the most obvious visual joke they could make. And THANK YOU for it, Dan Harmon!

I loved how Pierce's life was summed up:
"Good luck."
"Don't need it. Never had it!"

I wonder how the cool group feels about Star Burns spending so much time on a boat with Pierce, Britta, Troy, and Shirley?

Community 1x18 - "Basic Genealogy"

Katherine McPhee plays one hot grifter. I hear she was a singer once. She should stick to acting like she grifts.

I dunno, not quite a home run this week for me. A solid triple:

1) Britta is insane. I agree with Troy. "I don't understand you, Britta!" Whatever point she was trying to prove was lost on me, but I thought it was weirdly funny.

Whoever decided on a visual like a blonde Caucasian woman with her britches down on the lap of an old black woman gets switched in her behind by that old black woman as a young black man cries in the background while another blonde Caucasian woman straddling a blonde Caucasian man bursts into the room is some kind of mad genius.

2) Pierce drawing the swastika, circling it over and over, to illustrate "windmill" - again, mad genius.

3) Senor Chang's Jewish brother. We need to learn much, much more about this mysterious Chang family.

Community 1x17 - "Physical Education"

Holy bagel, that episode was awesome!

The strip billiards sequence was phenomenal. Totally topped the episode 2 Spanish presentation Pierce and Jeff did.

I had to watch that twice just to look at everyone's reaction shots in the backgrounds (Annie's excited looks, Britta's shocked looks, Dean Pelton's aroused cell phone camera picture taking.) The gasps and cringing from the crowd when Jeff put one leg on the table. Incredible stuff.

"I choose SHORTS!"
"You magnificent son of a bitch!"

I'd like an episode with the vampire version of Abed for the whole thing.

Pierce: "The story of a 37 year old half Polish/half Arab can only end with an explosion!"

No one is credited as playing Joey/White Abed so that had to be Danny Pudi in a wig and makeup.

Britta brought to tears by everyone still mocking how she says "bagel" after announcing she didn't care if people laughed was great.

Annie loving Abed's Don Draper impression was my favorite gag of all.

Adios!
ADIOS!
Adios!
ADIOS!

Community 1x16 - "Communication Studies"

Community is the only NBC show tonight that didn't utilize any stunt guest stars for their Valentine's Day episode, but who needs celebrity cameos when you have Abed liberally utilized throughout the episode?

Abed has been peripheral for a few episodes and they've been smart to not overuse him. Abed hasn't been this well used since he was Batman on Halloween. Loved the drunk Abed and Jeff Breakfast Club homage, Jeff "breaking" Abed during their hangover, Abed directing his movie (he's actually pretty good at giving direction), and Jeff calling him a "beige praying mantis".

Also loved everything Senor Chang did, especially when Annie and Shirley were watching him eat in the cafeteria and Chang's eyes were darting side to side.

There seems to be a little character rehab going on with Britta too. They're taking steps to make her more likable.

Abed: "Do you like Britta?"
Jeff: "Who doesn't like Britta?"
Abed: "Over fifty percent of the people who've met her."

For the record, I like Britta.
 
"Movie reference."

Community 1x15 - "Romantic Expressionism"

This might be my favorite episode of Community yet. It was a powerhouse of big time laughs. I think this is the sharpest, fastest, and funniest the writing has been.

The roundtable of reaction shots as everyone considered each other as potential sexual partners (Abed's eyebrow raising especially) was an instant classic. Everyone's reactions were perfect. Jeff and Annie continue to plant seeds of their attraction. That's a promise that should be kept, but not this season, hopefully. Down the road. Way down.

They should really continue with this week's precedent of Britta ditching the leather jackets and wearing flattering outfits. She looked great, and I liked Britta and Jeff working together and screwing up as a team a lot.

I hate Vaughn like Star Burns hates Jeff, but he actually isn't an asshole. I liked that he got Annie in the end. But I loved Troy's attempts to seduce Annie, and his line about "liking things up the butt." And his calling Abed his "other half" and every gay innuendo about the two of them.

Punchkicker and Kickpuncher rule. As does Senior Chang in a tuxedo. And Pierce going to the Greendale sketch comedy team to write him material. "He likes gay jokes."

"Asian. Can't direct and can't drive."
"Dude, I'm right here."

Community wins the NBC Thursday Night 0f 2/4/10 as far as I'm concerned.

Community 1x14 - "Interpretive Dance"

Pairing up Britta and Troy in a tap dance class wouldn't have been my first preference but it turned out pretty good

Troy: "I've spent a lot of money on tearaway clothes."

Jeff's girlfriend the teacher does nothing for me, but their relationship set up awesome scenes with Dean Pelton. The Dean is a fantastic supporting character. Has anyone noticed or cared that Professor Duncan hasn't been seen since Britta cheated in Spanish 101?

Pierce cracking wise in the audience was pretty much what I would think (but wouldn't vocalize) in that same situation.

Britta realizing she likes Jeff < Tom discovering he loves his wife on Parks and Rec. The difference? RON SWANSON isn't there waiting to steal Britta away.

I managed to get through this entire thing without mentioning Alison Brie. Oh, but how I want to rave about her.

Community 1x13 - "Investigative Journalism"

Oh man, did I miss this show. I missed Annie "Hotlips" Edison (who's very young so we try not to sexualize her). I missed Troy and Abed. I missed Britta and her "old" breasts. I missed it all.

They all came roaring back for second semester without missing a beat, plus with Buddy, who they made me feel bad for excluding even though I wouldn't have wanted him around either.

The fakeout of Senor Chang's "death" actually fooled me for a second. The bit that made me laugh out loudest was the sight gag of Piece with the powdered sugar all over his face from Buddy's lemon squares.

The M*A*S*H fade out at the end was awesome, as was the Owen Wilson cameo with Star Burns in the "cool group." Cool they may be, but they don't have Annie "Hotlips" Edison.

Community 1x12 - "Comparative Religion"

What a great midseason (first semester) finale. Lots of great religion-based humor ("Everyone's religion is weird. Let's stop talking about it"). Loved Annie insisting everyone "say the whole word" and Abed's "I get 72 virgins in Heaven."

Remember in the first couple of episodes when Jeff was seen by the study group as the coolest guy ever? He's not seen that way anymore. It happened so gradually, I didn't even notice. I think it started around the time he lost his apartment and started living with Abed.

The fight B plot was also really good, especially the big throwdown at the end. [Rewatch realization: The bully was Anthony Michael Hall?!]

Britta: "The real reason men fight is to release their pent-up gayness." 

Have I ever mentioned I like pro wrestling?

Community 1x11 - "Politics of Human Sexuality"

Aaaand we're back to bonerizing over Alison Brie. It's the short skirts. And all the talk about sex. And how she refuses to say the word "penis." (Not so much about how her first time was with a gay guy who solidified his being gay.) I also liked that she was voted "most likely to succeed" in her rehab.

Loved Abed going Over The Top to beat Troy at arm wrestling, and making the Stallone face in victory.

I like Pierce getting some depth, but I also like when he's being inappropriate and racist.

I know Sharon Lawrence has been on countless TV shows, but she'll always be Amelia Earhart on Star Trek Voyager to me. 

I don't know what The Channys are but the cast of Community (Annie, Britta, Shirley, Abed, and Senor Chang) presented Best Show. It's fun to see the actors as themselves (and to hear them swear and work blue).

 

Community 1x10 - "Environmental Science"

Community is a very musical sitcom. There's been an unusual amount of singing and/more musical interludes in the 10 episodes that have aired.

This week felt like the show's first cruise control episode. It was good, but getting to know Senor Chang meant that none of the hot-button issues, like Troy and Annie or Jeff and Britta were dealt with. The Jeff and Annie flirtation from last week may have been just a one off. And Britta has yet to be shown meeting Professor Duncan for therapy as punishment for cheating in Spanish. I wonder when or if they'll get to that?

That said, I thought the editing at the end of the three main storylines intercutting was pretty awesome. And I like that Pierce is finally gaining respect in the group, first from Britta last week and now from Shirley, instead of being ostracized for being old, creepy, and insane.

I also must agree:

@danharmon Have to agree RT @agramsci #Community highlight was @AlisonBrie as the choo choo! @yvettenbrown @kenjeong were both great too

Community 1x9 - "Debate 109"

The title is clever. Instead of 101, this episode being 1x09.

All right, show of hands, how many of us had the exact same reaction Jeff did when Annie let her hair down and let her milky heaving bosom dangle over Jeff's shoulder?

Personally, I side with the belief that Man is Good, but I loved how the show made me despise that position by having that irritating jerk in the wheelchair defend it. This is why I watch pro wrestling: wheelchair or not, if the guy in it is a jerk you don't like, you can still kick his ass and have the crowd on your side for it. In no other walk of life is that acceptable.

Anyway, I actually hope they don't pursue Jeff and Annie, just because of the age difference. She is only 18. He's what, twice her age? It's a bit much. That would wrinkle my brain.

Community 1x8 - "Home Economics"

"Getting Rid of Britta" should be on iTunes. "She's a GD B!"  

 

Troy and Annie are the new Jim and Pam. Except different, since Troy's black, they're both 18, go to community college, Troy's oblivious to Annie's liking him and not in denial about it like Pam was, etc.

Troy and Annie skyrocketed in the last couple of weeks to being my favorite characters on this show. Well, Annie was already there, but Troy is now up there with her. I also liked Shirley's facial expressions in the background during all the scenes Annie gave Troy advice.

Great cameo by Patton Oswalt as "Male Nurse." The condoms and Troy's "I'll be thinking of you" to Annie killed me.

Abed is awesome.

Community 1x7 - "Introduction to Statistics"

Otherwise known as the Community Halloween episode. Otherwise known as Mexican Halloween, "which is quite offensive to those who know Mexican Halloween as a sexual position."

Executive Producer and creator Dan Harmon Tweeted that "Mexican Halloween Sexual Position" was the number 3 Google search last night. Also, they made it up. Honestly, I searched for it... for... clarification.

Abed as Batman, specifically his rambling rant at the end, murdered me like the Joker.

I initially thought Pierce was dressed as Harry Hamlin in Clash of the Titans (complete with Golden Owl) and not the Beastmaster. Either way, I'm old.

Troy was dressed as Eddie Murphy in Delirious and had my favorite line:

"Can I ask you something I've always wanted to ask the real Batman?"
"Yeahhhh."
"Am I good looking?"
"You're a very attractive young man."

Community 1x6 - "Football, Feminism, and Me"

I definitely like Center of the Universe football hero Troy more than dumb guy Troy.

The Dean does look a lot like Moby, and he's a lot more manipulative than he originally seemed. Also like Moby.

The Human Beings mascot killed me. "Not being racist is the new racism."

Hope Abed doesn't lay low next week. The tag at the end where Troy and Abed run into the black and Arab security guards was great.

Community 1x5 - "Advanced Criminal Law"

Solid episode showing off the strong points of the show. 

An episode with Senior Chang, the Dean, Duncan all together in the trial scene is a winner. Plus I got my Annie and Pierce Marvel team up that I asked for last week. Plus Abed and Troy were back together. 

"What language is that?" "Probably Arabic." 

Plus Star Burns' real name!

The trial also came to a conclusion I think all the Britta haters appreciated: that bitch is crazy!

Community continues to earn its gold stars.