Everything seemed the same. The actors were as top-notch as ever, the dialogue was whip-fast, the jokes were referential, the Dean was in a dress. And yet, something about last night's season premiere of Community, "History 101," was off, and not just because the show's brilliant asshole of a creator, Dan Harmon, had been shoved aside for the less cantankerous, more user-friendly Moses Port and David Guarascio. I'm hesitant to make Dean/Replacement Dean comparisons, because it's only been one episode and that's not nearly enough time to make an accurate assumption about a show, and besides none of Community's season premieres are anything special, and I want to continue this sentence forever so that I don't have to get to my point, but I'm a little worried.
Maybe worried isn't the right word. Community has given us three amazing seasons of TV, and if season four sucks, which it won't, because the worst episode of Community is still better than the best episode of, say, The Big Bang Theory, but just go with me here, that shouldn't hurt its reputation; The Simpsons has gone on for 12 years longer than it should have, and it's still the greatest sitcom of all-time. But like The Simpsons, which lost much of its heart and soul when the writers had burned through every last original "Marge fights with Homer" story, "History 101" was a sign of a show beginning to recycle, not subvert, old gags and feel dishonest to its characters. It wasn't without its great moments — it was smart, and funny, of Port, Guarascio, and writer Andy Bobrow to use Abed TV as a framing device to comment on everything's that happened since we last checked in with Greendale 7, and Britta was as magnificent as ever — but Troy and Abed's sing-songy relationships is getting tired, Annie's 0-to-11 pranking came out of nowhere, Pierce's build to a "balls" joke had an obvious conclusion, and, worst of all, the Dean's obsession with Jeff has gone from, well, it was never subtle, but "History 101" beat you over the head with it.
The Hunger Deans was a misstep, too — Guarascio has stated in interviews that the writers were just looking for an excuse for the Dean to wear some new elaborate get-up, but in the past, whenever Community did a pop culture homage, it went all-out, like in "Beginner Pottery" and "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons." The Hunger Deans was too broad a concept to fully work, something Danger touched on a few weeks ago, and the episode as a whole show felt like someone trying to make a show like Community, rather than an actual episode of Community. Put bluntly, a lot of Community's jokes weren't much better than Abed's Happy College Show's.
Community will always be one of my favorite shows, and I can't wait for next week's episode, the Megan Ganz-written "Paranormal Parentage" (a.k.a. the Halloween one), but let's just say that after "History 101," I'm not so sure I really want "six seasons and a movie." Anyway...Parks was pretty great.
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Two other thoughts:
1. If I had to give it a grade, I’d go with “B.”
2. Maybe the closest comparison to Community seasons one-three/season four is Seinfeld with and without Larry David. Seasons eight and nine have some of my favorite episodes, like “The Chicken Roaster” and “The Summer George,” but the jokes were a little broader, the characters a little goofier and less mean. Still very good…but not the same.
I think you hit the nail on the head with your second point.
Yeah I still don’t know, I agree with everything you said if I put my critic hat on, but it was the first episode and all the discourse about ether or not it has lost its touch feels a little premature. You seem to see what you want to see.
What is so much broader about the dean dancing with jeff than them karaokéing or grinding or Jeff dressing like a rock star? I said that in the other tread, but is it really the episode that was off, or your mindset predisposed to criticize it? Personally I just enjoyed it. It’s a sitcom. Doesn’t mean that I didn’t use my brain (like I said I pretty much agree with your quibbles) but this is why we can’t have nice things nowadays, everybody is so prompt to criticize every single thing, when really it’s a matter of perception and chemistry.
For example, the conclusion of the balls joke may have been obvious, and I didn’t laugh, but the built up was rewarding. And parenthesis, Chevy is a douche, but that moment when he started smiling and immediately revise himself was priceless.
I don’t know…
Aside from Community, it’s been two weeks in a row that I just genuinely burst into fits of laughter with Parks & Rec’, the guys and the food poisoning was awesome. Also I feel that they finally find ann’s groove. Last week with Ron and the kids, and last night with Leslie. Although the line of the night was Leslie’s “tragically, we are both heterosexual.” Tragically indean.
^ That reminds me, calling Pierce’s joke “obvious” makes it sound like you don’t watch the show. 90+% of his jokes are obvious/flat. It’s when they either subvert that or makes jokes around him that he works best.
That said, I’d agree that “gay balls” wasn’t the best joke to kick off a new season.
Dick Fromage’s critic hat is just a mound of sludgy smegma
The AV Club brought up a point about the “parodies” they used to do, and how last night’s wasn’t really in that old spirit. In the past they would pick a subject to satirize, and then pick the little nuances of it, so that fans of the subject would get great little kicks. As far as I know, The Hunger games is about a bunch of kids hiding in the woods, trying to kill each other for public entertainment. Community’s Hunger Games were…a bunch of random gym games. It was like, “Here’s a title of a popular thing. We changed the title to match our show. Eh…EH?!?! Get it?” Still, I give these guys some time to turn it back around.
Seinfeld was still funny after David left. I didn’t laugh one time last night at Community. I think you’re being awfully kind to it. It was awful. And Abed TV was one of the worst parts of it.
I had some laughs last night. It wasn’t the best episode of Community, but even with Harmon, it’s had its ups and downs. I don’t think we’ll get the weird specificity that we would have if Harmon was there, but I doubt the show will be destroyed either. That said, I loved Fred Willard as Abed’s Pierce.
It sucked really bad. I was on the fence about Community for a long time beibg a fan of several of the actors. This show generated way more threads on uproxx than 30 Rock despite never beibg as good. That’s fine, people have different tastes but last night’s episode was like a really boring stoner’s story.
It’s tough to be down on a show you love, but last night’s episode was the worst in the series to me. “Off” is a common and apt description for the episode. The cinematography was different in an unpleasant way. It felt like way more tight shots and most were framed awkwardly, or at least noticeably different than in previous seasons. Even the lighting felt different (and not just when it was supposed to for Abed TV). The jokes weren’t bad, but missed the subtlety that I loved about Community. Finally, I thought the Abed bit felt forced and tried to hard to invoke memories of Remedial Chaos Theory.
Agreed about the cinematography, especially in the hallway scenes, where the camera would be aimed at one character but someone else’s head took up a fourth of the screen. The show was literally and figuratively brighter, too, which I found distracting.
I also found the lighting very distracting.
The Office is also like that if you watch the first few seasons and then the last two. The show is waaaay to bright
The closeup shots of Abed smiling were offputting and distracting.
They tried to frame scenes from last night based on jokes that worked in the past, like close ups of Abed smiling or when Britta and Troy were in the fountain, which I think is a callback to them trying to hug in the Heart of Darkness episode.
Jesus, you guys really know your Community episodes. I just think it’s funny?
TV watching is serious business.
The first thing I noticed was the direction and cinematography being off. I don’t mean in the “Abed’s Happy Place” cold open, because of course that was supposed to be a little different, more like a multi-camera sitcom, but during the “real world” portions. Things were wrong. Not just the cut to the security camera footage, but the compositions and shots being used didn’t seem like Community.
It’s a little strange to me to think that the direction and cinematography was off considering it was directed by Tristram Shapeero. And while I know the director isn’t totally in charge of the “look” of the show, he’s directed some of the best episodes of Community in the past.
The look of it was off to me as I watched it, and I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what was wrong. And reading this thread helped. Thanks, guys.
I think they might have changed what cameras they use to shoot the show again. The same thing happened between season 2 and season 3, and I remember thinking the season 3 premiere had a really odd look to it.
It felt hollow.
This is true
There was definitely something missing.
I liked it. I set the bar low and it made me laugh.
And I would watch the crap out of AbedTV. Blind/Blonde!
I agree. I saw several reviewers telling me to lower my expectations. I guess I lowered them enough to enjoy last night’s episode. And this is coming from someone who didn’t like most of the second half of season 3.
I personally liked it. The thing to remember is that we’re lucky Community’s even back at all with how bad its ratings were. The writers probably wanted to stay “true” to the spirit of the show while still making it a little less “weird” to appeal to a broader TV audience. Unfortunately the success of TV shows isn’t determined by us Uproxxers.
You’re lucky you only have cancer. You could have AIDS.
The show just had a very weird vibe about it, like the new writers were trying to keep the vibe going from the previous regime without trying to rock the boat with the new stuff they’re trying to bring in. It’s wasn’t good, it wasn’t bad it was just there. The new guys should just go all in make it their own.
It lacked subtlety. The inception thing was a cheap gimic.
1) It felt more like this is the show they wanted to write rather than a send up.
2) The transitions were too long
3) Having Leonard explain the joke
There was no real chemistry.
I enjoyed the season premiere, but I think it was due to months of not exposing myself to any Community rewatches or reading up on the behind the scenes news. Unless a show makes me groan, there’s really no reason to bash it.
It wasn’t terrible. It wasn’t great. It was … different. And I don’t like it.
Excellent.
one of those actors has aged remarkably well.
This.
1. Awesome,
2. Is it possible it felt weird because we knew the recipe changed before we ate it so we were expecting it?
3. That being said, The Hunger Deans thing fell really flat for me, and the Inception bit was much more Community-esque/beter. The Hunger Deans felt like someone trying to be LIKE community
I agree with the Hunger Deans feeling like another show trying to be like Community. Also, I would have to say yes to your second point. Expectations would play a huge role in how you’d see it. I knew it wasn’t going to be the same, but knew there was potential for it to not be terrible. A lot of my friends had been complaining about the lack of consistency in the show while Harmon was on it. I just don’t know if his being replaced will result in a more even (yet flatter) show or not. But when Harmon was on he was on; the show’s highs in previous seasons were spectacular
To be fair to Hunger Deans, based on the promos I was terrified that it would be at the forefront of the show and was relieved to find it relegated to mostly an off-camera vehicle for Jeffrey. That said, I still cringed a few times.
Shame on Parks & Rec for teasing the idea of April in full on blonde wigged, Leslie cosplay and not actually delivering on it! It would’ve been so hot!
Got to save something for the season finale.
I found myself agreeing with pretty much every word out of Andy’s mouth.
I liked it, I don’t get the whining, it was funny and even poked fun at the fears of becoming too mainstream. Keep that tone and it’ll be just fine.
Here here. Liked it quite a bit. Mainly because I think they are giving Jeff a direction and are not going to change it back every other episode. I thought it was very true to previous seasons. It was a bit different, but not radically or anything.
I liked it. It was different, but different isn’t always a bad thing. I think I will give it time to find its legs.
Butthurt Butt Kurp
It seemed off, for sure, and Harmon’s absence was noticeable. A Community Hunger Games parody should play off everyone being thrown in to some situation with panic ensuing, not on one character doing team building exercises off camera..
That being said, it wasn’t terrible, and made me laugh once or twice.
All in all, I was just really happy to have my favorite comedy back.
Heh, “Butt.” Shoulda changed “Kurp” to “Krap,” though. But, yes, I’m very happy it’s back, too, and I smiled every time Annie and Britta were onscreen. That’s all I need, really.
I’m glad they didn’t do a real Hunger Games send-up. It would have just come off as trying to repeat a paintball episode which was essentially a “Hunger Games” competition to the “death” where two (or more) competitors team up and try to turn the table on the people running the game. It would have been derivative, and if you aren’t going to do it better than the original than stay away.
It wasn’t terrible and there were some good jokes, but it had a strange vibe to it.
it was decent, still better than most crap on TV. too much of Abed TV tho. Abed is slowly becoming my least favorite character
I also thought there was too much Abed. I love him when his weird shit, but I don’t need it to be the focus of an episode if it doesn’t really involve the other characters. In a way, this episode did involve the other characters, as interpretations in his head. These interpretations weren’t as good as when he was filming a show based on the study group in season one or two, I think (I don’t remember which season).
THIS
On a non-Community note, The Office…..my sweet Jesus. what a goddamn coat hanger abortion you’ve become. Andy Dwyer has replaced Jason Street as JBD’s most hated TV character ever.
How do you 6?
I couldn’t even finish watching the episode
Which has happened almost every episode this season
I assume you meant Andy Bernard since Andy Dwyer isn’t on The Office.
Cause if you really did mean Andy Dwyer, I will fight you.
goddamn it. yes, of course i meant bernard. dwyer should have been knighted at the age of 9.
Yeah, seriously. What the fuck was that? I kind of wish some NBC exec would have just popped up out of nowhere and said “Yeah, sorry about this episode. It doesn’t get any better than this for the rest of the series. We’ll just go ahead and cancel this as soon as I finish this sentence. . . .period.”
It wasn’t until this morning that I realized that I never switched back to The Office after a commercial break last night. The show just means nothing to me now.
The Andy character makes no sense anymore. I liked fake Andy better.
I have a consp. theory that the actors and writers of the Office are as clever as they ever were. They are just deliberately turning the show into a train wreck to make the other Thursday night comedies look better. “What’s that? You thought the premier of Community wasn’t very good? Well here’s some perspective. Here’s what a truly awful sitcom looks like.” Really quite noble of them actually.
*Spoilers*
Yeah, Andy got found out by Wallace last night at the very end of the episode. So hopefully this is the last we see of the Narddog.
Last night’s Office was way too dramatic with no real comedy. Very odd episode. And Jim and Pam are the worst right now.
what kind of commie fuck hates Street?!
Okay, I think The Office has fallen off as much as any fellow or lady does, but part of me likes what they’re doing here… maybe because in the death throes of a series that’s not really funny anymore, they said “fuck it” and are making it a serious drama. In a way they’re addressing some of the complaints everyone has had about the show of late, mainly that Andy and Jim are dicks. If Pam and Jim part amicably in the series finale, I’ll applaud it. Of course, we’re probably gonna get some bullshit reconciliation in the last moment of it all. I thought the “you really want me to stay so we can fight on Valentine’s Day?” moment was way better than Pam crying to Brian.
As for Community, I’m torn. I agree with all of the criticisms toward the new episode, but it’s the FIRST EPISODE with new showrunners so I wanna give it another chance. Dan Harmon sounds like the Kubrick of TV comedy, and I really pity the new showrunners for having to take over for a guy who fucking bled on the scripts and storyboards for this show.
This is going to tear us apart.
I give it a B+, which is short for “Britta+” which is what I call her when she’s wearing hot librarian glasses.
This.
I think we need the “I gots skilllz” dance as gif. Get on that, gif-overlords!
I think this is something everyone can agree on.
Plus we got a glimpse of wet Britta boobage, which was nice.
Britta glasses for the WIN!
I’m in the “it wasn’t terrible and I’m happy to have Community back” camp. I’ve noticed, especially in recent years, that there’s one thing you can always count on the Internet for: complaining about how terrible a long-awaited, much-anticipated anything is. And then a few months to a year later, the revisionist history begins and everyone talks about how the horrible anything was really pretty good.
No kidding, and Community has never been without lull episodes. Certainly way too early in the season to say much about the new status quo.
And the Hunger Deans were a bait and switch for a Double Dare homage, which any child of the late 80s/early 90s should always be thankful for.
I’ll back you up 100%.
Also, Shirley saying, “Oh lord no!” followed by a circle wipe was wonderful.
Thank you! I had a great time watching this episode.
Yeeeah.. I just don’t think that’s going to happen this time.
The laugh track killed any enjoyment I might derive from any abed tv joke – even ironically used laugh track is horribly unfunny.
*braces himself for new AD backlash*
It’s different, but still solid. I’ll see where this goes.
I forgot all about the Low-Cal Calzone until Ben’s poem.
*Low-Cal Calzone Zone
With all the negative hype I knew was set up not to like it, but I watched it with a friend of mine who had no idea that they changed of the show runner and she was disappointed, too. I wish they would have fully embraced Abed’s head TV or the Hunger Games concept instead of half assing both.
Maybe this is what the problem was, them not fully committing to either or. I don’t like the idea of Abed somehow being framed as the antagonist, and I didn’t like how they just jumped right into this wacky thing without any build up.
Yea they didn’t connect effectively, and that was probably my biggest problem with the episode as well. It would have been a great moment to poke fun at NBC’s broader comedy strategy, but I guess they don’t have the same securtiy as 30 Rock or The Simpsons with FOX.
It felt a bit all over the place. There was the Hunger Dean storyline, the Abed storyline (which turned into a show within a show within a show) and two sidebars with Troy & Britta and Shirley & Annie. Just too much going on, and it lacked focus.
Abed’s bit was terrible because of the transitions. They were out of place and ridiculous. Might have worked with more time spent on it. But Abed is not a likeable character to a new or casual viewer.
Yeah, It’d been cool if they had committed to the Abed TV idea… I would have loved to see a straight set-up for 90s sitcom credits: cheesy rendition of the Community theme over clips of cheesy “hijinks” and characters heartily laughing.
*send-up to 90s sitcom
I just want to watch Muppet Babies all over again.
Also, The Office…shut it down. Seriously SHUT IT DOWN.
You have a great avatar name.
I watched hockey instead of watching the Office, but switched back occasionally. From what I saw, I made the right choice.
Muppet Babies rule!
it was like watching Fan Fiction of community. like someone had won a contest and got to write an episode or something.
weak sauce.
sure, they’ve had clunkers before, but we’ve got to assume they’d want to come back with their best foot forward to show us what the new crew can do?
i was dissapoint-dean.
I see what you did there.
I dean’t see it
It’s amazing how 15 minutes worth (maybe less) of Ann Hanson looking for a sperm donor still ends up funnier than any comedic movie made on the subject matter. Looking at you, The Switch, Baby Momma, and The Back-up Plan.
Ann Perkins?
I thought her last name was Hanson for some reason.
BTW: I think every podcast person ever was on Parks last night.
“First time on TV and they put me in a PHISH shirt! #Humblebrag”
Harris’ Foam Corner is one of my favorites. Along with Paul Rust’s New No Nos
I think that was the first time I “recognized” someone I only knew from a podcast on tv.
Matt Besser is Crazy Ira
Wait that was Harris Wittel’s
Whoa, whoa, wait a second… Harris Wittels… bowel distress… Ann having a baby… was this episode based on the CBB title “Farts and Procreation”?
It was oddly quiet in our apartment after the premiere. It was almost like a new show which we weren’t sure was great, but it wasn’t. Like hollow, my brain wasn’t working as fast it it is supposed to in a regular Community episode.
And over Deaned in my opinion. I love Jim Rash, but there’s such a thing [which wasn't a case before.]
the shows been guilty of that before when they over used Chang
I completely agree that it felt weird, and off, but I wonder how much of that was because we were all watching and *expecting* it to be off in some way, so we went looking for it.
Abed TV was actually a pretty good way of mocking the fans’ fears that Community would be turned into a three camera sitcom under the new management. It didn’t play quite right, and the extra level of the Muppet Babies reference on top of that did feel a bit like “Community works in layers, right?” But that could be because I anticipated something feeling weird.
Also, the “Hunger Deans” being largely offscreen might’ve been a good choice. We’ve complained about how the 3rd season went too indulgent/obvious with some pop references. This made it obvious, but then moved onto something else after a few jokes.
It’s a new pair of shoes. Let’s give it a little time to get broken in before we decide if we’re comfortable with it or not.
That’s the feeling I had. I really enjoyed it, but found it a bit different. While I did think it was a bit, as NBC puts it, ‘broader’ it was still meta enough for me to not think about it too much. Also, Annie and Annie’s Boobs high fiving was awesome
Britta looked better than Annie last night
There, I said it!
It’s all true.
As somone who is on Team Britta, she usually looks better than Annie every night. Now, Asian Annie on the other hand. She’s a star in the making, Jerry! A Star!
Britta for the WIN!
Yeah Annie Kim looked goooooooood.
Annie Kim has got nothing next to the Red Dragon.
Yeah, I may have just developed a choking fetish. And Annie Kim was working those glasses.
It’s probably the glasses talking but Alison Brie was only the 3rd hottest woman on the show last night.
If Red Dragon is Pierce, I want to see an Asian version of the Study Group.
Every time they went back into Abed’s dream I cringed.
I mean, I think that was the point, right? It’s supposed to be bad.
I assume they were trying to be “meta” or something and trying to get fans to laugh at exactly what everyone was worried about, that they’d turn it into a 3 camera thing like the rest of the stuff they’ve worked on. Guess what, it came off as looking like they don’t know how to run a show that’s not a 3 camera one. It sucked and they better never do it again.
Threats in a blog’s comments are the best threats.
I was fine with it the first time, but that was all I needed. I would watch Fred Willard as Pierce. Or as their history teacher.
I don’t believe Ann would do something like just randomly decide to have a baby.
Is “Topless Parks and Recreation” already in production as a porn parody?
I felt like it was funny, but I wasn’t really laughing, and I don’t remember much about it 12 hours later. I did like the show having a little more positive interaction with the characters, as I personally didn’t like the dark tone the show was taking over the last couple of seasons where it seemed like they didn’t really like each other all that much.
I thought Ron’s comment that he had voided more than Tom’s weight, and so Tom might no longer be on this earth, was the line of the night in P&R.
I don’t know, I found it still very funny. It wasn’t the best episode they’ve ever done, but it’s still Community.
It’s one episode. I say let it slide. Two or three misses like that, then we riot.
Also, Ben and Ron trying to dial the phone in Chris’s office was amazing.
I just went back and watched. It was fine. It wasn’t great, but Dan Harmon had a lot of episodes that weren’t great. It’s just the highs were so ridiculously highs, that you forgot the lows.
FWIW
Community: B-
The Office: C-
P&R: A
Good seeing Crazy Ira and The Douche back.
“That was the Douche talking” is my go to out from now on.
I’m really worried that Kroll Show has ruined Kroll Bro for me.
I agree except still too high for the Office.
Bleep blorp need more info bleep blorp?
Thank you, I’ll take my answer off air.
Part of me thinks that last night’s episode was one big meta joke of the new heads playing on the fans. They went through a long check list of every fear a Community fan would have and they did it last night. Perhaps I’m in denial. But, I’ll definitely watch in hopes that it gets better. It definitely was imitation Community and not the real thing.
At least Parks was great. If only I knew Ann Perkins. I’d gladly donate sperm for her.
Nail on the head, you have hit.
I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would, after reading some of the reviews out there. Just happy to see the characters back on TV – it’s the little things they do that make me laugh more than anything.
‘What’s the deal, jessica biel?’ caught me off guard, that was pretty good. And the ‘Land-dean’ aviator costume gave me a big warm fuzzy.
Would been better if he continued with it and gave Jeff a jar of his own pee.
As soon as I heard the laugh track on Community I done switched it off.
Thank goodness the Office saved it all with its hilarious “Andy’s back” storyline. What a hoot!
Uh, the laugh track was a joke. That was Abed’s dream sitcom about the real show.
BRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHM
Not sure if serious…
The laugh track was clearly a joke, but it still nearly made me switch off after the first minute. But then, I really hate laugh tracks on anything made this century.
Clearly a joke!
I thought the “Office is awesome” second line would have ensured everyone realized I had ventured to sarcasm land.
Anyway, I have to go as I am trying to keep my excitement levels down about the Donnie Wahlberg Boston Cops IRL reality show…
The laugh track was a joke, but it was an irritating one. “Scrubs” had a similar episode a few years ago, but the context made more sense, especially as it concerned Dr. Dorian (who I find a more credible sitcom-addict than Abed).
Agreed that Community felt a bit off or at least they weren’t hitting all cylinders. Part of the reason is, like others have said, they didn’t fully commit to the Hunger Games theme. That should have wrapped up the entire show, but, to be fair, it seemed like they were also setting up a lot of this season. There’s a new relationship, Annie regretting her major, Abed being forced to realize it’s all coming to an end soon, Jeff trying to turn over a new leaf.
“The calzones.. betrayed me??”
Honestly one of the funniest things I’ve heard Adam Scott say.
THat was the hardest I’ve laughed in quite a while
I would give anything for R.E.M. to play at Ben and Leslie’s reception just so the band could disappoint Ben too.
This was about as good as I could have hoped. Whether you like, hate or feel indifferent about him, Dan Harmon WAS this show. Without him it was always gonna be different. The premiere showed me I can still enjoy Community without him.
This guy is right you guys!
I kinda would have liked to see the entire episode in the 3-camera style. Especially if they didn’t pull out of it til the very end. It would’ve been ballsier, immediately off-putting to us, and therefor better.
What you state makes sense.
Agreed.
Can we get a gif of Ron willing himself to get up, cross the room, and knock the phone to the floor?
And one of Ben’s nose dialing while we’re at it?
I fucking cried during that scene.
Agreed, same with the reveal of Chris in the fetal position on his table.
Can we just switch out Fred Willard for Chevy Chase all the time? I’d rather watch a dick toucher than a regular old dick
Only if it means not losing the Pierce character; my favorite character. I wish Chevy wasnt such a dick
I still enjoyed last night’s Community, but agree that it just didn’t feel the same. The only part I really laughed hard at was the quick shot of the GCC Human Being doll in cartoon form during Greendale Babies. I thought that was unbelievable.
I’d give that episode of Community a “C-”, but it’s not like I’m going to stop watching already. It felt very fast paced, like nothing they were saying or doing mattered and it just needed to be over ASAP. Even if any of the jokes were okay they didn’t have any comedic timing since it was so fast.
I think they came up with bullet points for what happens in a Community episode and then tried to squeeze all of them into the one episode.
I thought it was fast paced as well. I felt it needed to be though. I mean, they essentially ended the show last year, and with all the craziness surrounding it, they had quite a bit to touch on because that’s what Community does. Maybe they shoved too much into one episode, but I like the idea of getting it all out of the way at once.
I guess I just watch to be entertained. I thought nothing was wrong with last night’s episode. I think everyone is just worrying a little bit too much about it.
Agreed. This whole thread has a very hipster vibe to it.
Seriously! I don’t see what people are complaining about at all. They sound like Tom Haverford giving opinions on food. I imagine they are all typing with their eyes closed and holding a wine glass full of fart. THAAAAAAANNNKKKSSS!
Take The Office back a few years. Then you see why people are justifiably worried.
It was nice to have it back, but you’re right, there wasn’t a real differentiation between the jokes in reality and the jokes in Abed’s fantasy, which really ruins the satire of it all. If you can’t draw a line between a “Community” joke and a “Community mocking sitcoms” joke, then it’s tough to accept it as irony.
+1
I was a little disappointed. The “too fast/too much” feeling was definitely there, but I can’t say I’d rather have seen them commit to the Hunger Deans or Abed’s TV more because neither one seemed like they’d be much funnier if they were more played out.
Troy & Britta in the fountain followed by “Britta made up a new rule, there are no rules” was probably the highlight for me. Also the Dean’s throwaway line “…and someone moved my stapler” was the closest I came to laughing.
I’m certainly not giving up, but by in large it definitely felt way off.
Impossible expectations are impossible to satisfy.
I wonder how many people would have felt something being “off” if this was a show in 1985 and they didn’t have a fucking clue what a show runner was?
This was the seconds best season premiere the show has had (2>4>1>3, might flip the last two) Granted outside of maybe season 2′s none of them was anything special.
Also lose Chang and the Dean as main characters, have them be more like Professor Ian Duncan.
I don’t know. I half expect Jimmy Kimmel to do a bit where he asks a bunch of critics and fans about the new episode, they make reference to it being “hollow” or a “shell of itself” or some other meaningless buzz word, and then Harmon comes out and tells everyone they filmed this first episode right before he got fired.
He got fired a few days after the third season finale aired. He definitely had nothing to do with this.
I know he didn’t have anything to do with the episode. My point is that because people knew in advance that he wasn’t running the episode they saw changes in the show that aren’t really there and had he done the episode it would not necessarily have looked much different than the show that we watched.
I see what you’re saying, but the changes are undeniable. Could be because the new show runners are experimenting with cinematography, positioning the shows, or were to focused on establishing the basis of season long story-lines, but you cannot deny that the Hunger Games thing was a total throwaway and was a reference made because it happened to be popular at the time, not because they had an intention of fully parodying the movie. The subtlety was lacking.
Boy, people really take their Community fucking seriously.
Comedy is no laughing matter
yes. yes, we do.
WarmingGlow commenters peacock comedy
That’s insane.
Community was like seeing your old best friend back in town. Great to see him, had some laughs, but he’s changed, he talks about shit you don’t care about and dresses weird.and probably likes some hipster band you never heard of.
Dead on and well put.
It sounds to me like everyone is just sort of falling into their expectations that Community will be totally different without Harmon, whether or not it actually is. It really did not feel that different to me, but it’s only been one episode. Let’s wait a few weeks before we start making those judgements.
I was thinking along those lines the whole time I was watching it. Like, if I had never known that Harmon wasn’t with the show anymore, how would my reaction to the episode have been affected? Without knowing that something was missing, would we actually have been able to tell that something was missing, or would we all just assume it was a slightly below-average episode?
I’ve always been neutral on the show and thought this episode was terrible.
Okay but seriously how great was P&R last night? The food poisoning subplot was just perfect on every level.
Also I literally have gotten to the point where I actually laughed more times at fucking 1600 Penn than I did at The Office. God fucking damnit.
P&R is the best Thursday night show on NBC, Community included.
I liked the AV Club’s perspective, in that, yes this is not Dan Harmon’s Community, but this iteration needs time to find it’s voice and this is the growing pains area. If they make it to season 5 and beyond, the writers should find themselves and make a good show again. Does this show have the ceiling of the Harmon episodes? Probably not, and I’m ok with that. Last night’s show was still funny and better than 90% of TV. While most of that is because the Greendale 7 and the Dean are good characters and can make weaker writing work. Give the writers time and if there’s 6 seasons and you know the rest, then we’ll look back at this being the adjustment period and that we made it through the tough times. Now if the show doesn’t come back, then we were blessed to get a 4th season of a show that didn’t deserve a 2nd or 3rd by any other big 4 network standards. So I’ll stick through it and see what happens and if there’s no season 5, no hard feelings.
My Facebook and twitter feeds at full of people who’ve never said a single word about Community before talking about how it’s “not the same”. All those people can fuck right off.
Am I the only one that thought Donald Glover’s face really matured? Last season, I always thought of him as a kid, and last night, he really looked like an adult.
agreed
Even more jarring if you’ve been following him since the DerrickComedy days, which if you haven’t seen, find immediately.
I was just about to post this. Dude looked old. Maybe Britta made a man out of him?
If it was Annie and Britta fighting in the water fountain, everyone would have said it was the best episode since they oil wrestled, which was the best episode since they fought in a kiddie pool of suds.
But they didn’t and the writers obviously missed an opportunity.
Donald Glover definitely got a handful of treasure in at least one shot of that scene, and I’m not talking about the pennies.
I’m talking about Gillian Jacobs’ boobs.
I’m just glad it’s back, and I also hope they can keep the momentum of the show going. And I LOVE that they basically spoofed the ‘shitty laugh track/same clip of laughing’ type of shows that I hate. Honestly…I still try to give Big Bang a try here and there…and I hate it…I just…I hate it. I think this sums it up pretty well – [www.youtube.com]
I enjoyed it for what it was. I’ll wait to see if the writers hit their stride or not.
On the other hand, I did not enjoy the return of Andy Bernard. On the other other hand, I enjoyed Erin simultaneously dumping him and ratting him out to Wallace.
That was rather satisfying. Andy has successfully morphed into the least likable character possibly ever.
I missed the last 5 minutes of the show!!
I guess I just like liking things
Good news! Community returned up and Parks just hit a season high! [tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com]
No last night was not the best episode last night and it did try to hard, but i had somewhat of the same feelings after the season three premiere, and there’s no way I’m quitting now. So let’s see where this goes
If we had never heard the Harmon drama, this would have been another slightly-off “theme” ep like Pillow Fort 2 or Paintball 2 or Claymation Christmas. But, WITH the Harmon drama, it’s the END OF THE WORLD? Come on.
It’s funny, id say the people taking offense to the negative comments rather than the people who said the negative comments are the ones who are actually overreacting. It’s like one of their family members is being attacked. There was differences of feel and look to be expected, how could there not be when Harmon who was so involved is suddenly gone. Now it’s not even allowed to be discussed unless those differences in the show are positives?
i think the critiques with the exception of a few have all been pretty fair and reasonable and the large majority of those who had issues with the episode still feel it was a good episode.
Tough to say if people went “looking” for problems or the problems were actually there since every fan pretty much knows about the Dan Harmon thing, it’s probably somewhere in between, but id say the faith in the show is still there across the board.
i admit that i was about as excited for the premiere as i’ve ever been for a tv show…and i was disappointed. i won’t rehash the details of why everything seemed off (both the look and the feel) that everyone has already commented on- except for one thing: it seemed like the characters were being written and controlled by people unfamiliar with the characters and each person ended up expressing only their most salient trait. like, oh, we know the dean cross-dresses, abed likes tv and lives half in an imaginary land, and pierce makes crude jokes. these one-not gags were spooned on in a very obvious and excessive fashion. the whole episode felt incohesive and souless and it made me sad. that said, plenty of good shows have taken a couple of shows to hit their stride. i hope community is one of those…but i don’t have high hopes.
I know I’m WWAAAYYY late to the par-tay in this thread, but yeah, I have to agree with the majority here. It’s the same thing I’ve been saying in all the Community Promo threads, something about it just felt off. Again, it’s like a good, but not great, cover band trying to play all the hits of your favorite band. It sounds decent, but it’s not the same as seeing the real thing.
Also agreed about the framing and lighting of the shots being really strange and off-putting.
I liked the person above who mentioned this being like Seinfeld with and without Larry David. I thought Seinfeld found it’s groove without Larry, so there might be hope for Community, but it’s not off to a great start for me.
Didn’t really enjoy Community, but I’ll see what happens to it.
I loved the premiere. I think people are mostly just looking for things to complain about. We’ve built up the doubt-train over the past 6 months pretty heavily, and now its manifesting itself in places it doesn’t belong. It was fast. It was funny. And it was Community.
I agree. Let’s all try and dial down the snark little bit. I couldn’t even see a difference between pre-harmon community and post-harmon.
For Christ’s sake, Britta was flopping around in a fountain. What more do you people want?!?!
yup
I did not have overly high expectations for last night’s show, and I have not been worried about it because the writers and cast are still in place. However, last night’s episode WAS off in several ways. Some were small like the cinematography and lighting, but there were definitely some different things.
I think this season may move back towards the vibe of the first season, which is fine with me, because the first season was great. I feel like the rest of the season will be better than this first episode.
But people who are saying people are exaggerating? Wrong.
Also, people who are saying the show is going to be awful? Also wrong.
This episode was off, but I still have faith.
Parks continues to be the best comedy on television.
It seemed forced, honestly. There were too few laughs and it was just…weird. Like in the movies where your buddy is replaced by a robot and he looks like your friend, and acts like your friend, but there’s something that’s missing. I hope this was a hiccup and they finish strong, like they did last year. But you can obviously tell that Dan Harmon isn’t there anymore, and that really sucks.
It felt like half of the cast was just going through the motions. especially donald glover
Donald Glover was wearing a dress. Your argument is invalid.
Team Britta, yes!
I miss 30 Rock even more. Food poisoning scene in Parks was great. Really need to have a second look at the whiteboard with the notes from the catering. Oddly interested in seeing how The Office wraps things up though.
It was fine/fyne.
Nice.
This may sound weird, but I had one major issue with the episode last night that I just couldn’t get past. The use of the laugh track in Abed TV was terrifying to me. I fucking hated. hated hated hated hated it. For me it just came too close to what I fear will happen to the show. For it’s first new episode under the new team, the last thing in the world I wanted to hear was a laugh track, BUT IT WAS THE FIRST FUCKING THING I HEARD!!! I don’t think I got over it tbh.
It was meant as a social commentary. There were rumors of the show becoming something totally different without Harmon. The Community guys were obviously having fun playing on those fears. Sorry if that was too meta for you, but Community is probably the most meta show of all time.
I get that. I just don’t think it was done well.
You can’t honestly tell me that the laugh track made any of the shit in AbedTV any funnier.
I just didn’t see it that way. The whole laugh track thing was a dig at 3 camera shows. The jokes were purposefully terrible and the laugh track accentuated that. I thought it worked pretty well. JMO.
It would have worked better if the regular episode scenes were funnier. As it was, the humor in the real episode and that of the AbedTV episode were too similar, and neither were particularly funny.
I would’ve laughed in a sadistic way if, as some guy said above, they went the full episode with a laugh track and DIDN’T do it in a wink-wink-nudge-nudge kind of way.
Community brought to you by CBS… it was funny, trust me
Jeff ripping off his glasses as soon as he saw Britta wearing them made me laugh pretty hard. Right off the bat, I can list at least 2 Season 3 episodes last night’s premier was better than (Season 3′s Premier and the one where Abed and Annie spend the entire time in the Dreamatorium). Here’s a fun exercise: Pretend Dan Harmon never left the show and watch last night’s episode again. Afterwards, you’ll probably say to yourself “Oh, ok. Nothing’s chang’d”. I will agree that the cinematography and lighting weren’t up to their usual standards (I’m obviously talking about the non-Abed tv parts).
Thank you!
yes to all of this
I really don’t know why people have been so hard on this episode. It seemed like the same old Community to me. Of course, they had me at “coming in for a lan-dean.”
this
I was only able to see the second half last night (will On Demand it today), but I really enjoyed it. They seemed to retain the spirit of the show.
can’t agree more with your thoughts on Community. It had it’s good and great jokes/scenes, but never really felt right. I loved Abed TV mocking laugh tracks.
Parks & Rec was fantastic. I never want this show to end.
Loved Rashida Jones’ (class of 97) Harvard shout out.
I’ll be quite honest. You knew this was going to happen no matter what. The show has ring rust, it’s been a long time since we’ve watched it and there are new people at the helm. This was a destined response.
Not like any of us will ditch the show. It wasn’t a strong opener, but that doesn’t mean it can’t still come back. Metaphor about patience.
Oh by the way, “The Office” was much worse. I never thought I just shout asshole at my TV for 20 full minutes, but I did when Andy showed back up. I thought that was only possible in election season.
Watching that episode made me feel like someone moved my stapler an inch.
I thought this episode was fyne.
Dean’s green dress under the red dress…hilarious.
FRUMP I HATED IT! BECAUSE DAN HARMON IS OFF THE SHOW I’LL HAVE A REASON!
I personally hated it: community babies was wayyy too far and wayyy too unfunny. Too be fair the people who liked it on facebook were people who liked the obvious hunger deans and community babies jokes which just sort of solidified my opinion.
I was really bothered by the lighting, and the angles, and the sound, Did we mention the audio mixing? Honestly does somebody know how much turn over there was in the actual production crew? I was really bothered by the britta troy fountain scene. That was painfully shot, and obviously over the top.
That said when I say I hated ABEDTV everyone responded “You’re supposed to hate it” to which is respond Duh Doi, I know when I’m supposed to hate something. I actually thought it was GOOD, in the sense that if it was Chuck Lorre presents Community I think that is pretty spot on. I thought it was excellently executed. That is the problem. It wasn’t funny or taking a barb at anything other than the premise. It was too on the nose to be effective. I just lost 6 minutes of a community episode watching Chuck Lorre television. I am only laughing on principle. I can’t do that for 6 minutes. Nothing inside it was clever or original. The Bare Naked Ladies joke lasts like 45 seconds, advances a plot inside the episode (the fight), and was one of the best BBT jabs they have. It’s okay to be meta, but you at least have to be coy, clever, non sequitur or charming. This wasn’t.
The last thing, other than breaking the first rule of cinematography and production which is: If you are being noticed, there is a problem (I’m looking at you girls this season, you’re on watch too for your disturbing cuts and editing). The pacing was so weird, the transitions, the acting within the scene. Everything seemed really rushed in the scene, and then slow to transition. I can’t tell if both are true or if one is whelming the other, but it is off. This wasn’t even B teamers in the writing and directing department.
I do offer this as some sort of theory about the first episode being an anomaly. Megan Ganz said in her AMA that the last episode ran about 6 minutes long and that she overwrote it and she knows it. I think that is entirely possible for this episode as well. A room full of seasoned writers and new show runners trying to make an impression coming back from a tough break. I think they just overwrote this one. everyone had to have a piece in this. I hold out hope that there will be some choice episodes in the middle when the staff gets stretched out. I feel like this episode was a bunch of young pups forced to face the world without their drunk fat pack leader and trying to assert their value.
Biggest disappointment: only pulling a 3.98. Can we mix it up and go 1600 Penn, P&R, The Office, Community. It took 1600 Penn 3 weeks to dip below Community for all of season 1 in ratings. It is dead.
Best point: Thanking Obama for Bin Laden and Doritos Tacos.
Very good assessment. I didn’t *hate* the episode, but I didn’t like it very much, either. To be fair, however, the season premieres are often fairly weak.
The humor was forced, and often simply unfunny. Case in point: Jeff hitting Leonard. That really stuck out as weak, and very out-of-character for Jeff. A more likely interaction would have been something like:
Leonard (with rope): Those balls are mine!
Jeff (grabbing rope): Shut up, Leonard! I know about your fear of heights.
Leonard (dejected): Well, now the cat’s out of the bag.
Or something along those lines. The response to Leonard has traditionally been, “Shut up, Leonard,” followed by some bit of witty dialogue. Jeff hitting Leonard took the dynamic in another, rather unpleasant, direction.
But they poked fun at the obsessive fandom.. thinking you overthought it :/
I liked the episode but they need to tone down the abed bullshit and have him grow up a bit, in season 1 he was a weird dude that would explain life through movie and tv show references, but he felt real, then in season 2 he gradually turned into rain man, and then in season 3 they completely killed his character and made him this barely functioning weirdo that no one in their right mind would hang out with. Abed just doesn’t seem real anymore and I’m finding his story lines to be the most annoying, even worse than season 3 Chang.
Yes.
Glasses Britta. That is all.
Pistol Pete is an astute son of a bitch.
Well, well. Port and Geraisco’s (sp?) “Lowered Bar” strategy may pan out yet. Christina Applegate just quit Up All Night, leaving NBC with another hole to fill…
I thought it was good not great, too. I think the show has often ventured into trying too hard to be… itself… areas. It certainly wasn’t just this one. You may know too much about behind-the-scenes and can’t accept it as organic Community.
I’m firmly in the don’t jump to conclusions camp. It was a good episode, I laughed plenty, and none of the characters were ruined. Everything is gonna be ok guys.
parks and rec: loved it as always.
community: i’m cautiously optimistic and i know that i can’t base this season based on one episode that has already aired, but it had promise. they did to a wee bit too much (and my husband just wants to see the dean toned down – JUST A BIT.) but i did like the hunger deans (the competition) and some of the back stories that were shown. and it did feel a bit creepy when we learned where craig is living now – poor jeff.
Community: I’m going to try to reserve judgement until a few more episodes
Parks: Crushed it
Community was fyne. Loved the tango.
I… I still liked Community. Yeah it wasn’t the same, but I still thought it was funny. Am I a bad person?
I’ll forever hold out hope that someone will develop Greendale Babies.
The more you bring up comparisons to big bang theory, the more you’re going to see it without wanting to.
I feel like the new showrunners have the hardest job in the world (of entertainment) right now. Either they try to do their own thing and get absolutely fucking crucified by the fans and critics, or they try to emulate Harmon (like they did with the first episode) and inevitably fall short because it’s always been his crazy vision. Again, I agree that it felt “off,” but I say we reserve judgment… after all, we can all agree that it doesn’t SUCK. They seem to be trying, and while the Abed TV gag wasn’t great, I give them major props for the balls.
In all honesty, I was LOLing at most of this episode, so I can’t complain. The “My name is Peter, I have Changnesia” bit at the end had me rolling.
Why the shit does your site take me to the bottom of the page everytime I click next? Frustrating.
I liked Community.
Also, Jim Rash in a dress will haunt my dreams.
Late to the party but… Abed tv would totally be the number #1 show on CBS
… and Tom who considers himself a ‘Foodie’. Which apparently means taking Instagrams of food instead of eating it.