TV: Community

[John Price]

I was watching fervently live but once Troy left the show lost a lot of watchability. I haven't bothered to watch the last "yahoo season" or re-watch at all.

 

[Ceremony]

I watched it recently, then watched it again right after because I was bored and there was nothing else I wanted to watch. I don't get it. There are a few laughs, a few genuinely clever episodes, and some genuinely nice and thoughtful episodes. The rest just feels either boring or a vehicle for Dan Harmon to be a twat. I don't see what the fuss is about.

 

[Miguel Cairo]

I watched it recently, then watched it again right after because I was bored and there was nothing else I wanted to watch. I don't get it. There are a few laughs, a few genuinely clever episodes, and some genuinely nice and thoughtful episodes. The rest just feels either boring or a vehicle for Dan Harmon to be a twat. I don't see what the fuss is about.

You’re the AT&T of people.

 

[Bruins4Lifer]

I watched it recently, then watched it again right after because I was bored and there was nothing else I wanted to watch. I don't get it. There are a few laughs, a few genuinely clever episodes, and some genuinely nice and thoughtful episodes. The rest just feels either boring or a vehicle for Dan Harmon to be a twat. I don't see what the fuss is about.

I watched it during it's run, and my feelings on the show were pretty similar. It went it some interesting places on some themes of episodes but they mostly fell flat on me, and weren't that funny most of the time either. I think I would have needed to have a higher appreciation of the original content that they parodied to like it more.

 

[NyQuil]

It's amazing that Donald Glover was actually only the 2nd best rapper in the show

It's amazing that the guy dressed up as the peanut bar won an Oscar for penning the script for The Descendents, starring George Clooney.

 

[NyQuil]

I watched it during it's run, and my feelings on the show were pretty similar. It went it some interesting places on some themes of episodes but they mostly fell flat on me, and weren't that funny most of the time either. I think I would have needed to have a higher appreciation of the original content that they parodied to like it more.

For me there is certainly a strong nostalgic element to the humour which I'll admit is cheating to some extent.

The GI Joe animated episode was a classic for someone who grew up watching GI Joe cartoons. The D&D episode was a classic for someone who grew up playing those classic modules. Ken Burns' Civil War documentary? Good Fellas? 8 bit video games? Pulp Fiction? Dr. Who? Law and Order? Sophie B. Hawkins?

It hits the sweet spot for a lot of people within a certain demographic of which I am a part.

Unlike The Goldbergs, which is a decent but predictable show that also relies on a hefty dose of 80s nostalgia, it manages to re-package those elements in a much more creative and interesting way. The humour is more absurd and satirical, and less reliant on the family-style sitcom episode structure that the Goldbergs employs.

Like a lot of comedy series, it takes awhile for Community to find its rhythm with its characters.

Britta is completely changed from being the "straight-woman hot girl" to being the object of continuous mockery, while the roles played by Alison Brie and Donald Glover expanded to account for their prodigious talent. Troy's association with Abed, and the corresponding de-emphasis of his jock origins are part of that as well.

 

[Shareefruck]

While it's true that the show makes a lot of references that require some context to fully appreciate, I think characterizing that as nostalgia might be a bit misleading. They're inspired and playful loveletters that communicate the charms and idiosyncracies of certain subjects while also ridiculing their flaws, and if you're familiar with them, then you'll appreciate them more regardless of emotional attachment or history, I think. On top of that, just like with something such as The Simpsons and their references, it's fun to re-experience these entities through this lens even if you happen to not be familiar with what they're referencing, because the show does such a great job of capturing what they were.

For example, I've never technically watched Law and Order and I love the hell out of the Law and Order episode, and feel like I now know all of that show's ridiculous quirks and gimmicks.

I do think the show as a whole is very hit or miss (even after it started to figure out what type of show it wanted to be), but it's worth it for the good stuff. When the show's on, very few comedies are that tastefully fun, accessible, off-the-wall, creative, and clever all at the same time.

 

[Miguel Cairo]

-Do you know what Dylan Thomas said about death?
-No, tell me.
-Okay, bluff called.

 

[Hasbro]

I watched it recently, then watched it again right after because I was bored and there was nothing else I wanted to watch. I don't get it. There are a few laughs, a few genuinely clever episodes, and some genuinely nice and thoughtful episodes. The rest just feels either boring or a vehicle for Dan Harmon to be a twat. I don't see what the fuss is about.

Shut up Ceremony! I talked to your son on family day I know about your gambling.

 

[ucanthanzalthetruth]

I watched it recently, then watched it again right after because I was bored and there was nothing else I wanted to watch. I don't get it. There are a few laughs, a few genuinely clever episodes, and some genuinely nice and thoughtful episodes. The rest just feels either boring or a vehicle for Dan Harmon to be a twat. I don't see what the fuss is about.

Oh Ceremony, you're Goldbluming

 

[Sticksandsun]

 

[bleedgreen]

Ironic I saw this thread as I started rewatching the first season tonight. For being a major network sitcom I think it’s pretty damn good. The references are nostalgic and maybe a bit spoonfed but overall it’s pretty clever and is more than I expected for where you find it. It’s not an hbo miniseries so I don’t hold it to that kind of standard. I’m pretty fussy about what I like and this show makes me laugh. Thumbs up.

 

[Miguel Cairo]

Just finished Season 3 and feel like it would have been such a perfect ending I almost don’t want to keep going.

 

[Trap Jesus]

I watched it recently, then watched it again right after because I was bored and there was nothing else I wanted to watch. I don't get it. There are a few laughs, a few genuinely clever episodes, and some genuinely nice and thoughtful episodes. The rest just feels either boring or a vehicle for Dan Harmon to be a twat. I don't see what the fuss is about.

Arguing over tastes is stupid because it's subjective and blah blah blah, but I feel like it's really odd to single out only a few episodes being clever. Creativity and cleverness was this show's calling card.

 

[Shareefruck]

Arguing over tastes is stupid because it's subjective and blah blah blah, but I feel like it's really odd to single out only a few episodes being clever. Creativity and cleverness was this show's calling card.

I definitely think that not every attempt at being creative and clever lands, which is what he's probably getting at. The show's worth watching because the highs are quite high and it has spurts of inspired momentum, not because there are consistent highs episode after episode, IMO (except for season 2). The self deprecating monologue that Harmon gives at the end of the series probably has some truth to it-- Occasionally, the show feels like it's trying too hard to be meta, at the expense of comedy or writing, and other times, it just feels like it's running out of steam before it suddenly proves you wrong by knocking some Modern-Warfare esque episode out of the park. There's also that Harmonless season 4 that was completely awful (I would strongly argue that anyone getting into the show just skip it, personally).

I would definitely say that consistency isn't the show's calling card.

 

[Shareefruck]

Just finished Season 3 and feel like it would have been such a perfect ending I almost don’t want to keep going.

Absolutely. When season 4 happened, my head-canon was definitely that it was the end of the series, and even though seasons 5 and 6 have their moments, it never quite felt the same after that.



Clearly directly inspired by the way The Wire finishes its seasons.

 

[Miguel Cairo]

Absolutely. When season 4 happened, my head-canon was definitely that it was the end of the series, and even though seasons 5 and 6 have their moments, it never quite felt the same after that.



Clearly directly inspired by the way The Wire finishes its seasons.

I watched the episode when it first aired and remembered thinking it would have been a perfect send off back then too (I don’t remember if Season 4 had been confirmed yet or not). I hadn’t seen The Wire at that point though so I totally missed the reference of the montage. Really would have been an all time series finale in my eyes and really all of Season 3 is incredible. Think my favorite part was when John Hodgman convinces them Greendale is an insane asylum and we see them hallucinating the entire series.

Watched two episodes of Season 4 tonight and thinking I might just skip it? It’s really bad, but maybe I should stick through it in the name of completism.

 

[ItsFineImFine]

For being a major network sitcom I think it’s pretty damn good.

There were plenty of good network sitcoms on before around 2014ish. I think The Good Place and Brooklyn 99 are the only two good ones to debut since. A lot of really good ones premiered in 2007-2009ish, some of them declined after a season or two but Community and Parks & Rec stayed strong for most of their run.

The 2000s especially were like a golden age for network sitcom imo though the top 3 or 4 90s sitcoms were also really good.

 

[Shareefruck]

While I don't think Community is exactly one of the greatest shows of all time or anything, I definitely think it's an outlier in network television that's far better (and especially more interesting) than generally uninspired but competent stuff like The Good Place, Brooklyn 99 or Parks and Recreation.

 

[Langdon Alger]

Oh, Britta’s in this?

 

[rent free]

Oh, Britta’s in this?

As if you didn't notice

 

[ItsFineImFine]

As if you didn't notice

I know everyone is into Alison Brie but when I re-watched it, I was more into her. I think it's cos I saw some interviews or whatever where Gillian Jacobs came across as more normal and Alison Brie was a bit of a try-hard. But either way, they Britta'd Britta's character on this show, she was great in the first couple episodes.

 

[Langdon Alger]

I know everyone is into Alison Brie but when I re-watched it, I was more into her. I think it's cos I saw some interviews or whatever where Gillian Jacobs came across as more normal and Alison Brie was a bit of a try-hard. But either way, they Britta'd Britta's character on this show, she was great in the first couple episodes.

ive watched several interviews with Gillian Jacobs, and she seems like a really cool person. Interesting to note that she’s never had a sip of alcohol in her life. Not many people her age can say that.

 

[Ceremony]

Just to add to my pile of unpopular opinions here, and to use an HFBoards classic for possibly the first time,

Britta >>>>>> Annie

AINEC

 

[ItsFineImFine]

ive watched several interviews with Gillian Jacobs, and she seems like a really cool person. Interesting to note that she’s never had a sip of alcohol in her life. Not many people her age can say that.

Oh yeah she's a teetotaller or whatever. Same here, I honestly never had a problem or felt the need to and after learning about too many diseases related to it post-college, I have no desire to. The problem is other people have a problem with it. With her I bet it's even worse cos she has to attend Hollywood parties or whatever.