Watching Community's third season has been more of a chore (if you can even call it that) than watching Seasons 1 and 2, an unfair result of the show's early high achievements. Seven episodes into this round, the show has been a seesaw of rough-to-watch "sitcommy" moments and bizarre humor for the goofy, alternative set, with occasional moments of the brilliance that made the show such a cult hit among comedy snobs. Thursday's "Studies in Modern Movement" encapsulated a lot of Season 3's traits, with moments that made me long for the Community of old, moments that made me look forward to the Community of the future, and moments that nearly made me die laughing at the Community of the present.
"Studies in Modern Movement" got off to a slow start, picking up on a thread from "Remedial Chaos Theory" in which Jeff told Annie she had to get out of her awful neighborhood. There wasn't a whole lot to laugh at while the episode's stories were set in motion, because the first 10 minutes or so were pretty much just like those of any other sitcom on television. And we don't tune into Community to see run-of-the-mill comedy. But once Pierce started to Mr. Magoo Annie's apartment, Jeff and Craig stepped into the karaoke booth, Abed and Troy started peforming a puppet show for Annie, and Shirley and Britta picked up a hitchhiking Jesus, the episode launched into that wacky Dan Harmon territory that's become commonplace (and very welcome) in the third season.
It was a great montage that's indicative of how Community can succeed without the high-concept, fan-favorite episodes featuring multiple timelines, zombies, or paintball. The problem is that this kind of humor isn't broadly appreciated, making Community even more niche than it already is. If the sight of Dean Pelton's mug transposed on the moon while singing "Kiss From a Rose" doesn't do it for you, then it's probably time to get off this train and only tune in when the fanbase buzzes about mind-blowing episodes.
This is what Community is now, an absurdist sitcom that will probably never break free from its cult status. It will be loved to death by a small group of faithful viewers and rediscovered by generations yet to be born, but that's not enough for NBC to keep the show on the air for too much longer (last night's episode BARELY beat The CW's The Vampire Diaries, notching a 1.5 rating among adults and just under 3.5 million overall viewers). Enjoy the craziness while it lasts. I will.
Study Group Notes:
– We've simultaneously seen a lot less of Greendale this season (this is the second episode that didn't take place on campus) and a lot more of Greendale (we've met the security team and seen a new wing of the school).
– Futurama did it first! "Studies in Modern Movement" lifted a lot of its plot from Futurama's "I, Roommate," in which Fry (Annie) moved in with Bender (Abed and Troy) and things were awfully uncomfortable until an extra room was discovered.
– Jeff is still taking the lion's share of the villain role this season. This week, he bailed on helping Annie move and later got his comeuppance when his karaoke video was posted online. Pierce, however, seems to be getting along with everyone, and is back in the role of kooky old man.
Follow TV.com writer Tim Surette on Twitter: @TimAtTVDotCom
NBC is full of Fcking Idiots who don't know a hit from their ssholes. But what would you expect from a money hungry shtbag network who keeps idiotic shows on the air who appeal to the lowest classes which include today's pathetic generation 13 - 25 and their warped sense of morals and values, lack of ability to think and express their own opinion, lack of intelligence/common sense. But what else would you expect from a liberally brainwashed tween.
Listen, I love Community as much as any fan, but no one watches the show. It would be a completely fair business call by NBC to cancel the show. I certainly hope they don't, but I'm not going to bemoan them. They've kept it on for about a season and a half longer than it should have been based on ratings.
>It will be loved to death by a small group of faithful viewers and rediscovered by generations
>yet to be born, but that's not enough for NBC to keep the show on the air for too much longer
The show needs one more season for syndication, so a la According To Jim, Til Death and Fringe, even if the producers need to give away the show, we'll get one more season of Community. Everyone should be graduating by then anyway, so 4 seasons works out nicely - especially when it would have been canceled on any other network a long time ago (thank you awful NBC ratings!).
>(last night's episode BARELY beat The CW's The Vampire Diaries, notching a 1.5 rating
>among adults and just under 3.5 million overall viewers).
Now you're invoking images of one of my dream television crossovers. :-) Imagine Elena and Bonnie and Caroline graduating high school and attending Greendale! Alaric could get a teaching job there, he could teach Chang to be a vampire hunter, Shirley could hunt down witches, Dean Pelton's dalmation fetish could transfer itself onto werewolf Tyler Lockwood, Matt could work at the school cafeteria instead of the Mystic Grill, Pierce and Leonard could befriend Stefan and Damon because they make them feel young in comparison.... see? It could work out awesomely!moreless
I'm glad we're seeing more of the Dean! He's always good for a laugh. But I agree, this season isn't as strong. I'm waiting for one of the break-out awesome episodes like paintball or the zombie halloween.
Absolutely loved this episdoe. And the karaoke part made me smiling like an idiot. How can anyone NOT love Community?!
Biggest coincidence was simultaneously listening to "Kiss From a Rose" on the radio and Jeff and dean Pelton's karaoke at the same time XD
I would say this was the second best episode this season, so far. The 4 last episode has been the 3 best, and the worst this season for me. But so far only Remedial chaos theory can be said to have been a great episode like the paintball, halloween party, mafia, flashback episodes etc.
So far, this is the best season. s1 was sitcommy, s2 they started to mix it up, and now in s3 it's my second favorite thing ever for a Thursday night, right behind archer. and quoting vamp d ratings doesn't really make your point because everybody watches TVD, just maybe not 8pm thursday.
"What gets out Kool-aid stains? We know it's not the opposite color Kool-aid."
Hoops in front of the toilet... gotta love it.
I really liked the episode but it is still a bit off from the first two seasons. Still, I have enjoyed this season none the less.
Did anyone else think that there was some parodying of Breaking Bad's Gale Bettiker karaoke video?
Not sure it was meant to be a parody, but I will say this: As soon as it came on I emailed Tim with a new TV.com Throwdown idea.
completely disagree. thought that this season is just as great as all the others! stop analyzing it as a drama and take it as it is. its hilarious!!
What is this show all about anymore?
Seems to me it is a sketch comedy that takes place in a 2 year college! Some things are funny/weird, but whats the ultimate point?
And where is this all heading??? They are funny and talented but in a show like this? Put them on SNL,that show really needs some comedy!!!!!!
Well, as different as it is, Community is still a sitcom. Sitcoms don't need an "ultimate point" or a place to head.
Tim, Tim, Tim, Tim, Tim... you're being way too critical. Maybe it's because you watch too many sitcoms. I see Community actually as the anti-comedy snob sitcom. It's an underdog. I think it's true that one of the chief reasons it's still on is because of the weakness of the rest of NBC's lineup. And also, I have a nagging feeling the NBC brass know they have a quality show that will generate plenty of repeat DVD/Blu-Ray sales down the road. Hell, the DVD sets are doing respectable business.
Plus, the show is really cheap to produce, apparently. At best, I doubt we will see more than 4 seasons from Community, as it should end when our friends in the study group all graduate.
Anyway,
Last week's episode was a bit weak because it relied more on individual gags than the story arc, although when you watch it a few times, you pick up on a lot of subtext and see the direction where the show will be going.
This episode returns back to what Community always does best -- keep one foot or at least a toe in reality, while the other leg flails around in seizures. I think this episode's only weakness is Troy and Abed's overly-childish behaviour becoming a bit too grating. The rest of the episode was perfectly fine. Didn't break a lot of new ground, may have added an extra layer around Dean, excuse me... Craig Pelton and Jeff Winger. But it was certainly entertaining, and most importantly, it stayed true to itself.
We're only 7 episodes in, but I do agree there are two weak episodes so far. I don't know how many more episodes are in the can, but so far, the show remains at the very least watchable. I'll take that over most of the dreck that's on there right now.moreless
Nooooooo!!! Don't even mention cancellation! First The Cape, now Community?!?! And Cougarton Abbey is over?!?! NO!!!
I don't understand the general public. Community and Fringe, the best two shows of their respective genres currently on television continue languishing with low ratings, while American Idol and Survivor still somehow draw a massive audience. Apparently, quality does not equate to viewership quantity.
My sentiments exactly!!
My guess is that it's because the general public don't want their brains tickled when they watch TV. They prefer simple and effortless entertainment, such as watching people sing or, uh, lie to each other on an island. That kind of thing doesn't appeal much to me, but I guess it's because I like being tickled.
Rocko's Modern Life....nice!
And I believe "Survivor" is somehow in it's 333rd season, yet I do not know one living creature who admits to watching that shiznit.....
I still can't believe that Modern Family wins awards over this show or any other comedy show
I hate Modern Family.... Don't get what all the hoopla is about. It's like 'Yes, Dear' Vol.2--cirque 2009..
It was okay. I loved the karaoke scenes.
The episode had one of the best lines ever:
"What gets out Kool-aid stains? We know it's not the opposite color Kool-aid."
I thought this episode was great, I'll admit this season has been very much on a roller coaster so far and I'm hoping it keeps going up from here.
This is a marathon not a sprint. 7 episodes in and there has been some really good episodes thus far. Granted nothing on par with paintball or some of the others from the first two season. But a good community episode is by and far better than 98% of the rest of the sitcoms out there. I will take the worst Community episode over any episode of say, 2 broke girls, Witney, 2.5 men, Rules of Engagement, Man up, Up all night, last man standing, the middle and I could go on and on.
And comparing it to TVD is silly. That show is designed to illicit teenage girls and the leftover folk that don't have taste who watch Twilight religiously. That is a huge group of people to combat against. Not to mention that it is on NBC which has had the unfortunate stereotype of having crappy low performing shows. That is a lot of ground to try to make up.moreless
"That show is designed to illicit teenage girls and the leftover folk that don't have taste who watch Twilight religiously." I completely disagree. TVD is a good show, watching it doesn't mean you have bad taste and watch Twilight. Why do people always assume liking TVD means liking Twilight? Twilight is completely different. And in a bad way. I watch both shows, Community & TVD.
Ok my feelings about Twilight aside. (which is the bad taste) TVD isn't for the key demo which is 18-39 yr old males. It just isn't. I have friends that watch the show and I have watched an episode or two, enough so that I can understand who they are going after in terms of viewer audience.
It seems to me that this, 90210, the secret circle and gossip girl aren't really going for the wide spectrum audience that say The office, Parks and say Community can go for. Aside from Nikita and Supernatural I don't see any CW show that is going for anything aside from teenage girls. Granted there are some adults that watch TVD. But I would put even money on that they have the twilight books on their bookshelf right next to the BluRays.
I will give one caveat. TVD is a lot better than Twilight. But that wouldn't take much. As to how I come to my belief that the show was to get twilight's audience. Let's see, annoying, moody vampires. Check, ridiculously good looking cast, that really want to show how deep they are feeling things, check. I could go on. It isn't a novel thought, many critics have compared the two.moreless
Mate I just wanted to give you a bit of personal perspective on that one. I'm a 23 yo male, never read any kind of vampirish novels nor want to. I hate twilight to my gut. That being said, i'm completely hooked with TVD.
For a while i really didn't understand why I got into it, it was a demographic based show at first and didn't make any sense. For a while I struggled to understand if the show was stupidly entertaining or entertainingly stupid. It was when i figured it was both that i really got hooked. I don't give a damn about any of the main characters. Mostly they're hypocritical, stupid, prone to bad decisions or just plainly flawed. I also don't really give a flying eff about the romances in it. What I do care about are the immensely huge entertaining values it produces, be it from the ridiculous story or the time I spend picking apart how ridiculous it is. It's one of those things that are bad enough to be good. And you know what? I wound up loving it!
Now, this is a Community review and I should stop about here. This is still the best comedy in TV by FAR. Unlike Surette, I don't need to laugh out loud to love it. The first two seasons made sure I loved the characters, now I settle with watching their "adventures", for the lack of a better word. Not since scrubs I felt this for a TV comedy...moreless
I'm a 39yo male and TVD has become my favorite show. The writing is amazing; they juggle four or five plotlines at any one time with a large cast of characters, yet nothing ever feels condensed or forced (a feat Heroes never managed to accomplish). I won't post the link, but a major tv site just published an article in which the author "hypothetically" admits to having accidentally caught an episode of, and now fallen for, The Vampire Diaries. Everyone assumes it's just a Twilight clone (the way a lot of folks might assume Community is just a generic NBC sitcom) but the powers that be took the show seriously and developed a genuinely fantastically written show (just like Community).
Just because you aren't in the target demographic doesn't mean you can't watch the show. And just because you watch the show and aren't in the target demographic, doesn't mean the target demographic isn't teenage girls.
Had a good laugh at the end.
Maybe some other channel will pick up Community if NBC drops it? Like Comedy Central would do well to pick it up. Since it's such a committed, cult audience the drop-off shouldn't be too significant (although you do lose people in the switch to cable).
Om nom nom nom human blood
I am waaaay to much in luuuuv with Community to be very objective...
I do feel a bit uncomfortable with "..the show such a cult hit among comedy snobs" Most comedies I do not like because they are particularly stupid and also make fun of people not being very intelligent... If that makes me a snob... So be it!
To some degree it feels Community is becoming a "cartoon" of itself. I still think episode for episode that Season 1 is the best by far.
The show's on NBC, which hasn't had a lot of success lately, so they be happy to take the cult audience numbers for fear that a replacement show does even worse. (Unless I miss my guess, TVD is the CW's most popular show and Thursday at 8:00 is a grinder of a timeslot... a cult favorite of people who tune in every week is the second-best option (after an all-markets hit, of course) The audience is small, but reliable. Put an untested and untried new show in the timeslot, and all you do is move those viewers to a different network.since I'm pretty sure the Community and Big Bang Theory audiences overlap considerably.
I liked Horsebot 3000... *cries*
I thought it was odd that the guys didn't want the blanket fort room in the first place. And to a lesser extent, it also it seemed odd to me that Annie would decide to move in with them before ever having seen the place. That doesn't seem to fit Annie's character.
I'm absolutely rooting for this show, but I see the same difficulties as you, Tim...
Season 1 + 2 were crazy awesome, the only episode (as a whole) which could compare so far was the one with the timelines. However, I'm glad I can say that Dean Peltons mug on the moon still does it for me :D ... In season 3 it's rather the little things that make me happy!
I disagree with Tim, I haven't found Community to be a chore at all this season (now, The Office on the other hand...). I think this batch of season three episodes holds up against any random sampling of season one/two eps. I also think that the show's tone overall has managed to stay pretty consistent - it's always erred on the side of absurdist. They might have veered into broader territory this season, but we've still got 2/3 of it left. And it doesn't matter to me anyway because I'm loving it.
The Office has become a bit of a chore for me too, but Thursday's episode was actually quite good in my opinion.
Yeah I totally agree Community is no where near a chore, its one of my few constant pleasures every week. And The Office is becoming more and more of a chore, it still has its moments though
I agree with your first few sentences: this season, so far, hasn't been anywhere near the level of season 1 and 2 (and obviously, a lot of that has to do with how awesome those first two seasons were).
But I disagree with you about this episode specifically. I thought this episode was more indicative of previous seasons than this season. It didn't try to get overly creative and the humor was evident.
Annie: Britta don't make jokes... You're bad at it.
AWESOME EPISODE!. Kiss from a Rose = definitely one of the best moments of season 3!
I have to say, I didn't know what was going to happen when Annie walked into what sure-as-heck looked like a Star Trek "Holo Deck."
I half expected it to be a dream sequence, with Troy and Abed making weird stuff happen in there (via SFX) culminating in her waking up afraid.
Instead, it was just their imagination room.
I also have to hand it to the Dean, he wasn't half bad at Karaoke. Not "Idol" good but better than Jeff. Also, he got do have to have some dramatic / dark lines this episodes. "Because it counts."
A great episode! :)