No time for a full "Community" review today. Thought it was a good but not great episode: another fine showcase for Alison Brie, a nice ratio of pop culture references ("Over the Top," "Porky's") to actual character-driven humor, good use of the dean, and a solid guest star turn by Sharon Lawrence. Don't love where they seemed to be heading with Jeff at the end, but we'll see how that plays out. And Troy's obsession with writing the perfect punchline for Pierce's set-up was a fine meta-touch, given that Donald Glover used to be a writer at "30 Rock." What did everybody else think?
Hey, remember that movie Kramer vs. Kramer? Yeah, that was about child custody, too. Yeah, but it wasn't that good. I don't know, it was missing something, you know? Ah, what was it missing? I can't...oh, wait! I know! Arm wrestling!
ReplyDeleteThe Harvey Keitel line was the singular best this show's ever had.
ReplyDeleteNot a great episode but enjoyable. The cast has enough chemistry to carry it through some of the weaker writing moments.
ReplyDeleteThe Harvey Keitel line was the singular best this show's ever had.
ReplyDeleteyes, i had to pause the DVR because of how much i laughed at that line.
Not a great episode, but pretty funny to see Abed don the Over The Top black truckers hat backwards (a la Stallone), and to see him ape Sly's reset-the-fingers move before reversing and winning the arm wrestling competition.
ReplyDeleteKind of a silly nitpick, but a little tough to buy Abed beating Troy in something requiring physical strength. Long distance running, ok, but arm wrestling? Abed body looks like a thinner version of Wolowitz the Chicken Wing.
Agree on Abed "logically" losing to Troy, but it's only funny if Abed beats Troy every time, not the other way around. The "Over the Top" sequence was worth it---funny.
ReplyDeleteCommunity is, hands down, my favorite comedy on television right now. It's the one I keep rewatching consistently and the one I look forward to the most.
ReplyDeleteHighlights of last night's episode include, in no particular order:
- Britta and Shirley's simultaneous yet contradictory responses about penis sizes;
- The expectation that just about everyone has seen Harvey Keitel's penis; and
- Troy trying to write a joke and coming up with nothing more than a funny voice and some sound effects (and Annie's horrified silent reaction).
And it all came to a head with Abed encouraging everyone over the PA system to engage in unprotected sex as the culmination of an STD fair.
Great stuff!
The Harvey Keitel line seemed oddly prescient, too, as IFC had just shown "Bat Lietenant" earlier this week.
ReplyDeleteI had forgotten about that; I just took it as a reference to "The Piano."
ReplyDeleteDean: "Greendale is the latest college to catch a case of... PUBLIC HEALTH FEVER!!!"
ReplyDeleteBritta: "You know the toilets in the women's bathrooms don't have seats, right?"
Dean: "That's because they keep getting stolen... Sabrina, take a note-- I want hidden cameras installed in every stall."
Britta: "Hmmm... Problem solved!"
Too funny!
I like this show, but didn't like the B plot on last night's episode. They have spent the whole season convincing us that Troy is an amazing athlete, yet Abed can beat him in any physical skill competition? Sprinting? Arm wrestling? How are we supposed to think of Troy from now on? They just destroyed his character for a cheap one-episode joke. Lazy writing. Meh.
ReplyDeleteI'd argue that it's more that they extended Abed's superhuman bonafides, rather than destroying Troy.
ReplyDeleteI don't think they were taking away from Troy as much as building on the weird superiority of Abed.
ReplyDeleteHe's psychic.
He's a strangely superior athlete.
I can't wait to see what else they come up for with him! Where I didn't really like his weird character at first, Abed has become my favorite character.
Right after shirtless Jeff.
I enjoyed it. My only (very small) gripe was that I feel the writers missed an opportunity to do a Gallipoli joke with Abed and Troy.
ReplyDeleteThen again, I'm not sure anyone but me and Mel Gibson's mother remembers that movie.
"And I'll give you another $50 not to finish that sentence."
ReplyDeleteI loved it. My favorite show on TV right now. I love what they're doing with Jeff's character. Wonder if it's a gender thing? I like to see a little sweetness and growth; can't be all ironic/shallow all the time.
ReplyDeleteI would argue that Abed's "I'm trying to limit my Pop Culture references" was also a meta joke.
ReplyDeleteI love how Abed is just one of those cool guys who is just amazing at anything he actually does, but he's so not into the image thing, or rather, he's supremely aware of what image actually is versus what it's used for that he knows ultimately it doesn't matter. He just wants to have friends.
ReplyDelete-EmeraldLiz
I hate community, useless comedy show
ReplyDeleteI thought it was a really funny episode--I laughed out loud. I actually enjoyed Britta and Jeff's interactions--like an adult for once. I was actually hoping Jeff and the escort would get together--she actually seems perfect for him. Ha! She calls him on his BS in a more appealing way than Britta, and I've always liked Sharon Lawrence.
ReplyDeleteAbed and Troy continue to make me laugh anytime they're on screen. I love that Abed is secretly superman in comparison to Troy. It just fits his character. And Troy coming up with that horrible crab joke...hee! He was so proud of himself! I still think he's one of the underappreciated actors on the show.