With new writers and executive producers; after the drama that went on behind the scenes, the current season obtained divided opinions and reviews; finally finding its footing, and achieving the mood the show always have had, during the last few episodes.
Pierce is still Pierce and the lack of him onscreen (due to Chevy Chase’s departure) hasn't been really missed. Annie is a little more rebellious and carefree (just a little) while still trying to be valedictorian, a shared goal with Shirley that struggles to maintain a balance between her academy life, work and family. Abed and Troy bromance is one of the best in tv and is as epic as Chandler and Joey’s (or more). Abed has drove meta references to another level and might have found love when we're introduced to Rachel, a perfect match for him. Even if we haven't seen her again I like to think in this timeline or another Abed spends some nights marathoning Lost or any other series with her. Troy broke up with Britta trying to preserve their friendship, and Britta showed us that she has it in her no to ‘britta’ everything. For example, helping Jeff find some sort of closure with his father. Jeff has gotten softer with the seasons, and usually is in charge to give the heartfelt speeches. His character evolution is the most obvious, while still been Jeff, he has resolved personal issues and stopped being afraid of caring about other people.
Dean Pelton shines at his best while being his complicated self, in love with Jeffrey; Chang faking Changnesia (a unique case of amnesia) since the beginning drops the act after Abed welcomes him to the group and leaves Evil Dean Spreck and his plan to get revenge on Greendale. Leonard is still awesome, Magnitude keeps pop pop-ing and we're left wondering what will the show deliver in their season finale knowing this year a paint ball war won’t happen.
And yes I’m saying season finale because I still hope for #6seasonsandamovie.
Yeah I know what you mean, a lot of people feel the way you do, I just want to be positive and think that maybe if they get another season after the last few eps they can deliver a much better one, every show has it ups and downs and community has been through so much, just plot wise and what the crew and actors had been through, I kinda want them to keep having their jobs if they want to, you know?
ReplyDeleteAnd everyone has their fav and least favourite characters and I never liked Pierce, but that's my opinion, I loved lost but never was a fan of Jack, there's an ice cream flavour for everyone, I think ;)
PS: thanks for taking the time to comment!
I understand :)
ReplyDeleteI said this in another post a while back: I hope Community gets another season and that they improve the quality, but, as it stands, if I was the one to make the choice, I would not renew it.
While I acknowledge this season isn't where it was when Dan Harmon was running it, because how could it since the show came from his mind, I don't think it's as bad as people have made it out to be. Yes it's different, there was no way around that. But that doesn't mean the heart of the show, the characters are different, they're still the loveable bunch of miscreants that we loved before.
ReplyDeleteThe new showrunners and writers took a bit to really get a grasp on the show, and while I enjoyed some of the earlier episodes of the season more than others, I do believe these last few episodes have been a nice solid run.
I recently made a list of my favorite episodes per season then I made a bigger list where I ordered all the episodes in order of my favorites. There are a number of Season 4 episodes that are higher than episodes of the past (I believe the highest holds the 26th spot out of all 83 that have aired so far).
One thing I think, which may or may not be true, is some fans hold Dan Harmon in such a high regard (I regard him highly, too) but they forget that Dan had some stinkers of episodes during his run, episodes that I absolutely hated. Some fans just go in with the expectation to hate the show and look for it to prove them right, without just sitting back and trying to enjoy it. I can't blame them, they hate that a show they love and were passionate about is different and messed with by the network. But I also don't understand the impulse to keep watching if you know you're just going to hate it. Let the people who still find enjoyment with it watch it without hearing every week that it's awful.
I think my biggest gripes with the season are: the writers clearly didn't know how to handle Pierce (only the 2 episodes where he was nice with Jeff and nice with Britta were where I thought he was good), the Dean in too many outfits and pining for Jeff too much (he had other things he obsessed with too), and too many references to past episodes. The writers are showing that they understand the depth and ingenuity in the smaller things, but I think they tried too hard to drive that point home.
Has the show chang-ed? Yes. Does that mean I don't enjoy it? No. The characters were always the driving force of the show for me, and they're still there, still the same, still have the best chemistry out of any cast on TV.
I hope this isn't the Series Finale on Thursday, but I will accept it if it is. And if it's renewed, cool, cool cool cool. Six seasons and a movie!
I still remember when people were bitching around after the first half of Season 3, when Dan Harmon was still the showrunner.
ReplyDeleteI never told my sister about Harmon's departure on purpose, and guess what: She never said anything about how the show "looked" diferent(She believed the single camera "sitcom" with the laugh track on 4x01 was a parody of TBBT), 'cause people just hate for the sake of hating.
Season 4 has a Mind-Blowing episode? No, it doesn't... But again, it has 13 episodes only...
I'm positive we will get a Season 5 of 22 episodes(It's ratings are better than Whitney and Go On's(Without The Voice) and has 84 episodes, nearing 100 with a posible fifth Season, and syndications deals with Hulu, Comedy Central and Netflix Latin America)... It onlly needs to pull a 1.5(Last episode was 1.2 and the premier a 1.9) or better on the demo in it's Season Finale(Whitney pulled a 1.1 and Go On a 1.0)
Lovely recap, Laura, and it's terrific reading such a positive take on Season 4. Of course it hasn't soared to quite the same heights as past years, but it's been a solid, enjoyable run of episodes, and we've still had some amazing moments: eg., Jeff's meeting with his dad and half brother was one of my favorite story lines in the series to date. (And while I may be in the minority, I really did adore "Introduction to Felt Surrogacy." I keep getting the songs stuck in my head!)
ReplyDeleteI'm going to hang on to my optimism that this isn't the end. #sixseasonsandamovie, all the way. :)
It's not about Dan Harmon or no-Dan Harmon. It's about a sucky season following three perfect years filled with many jaw-dropping, incredibly creative and well-crafted episodes. Well, just don't get your hopes up, Community was on the bubble before, when it was an A+ show, and barely got renewed, right now I find the possibility of renovation a long shot.
ReplyDeleteAnd yet having lower expectations makes for a good way to be surprised in a good way. I keep watching even though I expect the show to be bad because I still have hope that it might turn around is all.
ReplyDeleteEven if there're things I didn't like or episodes I feel completely 'meh' towards it, it happens to me with all the shows I watch, and community is still a 'tv happy place' why focus on the bad when there are a bunch of good things about it? optimism all the way! #sixseasonsandamovie!!! ;)
ReplyDeleteI think you're right about the all the auto references, and yes the show is different, but still is not a bad show (I still think is good) and the way Harmon was treated was horrible, but Harmon is not the only one that made the show, we have a whole cast and crew that made and makes community what it is, and for respect (and love) for them I hope for the best.
ReplyDeleteAlso thank you, thank you for the reply.
Right, but there's a difference between having lower expectations and going in expecting to hate it. Going in expecting to hate it, wanting to hate it, will make you hate it. And to each their own in how they watch it, nothing I can say or do that will change how anyone will view the show. Just if you don't enjoy watching it, then don't watch it.
ReplyDeleteNo thank you for writing a recap and offering a place for fans of the show to express their opinions on where the show is at now. I wholeheartedly agree the way Dan Harmon was treated was awful. He was a large piece of the puzzle that made Community but was not the whole show (as you said).
ReplyDeleteRegardless if it's different, you're absolutely right, it's not a bad show. But constantly comparing it to previous episodes and seasons will just set up some fans for disappointment. There's still fun and enjoyment to be found, and even though it's different, it's still one of my favorite shows.
Actually... One of my favourites jokes are from Season 4: The stapler joke... The way the Dean says to Jeff that "as if all that happened wasn't enough, someone moved his tapler"... I just started laughing so hard my stomach hurt!
ReplyDeleteBut yeah, people seems to forget when the shouted like babyes with the first half of Season 3 saying "It was incredible bad" and reviewers wonder what happened to Community(The episode of the Model UN, episode 3x02... Well, people hated that episode so, so, so much when it aired...
But now they forgot about the crappy episodes Harmon made? What about the episode in wich Abed became Jesus? My God! It's the only episode i watched just once... I F**king hate that episode!
I just commented on your comment in the other Community-related topic, you and I seem very much on the same page. I very much enjoyed the stapler joke, mainly because Jim Rash just threw that in at the end of the episode making Annie thinking it to be this awesome prank hilarious.
ReplyDeleteAnd I too enjoyed the Model UN episode. Sure there are better episodes, but it was hilarious. Come on! Britta/Chang's entire storyline in that episode I was dying laughing at! Plus, I never hate seeing Jeff/Annie stuff.
It's so true, fans complained about episodes in the past but now they seemingly forgot about them because they were under the "Dan Harmon era." And that Abed becoming Jesus episode is the exact episode I was thinking of when I said there were some episodes I absolutely hated. When I made that list ordering my favorite episodes to least favorite episodes, I didn't have to think that Advanced Dungeons & Dragons was at the top at #1 and the Abed-Jesus episode was at the very bottom as the worst.
Ok, this is just weird! Advanced Dungeons & Dragons is my absolute favourite too! I mean: "Please Madam, don't report me for execution", "Oh, no i didn't mean that... Guys we have to do something about this gnomes", "Britta ask him about the stupid pegasus!"
ReplyDeleteThe whole episode is magnificent... I use that episode to transform people into Human Beings Jajajaja
One of my favorite lines is from Advanced D&D. "I'm sick of you threatening me and talking to me like a kid. And giving me that look you give me... like I can't get an erection." And Jeff's subsequent "...What?" Or Annie's seduction of the elf maiden. So much to love in that episode. That and Modern Warfare are usually the 2 that I use to get people to turn to the show.
ReplyDeleteI usually go for Remedial Chaos Theory and A Fistful of Paintballs, such perfection. *-*
ReplyDelete