Thanksgiving Prison

Community, S04E05

Jeff was forced to have Thanksgiving with his estranged father because, despite he couldn't find the courage to knock on the door and bolted, Britta went ahead and entered his father's house without him.  Shirley invited the others to her house for Thanksgiving, but they were all so miserable there that they hid in the basement and plotted to escape without Shirley realizing it.

How I wish that Britta would have just burst into flames and turned into ash.  She was so intrusive in this story.  I guess I could blame the Dean for having such a big mouth and telling the gang about him going to meet his father, but I wish that Britta would stop trying to be a therapist to him.  If her ignorance about psychology was humorous maybe I could let her slide, but her stupidity just makes me so angry.  Leave Jeff alone!  He definitely needed a push, but she just thinks she knows exactly what to do to get Jeff to deal with his issues.  It's her smugness about her that made me not want her to be around for the whole first meeting.

That being said, it was great that Jeff didn't end up being too chicken to meet his father.  I think he might have found another way to get over his fear without Britta, but since she was the reason, I have to give her credit there.  I just wish she had left as soon as Jeff had gotten settled in--he and his father really got along well.  Obviously they were both regarding the other with all of their emotions heavily guarded, but they didn't go at each others' throats (at least at first) or act too stiffly as if each second together was torture.  I liked seeing sort of an older version of Jeff.  If that was what Jeff is going to be like, it doesn't seem too bad by his standards.  Still, William didn't seem like the best dad when Willy Jr. acted like the most insincere guy ever.

I loved Willy Jr.  I thought that Jeff's half brother would be some kind of asshole like him, but he was more like a little boy who couldn't get over that his parents had brought home a new baby.  In just a few seconds of meeting Jeff, he evaluated himself as inferior and felt threatened that Jeff would take his place.  His insecurity due to Jeff's existence was pretty funny.  My favorite emotional explosion was when he was having trouble getting out Jeff's name:

[Jeff] My name is Jeff.

[Willy Jr.] Don't help me! Mr. Helper Guy! First, mom died, and now this!

Willy was a mess, but I enjoyed every time he opened his mouth and got frustrated over every little thing.  I was set to be disappointed that Jeff and this little ball of emotions couldn't bond until Willy appeared in the back of Jeff's car.  I was happy that Jeff's outrage at his father's attempt to justify being absent in Jeff's life came to a boil when he heard how Willy was also a victim of William's bad parenting.  It was sort of a moving moment when Jeff exposed his neediness as child, where he faked an illness just to have someone worry about him.  To hear that he still holds onto the get-well cards from then really makes you see how sad Jeff is deep inside.  It was a very effective and colorful way to show that Jeff wasn't the superior child that William claimed to have contributed to by leaving him.  Although his deadbeat dad tried to fake a heart attack to get out of this emotional moment, Jeff's grandstand got through to Willy and he hugged the hell out of his older brother.  Aww!  I hope that Willy returns for another story--him and Jeff would make a funny pair.

In Shirley's story, I felt bad that her friends were so determined to leave her.  I understood that Shirley's family, though, sounded like such unpleasant people.  Anyone who could sit around and laugh at Pierce's antics (especially when he was trying to fake breaking a hip--they didn't think to worry about him) were probably not the best company.  And, as we later found out, they took joy in making fun of Shirley at these gatherings, making her situation feel all the sadder.  While her friends were trying to break out of the "prison," Shirley was locked in her own.  I don't think my heart has ever gone out to Shirley as much as when she admitted that she wanted her friends to be there as her buffer and yet they had been avoiding her the whole time that their presence didn't even matter.  They made me happy when they decided to grin and bear it for her sake.

I also liked how Abed, seeing that they were trapped in a prison-like state, started narrating their actions as if was Morgan Freeman in The Shawshank Redemption.  Although, he didn't get to break out of there through a secret tunnel (which was revealed in the extra that he dug out behind a Shirley's Sandwiches poster), he did enough spoofing of this movie that it was pretty funny. 

Troy, too, had a funny moment the first time he escaped to the basement:

What is going on?  Why is Thanksgiving so terrible?

I feel like that's a great summary statement of that holiday.  If this episode was aired in the right season, I'm pretty sure I'd be thinking that in my head at one point or another.

My favorite part of the story was when Jeff had set up the study room for the Thanksgiving dinner that they had all missed out.  Jeff was on a good-guy roll.  I really appreciate those times when he makes up for being so detached all the time (or at least pretending to be).  It assures me no matter what selfish thing he might do or say, he'll eventually show his true colors and win me over again.

This was a good episode, especially for a Thanksgiving story.  I can't remember if it was as good or bad as the others I saw this past year, but I'm betting it was up there.  The meeting between Jeff and his father went much better than I imagined and wasn't the sappy reunion that it could have been.  I most liked the introduction of Willy Jr.  I don't think they could have made a better brother for Jeff if they tried.  Shirley's Thanksgiving was equally as good because we got to see Annie, Troy, Abed, and Pierce act like inmates and attempt to break out.  Although they saw the merit in staying opposed to fleeing, it was amusing to see them struggle along the way.  And thanks to Jeff's surprise dinner for them all, everyone got to have the Thanksgiving they had really been looking for.  Nothing more I like than a great ending!

No One Replaces Troy

Community, S04E03

Abed, Troy, and Britta went to an Inspector Spacetime convention, inviting Annie and Jeff along who planned to go skiing in the area.  Abed introduced a friend he had been emailing for a while named Toby, and Troy quickly began to feel threatened by Toby's obvious attempt to replace him as Abed's best friend.  Annie played as Jeff's wife in the hotel, making Jeff's flirtation with a girl seem like adultery.  Pierce and Shirley also came to the convention, even though they weren't invited, and got pulled into a focus group about the American version of Inspector Spacetime.

I wasn't happy to see Toby, who was so pushy and rude, try to muscle his way into Abed's life through their mutual love of IS, but I did love how Troy got jealous in the same way a woman would if someone was trying to steal her boyfriend.  It's not unlike Abed to not even notice that Troy felt like he was being snubbed, especially since Abed was told to expand his his horizons and Troy was now spending his time more often with Britta.  Even though I'm still not loving the two of them together yet, I'm glad Troy wasn't just left to his lonesome.  Britta's no substitute for Abed, but at least she was there to support him and encourage him to "win back his man."  Troy might have gone off in a more destructive way if Britta hadn't been there instead of just screaming at Toby for forgetting his name.

Abed has really made some progress because he realized that although he had a lot in common with Toby, he was no replacement for Troy who is the one who keeps him grounded or "human," if you will.  It might have been nice if Troy had heard him come to that conclusion, but him simply knowing that Troy is his rock no matter how many other friends his makes is enough for me.  Also, Abed didn't need to freak out much being shoved into that phone booth like he would have in the past.  He trusted that Troy would find him, and of course he did.  That was a really cute moment.

Something else that I liked was when Britta asked about the only female inspector.  Somehow his explanation about Minera seemed to be sort of directed at Britta:

Yes.  And everyone hates her, not because they're sexist but because she sucks.

I liked how they kept using Minerva as a point of discord between Britta and Abed.   She seemed to have tgotten that shirt with her on it to sort of poke fun at Abed, who didn't agree much with her thoughts that Minerva was kinda cool.  It really shows you how Abed and Britta are like polar opposites when it comes to taste.

I thought Annie seemed a little delusional when she was pretending to be Jeff's wife, even if it was just for fun or to pass the time.  I mean, she seemed like a bigger psycho when she brought Jeff into it and made him look like a philandering weasel.  Still, I'm glad that she made him stop lying to that Thoraxis fan.  It made him look sleazy, and his accent was terrible.

My favorite part of their story was actually when Jeff stopped acting like he was too good for the convention and let his inner geek out by shouting Thoraxis' catchphrase.  He even ripped open his shirt and stood dramatically.  It was sort of cute that most of the other fans bowed down to him.   He should have done that sooner and had fun with it rather than sulk around the hotel like a jerk.

The only good thing about Pierce an Shirley joining the focus testing was Pierce's contribution to the show.  When Abed saw the Inspector Spacetime that was made with Pierce's suggestions, he had me laughing at his whispered "I hate you."  I wish I could see Abed get some kind of revenge on him somehow.

So far, I like this episode better than the other two.  It's not exactly noteworthy, but I feel like things are starting to pick up.  I hope that they will be able to have a story that makes me like Britta and Troy together better.  Right now I can't see her as much more than a third wheel to the Troy-Abed dynamic.  I'd rather see Jeff and Annie give it a go again, though.  They were sort of interesting as a fake married couple at least.  I don't know if they would really be so great if they were really man and wife.  Pierce and Shirley didn't have a big part in this episode, but at least they contributed to a final laugh in the extra scene.  Can't end an episode much better than Abed quietly furious at someone.

Great To See The Greendale Crew Again!

Community, S04E01

Jeff fought for admission balls in the Dean's games for the History of Ice Cream class.  His friends didn't want to help him, feeling betrayed at the news that Jeff only needed the one history class to graduate early.  Annie and Shirley decided to play some senior pranks.  Britta joined Troy in his beginning of the year tradition of making wishes at the fountain.  Abed, via Britta's instructions, went to his happy place and refused to leave when hearing about the changes that were to come with their final year of school.

I can't deny that I've missed this show and was dilgently waiting for its return.  I can't say, though, that I really loved any part of this season premiere. What I liked mostly was just seeing their faces and remembering the dynamic of the group.  It's generally entertaining to see them doing just about anything because they're a weird group of people.  However, I didn't laugh as much as I had anticipated.

I definitely missed Dean's outlandish outfits.  This time he was dressed in a red dress and later a tango dress while doing the "Hunger Deans."  Besides the costumes, I didn't really think the games were funny or anything.  Maybe if it hadn't just been Jeff running around to get the balls I might have liked it a little better.

Annie and Shirley could have stirred up some trouble doing pranks around the school, but they didn't do much of anything than realize that Jeff wasn't being as big of a jerk as he seemed.  I did sorta like that Annie was really bad at coming up with pranks, such as moving the Dean's stapler, but that was only slightly successful as a joke when the Dean mentioned he was having a bad day because someone moved in stapler in the end.  Apparently she was right about that being able to drive him crazy.

I'm still not used to the idea of Britta and Troy testing the waters or whatever they are doing instead of officially dating.  In fact, it took me a second to remember that they thought of each other in a romantic way.  I had forgotten about that because they haven't really done much as a couple yet.  Anyway, I didn't like much her messing with the tradition Troy and Abed had made together.  Yes, Troy should be more open to things outside of what Abed deems as right, but on the other hand if it's a choice between Britta's world and Abed's world, I think that Troy better fits in the latter.  Abed may be a little out there, but at least he's intelligent.  I can't get over the fact that Britta just always sounds so stupid, so her giving her two cents about how they should do their fountain wishes wasn't welcome to me.  If this is how their interactions are going to be from now on, I don't see myself supporting them as a couple.

How I have missed Abed and his fantasies.  In the Abed TV universe, I liked that Pierce existed as Fred Willard.  I could get down with that replacement, even though it would be harder to imagine Willard as a naturally rude and racist old man.  It was also cute that when the others were looking at job magazines, "Pierce's" magazine read "Coffins."  Still, even though it was just inside of Abed's world, it was a little annoying to hear the studio audience.  I thought at first they were doing that on the real show and I was about to get scared.  Later, when Abed went into his happy place within his happy place, I got a little kick out of him changing everyone into cartoon babies called "Greendale Babies."  I don't know why, but that was a little funny.  The best thing, though, was when everyone was trying to bring Abed out of his own mind and Jeff walked up to Abed.  In Abed's mind Jeff had told one of his trademark speeches to solve whatever problem was going on that week, but this time Jeff hadn't even gotten the chance:

[Abed] That was a killer speech, Jeff.
[Jeff] I-I didn't say anything.  I literally just walked up.

I also liked the little promos going on during Abed TV.  It was cute to see Abed and Troy in chef outfits in "American Sword Chefs."  What in the world would that show be about?

At the end, Chang was shown handing a mailman a note about his "Changnesia."  He was naked and seemed really confused.  Not sure what to expect from him this season, but I'm a little excited to see him get back into the mix.  Chang was definitely my favorite teacher of theirs.  He needs to have a place at the school again.

Lastly, there was a little extra segment of Abed TV where Abed and Troy were in drag.  It was kinda funny that Dean refused to believe that Britta wasn't a man.  I like the idea that Britta looks less feminine than Abed and Troy do if they were to dress like women.

This episode was okay.  I'm just happy enough that this show is back on the air to worry too much about what the first couple of stories are about.  I am worried that the show might not be able to continue once they do graduate, but I also couldn't see how they could stretch out another year of school at a community college.  There weren't many laughs this time around, but I mostly liked another glimpse of Abed viewing the world through TV eyes.  He seems to be already on board with the changes that will come with the new school year, but I'm sure Abed will find trouble adapting with something else and we'll be treated with Abed TV once more.

The Fall Of Chang, The End Of Trobed

Community, S03E21

Jeff and the study group implemented a plan to save the dean from Chang.  After getting information about the extent of the Chang's army around the school, they were able to remove the dean from the basement Chang was holding him, but Chang stopped them before they could escape and locked all of them up.  Troy got them free by agreeing to be part of the AC school, and they stopped Chang from blowing up the school with fireworks.  Just when Jeff and Chang looked like they were going to go head-to-head with tasers, the school board came and informed Chang the jig was up.  Chang ran away before he could be prosecuted and the dean was reinstated.  Troy had to leave his apartment for the AC school housing and said goodbye to his friends.

I liked how Chang was looked upon as a savior of Greendale, and there was some kind of video at the beginning of the episode about how enrollment was up and tuition was more affordable.   I expected that Greendale would have turned into some kind of hellhole where order had been totally cast aside.  In truth, Chang was running everything into the ground (most apparent from his excessive spending to cover his birthday party), but at his party the board was treating him like a hero.  Chang was aptly dressed as Napoleon, the clothes making him look both hungry for power and off-balance.  I'm a little sad that he had the appearance of a king (with an elaborate throne in his office), but in reality he didn't seem to have heavily established his power.  In fact, I felt like he was just using his power to fund his random whims and get himself pampered.  I sort of wanted to see him hanging a blanket of doom over the students.  I think only the security detail outside that looked more like a militarized border control and his black suited mini-guards patrolling the halls were the only example of that.  But maybe Chang didn't have enough time to "chang" things.  Then again, if he had any more time as the leader of Greendale without opposition, he would blown it up.

As far as the gang's heist, I think it was clever that they pretended to fail so that they could get the jump on Chang, but I wished they had made their escape with the real dean a little faster.  They were strolling out of the school like they were in freaking Oceans Eleven.  I groaned when Chang caught up with them.  Chang would have been an idiot not to.  But at least thanks to Troy he got them out.

Speaking of Troy, it's looking like they truly are going in the direction of Britta and Troy.  Not exactly the biggest fan, but I'll see how that pans out.  The return of the dean wasn't that emotional for me, but it was when Troy had to say goodbye to his friends.  I liked that Pierce said something random about condoms, and Jeff followed it by saying that Troy should never listen to Pierce.  I might have gotten a little in favor of Troy and Britta when Britta gave him a lock of her hair and his response was:

Aww, creepy.

 But I'm probably more in favor of Troy and Abed as a duo because I was tearing up when they had to say goodbye.  Troy leaned into Abed's ear and whispered something and then they did their special handshake.  Annie later asked Abed what Troy had said:

He said, "I know you hate it when people do this in movies." ...Sorry for getting so emotional.

It just broke my heart to see Troy and Abed have to be separated!  If I had to wait a whole week to see what happened next, I would have died with anticipation.  How can they do their talk show without the other one or all of the other amazing things they do??  It's just not right for them to be apart.

I liked this episode, but obviously not as much as I loved the previous one.  I'm disappointed that Chang didn't take his leadership as far as he could, but I'm glad we got to see him enjoying himself as a self-proclaimed king for a little while.  I nearly cried watching Troy leave the gang, but I know that they can't possibly leave him out of the circle for long.  There just wouldn't be a Community without Troy and Abed together.  And if there was permanently, I wouldn't want to watch that for very long.