Community: Season 4 Premiere February 7, Old Timeslot

TexiKen

If I could take a moment of your time, I would like to tell a story. A story of mercy, of compassion during this upcoming holiday season. This is a story that takes place at Greendale Community College, one of the finest community colleges in California Colorado.







It's not about how the school is run by a pansexual dean



or how it's actually run by the Vice Dean of the college annex, producing some of the finest HVAC technicians in the state



It's not even a story about a group of students running the gamut in both age and race getting closer together through wacky class assignments and a growing need for intimacy that also allows for stronger personal growth









No, this is not their story. This is the story of a table.



A simple table, composed of........two other tables. Capable of sitting eight comfortably when combined, it always did what was asked of it. Yet over the last three years it became a place for sexual conquests:



a place for fat singers/actors to resist leaving a study group:



a place for rampant vandalism:



separation from its partner:



acts of physical violence:



and even forced to be complicit in multiple rapes across entire generations:



Tables like these are not able to speak for themselves. Every day they magically hold up our belongings, yet their veneer is removed, legs are dented, undersides inappropriately touched with flavorless gum, and even shot with paintballs. Please, defend the tables, because one day they will not be there to help you.

How can you help the tables? Preferably by watching your TV every Thursday night at 8pm/7pm CT on NBC, especially if you have a Nielson box, and also don't watch any other comedies on NBC. And by watching your DVR'd episode within 7 days of the original air date. And by buying multiple copies of the seasons 1 & 2 DVDs. And by buying lots of fine merchandise from the NBC store. All of this helps provide greater awareness of table abuse.

Save the tables, isn't that right, black Hitler?



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWMKb00_r4s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWTymZ-EP6o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvpT8ocp0SE

---

Mandatory thread tag: check out these nicely done Inspector Spacetime videos by fellow poster Schrodinger. Spread these around to any sci-fi fans you may know that currently aren't watching Community to help increase awareness. Six seasons and a movie!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FneKiciwIMA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SanuWf8dnDo

Nappuccino

God bless you sir.

bloodatonement

That is a glorious OP

SirUltimos

I love that new thread smell.

Bursar

Even though your av/sig change with every week, Texiken, Britta's tree getup will live on in our hearts.

Chen

I want to be in a study group.

The Dude With Herpes

This was the first episode in a long time I didn't really like.

It just felt like an overly long setup to a joke that just wasn't there. The "whats regional" thing was funny the first time or two but then yeah...we get it.

I dunno. Maybe I was in the wrong mood but it just totally missed for me.

EDIT: Except Britta. This season has put me permanently in team britta.

Variable

she is the best

Julius

Texiken makes the best op.

Spoit

The Dude With Herpes wrote:

This was the first episode in a long time I didn't really like.

It just felt like an overly long setup to a joke that just wasn't there. The "whats regional" thing was funny the first time or two but then yeah...we get it.

I dunno. Maybe I was in the wrong mood but it just totally missed for me.

EDIT: Except Britta. This season has put me permanently in team britta.

Again, that's exactly what glee does.

TexiKen

Bursar wrote:

Even though your av/sig change with every week, Texiken, Britta's tree getup will live on in our hearts.

I memory burned that dance into my brain immediately.

That and the cheerleader bubble fight.

The Dude With Herpes

Spoit wrote:

The Dude With Herpes wrote:

This was the first episode in a long time I didn't really like.

It just felt like an overly long setup to a joke that just wasn't there. The "whats regional" thing was funny the first time or two but then yeah...we get it.

I dunno. Maybe I was in the wrong mood but it just totally missed for me.

EDIT: Except Britta. This season has put me permanently in team britta.

Again, that's exactly what glee does.

I get that. I just don't like glee at all, the point that even most jokes about it aren't funny because it is that bad. So I probably wasn't the target audience for this. If I disliked it to the point that I liked ridiculing it, ok. But I just hate it hate it.

Greeper

um the 223 area code is in Mali.

Either that's strange or hilarious. I'm not sure.

Centipede Damascus

From the old thread:

Variable wrote:

it is actually driving me nuts how many paragraphs are being written about how bad this episode was. it's ridiculous.

You should read this review then:

http://www.avclub.com/articles/regional-holiday-music,66270/

The only episode I’ve liked more this season was “Remedial Chaos Theory,” but I thought this one was funnier. On the other hand, you knew I was going to love it because I like songs, I love Christmas, and I think that Glee is a fun show but also fun to make fun of. (The scene where the study room had been turned into the choir room from Glee was one of my favorites here, particularly Pierce confirming everybody else could see the piano player off to the side.) One of the problems with reviewing television week to week is that you already pretty much know what I’m going to say: I liked it! I didn’t like it! I thought it was okay! That makes it harder and harder to come up with new stuff to say, makes it easier and easier to over-rely on gimmicks or bullshit pontificating.

But if you’ll allow me some bullshit pontificating (groan!), the moment for me that crystallized just why this episode worked so well was when Britta came out as the Mouse King—after previously having been made a mute tree for the pageant—and began to sing the song she already knew with the lyrics that were in her heart. On one level, this was another scene designed to remind us that Britta is—indeed—the worst. On another level, this was a quick nod toward any scene where two speakers convince an unruly mob of people of diametrically opposed ideas, as Mr. Rad and the Dean got the crowd to call Britta the worst, then cheer her self-expression. But on another level, this was another scene about liking something, about getting into it enough to do something stupid. We never see Britta infected by the glee virus. We never see her join up with the others.

On some level, I think, she isn’t infected; she’s doing this for her friends, because she knows it will make them happy. And even if the whole thing ends with the darkness underneath all of this becoming readily apparent, there’s still that moment when Abed and Britta save Christmas by ruining it. Everything gets torn down, but it brings everybody closer together, without all the forced jollity. When they get together to celebrate Christmas at Abed’s, instead of flying all over the country, the moment somehow feels earned, even though it comes out of nowhere and picks up on a plot point expressed many, many scenes ago. These people love each other, and sometimes that’s worth getting wrapped up in crazy musical numbers. On one level, they all joined glee because of a crazy musical virus (for which the stakes are pretty low). On another level, they did it because they couldn’t stand not being together.

That’s why we find ways to come together at the end of the year, isn’t it? And that’s why we’ve always had our brightest days on our darkest nights—since the beginning of time. We’re social animals. We need to remind each other that we still have our nearest and dearest, or our best friends, or our families, or our lovers, or, hell, the people we work with. We get together, and maybe it isn’t always the best and maybe it’s sometimes just the worst, but we do it because that’s something we do, and without it, we might feel a little less complete. Similarly, we all come here every week—a virtual study group that meets from around the world—to hang out and celebrate something we love.

Variable

thank you very much! that was delightful

Tav

boopy boopy boop doop sex

Robos A Go Go

But on another level, this was another scene about liking something, about getting into it enough to do something stupid. We never see Britta infected by the glee virus. We never see her join up with the others.

On some level, I think, she isn’t infected; she’s doing this for her friends, because she knows it will make them happy.

On the other hand, Britta's so passionate about everything she does, and yet so oblivious to how her actions are perceived, that she'll wholeheartedly throw herself into any endeavor.

Basically, he natural disposition does the work of the virus, except of course for the part where it makes you a good singer.

Cambiata

So, apparently some people hated the glee episode? I thought it was one of the more hilarious and spot-on episodes, close to the D&D episode for awesomeness. It may be a thing where you have to have watched a few episodes of the TV show Glee to get how perfect this episode was, I'm not sure.

Also Britta is amazing. I used to hate her, but the more inept she becomes, the more lovable she is.

Darlan

I was pretty lukewarm on the episode overall, maybe because I've never seen Glee and missed some of the subtler mocking or something, but recruiting Pierce with a baby-boomer music montage was pretty amazing.

SniperGuy

Jeff opening his mouth in the Body Snatchers way was amazing. Great episode. Though you probably should have seen an episode or two of glee to get all the jokes.

bloodatonement

Some girl pronounce bagel "beg-el," I wanted to say "it's bag-el you idiot."

AnteCantelope

I've never seen any more of Glee than the ads, and I thought the episode was hilarious.. If I missed anything it didn't matter.

devCharles

This was my favorite episode since the D&D episode.

Johnny Chopsocky

This episode had so much great in it. It's the gift that keeps on giving.

I dug how the Inspector Spacetime Christmas Special was basically the Star Wars Holiday Special.

Qonas

This episode was AMAZING. Completely awesome in pretty much every way.

To where it's fighting among Modern Warfare and Advanced Dungeons & Dragons to be my favorite. Annie's song was sheer brilliance.

Centipede Damascus

I think this episode is my second favorite of the season. Remedial Chaos Theory is still one of the most amazing half hours of television I've ever seen.

Robos A Go Go

There are plenty of extra jokes to get if you've seen a few episodes of Glee, like the musical cues, the mashups, and the cafeteria performance.

I want to think that the opening scene is how it really looks when the kids on that show put on an impromptu performance, and that the musical accompaniment, auto tuning, and dynamic choreography is all in their heads.

Witch_Hunter_84

Nice new OP Tex. I loved the new episode and its constant ribbing of Glee. Harmon's poked fun at it before, but this took it to an entirely new and fun level.

useless4

Wow I can't believe how many people's top ten slots Remedial Chaos Theory hits on.
Not the biggest fan of that episode though it was good. But remember I am going to defend Mixology Certification til the end of time as some of the finest half hours of television comedy or drama ever.

Also, paintball episode clip above of Chang's entrance reminds me for a brief period (from the minute the boombox hits the scene til he is shoving keytars through car windows) Chang was one of the best characters in the history of sitcoms. Too bad that changed.

I hope for the sake of Community they give Chang a chance to go out in a blaze of glory against John Goodman's character in the most epic season finale ever.

Neaden

Cambiata wrote:

So, apparently some people hated the glee episode? I thought it was one of the more hilarious and spot-on episodes, close to the D&D episode for awesomeness. It may be a thing where you have to have watched a few episodes of the TV show Glee to get how perfect this episode was, I'm not sure.

Also Britta is amazing. I used to hate her, but the more inept she becomes, the more lovable she is.

Thats something Dan Harmon talked about...somewhere, maybe a commentary I don't know. They realized everyone in the audience didn't like Britta at firs,t but by making her unlikable on the show everyone loved her.

Schrodinger

Cambiata wrote:

So, apparently some people hated the glee episode? I thought it was one of the more hilarious and spot-on episodes, close to the D&D episode for awesomeness. It may be a thing where you have to have watched a few episodes of the TV show Glee to get how perfect this episode was, I'm not sure.

Also Britta is amazing. I used to hate her, but the more inept she becomes, the more lovable she is.

When they did the D&D episode, they said that one of their goals was that they didn't want to make cheap jokes at people who play the game, because that's an easy laugh and it's been done before. I didn't like this episode for the same reason I don't like "Scary Movie." I get what they're trying to do. I just don't see the point. For instance, mocking Glee Club in "Modern Warfare" was funny. But in this episode, the mockery was very, very superficial level. What exactly was the joke, other than "Glee is stupid"?

The other problem is that Community shines when they take something really petty and inconsequential and elevate it. For instance, a lunch time snack becomes a mafia movie. Priority registration becomes a John Woo film. A missing pen causes a total group breakdown. etc.

This episode went the opposite direction. The characters learn that they've been celebrating with a mass murderer. They learn that there's a good chance that they themselves would have been murdered if Britta didn't ruin the show. And then rather than processing "Holy shit, I can't believe how close we came to being murdered," they quickly change the subject and add a weak Aesop. The murderer gets away, and there's no followup.

BigBear

Britta and Troy were great this episode. I also liked Troy's reaction to the previous glee club in the beginning of the episode.

I'm really going to miss this show

Unknown

This content has been removed.

Podly

Santa allison brie was pretty damn hot. But britta in the spandex was hella awesome.

I also love how much Britta uses racist pidgin english.

Cambiata

Schrodinger wrote:

Cambiata wrote:

So, apparently some people hated the glee episode? I thought it was one of the more hilarious and spot-on episodes, close to the D&D episode for awesomeness. It may be a thing where you have to have watched a few episodes of the TV show Glee to get how perfect this episode was, I'm not sure.

Also Britta is amazing. I used to hate her, but the more inept she becomes, the more lovable she is.

When they did the D&D episode, they said that one of their goals was that they didn't want to make cheap jokes at people who play the game, because that's an easy laugh and it's been done before. I didn't like this episode for the same reason I don't like "Scary Movie." I get what they're trying to do. I just don't see the point. For instance, mocking Glee Club in "Modern Warfare" was funny. But in this episode, the mockery was very, very superficial level. What exactly was the joke, other than "Glee is stupid"?

There was more to it than that. As someone who has unironically enjoyed episodes of Glee, there was plenty there for actual fans of Glee to enjoy, in my opinion. A great example is Pierce seeing the unnamed piano player and saying, "you guys see him too, right?" - as a reference to the accompanist in Glee who always appears as needed, but never speaks. The "always present" pianist is a gag that Glee itself makes fun of plenty of times.. Furthermore, the whole point of the episode (it seems to me) is that even though Glee is ridiculously over-the-top, it's the kind of thing you can get sucked into if you're not careful.

The other problem is that Community shines when they take something really petty and inconsequential and elevate it. For instance, a lunch time snack becomes a mafia movie. Priority registration becomes a John Woo film. A missing pen causes a total group breakdown. etc.

Or, like, a cheesy holiday choral concert becomes invasion of the body snatchers?

This episode went the opposite direction. The characters learn that they've been celebrating with a mass murderer. They learn that there's a good chance that they themselves would have been murdered if Britta didn't ruin the show. And then rather than processing "Holy shit, I can't believe how close we came to being murdered," they quickly change the subject and add a weak Aesop. The murderer gets away, and there's no followup.

Kind of like the time Britta dated a genocidal maniac, and then everyone just decided to forget about him.

Toldo

I have raced through the first season in the past three days.

All I can say is this show is streets ahead.

Schrodinger

Cambiata wrote:

There was more to it than that. As someone who has unironically enjoyed episodes of Glee, there was plenty there for actual fans of Glee to enjoy, in my opinion. A great example is Pierce seeing the unnamed piano player and saying, "you guys see him too, right?" - as a reference to the accompanist in Glee who always appears as needed, but never speaks. The "always present" pianist is a gag that Glee itself makes fun of plenty of times.. Furthermore, the whole point of the episode (it seems to me) is that even though Glee is ridiculously over-the-top, it's the kind of thing you can get sucked into if you're not careful.

"Hey, it's that guy!" still strikes me as a pretty superficial joke. I mean, if they're going to go that route, at least they could include Abed's dad.

Or, like, a cheesy holiday choral concert becomes invasion of the body snatchers?

I get what they were going for. But the execution was sloppy. Basically, you know that Jeff is a zombie because he's smiling now. Not because he actually had a reason to change.

Kind of like the time Britta dated a genocidal maniac, and then everyone just decided to forget about him.

Forgetting that dude is pretty much their only option, since he's unlikely to go after him (murder is personal, genocide is impersonal), they don't want to antagonize him, and it's doubtful they can get him arrested. After all, he committed war crimes in a completely different country, and if he was on a wanted list, he probably wouldn't be so open on discussing his past.

Where as the teacher murdered the previous team just so he could recruit the study group, and it's implied that he would have murdered the study group as well. That makes the crime much, much more personal, because you know who the victims were, and you realize that you would have been next.

Element Brian

You guys are all forgetting the Booby joke at the beginning and Troy's reaction...

initiatefailure

well yeah, my other one's dead.

Cambiata

Schrodinger wrote:

"Hey, it's that guy!" still strikes me as a pretty superficial joke. I mean, if they're going to go that route, at least they could include Abed's dad.

But that wasn't the joke.

The joke was, "why is everyone pretending like this person doesn't exist? Am I the only one who can see him?" A joke which made me laugh pretty loudly.

Anyway, you don't like the episode, that's cool. Opinions and all that.

Spoit

Schrodinger wrote:

Cambiata wrote:

There was more to it than that. As someone who has unironically enjoyed episodes of Glee, there was plenty there for actual fans of Glee to enjoy, in my opinion. A great example is Pierce seeing the unnamed piano player and saying, "you guys see him too, right?" - as a reference to the accompanist in Glee who always appears as needed, but never speaks. The "always present" pianist is a gag that Glee itself makes fun of plenty of times.. Furthermore, the whole point of the episode (it seems to me) is that even though Glee is ridiculously over-the-top, it's the kind of thing you can get sucked into if you're not careful.

"Hey, it's that guy!" still strikes me as a pretty superficial joke. I mean, if they're going to go that route, at least they could include Abed's dad.

Didn't he get a recurring role on some other show? The name of which is on the tip of my tongue?