I would argue they played it mostly straight... the only questionable thing is slutty santa Annie. I have a hard time believing that, through the power of glee, Annie would suddenly abuse her sexuality in such an overt way.
I once took an acting class where the guy asked the teacher, "How do you play a guy trying to lie?"
The teacher responds, "You don't. You play a guy telling the truth."
In other words, if you're trying to look like you're lying for the audience, then you're going to be making decisions that your character wouldn't make. If you want the audience to know that you're lying, then you either let them know in the script itself, or you let them know by creating obstacles that make telling the truth more difficult. The same thing goes for playing drunk: You don't play drunk. You play sober. So it's okay for Abed to stumble, because he's not trying to stumble. He's trying to look cool. If you want to mock the show Glee, you don't go the "Scary Movie" route of mocking straw-man characterizations. You play it straight, and let the underlying absurdities come out on their own. That's what they did with "Good Will Hunting," when Abed says "I look forward to not seeing you at your desk," and Troy reacting the way a normal person would.
Honestly, this episode just seemed really confused. For instance, the coach killed off the last team because they weren't good enough. But he think that the Study Group is good enough to go to Nationals? Everyone hates Glee Club. But then they love it. If you're going to go the musical theater route, then songs need an internal storyline. Most of these songs were one note, in two cases, literally.
I remember Harmon saying that the reason no one remembers Halloween is because he didn't want situations where the characters were arguing over pointless stuff that seems petty when you know that the government is covering up a zombie biotoxin, thus breaking the reality of the show. Well, now everyone in the study group has memories of idolizing a guy who turned out to be a mass murderer. And no one in the entire school thought to run after him. I mean... what?
The weird flipflopping between the glee club being bad or good, and between people loving or hating them, seems like a direct poke at Glee, which is entirely built on those nonsensical conflicts.
For instance, Jeff sits there uncomfortably throughout Annie's song. But then he's seduced by it after the fact in the next scene? It's like the writers thought that Jeff being uncomfortable would be funny, and they knew how the story needed to progress for the pod people thing, but they didn't put much effort in bringing those elements together.
Have you ever seen Invasion of the Body Snatchers? The scene's effectiveness requires the audience to believe that the protagonist (Donald Sutherland/Jeff) hasn't been replaced.
Afterwards, you just assume that he was replaced off-screen.
Unfortunate luck to end their 2011 season on that episode, but there's still plenty of chance that Whitney and Up All Night will burst into flames in the next 3-4 months. *sigh*
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TexiKenDammit!That fish really got me!Registered Userregular
edited December 2011
Vicki was the stage director for the concert, why didn't this snap Pierce out of his brainwashing? Hatred of Vicki trumps all.
edit: I'll make a new thread this afternoon if no one wants to.
fucking amazing, I thought they were doing invasion of the body snatchers and brita running to jeff seals it
I'm like 20 minutes behind here
I thought they were doing that episode of smurfs where the smurfs turn purple and angry and bit the blue smurfs tail nuns to turn them into purple rage smurfs.
fucking amazing, I thought they were doing invasion of the body snatchers and brita running to jeff seals it
I'm like 20 minutes behind here
I thought they were doing that episode of smurfs where the smurfs turn purple and angry and bit the blue smurfs tail nuns to turn them into purple rage smurfs.
That episode did some damage to me at a young age
That actually happened?!
Also, I liked last night's episode. Though I gotta say that's the first time I haven't been attracted to Annie.
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NappuccinoSurveyor of Things and StuffRegistered Userregular
fucking amazing, I thought they were doing invasion of the body snatchers and brita running to jeff seals it
I'm like 20 minutes behind here
I thought they were doing that episode of smurfs where the smurfs turn purple and angry and bit the blue smurfs tail nuns to turn them into purple rage smurfs.
That episode did some damage to me at a young age
That actually happened?!
Also, I liked last night's episode. Though I gotta say that's the first time I haven't been attracted to Annie.
She came out in that santa outfit and I said "Dat Annie...." At which point my GF gave me some dirty looks and moved slightly further away from me.
Ok, I think this dude should go into literary writing. Because I'm enjoying this little online journal he has going more than most pieces of entertainment that I bother with.
I think the big problem is that the writers bit off a lot more than they could chew.
Like in AD&D, the writers talked about how they were really struggling to figure out how to open and explain everything, and how to work Pierce into the story, and what the antagonist would be. And they pretty much figured it all out at the last minute, and then worked a long time ironing out the finer detail, like the amount of sound effects they would need.
For instance, at one point, they were considering having Pierce reveal that he was personal friends with Gary Gyges and an expert player. That version of the story might have been okay, and if that was the episode that aired, most people would have been happy. But it wouldn't have been nearly as great.
OTOH, in the KFC episode, the writers decided they needed to insert dramatic tension to keep everything grounded, so they added the bit about Annie wanting to go to City College. And the critics pretty much slammed them for it, because it felt forced and didn't make sense. The episode was considered one of the most memorable of the entire season other than Paintball according to surveys, but the Annie subplot was a major mistake.
In the X-Mas episode, it just feels like they had a lot of goals, and not enough time to work through them. So you can keep saying, "Well, they did the best with what they had," but I've seen the writers capable of doing a lot better. They wanted to do a Christmas story and a Pod People story and a Glee story, and mash them all together. But they didn't have enough time to come up with a consistent tone, so it all feels hackneyed together.
this at least makes more sense than what you were saying before but I still disagree entirely completely 100%. I think it was a sound and sweet episode. the pod joke was an extension of the glee joke.
VariableMouth CongressStroke Me Lady FameRegistered Userregular
edited December 2011
it is actually driving me nuts how many paragraphs are being written about how bad this episode was. it's ridiculous.
because it was excellent and because you're destroying it.
I'm still not clear on how you do a glee parody 'playing it straight' if this episode wasn't... I don't think you've really cleared that up for me schrodinger. the show Glee is playing Glee straight based on what you're saying. they would just be doing an episode of glee.
I'm still not clear on how you do a glee parody 'playing it straight' if this episode wasn't... I don't think you've really cleared that up for me schrodinger. the show Glee is playing Glee straight based on what you're saying. they would just be doing an episode of glee.
Dude. The episode was silly to the point where it's revealed that the guy they've been worshipping and working for all along was a mass murderer. And then they let him get away, without the slightest bit of concern.
The fact that you reveal that one of the characters is a mass murderer and no one thinks twice means that they are seriously breaking the reality of the show.
In the "Who's The Boss" episode, the original ending was that the teacher shoots himself and Abed walks away, feeling nothing. And everyone at the table laughed and laughed, but then they realized that it could never air because it completely broke the reality of the show.
In this case, they reveal that the dude is a mass murderer. Who killed the last Glee club. And is now angry at Britta.
That's not even something that Glee would ever try.
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NappuccinoSurveyor of Things and StuffRegistered Userregular
Last week when she stepped on a DVD and then staged a robbery to escape blame.
I don't remember her blatantly abusing her sexuality there.
when she was getting boys to sign up for that thing where she and brita started fighting
not as extreme but then she hadn't been turned into a glee person
Hah... I guess that fits. I just remember in that episode, initially, she seemed to be in her character and... kind of oblivious to what she was actually doing.
VariableMouth CongressStroke Me Lady FameRegistered Userregular
edited December 2011
oh okay I still thought you meant the music since to me that's the part that is directly parodying glee. the plot has nothing to do with how an episode of glee would be, it's body snatchers meets christmas.
edit - with some weird geendale flair. a school that can have a shirt about attending every dance and a chicken finger mafia ring can have a glee club teacher that snaps.
Last week when she stepped on a DVD and then staged a robbery to escape blame.
I don't remember her blatantly abusing her sexuality there.
when she was getting boys to sign up for that thing where she and brita started fighting
not as extreme but then she hadn't been turned into a glee person
Hah... I guess that fits. I just remember in that episode, initially, she seemed to be in her character and... kind of oblivious to what she was actually doing.
I'm still not clear on how you do a glee parody 'playing it straight' if this episode wasn't... I don't think you've really cleared that up for me schrodinger. the show Glee is playing Glee straight based on what you're saying. they would just be doing an episode of glee.
Dude. The episode was silly to the point where it's revealed that the guy they've been worshipping and working for all along was a mass murderer. And then they let him get away, without the slightest bit of concern.
The fact that you reveal that one of the characters is a mass murderer and no one thinks twice means that they are seriously breaking the reality of the show.
In the "Who's The Boss" episode, the original ending was that the teacher shoots himself and Abed walks away, feeling nothing. And everyone at the table laughed and laughed, but then they realized that it could never air because it completely broke the reality of the show.
In this case, they reveal that the dude is a mass murderer. Who killed the last Glee club. And is now angry at Britta.
That's not even something that Glee would ever try.
I'll agree with you that that is kinda fucked up. But then again when confronted with a guy who was a warcriminal they sort of acted like the best decision was to just not talk to him.
oh okay I still thought you meant the music since to me that's the part that is directly parodying glee. the plot has nothing to do with how an episode of glee would be, it's body snatchers meets christmas.
Like I said, I don't think the episode really knew what it wanted to be.
But seriously. Try putting a reveal that one of the main characters is a mass murderer in any other episode, and see if the episode still works.
Edit: I guess I forgot about the war criminal.
Schrodinger on
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VariableMouth CongressStroke Me Lady FameRegistered Userregular
I think it works with the tone that some of their stranger episodes have established
I can't remember the entire episode that includes the abed who's the boss bits so I'm not sure if it fits there, and having someone blow their brains out in front of abed and he doesn't care is different from someone admitting they killed the glee club because they were bad singers and running away to probably be arrested.
NappuccinoSurveyor of Things and StuffRegistered Userregular
edited December 2011
I thought the admittance of killing the glee club was much funnier than a professor committing suicide would have been. It is so absurd and yet, plausible and the student body's confused reaction was great. I know if I had a glee conductor admit to something like that in front of me, it wouldn't register in my brain for a good few minutes because it is so absurd.
Having a teacher's (who we've meet) whole life's work be destroyed (as well as his purpose in life) is just so... dark compared to a one off joke about a glee club that 1) everyone hates (well, jeff hates) 2) is done to mock a tv show and 3) we never met.
I can't remember the entire episode that includes the abed who's the boss bits so I'm not sure if it fits there, and having someone blow their brains out in front of abed and he doesn't care is different from someone admitting they killed the glee club because they were bad singers and running away to probably be arrested.
The original script had Abed hearing the gunshot after he already left the classroom.
And yeah, the teacher got away. Jeff asks, "Wait, did he just say he killed the team?" and then everyone changes the subject. We don't see anyone chase after him, or at the very least, we don't see anyone call the cops.
Yes, the scene matches the tone of the episode. But that's because the tone of the episode was completely broken to begin with, which is my point. Community isn't "Family Guy." It isn't even "30 Rock."
Posts
I once took an acting class where the guy asked the teacher, "How do you play a guy trying to lie?"
The teacher responds, "You don't. You play a guy telling the truth."
In other words, if you're trying to look like you're lying for the audience, then you're going to be making decisions that your character wouldn't make. If you want the audience to know that you're lying, then you either let them know in the script itself, or you let them know by creating obstacles that make telling the truth more difficult. The same thing goes for playing drunk: You don't play drunk. You play sober. So it's okay for Abed to stumble, because he's not trying to stumble. He's trying to look cool. If you want to mock the show Glee, you don't go the "Scary Movie" route of mocking straw-man characterizations. You play it straight, and let the underlying absurdities come out on their own. That's what they did with "Good Will Hunting," when Abed says "I look forward to not seeing you at your desk," and Troy reacting the way a normal person would.
Honestly, this episode just seemed really confused. For instance, the coach killed off the last team because they weren't good enough. But he think that the Study Group is good enough to go to Nationals? Everyone hates Glee Club. But then they love it. If you're going to go the musical theater route, then songs need an internal storyline. Most of these songs were one note, in two cases, literally.
I remember Harmon saying that the reason no one remembers Halloween is because he didn't want situations where the characters were arguing over pointless stuff that seems petty when you know that the government is covering up a zombie biotoxin, thus breaking the reality of the show. Well, now everyone in the study group has memories of idolizing a guy who turned out to be a mass murderer. And no one in the entire school thought to run after him. I mean... what?
Have you ever seen Invasion of the Body Snatchers? The scene's effectiveness requires the audience to believe that the protagonist (Donald Sutherland/Jeff) hasn't been replaced.
Afterwards, you just assume that he was replaced off-screen.
https://twitter.com/Hooraydiation
edit: I'll make a new thread this afternoon if no one wants to.
We should all come together - as a Community - and each contribute one word to the new OP.
-- The Dean
Last week when she stepped on a DVD and then staged a robbery to escape blame.
{Twitter, Everybody's doing it. }{Writing and Story Blog}
I thought they were doing that episode of smurfs where the smurfs turn purple and angry and bit the blue smurfs tail nuns to turn them into purple rage smurfs.
That episode did some damage to me at a young age
That actually happened?!
Also, I liked last night's episode. Though I gotta say that's the first time I haven't been attracted to Annie.
I don't remember her blatantly abusing her sexuality there.
She came out in that santa outfit and I said "Dat Annie...." At which point my GF gave me some dirty looks and moved slightly further away from me.
In retrospect I should not have vocalized that.
Ok, I think this dude should go into literary writing. Because I'm enjoying this little online journal he has going more than most pieces of entertainment that I bother with.
I think he could write some great novels.
Mmmmm....toasty.
You're awful at gift giving, NBC.
Steam ID XBL: JohnnyChopsocky PSN:Stud_Beefpile WiiU:JohnnyChopsocky
Do we even know we are getting new Community in march yet?
Let's play Mario Kart or something...
don't take this hope from me
it's all I have left
Steam ID XBL: JohnnyChopsocky PSN:Stud_Beefpile WiiU:JohnnyChopsocky
Because that was awesome.
Steam ID XBL: JohnnyChopsocky PSN:Stud_Beefpile WiiU:JohnnyChopsocky
i am drooling from laughter
it was when she went past the point of diminishing returns on sexiness.
this at least makes more sense than what you were saying before but I still disagree entirely completely 100%. I think it was a sound and sweet episode. the pod joke was an extension of the glee joke.
because it was excellent and because you're destroying it.
I'm still not clear on how you do a glee parody 'playing it straight' if this episode wasn't... I don't think you've really cleared that up for me schrodinger. the show Glee is playing Glee straight based on what you're saying. they would just be doing an episode of glee.
edit - me so christmas me so merry
when she was getting boys to sign up for that thing where she and brita started fighting
not as extreme but then she hadn't been turned into a glee person
Dude. The episode was silly to the point where it's revealed that the guy they've been worshipping and working for all along was a mass murderer. And then they let him get away, without the slightest bit of concern.
The fact that you reveal that one of the characters is a mass murderer and no one thinks twice means that they are seriously breaking the reality of the show.
In the "Who's The Boss" episode, the original ending was that the teacher shoots himself and Abed walks away, feeling nothing. And everyone at the table laughed and laughed, but then they realized that it could never air because it completely broke the reality of the show.
In this case, they reveal that the dude is a mass murderer. Who killed the last Glee club. And is now angry at Britta.
That's not even something that Glee would ever try.
Hah... I guess that fits. I just remember in that episode, initially, she seemed to be in her character and... kind of oblivious to what she was actually doing.
In this one... I mean
Holy crap.
edit - with some weird geendale flair. a school that can have a shirt about attending every dance and a chicken finger mafia ring can have a glee club teacher that snaps.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SanuWf8dnDo
I'll agree with you that that is kinda fucked up. But then again when confronted with a guy who was a warcriminal they sort of acted like the best decision was to just not talk to him.
Like I said, I don't think the episode really knew what it wanted to be.
But seriously. Try putting a reveal that one of the main characters is a mass murderer in any other episode, and see if the episode still works.
Edit: I guess I forgot about the war criminal.
I can't remember the entire episode that includes the abed who's the boss bits so I'm not sure if it fits there, and having someone blow their brains out in front of abed and he doesn't care is different from someone admitting they killed the glee club because they were bad singers and running away to probably be arrested.
Having a teacher's (who we've meet) whole life's work be destroyed (as well as his purpose in life) is just so... dark compared to a one off joke about a glee club that 1) everyone hates (well, jeff hates) 2) is done to mock a tv show and 3) we never met.
The original script had Abed hearing the gunshot after he already left the classroom.
And yeah, the teacher got away. Jeff asks, "Wait, did he just say he killed the team?" and then everyone changes the subject. We don't see anyone chase after him, or at the very least, we don't see anyone call the cops.
Yes, the scene matches the tone of the episode. But that's because the tone of the episode was completely broken to begin with, which is my point. Community isn't "Family Guy." It isn't even "30 Rock."