Just to further wrinkle your brain, watch Joel McHale as Jeff as Abed pretending to be Jeff. The mannerisms are subtle, but clearly there, especially during the bit with Shirley and (Emmy nominated) Pierce.
Also, I couldn't be the only one worried that when Annie broke Abed inside the Dreamatorium, it would leave an opening for Evil Abed to enter the world?
1) Silence 2) Books must be returned by the last date shown 3) Do not interfere with the nature of causality
Best episode of the season so far and the ideal character to navigate Abed's bullshit.
chaos theory disagrees with you. but yes, this was fantastic. they've been on a roll since they came back from the hiatus. this season is building up to a really strong one. I was worried at the very beginning, but this is some quality stuff. I think season 2 still edges it, but there are some real gems lately.
I didn't find this one as good as other episodes. I need to watch again. I enjoyed it, but I dunno, not a fan of when they get all emotional-cerebral. Definitely had some great moments though.
The cold open was amazing; I had to pause after the opening credits because I was still laughing so hard. As for the rest of the episode, well, clearly it just wasn't for me.
You know, the thing that makes the least sense in the pillow fort episode? The lighting. No way in hell you would be able to record cell phone video that well in a pillow fort.
So when the Dean walked in with his new outfit, I thought that was it. Community's done. The sentiment had little to do with the outfit per se, but it represented to me how the show shifted from being about a community and a college with a twist of weirdness, to weirdness fullstop.
But, no. This episode, as weird as it was, was grounded in character, and that was always what I enjoyed most about the show. My mind was racing all the time throughout the episode, trying to weed out the weirdness from the message, but in an enjoyable way. It couldn't have been easy for the actors to pull this episode off.
Still, I wonder about this season. The writing is sharp, deliberate and certainly not lazy, but this makes me all the more worried, because it just means they deliberately move away from the show I loved to what we have currently. This season has been so damned dark. We had evil Jeff (Biology 101), more narcissistic than ever Jeff, Jeff that is toxic for the group (Remedial Chaos Theory), Jeff whose daddy issues kill Hawthorne Sr. (Advanced Gay), evil Shirley (Foosball episode), murderous Glee club guy, further disintegration of the Greendale campus (annex story), Britta who has completely lost the groundedness (tm) she possessed in Season 1, the growing rift between Troy and Abed... ... I mean, Community was always working with conflicted characters, but so far dealt with their issues in a much less overt way. So when the show states that the dark night is finally over, I hope to god that it really is, because it's been enough.
(hm, I thought I posted this reply already, but it somehow didn't register? Hope this post doesn't appear twice now...)
The cold open was amazing; I had to pause after the opening credits because I was still laughing so hard. As for the rest of the episode, well, clearly it just wasn't for me.
It was nonstop conceptual fanservice, and tough to enjoy in places even as a longtime fan. If it were my goal to get somebody interested in Community, and this was the episode I showed them, then they would never watch the show ever again.
I liked how excited everyone was for Pierce. And then how sad.
Oh, noticed Troy was humming Daybreak at the end. One confusing thing...I thought during at least one T&AITM segment the guest commented that there were no cameras or any actual show. But Troy seemed to be talking to Garret as the cameraman. Did it become a real show when they started doing the Greendale 'public access' stuff?
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Dark Raven XLaugh hard, run fast,be kindRegistered Userregular
Where doctors save lives and make love. Often simultaneously.
This one was so great.
Oh brilliant
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VariableMouth CongressStroke Me Lady FameRegistered Userregular
jokerman I loved that line too
I liked last week's more but this was excellent, probably my second fav since the return
I'd have to wait til it comes out to be sure but I'm pretty sure Advanced Gay is still my favorite this season
Gotta hand it to them, with the show constantly being on the verge of cancellation you would think they would try to make things more acessible for new viewers. Instead they just keep piling on the weird.
Not my favorite episode by a long shot, but I can certainly see why people would really like it.
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Dark Raven XLaugh hard, run fast,be kindRegistered Userregular
Gotta hand it to them, with the show constantly being on the verge of cancellation you would think they would try to make things more acessible for new viewers. Instead they just keep piling on the weird.
Not my favorite episode by a long shot, but I can certainly see why people would really like it.
I agree. At least on first watch I'd say it is my least favorite episode. That being said, one of the things I like about this show is their willingness to try new things which this episode definitely was, so even if I didn't like it I'm not going to hold it against them.
The cold open was amazing; I had to pause after the opening credits because I was still laughing so hard. As for the rest of the episode, well, clearly it just wasn't for me.
It was nonstop conceptual fanservice, and tough to enjoy in places even as a longtime fan. If it were my goal to get somebody interested in Community, and this was the episode I showed them, then they would never watch the show ever again.
I am a longtime fan. I've watched every new episode the week it airs since mid-season 1. After thinking about it for a bit, I think the dreamatorium is too weird, I hate the CGI they've been putting into it, and a lot of the character development in this episode felt forced and unearned. I'll watch it again when I've had more sleep, and then I'll rematch last week's episode because it's more my speed: People sitting or standing around and talking to each other like adults.
Edit: Well I shouldn't say that. I liked the DVD fiasco where Abed turns into Batman, but that felt more grounded and Annie actually learned through the episode, while in this one it felt like she was just waiting for the right time to drop her profoundly self-aware nugget of how she feels about Jeff.
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ChaosHatHop, hop, hop, HA!Trick of the lightRegistered Userregular
I loved how gung ho Annie was to be on Troy and Abed in the Morning. She was really into it.
I'm also pretty sure that there was no camera, we're just watching through Garrett's perspective who is supposed to be a camera, which is way more fucking hilarious. "Garrett, come over and be a camera for us."
The cold open was amazing; I had to pause after the opening credits because I was still laughing so hard. As for the rest of the episode, well, clearly it just wasn't for me.
It was nonstop conceptual fanservice, and tough to enjoy in places even as a longtime fan. If it were my goal to get somebody interested in Community, and this was the episode I showed them, then they would never watch the show ever again.
I am a longtime fan. I've watched every new episode the week it airs since mid-season 1. After thinking about it for a bit, I think the dreamatorium is too weird, I hate the CGI they've been putting into it, and a lot of the character development in this episode felt forced and unearned. I'll watch it again when I've had more sleep, and then I'll rematch last week's episode because it's more my speed: People sitting or standing around and talking to each other like adults.
Edit: Well I shouldn't say that. I liked the DVD fiasco where Abed turns into Batman, but that felt more grounded and Annie actually learned through the episode, while in this one it felt like she was just waiting for the right time to drop her profoundly self-aware nugget of how she feels about Jeff.
On a side note: I don't understand how this was conceptual fanservice and would be interested in an elaboration of that interpretation.
Moer to the point: I concur that Community is at its most enjoyable, even at its smartest and funniest, when its just "people sitting [...] around and talking to each other". I mainly think of early Season One episodes in this case. I have developed a genuine dislike for the descend into weirdness, because it feels self-indulgent: The Season opens with a musical number that is basicall self-destructive sarcasm. They know they are a weird, niche show, but before bowing to anyone, be that network or audience, to gain better ratings, they go further down the rabit hole. I love shows that stick to their convictions and do not compromise themselves for a network by giving in to its demands, but Community compromises itself by going aggressivley against the "mainstream" (used here for a lack of a better term. Perhaps "normalcy").
With that preface, I still think this episode worked really well. In the context of Community's increasingly wild concepts and the absence of a body of actually community college-based episodes, I understand how one can receive the Dreamatorium as "too weird". But in my opinion, and I hope it is valid enough to cast a more favourable light on the episode, this particular weirdness is justified, and even utilized deftly. The Dreamatorium is essentially an extension of Abed's mind. How can it be anything but weird? And in this episode, the device becomes a mouthpiece for both Annie and Abed to actually communicate, which otherwise has been mostly futile with him. The episode addresses, once more this Season, fundamental issues with Abed, and things he has to work at, if he wants to succeed in life. Abed is an asshole; he, like everybody else, actually needs people around him, but his disorder makes that very difficult. So when he is privileged enough to be part of a circle of friends, as damages as that circle may be, he becomes manipulative, not knowing any other way to keep himself protected (that's what the weird device in the Dreamatorium, that Annie later breaks, basically tells us). There is little actual development for Abed's character in this episode, but he admits that a) he is not needed, and should "mathematically" be removed from the study group and b) needs to look at other ways to interact with people, as he cannot sabotage Britta and Troy's relationship just so he can stay happy. Abed (allegedly?) understanding empathy by the end of the episode is a development I would at this point consider "forced and unearned", I don't quite know how it came about. But then again, his behaviour at the bit at the end of the episode (what are those bits called again?) when Annie separates the bunk beds suggests that he hasn't evolved quite as much anyway.
I don't think this episode was much about Annie. The revelation that she does not actually love Jeff wasn't a big deal and what the episode was building up towards, and therefore not something that stole much screentime. I think she merely served as a foil to Abed, and was probably the most qualified member of the study group to reprimand him and teach him about friendship.
Ultimately, this episode was needed, in my opinion. Over the past two Seasons, there has been infinite tiptoeing around Abed, never addressing his disorder, always drawing the line at accusing him, Troy being annoyingly over-protective of him, Abed being the only one whose psych test didn't indicate a sick mind... I think this is an episode best seen in the grand scheme of the series, as opposed to individually.
I didn't understand everyone saying they didn't understand it, making me think I missed something. So. No?
yeah I had the same experience. Pages of discussion on a film I thought was fairly straightforward made me think that I missed something. It turned out I didn't though.
Posts
Also, I couldn't be the only one worried that when Annie broke Abed inside the Dreamatorium, it would leave an opening for Evil Abed to enter the world?
worked on two levels in light of the stuff revealed recently about chevy's comment
The opening bit cracked me up. He subverted himself perfectly.
chaos theory disagrees with you. but yes, this was fantastic. they've been on a roll since they came back from the hiatus. this season is building up to a really strong one. I was worried at the very beginning, but this is some quality stuff. I think season 2 still edges it, but there are some real gems lately.
For some reason, Chevy's "Because I think I'm on a train" had me in stitches.
So subtle. So good. Even my girlfriend missed it at first.
But, no. This episode, as weird as it was, was grounded in character, and that was always what I enjoyed most about the show. My mind was racing all the time throughout the episode, trying to weed out the weirdness from the message, but in an enjoyable way. It couldn't have been easy for the actors to pull this episode off.
Still, I wonder about this season. The writing is sharp, deliberate and certainly not lazy, but this makes me all the more worried, because it just means they deliberately move away from the show I loved to what we have currently. This season has been so damned dark. We had evil Jeff (Biology 101), more narcissistic than ever Jeff, Jeff that is toxic for the group (Remedial Chaos Theory), Jeff whose daddy issues kill Hawthorne Sr. (Advanced Gay), evil Shirley (Foosball episode), murderous Glee club guy, further disintegration of the Greendale campus (annex story), Britta who has completely lost the groundedness (tm) she possessed in Season 1, the growing rift between Troy and Abed... ... I mean, Community was always working with conflicted characters, but so far dealt with their issues in a much less overt way. So when the show states that the dark night is finally over, I hope to god that it really is, because it's been enough.
(hm, I thought I posted this reply already, but it somehow didn't register? Hope this post doesn't appear twice now...)
It was nonstop conceptual fanservice, and tough to enjoy in places even as a longtime fan. If it were my goal to get somebody interested in Community, and this was the episode I showed them, then they would never watch the show ever again.
I liked how excited everyone was for Pierce. And then how sad.
Oh, noticed Troy was humming Daybreak at the end. One confusing thing...I thought during at least one T&AITM segment the guest commented that there were no cameras or any actual show. But Troy seemed to be talking to Garret as the cameraman. Did it become a real show when they started doing the Greendale 'public access' stuff?
This one was so great.
I liked last week's more but this was excellent, probably my second fav since the return
I'd have to wait til it comes out to be sure but I'm pretty sure Advanced Gay is still my favorite this season
I'm not sure I understand
Not my favorite episode by a long shot, but I can certainly see why people would really like it.
Higher function, like "high functioning sociopath" I think. ;D
More like:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-functioning_autism
Please shoot me a PM if you add me so I know to add you back.
High functioning autism.
EDIT: Damn, too slow.
I agree. At least on first watch I'd say it is my least favorite episode. That being said, one of the things I like about this show is their willingness to try new things which this episode definitely was, so even if I didn't like it I'm not going to hold it against them.
I am a longtime fan. I've watched every new episode the week it airs since mid-season 1. After thinking about it for a bit, I think the dreamatorium is too weird, I hate the CGI they've been putting into it, and a lot of the character development in this episode felt forced and unearned. I'll watch it again when I've had more sleep, and then I'll rematch last week's episode because it's more my speed: People sitting or standing around and talking to each other like adults.
Edit: Well I shouldn't say that. I liked the DVD fiasco where Abed turns into Batman, but that felt more grounded and Annie actually learned through the episode, while in this one it felt like she was just waiting for the right time to drop her profoundly self-aware nugget of how she feels about Jeff.
I'm also pretty sure that there was no camera, we're just watching through Garrett's perspective who is supposed to be a camera, which is way more fucking hilarious. "Garrett, come over and be a camera for us."
On a side note: I don't understand how this was conceptual fanservice and would be interested in an elaboration of that interpretation.
Moer to the point: I concur that Community is at its most enjoyable, even at its smartest and funniest, when its just "people sitting [...] around and talking to each other". I mainly think of early Season One episodes in this case. I have developed a genuine dislike for the descend into weirdness, because it feels self-indulgent: The Season opens with a musical number that is basicall self-destructive sarcasm. They know they are a weird, niche show, but before bowing to anyone, be that network or audience, to gain better ratings, they go further down the rabit hole. I love shows that stick to their convictions and do not compromise themselves for a network by giving in to its demands, but Community compromises itself by going aggressivley against the "mainstream" (used here for a lack of a better term. Perhaps "normalcy").
With that preface, I still think this episode worked really well. In the context of Community's increasingly wild concepts and the absence of a body of actually community college-based episodes, I understand how one can receive the Dreamatorium as "too weird". But in my opinion, and I hope it is valid enough to cast a more favourable light on the episode, this particular weirdness is justified, and even utilized deftly. The Dreamatorium is essentially an extension of Abed's mind. How can it be anything but weird? And in this episode, the device becomes a mouthpiece for both Annie and Abed to actually communicate, which otherwise has been mostly futile with him. The episode addresses, once more this Season, fundamental issues with Abed, and things he has to work at, if he wants to succeed in life. Abed is an asshole; he, like everybody else, actually needs people around him, but his disorder makes that very difficult. So when he is privileged enough to be part of a circle of friends, as damages as that circle may be, he becomes manipulative, not knowing any other way to keep himself protected (that's what the weird device in the Dreamatorium, that Annie later breaks, basically tells us). There is little actual development for Abed's character in this episode, but he admits that a) he is not needed, and should "mathematically" be removed from the study group and b) needs to look at other ways to interact with people, as he cannot sabotage Britta and Troy's relationship just so he can stay happy. Abed (allegedly?) understanding empathy by the end of the episode is a development I would at this point consider "forced and unearned", I don't quite know how it came about. But then again, his behaviour at the bit at the end of the episode (what are those bits called again?) when Annie separates the bunk beds suggests that he hasn't evolved quite as much anyway.
I don't think this episode was much about Annie. The revelation that she does not actually love Jeff wasn't a big deal and what the episode was building up towards, and therefore not something that stole much screentime. I think she merely served as a foil to Abed, and was probably the most qualified member of the study group to reprimand him and teach him about friendship.
Ultimately, this episode was needed, in my opinion. Over the past two Seasons, there has been infinite tiptoeing around Abed, never addressing his disorder, always drawing the line at accusing him, Troy being annoyingly over-protective of him, Abed being the only one whose psych test didn't indicate a sick mind... I think this is an episode best seen in the grand scheme of the series, as opposed to individually.
EDIT: Or wait, Abed-as-Troy.
I'd buy that Troy actually feels that way about PJs.
I agree with everything he said.
Except maybe the butt stuff.
You didn't understand Inception?
yeah I had the same experience. Pages of discussion on a film I thought was fairly straightforward made me think that I missed something. It turned out I didn't though.