Community (Season 3): POP POP POP! - Page 8

Its too hard to decide who is hotter, Allison Brie or Pheobe Cates. That is why for now on, I will fantasied about both of them rising out of a pool at the same time. Moving in stereo if you will.

Edited by Chaz - 10/29/11 at 4:01pm

Felt a little flat, but still a lot of fun. Everything Pierce did had me dying. Also...

 

You only made us MORE awesome!

 

Where was Jeff in that story, and why did you name me Jango?

 

GAAAAY MARRIAGE!!!

 

Kinda wish they didn't show us who the tests belonged to, but at least they are consistent with Abed being the most put together.

 

To Britta means to make a small mistake. What does Abed mean? He said it so fast, I couldn't contextualize it.

Here's that last exchang (intentional!):

 

 

To pull an Abed seems to mean pulling something in a way that pulls it in on itself.  Just a guess, but it suits Abed's meta nature.

So much unstoppable goodness in this ep, but I think it may be the half assed narrating and voice work - especially from the radio announcer, in Brittas story that left me in absolute floods of tears and unable to breathe. 

 

I love that as Harmons budget has been cut his imagination and ways around that are becoming more and more exciting to watch.

Goodman next week.

Just caught the Halloween episode yesterday. Sorry to say that I only really laughed at Abed’s story. Although I appreciate the character beats in each of the individual stories, the humor just didn't connect. I was a huge Community fan in S1 and S2, but this season is leaving me cold. It just feels different somehow.

 

It doesn’t help that I discovered Parks and Rec recently and marathoned through all the episodes over the weekend. No offense, but I think I like that show better now.

What's wrong with this season so far is we get into the character's heads in brilliant ways, but there is no pay off. Example: So Annie still likes Jeff. Nothing every happens that really pushes her to try to go after him.

Also where is John Goodman?

I don't mind that.

 

Community is a show that wouldn't still be around if NBC didn't suck so hard at ratings. It's under unique circumstances that enable them to really go out on their own way. If anything I want even more weird stuff from them. Who says all setups have to pay off?

Because its frustrating when you get behind a storyline and it goes no where.

SAIRUS, have you gone shipper on us?

I do.  At least on a sitcom.  But they don't all need to in the first 5 episodes of the season.

 

If I was shipping at this point, I'd be pulling way harder for Troy and Britta than Jeff and anybody.

 

See, I think the criticism that we've now had two episodes where very little actually happened at all is a valid one. But as far as concerns about "payoff" five episodes in, that is a little premature.

But what if having a number of set-ups just go nowhere ends up being the joke itself? It's a bit meta, I know, but it could work. Subvert the form, kind of what Norm MacDonald did at the Shattner roast.

I've chuckled plenty so far (especially during the brilliant Chaos Theory episode), but everything with Chang so far has been utterly stultifying. Britta's running a close second for me. I liked her much better when she wasn't such a cartoon character.

I freaking loved Chang's noir episode, but I'll agree that they're moving Britta too far out there.  Jacobs is killing the cartoonish bits (imo, she'd be a lock for for a nod in the timeline where the Emmys know Community exists), but I like the character to remain on the grounded side of the group.

Loving season three Britta. Probably my favorite character right now.

What bothers me most about Britta: In season one, her character was a real human being wrapped around a kernel of a clever caricature. In season 3, she's a caricature wrapped around a kernel of a human being. It's the same with Chang, although I don't think his season 3 character has a kernel of humanity to it anymore. When the show acknowledges how pathetic he is, it's always for laughs.

 

These characters migrated to the 'outside' during S2, but I didn't mind - with episodes like Space Camp and Conspiracy Theories, how could I? - but so far, I'm sorta underwhelmed this year. Last week's show was basically a Simpsons Halloween episode.

I think I have to disagree. Britta would never be that open with random people. She knows these people really well. She can be the true Britta with them.  She feels comfortable enough with her friends to be silly. The Model UN episode showed all of Britta's actions sans group. This is what she would still be doing if she wasn't in the group.

And more than that, I actively disliked her in season one. If they've given up verisimilitude for being funny and likable, I don't mind. Although I'm not convinced they've done that.

She was a cartoon character in the model UN episode. And sorry, but that cop/criminal B-plot would have been stale on Family Guy.

 

Don't get me wrong - I love Gillian Jacobs. I just don't want Britta to turn into another Chang.

(slowly lowers wrench, tip-toes away from Trevor's turned back)

Am I seriously living in a world where this is now an insult or criticism? Seriously?

"I know you're a good man, and I have a dog who's very sick..."

 

People are complaining that this show is cartoonish, now? Seriously?

 

And I say that as someone who generally prefers the more grounded, emotionally realistic stuff like "Mixology Certification". But come on. If you've been watching for three seasons you should know what kind of show this is.

 

You mean the one where Troy discovered his mom had lied to him about how old he was, Pierce's automated wheelchair died in the lobby of a bar with Shirley's drunken mug plastered all over the place and Annie pretended to be a Texan drifter?

 

You mean there is no Single-Malt Platinum Boobs and Billiards Club!?  I guess I'd never read descriptions of this show out loud...  hehehehe

Cartoonish show is fine. Season two was amazing. Britta is becoming a caricature. Folks aren't reading my posts.

Actually, in the season two thread, Ripoll made a similar comment about the way Britta seemed to be becoming a one-joke character who only seemed to be there so that the other characters could "UGH" her.

 

Chewer haiku says.

Well to be fair to the cartoonish comment, something has to be said about the fact that considering they did a outright claymation episode, said episode was only the 5th most cartoonish in season 2.

 

You're right, I too have felt that Britta has been starting to get a little loopy. Now I understand the multi timeline episode had her smoking some pot, thus "me so hungee" but I think if we take it back to the 1st season, a silent protest seemed to be her thing. I may be wrong, I'm not a writer. The show is getting more and more cartoonier, but season 3 has learned to not have so many gimmick episodes back to back.

......Except that they just aired two episodes with a "7 mini stories reflecting the various characters" structure back to back.

I don't get it. ALL the characters are cartoonish. Britta is no different than Pierce, Abed, Annie, Troy or Jeff. Shirley is the least cartoonish of the group. Out of all the regulars Chang probably the most, with the Dean not far behind. Personally, I think Britta's been more funny this season than in the past, and as long as she's consistently Britta, that's all that matters to me.

I suspect Britta's less reserved nature over the course of the show is less the writers losing sight of her original, minimal characterization as hot blond with liberal/rebel issues and more likely due to everyone realizing Gillian Jacobs can be freaking hilarious, so they're letting her.

 

Aired, but not produced. Chaos Theory was supposed to switch with the Everyone Hates Todd episode (Hence the 303-304 joke and "Psych exams last week" problem).

I know, it's still a weird time for that particular compliment.

 

Letting Jacobs run wild is certainly the main motivation beyond the character shift, but Trevor's not wrong that there was a shift.  And it's more noticeable because it took them longer to move Britta away from just being the straight woman than it did to realize that Glover was funnier playing goofy and childlike rather than lunkheaded, or that technology has not yet reached a point where its possible to de-sexualize Alison Brie.

Have you guys seen the outtakes for season 2?  Brie is a wild wild dork.  You'll fall in love with her all over again.

 

And she often seems to be paired with Pudi when it comes to behind the scenes interviews.  They seem to have a really strong chemistry outside of their roles as well.

And this is how celebrity stalker killers are born.  If I just take out the Pudi, I can swoop in on the rebound.

This week's episode?

 

"Advanced Gay."

 

In which we meet Pierce's still-alive dad, in the flesh:

 

 

 

 

At one point in the episode, Cornelius is referred to as

Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)

 

by one of the characters.

 

Also, I'm guessing this connects to the episode-title somehow...

 

http://www.nbc.com/community/video/going-gay/1365697/

 

Here's a clip.

Britta wasn't acting like a cartoon when Troy and her were talking in the bathroom in Chaos Theory.

 

 

"I'm gonna eat paninis with black Hitler and there's NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT!"

"Especially Bruce Vilanch."

 

"He's the Abed of racism."

 

Loved.

That was defiantly weird. They are done with finding a new audience. So Pierce's dad has ivory for hair? Incredibly specific Doctor Who references? And whatever the hell Goodman is up to. 

 

But it's certainly hilarious. My favorite part was the priest telling Britta she's the worst.

Spaceman paninis!

 

"You've heard of room temperature? This is The Room." I loved every Goodman minute.

Goodman is so amazing in absurd authority roles.

 

Also, the priest telling Britta she was the worst had me belly laughing.

 

Really weird, funny episode.

I love that they're referring back to the dangling plot thread of Troy's fix-it skills from season 1.

Who the hell was playing Pierce's dad?  At first, I thought for sure it was Jim Rash in makeup.  Then I thought it might have been Andy Dick.  No idea.  

 

 

That would be Larry Cedar: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0147738/

 

Who, apparently played the Snakeman monster in Dreamscape and the Gremlin on the wing in the Twilight Zone Movie as well as 153 other insane, amazing, beautiful and totally unrelated roles.

I like football, but also, I don't...

 

Spot on inflection. 

"You're basically Finns!" had me belly laughing. That was pretty amazing. I liked that episode more than any of the others this season except for Remedial Chaos Theory. The gay jokes fell kind of flat with me but Pierce's dad, Britta's obsession with Jeff's "edible complex", and Goodman's entire subplot made up for it. The smash cut to Jeff looking haunted at the funeral, while expected, was just great. I'm not sure if it's a character flaw, but Pierce's dad's racism just hit my exact comedic sweet spot.





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