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Wacky Watches: Community

Biology 101 - [video=youtube_share;7Wi9qKURtKI]http://youtu.be/7Wi9qKURtKI[/video]

There's quite a lot of meta stuff about tv shows being cancelled and such in this one. Sometimes I think they do too much of that. But the episode is okay. It's setting up the rest of the season. First appearance of Inspector Spacetime (I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT ABED WOULDN'T ALREADY KNOW ABOUT IT?) and remember how the guy who played the Professor went crazy and thought he could be a star with his crappy Youtube series?

Geography of Global Conflict - Is this the start of Britta being dumber? Like she seems to have been turned up to eleven on the Britta scale (it's a scale that goes up to eleven.) She's still funny (because Gillian Jacobs) but it's worth noting! The UN stuff is...okay? There's a Jeff/Annie bit that's probably only there for gifs.

Competitive Ecology - LEGO. Not "Legos". I know you were in prison but that's no excuse. This is the Grimey episode. It's pretty good. Chang is funnier than he has been lately. "Like a lobster claw letting go of a small balloon, for lobsters."
 
Remedial Chaos Theory - "Vines? Ropes. VINES? Let him finish!" This episode is a masterclass in tv writing (it's the one with the different timelines if you don't know.) Not only is it really clever it's also really funny and has Britta's pizza song. This is great. There's not much more to say.

Horror Fiction in Seven Spooky Steps - It's the Treehouse of Horror one! This episode is pretty good but the problem is that it's seven short stories right after the absolutely awesome episode that had seven short stories so it's hard not to compare them and obviously this one loses. But it's enjoyable stuff! Gillian Jacobs is fucking hot?

Advanced Gay - Troy's plumber story returns but it has a point this time and features the return of John Goodman and also Black Hitler so that's good! And "breath print approved." And there's the Pierce's dad with the ivory wig gay storyline which is super wacky but it's okay. And Abed doing Troy's voice. Actually this is pretty good! Chang says "GAAAAY!" again.

Studies in Modern Movement - This is a mix, really. The Troy/Abed/Annie thing is pretty good, but really you'd think Troy at least would realise maybe you don't invite a woman to live in a blanket fort. Annie's in the right. Jeff and the Dean singing Seal is quite likable. The Shirley/Britta thing is a bit too dumb but Britta makes good faces. Pierce painting a floor is pointless. Episode is okay on the whole!

Documentary Filmmaking: Redux - It's very different from the last documentary filmmaking episode so that's good. The episode is good. Is there any more of the crazy Chinese guy? He pops!

Foosball and Nocturnal Vigilantism - "I can't exactly buy him a cat monocle can I, it's pretentious." The Jeff/Shirley football story is pretty good and they're trying to give Shrley more levels so that's nice (NO PUN INTENDED.) The Abed/Batman stuff is the highlight (and the police guy talking about the captain being killed bit) but really why would they leave their limited edition disc lying on the floor like that? SPOILS THE WHOLE EPISODE (it doesn't really spoil the whole episode.) The Germans are quite funny? The episode is good.
 
"These children's encyclopedias are amazing. They still say that Columbus discovered America!"

Mimi Rose Howard, played by Gillian Jacobs, channeling Britta Perry, on Girls.
 
"Nah, I can't go for a run, I had an abortion yesterday. I haven't shared my abortions with boyfriends in the past, I'm trying to be more open with you."

11 on the Britta scale!
 
Regional Holiday Music - It's the Glee episode. It's good! All the songs are funny and clever. It has Tree Britta (she so merry) and boopy doop doop boop sex Annie. And the line "oh, Britta's in this?" Merry Time Day!

Urban Matrimony and the Sandwich Arts - I think in general the show is feeling a lot wackier than season two. Not in terms of crazy concept episodes (season two had a lot of them!) but in terms of the characters. But this one is still pretty good! Jeff and Britta get drunk. Pierce wears mechanical trousers. Shirley get's married.

Contemporary Impressionists - This is the one where Abed is addicted to impressionists and Jeff has an apple expanding in his head and turns into the Hulk, and Chang has comedy thought bubbles. It's weird. Not great. I remember thinking at the time that all of Chevy's scenes had been filmed seperately and it still feels like that watching it back? Troy and Abed fall out at the end and it's a pretty good scene so that's something.

Digital Exploration of Interior Design - "Wait that's saved Garrett?" Abed and Troy go to war over pillow and blanket forts and John Goodman has a beard and ponytail because he's going through some stuff right now. Britta falls in love with human Subway. This is much much better. I like how John Goodman just acts his ass off in every scene he's in.
 
Pillows and Blankets - The one that's a parody of war documteries. It's very well done. It's not the funniest episode ever though? Maybe because the stroytelling style makes me feel removed from the humour. Or something. I laughed at "Leonard likes this." The Troy and Abed stuff is good. "You left your magical friendship hats at the Dean's office." Good 'The Cape' reference.

Origins of Vampire Mythology - "What's wrong Annie? You came out of the bedroom smiling and then you're smile faded as you leaned against the door." This line was well delivered (by the Dean.) This is a perfectly fine mid-level Community episode.

Virtual Systems Analysis - It's the Dreamatorium episode! It's great! It's much better than all those Voyager holodeck episodes. And non-holodeck episodes, really. So many layers.

Basic Lupine Urology - It's the Law and Order one! It's pretty good! I don't really watch Law and Order but it seems really accurate. It's funny how they're trying to solve a yam crime while there's Starburns setting up a meth lab. That's an actual crime! Annie does a dance. Not enough Britta.
 
I'm pretty sure Basic Lupine Urology is my favourite episode, but I'm going to double check by continuing to rematch them all.

I'm not a massive Law and Order fan, but its such a formulaic show that it's easy to pick up on the references in this episode. But what I really appreciate is just the consistency and volume of the jokes. It doesn't let up, and the acting and deliveries are spot on throughout.
 
The guy who directed Basic Lupine Urology was just announced to be directing the LEGO Movie sequel. So good for him!
 
Course Listing Unavailable - "You seemed smarter than me when we first met." This episode isn't very good. Far too much happens and none of it is very funny. Starburns' funeral turns into a rally against Greendale for some reason. Then a riot for some reason. Then Chang takes over with an army of children ("look, tiny riot gear! Aww!") The "Chang takes over the school with an army of children" story isn't very good by the way. I should have mentioned that before. Then the Dean is replaced by a clone and the gang are expelled. Then they reference Remedial Chaos Theory and it's over and still nothing funny has happened. Bad.

Curriculum Unavailable - It's the "they're all in a mental hopsital!" episode. But also another "flashbacks to episodes that never happened" episode (but not as good as the last one.) It's two things! It's much better than the previous episode anyway! Britta's "saying stupid things" level is raised to an all time high and I'm not really fond of that (though Gillian is still hilarious!) "Not yet. I want to see what happens if we confiscate one of their pens."

Digital Estate Planning - It's the video game one! I remember thinking "this probably won't be very good" when I first heard about it. Then after I watched it I thought "actually, that was really good." And it is! It's cute! There's an army of baby Abeds. Also the game looks really fun I want to play it.
 
The First Chang Dynasty - This one is good. I like an elaborate heist that makes no sense! The Chang stuff works here because they fully commit to it. I mean, he plays a keytar solo for his sister who he ate in utero. And "Chang eats the sun and he drinks up the skies and they both go with him when he dies." Troy and Abed disguised as men is funny. It's a funny episode with lots of funny parts. I like the school board guys. I'd accept a locke of Britta's hair.

Introduction to Finality - I remember the final three episodes of season 3 all aired on the same night and I thought this one was the weakest of the three. Watching it again...yeah, I agree. It is pretty good though! It's just there's so much going on with the court case and Troy's crazy subplot and evil Abed and Britta's therapy glasses. Abed going to cut Jeff's arm off is a bit much. But I think it earns the hoo hoo music anyway. I like the montage at the end. Also IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT this was the last episode with the original cast and Dan Harmon together so it kind of feels like a series finale in a way. Even though it's not. (I know Chevy had a cameo in season five but it was filmed seperately okay.)

History 101 - If you just read a description of this episode it would sound like it could be a regular episode of Community. Then you watch it and something feels off. Could it be that it isn't very funny or clever? I think that's it! It's like totally terrible? It's just wrong. The Hunger Deans is a thing in it because The Hunger Games is a popular movie. Abed imagines what life would be like in a sitcom but it's not really that different from the rest of the episode except it has a laugh track. The Annie/Shirley subplot is dead air. Troy and Britta get into a fight in a fountain? I don't really know why. This is bad.

Paranormal Parentage - "Why does he have so many collars? Secret dogs!" Okay, that was a funny line. We get to see Pierce's mansion. The part with Pierce and his brother is kind of okay. So this episode is better than the previous one. But it's still pretty shit! How did the same Megan Ganz who wrote Cooperative Calligraphy write this?

Conventions of Space and Time - It's the Inspector Spacetime convention episode. HAHAHAA LOOK AT THOSE SILLY NERDS AREN'T THEY LAME. This isn't funny. Season 4 isn't funny. Why didn't they make it funny?
 
CaptainWacky said:
But it's still pretty shit! How did the same Megan Ganz who wrote Cooperative Calligraphy write this?
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Dan Harmon was probably the kind of showrunner who touched up (or rewrote) everyone else's scripts before they were shot -- those are the kind of showrunners who burn out after 3 or 4 seasons. Like Aaron Sorkin & The West Wing.
 
I'm sure he was, but it's not like they didn't have other good writers (though most of them left before season 4.) You'd think one of them would notice "hey, where's the jokes?"
 
Alternative History of the German Invasion - This episode does try to be funny. It isn't, but at least it tries. So yeah the evil German foosball players are back. But now they just hate America and wish Germany had won the war. Like before we didn't like them because they were foosball jersk. Now they're just jerks because they're German? There's lots of racist jokes about the war. It's not funny like in Fawlty Towers. Of course the "clever" twist is that the group are the "bad guys" but that's been done before and much better. They have a halfassed Octoberfest but only the girls dress up (because they have breasts.) Dan Harman liked the "Hogan's Villains" line though! Changnesia is also a thing but let's just not even mention that? There's flashbacks to other episodes (because if you reference old episodes then this is just as good as them!) but THE PUPPY PARADE WAS GOING ON WHEN THEY LOST THE PEN SO NO ONE ELSE WOULD HAVE WANTED THE ROOM.

Cooperative Escapism in Familial Relations - Chevy always sounds really tired and old now. Bet he regrest getting Dan Harmon fired (that probably isn't what happened)! This is the one where Jeff (and Britta) meets his father and half brother. His dad is a really bad dad, his brother is comically inept. The other characters are stuck in a straight prison movie parody at Shirley's at Thanksgiving. It's not very funny. This episode is a bit better than the previous few because at least Joel McHale does some decent acting even though the big "here's a scar where I cut myself because of you, dad" scene doesn't seem to fit in the tv show Community. Unearned "hoo hoo" music at the end though it doesn't go full "hoo hoo".

Advanced Documentary Filmmaking - Ah yeah, another documentary one. It's not like they've done three of those already! And his one is about Changnesia. Jeff sets out to prove Changnesia isn't real. The "what are you having?" "none of this" line was actually funny. Britta wears glasses. Pierce does something racist. Troy and Annie play at being police detectives and it's actually kind of funny because of how they make faces into the camera. Pierce does something racist. After being a whole episode of kind of saying "Chang knows who he is but wants to be nice now" they just reveal at the end that he's still evil. But the part where he throws his phone away then goes back and picks it up again is funny. So yeah this is the best episode of season 4 so far for at least having more than two funny bits in it. But it's still an episode about Changnesia.

Economics of Marine Biology - This is an episode I didn't really remember at all. The main plot is so forgettable I can't even remember it while I'm typing this. Troy and Shirley do a wacky PE thing. It isn't funny. Jeff goes for a shave with Pierce and there's literally no jokes in this storyline either. Abed starts a frat but that's like one scene so I don't know if it evens counts as a stroyline. This episode is bad.
 
Herstory of Dance - People seem to think this is a good episode. I remember when it was first on many people going "THIS WAS MUCH BETTER THAN THE REST OF SEASON 4. And maybe it is a bit better than the season 4 average, but it's still not exactly good? I mean if it was an episode from the first 3 seasons it would be one where I said "FORGETTABLE EPISODE" or something. It is a Britta centric episode and I still like Britta and she isn't comically dumb as she was last season (except mistaking Susan B. Anthony with some singer I've never heard of) but maybe that's because the new writers don't think they're up to writing crazy dumb Britta dialogue. Brie Larson is in it and she's very cute and does a good job with the material. Pierce helping Britta and telling Jeff to stop being a jerk to her is a nice moment. But this is still a season 4 episode so they say words like "hijinks" and "trope" and "Changnesia" and reference previous episodes in an unsubtle way a lot. Is Britta even still dating Troy by the way?

Intro to Felt Surrogacy - It's the puppet one! Season 4 finally has a wacky concept episode of its own. There's song. They did go to the effort to write songs and all the cast sing on them which is nice. But they're not actually very funny, the songs. Then Jason Alexander is in it for a couple of minutes and they do drugs but still it isn't very funny. Then they all make sad confessions in sad songs but it's still not funny and would Annie really let a professor rub her feet to pass a test? It's all a bit cringey. Also Chevy had a fight behind the scenes so he only appears as a puppet.

Intro to Knots - They aren't even trying with the titles anymore. Chevy isn't in this one either. This one's in real time (I guess?) if that counts as as gimmick. Malcolm McDowell is in it. I should have mentioned he's in this season, but it's not like he does anything memorable. Chang ties him up and continues say "I have Changnesia!" a lot. It's still not funny. I think Malcolm McDowell is supposed to be messing with their minds or something but it's not very compelling. This episode is boring as shit. Like just when you think it's going to end THEY TIE HIM UP AGAIN and Chang doesn't know how to tie a knot because he has "Changnesia" but we already know he's faking it so what the fuck is even happening. Then the Dean gives everyone kittens at the end and we get a "darkest timeline" bit to fill up the rest of the episode. It's bad.

Basic Human Anatomy - This is the one written by Jim Rash. Expectations were that it would be better than the rest of season 4. It is the best episode of the season. It's still not great though. Troy and Abed (pretend to) swap bodies and Danny and Donald do a good job of making it funny. The reason they do this is because Troy wants to break up with Britta but he's toos cared to (Troy is a horrible boyfriend.) It's the ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY of Britta and Troy's first date, but all we've seen of their relationship is a couple of scenes of them in bed together. And we never find out how Britta feels about any of this, it's all about Troy. Annie being attracted to the Dean who is acting like Jeff is funny. Pierce only appears for about 40 seconds. So yeah this is more bearable than the rest of season 4 but it still shouldn't be on anyone's favourite episodes list.

Heroic Origins - It's the prequel episode! Remember that prequel episode of Friends with all the continuity errors? That was better than this. It has lots of unnecessary ways all the charactres already met and lots of "things from previous episodes" which are just like a checklist of things rather than actually being funny. Chevy isn't in it so they have a stand-in to do two things Pierce did in previous episodes (because referencing previous episodes is automatically funny!) Chang turns good at the end because Abed is nice to him but all the characters have been nice to him all season. Sorry this doesn't work for me at all.
 
Advanced Introduction to Finality - Just having the Dean say "Dean" all the time isn't actually funny. Hey, remember that Darkest Timeline? That was a funny one-off thing. Let's keep beating it into the ground. Let's have an episode where the two timelines crossover because that's not a terrible idea! OH WAIT, IT WAS ALL A DREAM. So what was the point of watching it? Will Jeff go back to being an evil lawyer? Well no, of course he fucking won't. Also there's paintball because people liked it when they did that three years before. Pierce just randomly runs in at the end and say "I'm graduating too!" and that's it for him I guess. Unearned hoo hoo music at the end. Worst episode ever?

Repilot - It's season five! Dan Harmon is back! And...why is the picture so dark? Is it a budget thing? It's weird. Maybe it's on purpose of the mood of the story or something. Anyway, this is better already just because the dialogue feels much more natural and much less forced and the characters seem like the charactres again. On the other hand it's another "Jeff is conflicted between being lawyer and helping Greendale" story and I feel like we've seen enough of those. "Don't blame it all on the gas leak year." Chevy has a cameo as a hologram which is good. Anyway the plot of this episode is contrived as fuck (which of course Abed hangs on a lampshade on at the beginning) and it's not a great episode or anything but I liked it more than season 4 because it just feel more like Community.

Introduction to Teaching - Jeff is a teacher now. Jonathan Banks is a teacher who hates students. Abed goes mad trying to figure out if Nicholas Cage is good or bad ("I'm a cat. I'm a sexy cat.") I like the duck cartoons. This episode is pretty good.

Basic Intergluteal Numismatics - It's the ass crack bandit one! It's like a parody of David Fincher movies and it's well done and Professor Duncan is back(!) and the song that plays on the radio is funny (see below!)...but really the episode isn't all that funny? They say "butt" a lot but I don't think that's enough. It feels a bit stretched out. Starburns trying to sing Ants Marching is funny. I don't really care about the Jeff/Annie thing anymore. It's still better than season four! Oh and Pierce is dead.

[video=youtube_share;Zv6bx1CtYYU]http://youtu.be/Zv6bx1CtYYU[/video]
 
Cooperative Polygraphy - Hey, this episode is great. This is the one that makes you think "phew, season 5 can be great like the first three seasons!" It's an episode where they're all sitting around the table and secrets come out, but it's a million times better than the last time that happened in Intro to Felt. And the ending questions get you in the feels. And the guest star guy does a good job filling in for Pierce. And yes we all noticed the iPod thing. Here's your sperm.

Geothermal Escapism - It's Troy's last episode! It's the hot lava one! And it's the best Britta episode in years!? Yes, it's all these things! It's really funny and well directed but also the emotions! This is the best episode of season 5, I'm pretty sure.

Analysis of Cork-Based Networking - I couldn't remember which one this was for like the first five minutes. Then Nathan Fillion appeared and I thought "oh, Nathan Fillion was in Community?" (And Rober Patrick for about a minute?) Then I finally remembered it was the "bear dance!" episode. Chang trying to explain "bear down for midterms" was probably the funniest part? And the phrase "fat dog". The episode was fine and pretty funny but just not super memorable is what I'm saying. I like Brie Larson.
 
Bondage and Beta Male Sexuality - I like the Britta/Duncan stuff. The Abed/Hickey stuff is decent too (but really Abed deserved to be handcuffed, what did he think was going to happen when he sprayed that foam?) I'm not sure if I'm missing something with the Chang story, even though it is kind of funny. "Everybody hide the hamburgers, if Abed sees a hamburger we'll travel through time!"

App Development and Condiments - It's The MeowMeowBeenz one! The Koog approves! It's good! Britta is in the right again (well until she goes mad at the end!) "What is with Twos and apples!"

VCR Maintenance And Educational Publishing - This is the one where the Dean does a rap at the start and you can see Joel and Gillian struggling not to crack up. So that's good! Annie's brother's in it but also Brie Larson and she's better than Annie's Brother let's be honest. I like the overly comlicated VCR game with Vince Gilligan. There's a subplot with books that's like dealing drugs which isn't as good but Britta smiffs a book and she looks hot. This is a perfectly fine episode of Community.
 
Advanced Advanced Dungeons & Dragons - The first Dungeons and Dragons episode was one of the best episodes, so they of course have Abed hang a lampshade on that at the start. Even so this episode is a bit disappointing. The first one was about helping Neil and also Pierce being an insane villain, but also the rest of the cast got stuff to do. This one is supposedly about Hickey and his relationship with his son, yet most of the episode is just spent on watching the cast playing D&D. Like it's still entertaining thanks to the directing and sound effects and acting (Alison Brie is a good Hector The Well Endowed, the part where Hickey goes into cop mode with the hobgoblins is good) but it is really just a lot of Abed reading stuff. Then it gets to the end and it still hasn't really done anything with Hickey's relationship with his son so they just kind of say "we need an ending now" and Jeff says "they need each other more than they don't need each other" or something and they all walk out. I mean it's a decent episode but it could have been better I FEEL.

G.I. Jeff - This is the G.I. Joe one (obviously)! It's very well done. It looks authentic (not that I ever watched G.I. Joe.) It's very clever. I didn't actually laugh much though. Well there was Duncan's twin brother and Gillian Jacobs making saw noises. It feels a bit stretched over 20 minutes. Also Shirley just saying "I've got three kids!" a lot is funny at first but then you realise they still can't write Shirley as well as the others even after five seasons.

Basic Story - This is the one where nothing interesting is happening in Greendale. So the first half of the episode is Abed looking for a story to start and the joke is that nothing interesting is happening. But having no story means the story is over seems to be the...story here as the school board guys are going to sell the school because it's good now. There's a guy who had sex with a computer. Then Jeff and Britta get engaged because they're getting older and their lives are going nowhere. This episode is interesting to watch. I don't know if it's actually good though.

Basic Sandwich - This episode is funnier than the previous one (probably funnier than the previous three.) I feel like it falls into some of the same traps as late season 3 did. I'm sure the "computer genius living under the school" stuff is kind of making fun of the typical silly Community stories. But we still have to like watch it? It's so meta that it's like they're making fun of meta references to how many meta references there are. Or making meta references to how they're making meta references to how they're making fun of how they make fun of how many meta references there are. The emotionless computer is us? Jeff and Britta just say "we're not getting married" and that story is over. It's still funny at least! I like the "Open The Door" song and the tv show parodies.
 
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