by Thom Yee

Community images courtesy of Sony Pictures Television.

6×09: “Grifting 101”

Something that’s been hard to track throughout the last two seasons of Community is the progression of the school year. Without the benefit of a year-round/fall-winter release schedule, thirteen episodes can go by relatively quickly in about one semester’s time, and this year and last have also been without markers like a Halloween or Christmas episode. When the topic of picking new classes from this semester’s new course catalogue comes up, as is the starting pitch for this week’s “Grifting 101”, the whole thing sort of feels out of left field. On the other hand, we’ve already gone pretty far in abandoning the central conceit of school uniting our characters anyway; classroom settings rarely show up even as framing sequences anymore. And since when was Chang a student again? Hasn’t he been the math teacher since last year? And even then, along with photography and martial arts, shouldn’t that assignment have gone against every fibre of the mysterious, inscrutable nature he may have but doesn’t want to have any conversations about? Maybe I’m just living in the past (I miss 2009, when twenty years ago was still the 80s). Continue reading →

by Thom Yee

Community images courtesy of Sony Pictures Television.

6×08: “Intro to Recycled Cinema”

If there’s one thing I consider a gift in terms of my writing ability (if I can truly claim to even have such a thing) it’s that I rarely labour for inspiration. I’m not the type of writer who puts off writing until the last minute or stares at a blank page for long, and it usually takes mere minutes of consideration before I can start off in a relatively strong direction. That doesn’t mean that I don’t have to go back and edit or revise or that everything spills out in its final, pristine glory the first go-round (if ever), but if there’s one thing I can usually count on, it’s that I don’t have to wait too long for inspiration to strike.

Right now, I am absolutely struggling for something to say about “Intro to Recycled Cinema”. But it’s not that there is nothing to say about it, just that there’s not much I want to say about it. Continue reading →

by Thom Yee

Community images courtesy of Sony Pictures Television.

6×07: “Advanced Safety Features”

I feel compelled to begin this week’s review by telling you that I drive a Honda — a proper hatchback Civic and the last such hatchback released in North America. It’s fast [relative to Civics], it’s agile [ relative to Civics], and most importantly, for some reason most of the girls I talk to really like it.

Honda is strong in my family. My father drives one. I drive one. My sister drives one. But… my mother drives a Subaru… and I probably would too if I could afford a new car right now.

We’re now at the exact midpoint of Community’s sixth season in what I would call the most disappointing run in series history not referred to as the gas leak year. Continue reading →

by Thom Yee

Community images courtesy of Sony Pictures Television.

6×06: “Basic Email Security”

As has become increasingly common with this year’s batch of Community episodes, the best parts of this week’s “Basic Email Security” come from further exploring the mythos of Greendale and its ersatz “activities committee” nee “study group”. The group tested Annie’s blood for amphetamines because she was “extra jumpy last spring? The group has a betting pool on Frankie’s sexual preferences? Elroy’s being called out for his “House Guest-era Sinbad-esque wardrobe? Garrett had a girlfriend in 2009? And has therefore been attending a community college for at least six years? All gold.

Still not that funny, though.

Continue reading →