by Thom Yee

Community images courtesy of Sony Pictures Television.

6×05: “Laws of Robotics and Party Rights”

It was this time last year (and on real, broadcast TV) that we lost Troy in one of the most moving and insightful episodes in Community’s history. Honestly, and as my previous reviews can attest, I loved that first batch of Community season five episodes that represented creator Dan Harmon’s return. Balancing a rebooting of the series and dealing with what was left from season four, in particular Pierce’s Greendale retirement and Troy’s impending departure, they were bursting with the same kind of boundless energy that defined the show at its best and they would give us latter-day favourites like “Basic Intergluteal Numismatics”, one of the series’ best concept episodes and one that gifted pop culture with the Ass Crack Bandit. The show would soon fall off from such great heights with its following episodes, but it was still pretty good throughout the remainder of the season. I for one can’t imagine a world without Meow Meow Beenz or having never seen Sean Connery’s Zardoz.

So far I don’t feel anywhere near the same about season six. Continue reading →

by Thom Yee

Community images courtesy of Sony Pictures Television.

6×04: “Queer Studies and Advanced Waxing”

Sometimes it’s easy to forget just how big the Community cast still is, with four remaining principals, one secondary character, two recurring guest stars, plus whatever Chang is. With a cast that size, it can be hard to find something for everyone to do, and even though “Queer Studies and Advanced Waxing” is comprised of three very separate stories and an eight-minute-longer running time than network sitcoms, the episode still had to shuffle three of its core characters out of its main stories.

Our lead story features Dean Pelton’s token ascension onto Richie and Carl’s (that’s right, they have names!) school board due entirely to the Dean’s seemingly apparent homosexuality. It’s not a very interesting or original premise, but it offers us perhaps the first in-depth analysis of the Dean’s preferences. Continue reading →

by Thom Yee

Community images courtesy of Sony Pictures Television.

6×03: “Basic Crisis Room Decorum”

One thing I’ve noticed about many of the truly great television comedies is how much more I enjoyed them earlier in their runs. The first couple of seasons may not be what a lot of shows are best remembered for, but what they usually represent is an earnest attempt on the part of their writers to stick to some sort of recognizable reality. While we’re not necessarily here to discuss shows like It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Community, like that show, has gone from relatively grounded and clever to a show that will often sacrifice everyone’s sanity for increasingly cheap laugh. It’s a progression that’s worked well for both shows in some ways, even if it’s cost Community the ability to pick up new viewers as it’s progressed, but sometimes I really miss watching a show about people and places that could actually exist in real life. Continue reading →