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Community- the other sitcom we deserved but couldn't have

Goo Punch

By Goo Punch
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Dutchrudder

Dutchrudder 11139

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On 4/24/2020 at 3:20 PM, Goo Punch said:

I've mentioned this in other threads before, but I think that Joel McHale does a great job on this show, particularly because he himself is not actually all that funny. You find out who's really funny when you watch all of the gag reels/blooper tapes, and here's the breakdown with Community: Donald Glover is hilarious; Chevy Chase is completely out of touch with everyone/everything around him; Alison Brie is both hot and funny; but Joel McHale is surprisingly unfunny for a guy who can play a character/host a clip show so well. So shouts out to his acting ability, because he is absolutely perfect as Jeff Winger. 

I can kind of agree with that take on Joel. He's one of those people where I can't tell where he stops being himself in a role, and starts acting as a character. In this show, his job is to be the voice of reason in many cases, which isn't all that funny, but it's a foil to other characters for them to play off. He brings out the best in everyone, and does possess the skill to deliver the lines in that Winger way that is always satisfying. He may not be hilarious like other characters, but he's absolutely crucial to the health of the cast as he creates such a great comedic environment. 

Jason Bateman is another one that comes to mind as an actor I don't find very funny, but I do love their central role in a comedy. In Arrested Development (first 3 seasons) JB was great as the straight man; a sensible, intelligent, well-meaning family member surrounded by oddballs and dummies that all have very distinctive characters that provide the bulk of the comedy. While he doesn't get a lot of great one-liners, he's often on the receiving end of some of the best interactions in the show, and his character is crucial to the story's plot. I don't think he was a particularly great actor though, as he just seems to be himself delivering the lines in that sort of skeptical but dumbfounded way.

It's not a bad thing, just something I notice. In discussions about "favorite character on X show" neither one of them really comes to mind. It's always Troy and Abed, Gob, Tobias, etc. The crazy funny characters with interesting personalities and the best one-liners across the show.  

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'stache

'stache 21815

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I binged on Hulu before it hit Netflix, and I enjoyed it as much as when it was in production. I do think the extreme opinions of how "brilliant" the show is and how "Season __ was terrible" are both way off. It was never perfect. I always hated Pierce's character. Abed could get annoying sometimes. Chang was funny but became  a cartoon character ("Changnesia" took up way too many episodes). I actually think I liked Britta the best. Her glipses of self-awareness were always funny. I really like the last Yahoo season, with the new characters working out just fine. The fact that they got six seasons from a show about a 2 year community college, while losing half the original cast, and was still  enjoyable, is something I really appreciate. I do agree that some of the episodes in isolation are truly brilliant. 

Edited by 'stache
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RPM

RPM 26321

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Give me some rope

Tie me to dream

Give me the hope

To run out of steam

Somebody said

It can be here

We could be roped up, tied up

Dead in a year

I can't count the reasons I should stay

One by one they all just fade away

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RPM

RPM 26321

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On 4/13/2020 at 10:06 AM, Goo Punch said:

lulz, watching right now and it's the KFC Space Simulator episode. such an average/typical episode for this series, and still so good. 

That episode was special. They copied hard from The Right Stuff and Apollo 13. It was a beautiful homage blended with an Airplane! level of satire. 

There is so much Rick and Morty buried in these episodes it's like a running Easter eggs reel during the early Harmon years. The "Epidemiology" Halloween episode is pure R&M.

Edited by RPM
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Guest Lobo

Guest Lobo

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I never did get the explanation of why the John Oliver character was supposed to have a bigger role and also completely disappeared?  Obviously he went on to bigger things. 

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Guest Lobo

Guest Lobo

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Gotcha, I didn't know he was on the Daily Show (never watched it).  I thought he went from standup to Community then back to standup then on to This Week Tonight (which I do watch regularly).  Anyway, need to binge watch the last two seasons of Community during SiP.  Seems like from this thread there's still enough laughter there to make it worthwhile.

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RPM

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14 hours ago, Lobo said:

Gotcha, I didn't know he was on the Daily Show (never watched it).  I thought he went from standup to Community then back to standup then on to This Week Tonight (which I do watch regularly).  Anyway, need to binge watch the last two seasons of Community during SiP.  Seems like from this thread there's still enough laughter there to make it worthwhile.

Oliver took Stephen Colbert's slot as Daily Show lead correspondent when Colbert got his own show, then filled in for Jon Stewart when he went on hiatus to write/direct Rosewater. That fill in gig is what got him Last Week Tonight because he was fantastic.

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RPM

RPM 26321

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It took a pandemic to make it happen...

Six seasons and a Zoom call!

The cast of “Community” and creator Dan Harmon are reuniting for a virtual table read and Q&A, in order to benefit COVID-19 relief efforts.

Among the participants will be Donald Glover, who departed “Community” during its fifth season — marking the first time he’s been a part of a “Community” event since leaving the show. Stars Joel McHale, Gillian Jacobs, Danny Pudi, Yvette Nicole Brown, Alison Brie, Jim Rash, Ken Jeong and Glover are all set to join the table read, along with Harmon.

The table read will be shown in its entirety, along with a Q&A of fan questions, on Monday, May 18, at 2 p.m. PT via Sony Pictures TV’s “Community” YouTube page. The cast is set to read “Cooperative Polygraphy,” the fourth episode of Season 5, which first aired January 16, 2014 on NBC.

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MagicSoccerSpray

MagicSoccerSpray 1732

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Posted (edited)
On 4/29/2020 at 4:38 AM, RPM said:

Give me some rope

Tie me to dream

Give me the hope

To run out of steam

Somebody said

It can be here

We could be roped up, tied up

Dead in a year

I can't count the reasons I should stay

One by one they all just fade away

 

And I can take or leave it if I please
A brave man once requested me

To answer questions that are key
Is it to be or not to be
And I replied, "Oh, why ask me?"
That suicide is painless
It brings on many changes
And I can take or leave it if I
That suicide is painless
It brings on many changes
I can take or leave it if I please
That suicide is painless
It brings on many changes
And you can do the same thing if you please
 
 
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MagicSoccerSpray

MagicSoccerSpray 1732

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3 hours ago, BrickHorn said:

We’re working through Community right now. Great fucking show.  

 

3 hours ago, BrickHorn said:

The Dungeons and Dragons episode.  Holy.  Shit.

 

 

Wait till you get to S03E04 Remedial chaos theory and the other paintball episodes. A truly great show that is dearly missed.

Edited by MagicSoccerSpray
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  • 4 weeks later...
BrickHorn

BrickHorn 18234

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On 6/21/2020 at 3:34 AM, Tom said:

I just spent the past few weeks of quarantine rewatching the series.  I'd put the seasons like this:

 

Season 1, Season 3

Season 2

Season 6

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Season 5, Season 4

We’re halfway through Season 6. It’s been a let-down so far. Better than Season 5 probably, but kinda boring. 

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BrickHorn

BrickHorn 18234

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Man, Season 6 is really bogging us down. Based on reviews, I expected it to be much better than Seasons 4 and 5. But it’s by far our least favorite season. The new characters bring nothing to the table, the pacing is off, and the direction is more like a standard mediocre sitcom or dramedy. 5 minutes into an episode, our whole family is staring at their phones or wandering out of the room. 

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billfromlaketravis

billfromlaketravis 11480

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I think Season 3 is the strongest season by a wide margin. Season 3 Episode 8 is absolutely brilliant. Every single frame works. However, there are elements of Season 3 I didn't enjoy. Specifically the Officer Chang stuff. This always happens on TV shows, one actor blows up because of a movie role and the writing staff feels an obligation/pressure to include him/her in more and more scenes. Ed Helms in later season of The Office is another great example. 

Season 1 was good, but really didn't hit its stride until about Episode 17-18. A show like this that started so slow, could never survive today. 

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BrickHorn

BrickHorn 18234

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18 minutes ago, billfromlaketravis said:

I think Season 3 is the strongest season by a wide margin. Season 3 Episode 8 is absolutely brilliant. Every single frame works. However, there are elements of Season 3 I didn't enjoy. Specifically the Officer Chang stuff. This always happens on TV shows, one actor blows up because of a movie role and the writing staff feels an obligation/pressure to include him/her in more and more scenes. Ed Helms in later season of The Office is another great example. 

Season 1 was good, but really didn't hit its stride until about Episode 17-18. A show like this that started so slow, could never survive today. 

Yeah, but once the show hit its stride at the chicken tenders Goodfellas homage episode, it was gold for 2.5 seasons. 

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UncleSonny

UncleSonny 6572

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https://www.thewrap.com/community-advanced-dungeons-and-dragons-episode-removed-netflix-blackface/

Damn, I loved this episode.

I'll admit I'm having a tough time understanding this one. Painting yourself black to look like a fictional creature is not the same thing as blackface. Blackface is reprehensible, this is a sight gag based on cosplay. Maybe there are people that were offended by this and I'm happy to hear it out but hopefully eventually one day we use a little common sense and nuance with this stuff.

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Goo Punch

Goo Punch 4275

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Community is a pretty fucking woke show that is renowned for honestly and openly addressing a shit-ton of different societal issues, with more hilarity and aplomb than probably any sitcom I've ever seen. Anyone who makes it to the D&D episode is beyond being offended that easily. It's a seriously weak move, but today's climate has everyone running scared, so sadly, I get why they did it- even if i think it's 

 

 

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Goo Punch

Goo Punch 4275

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15 minutes ago, billfromlaketravis said:

It’ll be never be recognized or acknowledged in woke culture, but Chevy Chase was great on this show. 

It is fascinating to watch a fallen star in Chase hit his final home run while two modern masters in Glover and Harmon learn how to run. 

Chevy Chase as Pierce Hawthorne is fucking comedic gold. he played the role as well as/better than anyone else could have. you might even say he was born for the part. people love to hate him, and for good reason, but his portrayal of Pierce was fucking perfect. Last worthwhile thing he ever did. 

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billfromlaketravis

billfromlaketravis 11480

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8 minutes ago, Goo Punch said:

Chevy Chase as Pierce Hawthorne is fucking comedic gold. he played the role as well as/better than anyone else could have. you might even say he was born for the part. people love to hate him, and for good reason, but his portrayal of Pierce was fucking perfect. Last worthwhile thing he ever did. 

I couldn’t imagine another actor playing the role. Maybe Dan Aykroyd, but he’s too well liked. It’d be jarring to see Dan deliver those lines, but it works with Chevy. Perfect  walk off. I can’t imagine Chevy ever getting another role, he hasn’t aged well and is almost unrecognizable. Then there’s the massive personal issues on set. He’s probably washed and everybody seems OK with that. 

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Tom

Tom 2959

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On 6/26/2020 at 10:25 AM, BrickHorn said:

Man, Season 6 is really bogging us down. Based on reviews, I expected it to be much better than Seasons 4 and 5. But it’s by far our least favorite season. The new characters bring nothing to the table, the pacing is off, and the direction is more like a standard mediocre sitcom or dramedy. 5 minutes into an episode, our whole family is staring at their phones or wandering out of the room. 

 

Did you ever finish?  I thought six started slow but it got high marks from me for the last 4 episodes or so.  I thought both the wedding episode and the series finale were great.

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BrickHorn

BrickHorn 18234

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On 7/20/2020 at 1:54 PM, Tom said:

Did you ever finish?  I thought six started slow but it got high marks from me for the last 4 episodes or so.  I thought both the wedding episode and the series finale were great.

Yep. The wedding episode was a let down for me. The finale was great, though. Definitely the highlight of Season 6.

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