Chad
This week's episode of Community, "Remedial Chaos Theory", is the best of Season 3 so far, and easily in my top 5 favorite episodes of the series. It was initially scheduled to be the third episode of the season (hence apartment number 303 for Troy and Abed's new place) but due to the complexity of the concept and the difficulty in editing the different time lines, series creator Dan Harmon decided to switch it with last weeks "Competitive Ecology". Let's take some time to talk about what worked for us and what didn't in this episode, but please, let's avoid touchy topics like "the Negro problem" because it just wouldn't be appropriate.
I definitely enjoyed the premise of the episode and thought it was pulled off in a way only Community can. Did you catch on to Jeff's ploy with the dice rolling? I noticed it almost immediately and was initially surprised that they didn't address it, but then as I started to realize where they were going with the plot, I assumed it would be resolved toward the end.
Which of time lines (aside from the real one where Abed catches the die), would you have been most interested in seeing more of? For me it would be either the one where Pierce gets the pizza and Troy and Britta bond in the bathroom or the darkest timeline where Troy gets the pizza and everything goes to shit. The first one interests me because I'd like to see Troy and Britta get together because a.) it would probably make Jeff jealous since he's always carried a bit of flame for Britta and b.) I just really like Troy and he deserves some play. Admittedly, those two may end up hooking up anyway. We did get a glimpse of the darkest time line in the tag at the end and that one interests me just because Evil Troy and Evil Aaaabed would certainly have some exciting adventures trying to get back to their real selves.
Did you notice how they kept mentioning how creepy and ugly the pizza guy was in the first couple time lines and then Britta falls in love and gets engaged to the dude? I didn't really catch it the first time I watched the episode, but it turned out to be one of my favorite jokes in this episode. The set up was sort of under the radar but it's a good example of the clever writing on this show. I'd definitely let Britta kiss my fingers if you know what I mean.
One thing that definitely bugged me about the episode was Jeff banging his head on the fan. Who hangs a fan so low that a slightly-taller-than-average person would hit their head on it? I understand that it's a TV show and they probably just did it to give Annie an excuse to care for Jeff's injury, but come on. Troy and Abed may want to call their apartment complex's maintenance crew to fix that.
That's all I have for now, what did you think about the episode? I've gotta go refill the toilet olives...
Andy
Can't talk. I'm banging Eartha Kitt in an airplane bathroom..."
OK. I'm back. I wish we were starting this feature out with a more controversial episode, but I thought this was an all-time classic as well. Any of the season's first three episodes would have made for a better discussion about "Community" and people's preferences between their more ambitious theme episodes (Paintball, D&D, Zombies) and the "Ordinary" episodes. This week's made me think about one of my all time favorites, "Mixology Certification," where they found a blend between the two, taking the action out of Greendale and into the real world.
I could have done with a shortened version of the introductory speech every time. By the third roll of the dice, we got the premise well enough that we didn't need that much hand holding. But I am at a bit of a loss for things that didn't work for me. Really, the only false note that I felt was the notion that Shirley was attempting to establish her identity through baked goods. We haven't gotten much about Shirley cooking since Pierce taught her to sell the idea of her brownie/Netflix idea back in season one. She has always been the group mom, attempting to make everything pleasant and god-fearing. Her sudden need to define herself through mini-pies (that taste just like full sized pies) felt a bit out of nowhere.
But that is a small quibble in what was a darn near perfect half hour of comedy, and the most ambitious episode of any TV show that I can think of. If I had to pick one timeline to stick with, it would be Britta's, because we got legitimate progress on the Annie/Jeff sexual tension (which needs to come to a head ASAP, or it's going to get pretty stale), and the addition of the Rat-Tail-Bearded Pizza Guy can only pay positive comedic dividends.
The tag where everyone was miserable ad hated everyone else made me feel like I was watching an episode of Two and a Half Men. As cynical as this show can seem, I think it has an underlying sweetness about choosing the people we love that just doesn't work when Jeff is declaring his hatred for Abed and Pierce has bled out and died...
In the end, what I think is most interesting about what this episode tell us about the group is that, despite all the misery that Pierce caused last season, it might be Jeff, and his "too cool for everything" attitude that is holding them back from being happy. That is the sweetness I was talking about above. Jeff needs to stay distant from anything, and even has to cut Britta off before she can get to the second syllable of "Roxanne." Look how much joy and camaraderie comes from Jeff's absence, and maintains after he comes back! Even last week's episode would have been conflict free if Jeff was gone, as they would have had an even six people to pair off.
So what do you think? Would the study group be better off without Jeff? What does he bring to the other six that they need? And would you say that this is a pessimistic or cynical show overall, or do you get a more optimistic tone? What does this show have to say about the families we choose to join?
Chad
I agree with you about the Shirley story. She's easily the least interesting character, in my opinion, and I didn't really understand the whole Identity Through Baking thing. It seemed more like the other characters were pushing that idea on us more than Shirley herself.
You bring up some good points about Britta's time line but I'm not sure I could handle her being infatuated with Rat Tail Beard for an extended period. Although they'd probably be very happy together smoking joints the bathroom. And I have confidence that the Jeff and Annie sexual tension will be dealt with at some point this season. The show's writers have proven that they're smart enough to not make a mistake like drawing out a plot point just because they don't want to commit to one path or the other. I'm pretty indifferent to which way they go with it, but if I had to pick one I'd say they don't ultimately become a couple because of the whole "you remind me of my dad" thing.
The mini-revelation that Jeff is really the bad seed in the group is an interesting one, but also a realistic one. In the real world, there are really only three members of the study group who would be friends outside of school: Annie, Abed and Troy (maybe Britta). They're the ones who would traditionally be considered "college age". I'm definitely hoping that Annie moves in with Troy and Abed because those three need to have that real college experience. I would love to see some B-stories where they go to a house party and hang out in a dingy basement playing flip cup or blow off cramming for an exam and have a Halo tournament instead. The only drawback for this is that they live in an apartment and not the dorms, which I think were severely underused in the previous seasons when Abed and Troy were dorm mates.
Regarding your question about whether the group would be better off without Jeff, I don't think so. Even though he's kind of a dick and tends to keep people at arms length, I still think he cares about everyone in the group and I think they all genuinely like him. We all have friends who can get on our nerves but we still keep them around because the good generally outweighs the bad. I do wonder if this episode is laying the ground work for a more in depth exploration of how the group would be better off without each member. Like you mentioned, last season basically pointed out all the ways in which Pierce is a horrible person, are we headed for a similar arc this season with Jeff?
I don't really feel that the show is pessimistic or cynical, I think the tone is somewhat influenced by its setting. Community colleges are usually pretty shitty and sort of depressing. The show reflects that and finds the humor in it as well as in the myriad topics and genres it explores and parodies.
Looking forward, what do you think/hope this episode lays the ground work for in the rest of the season? Will we see more examples of how Jeff hurts the group? Will Evil Troy and Evil Abed pop up again and attempt to conquer the world? (Dear lord I hope so!) What do you think this season holds for characters who were absent in this episode, like Professor Omar, Chang and John Goodman's Vice Dean Robert Laybourne? Would you frequent a place like Single Malt Platinum Boobs & Billiards Club?
Andy
I'm not saying I want the rest of the season to be the Britta and Rat Tail Beard Dude Show" (a spin-off I would seriously consider watching), but that version at least had narrative progression. At the end of the "Jeff" storyline, everything is pretty much exactly where it was before, with the exception of the guys having asked Annie to move in.
I don't feel passionately one way or the other about Jeff and Annie, but I would rather the writers either did something about it or dropped it. They were the ones that made it an issue with the first season finale, and I think not addressing it in the second season in any serious way was that season's biggest misstep.
I don't think there is that much to be gained from seeing the gang playing drinking games or pulling all nighters. They already had Troy and Abed as the "Campus CutUps" in the season one finale (I for one, would approve of the return of their robot, the Boobatron 5000). We've seen what the characters do when they are drinking (in the episode they went to the bar). What can we really learn about these relationships that we don't already know by having them play beer pong?
I am actually liking that it looks like we will spend more time off campus this season, even going to the AC repair branch of Greendale. A larger world is just a more fun playset for Dan Harmon, the writers and the actors to enjoy. I think it is interesting to note that already this season we had Annie's asian doppelganger and the idea of crossing between universes in the Model UN episode, and now the alternate realities this week. Are they setting the ground for an evil twin battle? Lord I hope so...
I'm not sure how sold I am on Professor Omar (I'm glad we are not pretending he is anyone but Omar). He just isn't distinctly wierd enough to fit in with our ensemble. His rant about how complicated Legos are now was a step in the right direction. Goodman has only gotten one scene this season, so I am still on the fence about him. As for Security Detective Chang, I always like him better when they reign him in a bit, and the security guard storylines thus far have made him less recognizably human.
Any homages or spoofs you are anxious to see them take on? The show keeps getting more and more ambitious, so I'd like to see a silent film eventually. Maybe a Silence of the Lambs spoof for Britta now that she is studying psychology.
Chad
Sure, there's probably not much to be gained in further developing the characters or their relationships by throwing them into a keg party. But that doesn't mean it wouldn't be a fun episode to watch. You mentioned that it seems like we're going to get more time off campus (or at least outside the library/class rooms) and this would be a perfect opportunity to do that. It's possible that I'm forgetting something, but I don't recall the show referencing or parodying college-themed movies like Animal House or Old School. Wouldn't this be a perfect opportunity for that? Or would it be too easy and obvious...maybe.
Semi-random side note: I really hope we get more time with John Goodman and the AC repair school. For some reason I think there's a gold mine in having an HVAC training program bank roll an entire community college.
I'm fully on board with the evil twin battle. I don't really have much more to add here but I think Abed's quote in the tag pretty much spelled this scenario out, and I doubt they would have given us that if they weren't going to follow up.
Professor Omar may not be weird enough to fit the group, but I think he's perfectly capable of providing a sort of foil for the rest of the characters. Someone who can observe their brand of crazy and try to point out just how fucked up they all are. The little rant about the Legos was priceless. The way they've changed over the last 25 years or whatever is something that most people wouldn't think twice about, but I can definitely see how that could mess with a guy used to a big bucket of colored bricks.
I like your idea about the Silence of the Lambs spoof with Britta as Clarice, but the only reference or spoof I'm really hoping for is with Professor Omar. They pretty much have to do another paint ball episode with him rolling up in a black trench coat and sawed off shotgun paint ball gun, right? I would also love a reference to the "Bro Rape" video Donald Glover did with Derrick Comedy but I'm not sure that would be appropriate for prime time network television.
Well, I think I'm about tapped out for this episode. Any final thoughts?
Andy
And now, my final thought: When parents, fight, it is the children that always lose. LaDante and Jerbenjamin proved that here tonight. So hug your children. Take care of yourself and each other...
If you liked Derrick Comedy, definitely check out their movie, "Mystery Team." It takes a simple premise of what happens to a group of kid detectives when they're teenagers and mines it for a lot of laughs. Aubrey Plaza is in it, too, if you enjoy that kind of boobs.
As we bid adieu to our conversation on last week's "Community," I'd just like to repeat my astonishment at the heights that Dan Harmon and his merry band can climb to. They don't always hit a home run, but they are always swinging for the fences, and there is not a more ambitious show on television, and it might be the most ambitious comedy in TV history. There are worse things to have etched into your tombstone...
Till next week!
Chad
Aubrey Plaza is my favorite kind of boobs...
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