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Reviews
Community: Grifting 101 (2015)
The grift is on!
An homage to the classic movie 'The Sting," this episode with a "professor of grifting" uses the movie's ragtime piano stylings and Norman Rockwell-style watercolors. It also includes a hilariously obscure reference at the end to the song "Hot Dogs! Hot Dogs!" by the Red Light Sting. Season 6 has been uneven, but this episode is a high point and captures the panache and cleverness of earlier seasons. I also like that Britta is a clever character in this episode, truer to her character in Season 1.
It seems clear that many people commenting on this episode haven't seen "The Sting" and therefore don't understand the context for the storyline.
Community: Advanced Gay (2011)
A hot story of A/C repairs
The main story with Pierce, his dad, and their company did not work for me comedically. That's a shame, since it should illuminate Pierce's character and backstory.
By contrast, the B story brilliantly brings back John Goodman as the Vice Dean for Air-Conditioning Repairs. Goodman reprises his sinister role as he tries to strong-arm Troy into studying A/C repairs instead of plumbing. The story is a ridiculous spoof of mafia movies and lets Goodman chew up the scenery. Goodman takes a henchman-like approach in leading the guild that has cooled the powerful since the time of the Pharoes. Ludicrously drunk with power and self-importance, the Vice Dean is a character I can't wait to return to another episode of 'Community.'
Community: Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (2011)
Amazon Prime rules
Props to Amazon Prime for streaming this creative and touching episode. Netflix pulled it and renumbered the Season 2 episodes to cover its tracks--for shame!
The episode exemplifies how the series was on fire in Season 2 with high-concept episodes like this one. Few shows brim with so many creative ideas as "Community" in this season, when it cleverly spoofed many cinematic genres (fantasy, in this case).
It also is a fateful episode, making the previously intermittently sympathetic Peirce into a thoroughly unlikeable character. His conduct in this episode pushes him past a point of no return/redemption, which raises the question why the others keep him in the study group.
Community: Conspiracy Theories and Interior Design (2010)
Exceptional concept and execution
'Community' has two types of episodes: concept-driven, ludicrous plotlines, and character-driven stories. This episode is an exceptional example of the former. With a level of writing rare for a television series, the A-story beautifully parodies the conspiracy cinematic genre with the mystery of Professor Professorton. The B-story initially looks like it will be a much weaker tale about pillow forts until it crosses with the main story for a memorable chase scene through the bedding city. Wonderfully creative and funny, this is top-tier television showing that at its best, 'Community' has few comedy peers.
Community: Environmental Science (2009)
The first weak episode
This is the first episode of "Community" that did not feel like a winner. The humor wasn't sharp, and the plotlines were not engaging. The episode was uninspired and formulaic: an about average sitcom experience. After nine episodes of fresh, surprising humor, I hope episode ten is not a harbinger of creative exhaustion. The first nine episodes are a phenomenal start to "Community" and perhaps have created outsized expectations in me.
As a side more, it's a shame that Chevy Chase later had a falling out and left the show. The role of Pierce was perfect for Chase, with funny lines and physical comedy.