|
While i thought the first episode of the season was about 'on par' with the majority of season 3(in other words well below season 1+2, but still better that any other sitcom) the last two have been rather terrible.
Opening scene was just all around terrible, Nigel was terrible, Annie's thing was terrible, Chevy seems pretty much right that Pierce basically adds nothing anymore.
Jeff has barely done anything and the complete of anything to do with Greendale so far is quite sad.
|
United States8476 Posts
Still, Alison Brie is too damn cute.
|
United Kingdom16710 Posts
I'm just not feeling it anymore. They're rehashing the same old plots, same old humour, with the same old characters. They've reverted Troy back to Abed's idiotic man-child bff, and paired him with Britta who he has barely any chemistry with. She, at least, seems to have regained some of her brain cells, but I doubt that will go anywhere with this forced couple bit. Pierce is the same old, old racist guy, Shirley is exactly the same, as is Jeff, despite supposedly always learning something at the end of every episode. Annie's probably the only one who's gone through some noteworthy changes, but none of them due to natural character development. They've toned down her bitchy/neurotic side and turned her into the nice, pretty girl with a quirky side. What's worse is that this static nature of the characters have inevitably led to the dynamic between the characters becoming stale. Everything has been done to death, and even Abed and Troy is becoming a chore to watch now, which is sad. And this actually shows in the acting as well. Everyone just seems to be going through the motions.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'll give it a couple of episodes more, and if it doesn't improve, I'll drop it.
|
I disagree; I thought this last episode was fun. The show really hadn't addressed the whole Troy and Britta relationship very clearly yet, and this episode managed to do it without it being a huge deal. I'll admit to feeling that the idea of them just trading partners around to try each combination for the audience is something that bugged me, so having this episode be largely about how Troy and Abed can remain at their incredible levels of friendship while Troy sees Britta was nice.
Also, for the above posts concerning people never changing, I feel like Jeff's behavior has changed somewhat. He seems much more comfortable with the others "lame" behavior now. He went with Annie's whole play acting thing without too much concern and even showed affection for Annie while easily dismissing the age gap and then played with the Thoraxis thing to top it off. While the dialogue concerning Troy and Abed was all about boyfriends, I don't think this caused them to regress in any way. Abed showed that he has grown as he recognizes value in Troy's friendship but doesn't act as though he needs a caretaker. Troy manages to have his relationship with Britta be something separate from Abed in that they don't need to hide things from him or have Britta change to fit Abed, and their friendship isn't weakened by it.
I don't feel the few episodes this season have hit the highs that community has in the past, but I also don't feel like they are some kind of low point for the show.
|
On February 23 2013 01:30 phyren wrote: I disagree; I thought this last episode was fun. The show really hadn't addressed the whole Troy and Britta relationship very clearly yet, and this episode managed to do it without it being a huge deal. I'll admit to feeling that the idea of them just trading partners around to try each combination for the audience is something that bugged me, so having this episode be largely about how Troy and Abed can remain at their incredible levels of friendship while Troy sees Britta was nice.
Also, for the above posts concerning people never changing, I feel like Jeff's behavior has changed somewhat. He seems much more comfortable with the others "lame" behavior now. He went with Annie's whole play acting thing without too much concern and even showed affection for Annie while easily dismissing the age gap and then played with the Thoraxis thing to top it off. While the dialogue concerning Troy and Abed was all about boyfriends, I don't think this caused them to regress in any way. Abed showed that he has grown as he recognizes value in Troy's friendship but doesn't act as though he needs a caretaker. Troy manages to have his relationship with Britta be something separate from Abed in that they don't need to hide things from him or have Britta change to fit Abed, and their friendship isn't weakened by it.
I don't feel the few episodes this season have hit the highs that community has in the past, but I also don't feel like they are some kind of low point for the show.
I agree that last night's episode was good. Not season 1/2 good, but certainly comparable to an average season 3 episode, which I still very much enjoyed. I hated the first two this season (don't think I laughed more than once), and was seriously worried that the show was over without Harmon, but last night gave me some hope. I liked the Annie/Jeff stuff, it did a really good job showing how they've developed as characters, and how the "new" writing staff really gets the show. No, their growth as characters isn't organic and doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but that's sort of the point of the show. The whole idea is that Greendale is this absurd fantasy world (not even making passing references to where it is geographically is not an accident) where nothing really quite makes complete sense, and it draws the people who go there into its strangeness. Everyone is turned into a caricature by Greendale, so when the naive and neurotic schoolgirl of season 1 turns into the love-confused quirky womanchild of season 4, it's not that they're riding a tired cliche, it's that they're making fun of it.
I do agree with the dude two posts above me that the Troy/Brita thing is stupid, though. It just doesn't make any sense for them to be together. Nothing in their past (besides that dance episode) has indicated that they'd be even remotely close. Troy and Annie, sure, there's an established history there. Jeff and Brita or Jeff and Annie? Makes total sense. I can't think of any conceivable reason besides that one episode where they both secretly like dancing that they would be together. There's no common ground between them besides the group, and there was no indication at all that they were even any more close than the other group members before this season.
I think they just wanted a couple so that they could write storylines about a couple, but didn't want to pair off Jeff or Annie because the tension between them is a goldmine. Troy and Brita were all that's left, so they just tossed them together. It's lazy.
|
I think Community has lost a lot of what made it good from the form of 'banter'. There just isn't any 'fresh' banter between the characters like in s1 which is understandable because they know each other now but the way they talk to each other just isn't entertaining. Pierce has nothing with Troy anymore (or with anyone now). Troy and Abed is kinda like Turk and JD. For most of the seasons, Turk and JD (and JD) had that bromance thing going but it was pretty normal. Like, I'd just think, yeah they are best friends with history together. And then Scrubs just blew it out of proportion in s6+ and it was just too much. Same thing with T&A. It's nice they riff together but they are together all the time now. Britta, Shirley and Pierce are just oddballs that add little unless the episode is about them.
While I'll still watch Community, it's just not as funny. Season 1 was pretty hilarious and although I understand it's not a show that has to be funny every episode, the lastest episode (as well as the previous two) are just forgetful and I see no point in watching them again.
|
I feel one could have done so much more with the convention setting. There was no satire or 'meta critique' at all! It was just a set piece with the usual clichés attached. Very disappointing...
|
On February 22 2013 14:41 MacDo wrote:Show nested quote +On February 22 2013 13:46 FirstProbe wrote: I've resigned myself to the notion that Community is a different program now. I still love the actors although am really disappointed with the lack of Pierce and Chang time in the last 3 episodes. Britta and Annie still rock and Troy has his moments.
IMO without Harmon, there'll no longer be the great episodes and parodies there once were. Look like Dan Harmon wrote all the good joke in community.
I think thats part of it. Apparently he used to have the final say and wouldn't settle for mediocrity, which of course, is no longer the case.
|
On February 23 2013 18:38 FirstProbe wrote:Show nested quote +On February 22 2013 14:41 MacDo wrote:On February 22 2013 13:46 FirstProbe wrote: I've resigned myself to the notion that Community is a different program now. I still love the actors although am really disappointed with the lack of Pierce and Chang time in the last 3 episodes. Britta and Annie still rock and Troy has his moments.
IMO without Harmon, there'll no longer be the great episodes and parodies there once were. Look like Dan Harmon wrote all the good joke in community. I think thats part of it. Apparently he used to have the final say and wouldn't settle for mediocrity, which of course, is no longer the case. They also gave him 3 years to atleast pull in 3 mil a stable for a network spot, instead barely pulls in 1.6 on avg where other shows like parks and rec/ 30 rock etc were able to pull in the audience needed after the first few season. Community's fan base hasn't grown, lucky to get a season at all.
|
I won't pretend to understand why Community fails to draw viewership, but I am thoroughly confused as to how Two and a Half Men can pull over 20million.
P.S. loving Parks and Recreation
|
On February 23 2013 19:17 FirstProbe wrote: I won't pretend to understand why Community fails to draw viewership, but I am thoroughly confused as to how Two and a Half Men can pull over 20million.
Because it's easy humor while Community is pretty nerdy and specific.
|
Because it's easy humor while Community is pretty nerdy and specific.
I keep hearing this explanation but its still hard for me to believe. Aren't tv ratings just extrapolations based on a very small sample base?
If people are disappointed that the writing has fallen off on community (it has), then the average community viewer would probably commit suicide if they are forced to watch more than 2 episodes of 2.5 men back to back. The writing is just so ridiculously bad I find it really hard that so many people reguarly watch it.
|
On February 23 2013 19:46 sths wrote:I keep hearing this explanation but its still hard for me to believe. Aren't tv ratings just extrapolations based on a very small sample base? If people are disappointed that the writing has fallen off on community (it has), then the average community viewer would probably commit suicide if they are forced to watch more than 2 episodes of 2.5 men back to back. The writing is just so ridiculously bad I find it really hard that so many people reguarly watch it. Unless they've changed the calculation, the Neilson ratings are extrapolated from a fairly small sample size of "typical" families whose viewing habits are tracked through boxes attached to their television. It does not accurately reflect things like internet viewing or recording devices.
It's a fairly stupid, outdated system that is riddled with flaws given advancing technology. That's not even factoring in the internal bias that exists since families with a Neilson box KNOW it and will thus adjust their normal viewing habits.
|
On February 23 2013 19:17 FirstProbe wrote: I won't pretend to understand why Community fails to draw viewership, but I am thoroughly confused as to how Two and a Half Men can pull over 20million.
P.S. loving Parks and Recreation
laugh track - abuse as much as possible
Community also tries to reach a niche market. It's just the way these things are.
|
Yup for the most part community got a 3rd season because season 1 and 2 had such strong dvd sales to combat the poor ratings. But at the end of the days advertisers only care about market reach ie the ratings.
|
This last ep was better than the first two of the season imo, actually had a couple of laughs
|
On February 24 2013 04:11 Pulimuli wrote: This last ep was better than the first two of the season imo, actually had a couple of laughs Ionno i rematched all 3 for this season you can still get little gems if you're looking but it's just not quite as well done.
|
On February 23 2013 19:17 FirstProbe wrote: I won't pretend to understand why Community fails to draw viewership, but I am thoroughly confused as to how Two and a Half Men can pull over 20million.
Same reason Maroon 5 is more popular than Shoenberg or Davis or COD is more popular than sc2. People in the aggregate like bad stuff.
I guess the show is still interesting just seeing the various misadventures of characters I've become so emotionally invested in, but its not funny. I'm still going to watch the show solely because of this even though its not as entertaining as before. I don't think I really laughed at anything this season except Dean Pelton's dancing with Jeff.
The episode in season 2 where Pierce gives his friends "gifts" from his "deathbed" had me in a crippling fit of hilarity.
|
This one was a big step up. I'd rank it up there with some of the better s1 and s2 episodes. The dean's "PC tyranny" was an awesome gag.
Fantastic episode.
|
On February 23 2013 19:17 FirstProbe wrote: I won't pretend to understand why Community fails to draw viewership, but I am thoroughly confused as to how Two and a Half Men can pull over 20million.
P.S. loving Parks and Recreation It is very simple. The Western world is filled with lazy uneducated people who prefer not to take effort to understand jokes but rather to have them handed out on a silver platter via laugh track. Same reason that Lil Wayne and Nicki Manaj is popular but geniuses like Lupe Fiasco are barely heard of.
P.S. Parks and Rec is indeed awesome
|
|
|
|