Inside Television with Alan Sepinwall

Review: 'Community' - 'An Alternative History of the German Invasion': This means war

The study group battles the German exchange students for study room supremacy

By Alan Sepinwall Thursday, Feb 28, 2013 10:42 PM

Gillian Jacobs and Alison Brie in "Community."

Credit: NBC

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A quick review of tonight's "Community" coming up just as soon as I take a provisional Lactaid...

"An Alternative History of the German Invasion" was, as you can probably tell from the stories (the first day of classes, an immediate follow-up to the "Changnesia" gag from the premiere), designed and produced as the season's second episode, but held until now. Sometimes, episodes air out of order because they require extra time to complete ("Remedial Chaos Theory," the video game episode), while other times, they get held because someone (the producers, the network, or both) fear that it's not working and want to air stronger episodes ahead of it.

This definitely seems like an example of the latter. I haven't been crazy about any of this season's previous episodes for various reasons, but I've at least laughed at them in spots. This one, though, barely elicited a few minor chuckles, and featured several jokes (notably the study group's simultaneous scream at the presence of Chang) that simply made me cringe.

There have been unfunny episodes of "Community" before, but most of the time they work on some level either because they're doing something structurally interesting, because they're going deeper into the emotional lives of the characters, or both. ("Mixology Certification" is a fine example of this, and even that had more overt laughs.) This, though, was a pretty basic campus hijinks episode, which meant that if I wasn't laughing at the many German jokes (which felt like taking a minor but amusing element from the foosball episode and leaning much too heavily on it), at Pierce electrocuting himself, etc., there was nothing left to lean on. Even the attempts to show how the study group have been historically evil didn't entirely work, because they're only occasionally that selfish. (As Todd VanDerWerff notes in his review, using the D&D episode — which was explicitly about the group trying to help out another student — as an example of them being jerks rang very false.)

Again, this was the second episode made by this creative team, and a good chunk of it had to be spent on cleaning up the mess they were handed in terms of Chang. Hopefully things will improve as the season moves along. But this was just a bad episode of "Community."

What did everybody else think?

Alan Sepinwall
Sr. Editor, What's Alan Watching

Alan Sepinwall has been reviewing television since the mid-'90s, first for Tony Soprano's hometown paper, The Star-Ledger, and now for HitFix. His new book, "The Revolution Was Televised," about the last 15 years of TV drama, is for sale at Amazon. He can be reached at sepinwall@hitfix.com

Related Searches: Community, Joel McHale, Moses Port, David Guarascio, Alison Brie, Gillian Jacobs, Yvette Nicole Brown, Donald Glover, Danny Pudi, Chevy Chase, Ken Jeong, Jim Rash, Alan Sepinwall

Next 139 Comments

Jason

Might have worked if Nick Kroll was back as one of the Germans.

That said, I did enjoy it. No, it's not giving me the same sense of wonder that Dan Harmon's ambition provided. But I did laugh at Abed picking up on Dean Pelton's Abed-like scream/squeal.

Overall, the sense that I've gotten from Community: Medical School is that it feels a little like early Season 1 Community (when Troy was still the jock, etc.), before Harmon started taking it in weird and fantastic directions.
February 28, 2013 at 11:49PM EST Reply to Comment
- qrter Agreed on this feeling like an early season 1 episode. It was just really, really mediocre.
  
  The Germans just make me cringe, they're beyond caricatures, and they weren't very funny the first time around.
  
  I think I laughed once, at the Pierce/Shirley exchange when he got electocuted (S: "Just let go!" P: "You'd like that, wouldn't you!" S: "Of the thing, Pierce..")
  March 1, 2013 at 10:30PM EST
- pamelajaye I just like the :Medical School allusion :-)
  I liked the flashbacks but haven't seen or memorized past eps to know the motivation in the past, so- good. I really liked the pointing out that this one group has hogged one room for 4 years (although it wasn't as good as the scene where Jeff discovers they have lockers. I LOVED that (and was kind enough to pause DVR till my brother could breathe again)
  March 2, 2013 at 3:42AM EST
Luckylucy

Couldn't agree more. I missed this show so much during hiatus and every episode so far has been more and more disappointing. Such a waste of a super likable and incredibly talented cast. Love your articles and especially your podcast!
February 28, 2013 at 11:50PM EST Reply to Comment
Streets Ahead

Two problems:

1) This Chang storyline is HORRIBLE. At the end of the third season, they showed him hiding in the vents at City College, with Dean Spreck rolling tanks over to Greendale. I thought there was going to be some awesome war between them.

Instead...this? Kevin? Changnesia? What the hell is this? Ken Jeong is getting less to do than Chevy Chase, and it seems that they no longer know what to do with the old Spanish professor/tyrant.

2) No Nick Kroll as one of the Germans? He was the best part in the foosball episode. I imagine he had some kind of scheduling conflict, but still. Nick Kroll > replacement.
February 28, 2013 at 11:53PM EST Reply to Comment
- Streets Ahead * Awesome war between the two schools with Chang keeping Greendale one step ahead. Tyrant to hero.
  February 28, 2013 at 11:55PM EST
Jeff G

I think I'm being objective here and I would feel the same way if I didn't know Harmon had left, but the show just has no soul anymore. It's so flat. Kindof remarkable given the same cast and some of the same writers. Very disappointing.
February 28, 2013 at 11:55PM EST Reply to Comment
- community writing team Your mom is so flat.
  March 1, 2013 at 10:02AM EST
- Jack NAILED IT!
  March 1, 2013 at 10:29AM EST
- Hannah Lee NBC seems to be airing the Pet Semetary version of Community.
  March 1, 2013 at 1:51PM EST
- cool dude ranch sometimes dead is bettah
  March 1, 2013 at 4:03PM EST
- Jonas.Left I really wish I had thought of the Pet Sematary metaphor. It sums it all up perfectly. Especially with that quote.
  
  Now I'm off to plagiarize it in another forum.
  March 1, 2013 at 6:27PM EST
Shelb

This was by far the best episode of the 4th season. Funnier, more true to the characters, a lot of subtle jokes... while obviously not on the level it once was, it was the most "Harmon-like" episode so far this year.
February 28, 2013 at 11:56PM EST Reply to Comment
- Chris Agreed. I thought the writing of Abed was a little off, but otherwise was fairly true to the characters. Still, you know Harmon would have done a better spoof of war movies.
  March 1, 2013 at 12:17AM EST
- CinemaPsycho Here's the thing: did the other characters KNOW they were helping another character in the D&D episode? Probably not. They just saw them hogging the study room, AGAIN. That's what they're reacting to.
  
  I was skeptical about the premiere, but since then, the show has made me laugh and has felt like Community again. That's all I can ask for. "It's like a Darren Aranofsky film" made me laugh HARD. That's not a dumbed-down joke. Come on guys, this is far better than no Community at all.
  March 1, 2013 at 3:03AM EST
- Brandon THIS. I definitely agree, this felt the most like the first three seasons. Plenty of clever callbacks and great one-liners ("that looks like almost a hundred luftballoons!"), plus finally Abed is able to just act like Abed instead of the show leaning so heavily on "something might go wrong." I would have liked to see a little better use of the war movie motif, but otherwise definitely my favorite so far this season.
  March 1, 2013 at 7:02AM EST
- jenfullmoon I'm with you guys: this felt like something Harmon would do. I thought the tag at the end and cleaning the bad study room was a little weak, but pointing out that our heroes are the villains in other people's stories (yes, all they knew was that the gang hogs the study room constantly) is totally Community. I liked it. Go figure.
  March 1, 2013 at 12:54PM EST
- Finngodo Glad I'm not the odd man out here. As far as episodes go I thought this one was pretty good and on par with previous seasons. Thought te halloween one was good too.
  March 1, 2013 at 12:54PM EST
- Peter D Wilson Yeah, I don't see it. To me this was the least harmon-esque episode yet. I was literally cringing throughout the Jeff, lets give back to the school, speech. They've done something like that in the past, but when taken to this degree it rang wholly false for the Jeff Winger character.
  
  I went into this season wanting to hate it, but I've been pleasantly surprised how not terrible the show has been. For me, though, this episode was easily the worst the show has ever done and it now has me worried of what's to come.
  March 2, 2013 at 8:23PM EST
I Laughed, Along With Many Others

Glad you and Todd check in on each other's negative reviews to keep in sync. Strange how neither of you laughed at all but fans are quoting dozens of funny lines/moments elsewhere on the web. C'est la vie, I guess.
February 28, 2013 at 11:58PM EST Reply to Comment
- Dismissive Eyeroll HOLY SHIT! YOU UNCOVERED A CONSPIRACY! YOU'RE GOING TO WIN A PULITZER FOR THIS!
  March 1, 2013 at 12:08AM EST
- Jonas.Left C'est la merde, is more like it.
  March 1, 2013 at 12:46AM EST
- oswald
  is merde italian for 'potato' ?
  
  why did you say potato?
  
  Jonas. Left?
  March 1, 2013 at 1:02AM EST
- Jonas.Left OSWALD If that's a reference, I don't know it. Merde is French for "shit."
  March 1, 2013 at 1:33AM EST
- Oswald
  Well I always did thought merde = potato.
  
  That is why you hear "merde friode francese" which means "potato fried french" aka "french fries". Or in Sopranos or any modern mafia movie if the Italian Mafia has irish rivals they call them like "Merde Munchers" or "Merde Goons" making mock on dereagoratory sterotype that Irish eat potato.
  
  Also once at a good restraunt, an italian restraunt, I seen a dish served with a side of "merde ala mode" and it came with a potato mashed up.
  March 1, 2013 at 3:40AM EST
- Jonas.Left OSWALD The original poster used the phrase "C'est la vie." French for "that's life." I cleverly replaced "vie" with "merde," the French word for excrement. I just found some usage of merde in the culinary context, so I guess in Italian its meaning is different. It must be jarring for the French to go into Italian restaurants and be offered shit.
  March 1, 2013 at 4:16AM EST
- LoopyChew The problem with that, Jonas.Left, is that "C'est la merde" means "It's THE s***," much like it is in English. I think.
  March 1, 2013 at 4:32AM EST
- Jonas.Left LOOPYCHEW According to Google Translate "C'est la merde" means "This is shit."
  March 1, 2013 at 4:55AM EST
- Jonas.Left What does it say about me that this discussion has had me giggling like a schoolgirl?
  March 1, 2013 at 5:07AM EST
- Invité Being French, I can tell you that usually, depending on the context, C'est la merde would be interpreted as 'We're in deep shit' by a French person. Jonas.left's translation is also correct, though a bit too much literal.
  Living next to the Italian border, I've never heard of the use of merde in any of the fine restaurants I've had the pleasure to eat (but that's my own experience).
  Be that as it may, even with the wrong translation Jonas.left's play on words can be seen as "clever", my use of quotes and propensity to teach an unnecessary lesson testify of my French smugness, and Italians are possibly the snarkiest people of all.
  March 1, 2013 at 9:31AM EST
- Jonas.Left INVITÉ Thanks for your expertise. It may have been lost in the text, but I was being tounge-in-cheek when I described my play on words as clever. I totally recognize it was a bit childish.
  March 1, 2013 at 3:00PM EST
Jacob

I disagree, this was my favourite episode of the season. It felt like the first season, my favorite season. The jokes were more subtle, but still great.
March 1, 2013 at 12:04AM EST Reply to Comment
Bryan-a

This just makes me sad, these new show runners just don't get who these characters are so they became caricatures.
March 1, 2013 at 12:19AM EST Reply to Comment
- elodia Sorry - Harmon made them caricatures long before this episode. Massively stupid Troy? Dumb clueless Britta? Ridiculous cross-dressing Dean Pelton? Babyish sexpot Annie? Check, check, check, check.
  
  The new episodes may be uninspired, but Harmon ran the whole series into the ground long before this. Blame him.
  March 1, 2013 at 12:25AM EST
- Slushy Many of the characters already became caricatures during Harmon's run. The only major offender I see this season is with Dean Pelton. They have been relying way too much on his cross dressing to the point of annoyance. There is also something off about Abed -- he's erring too much on the normal side. Other than that, I feel like the characters are the same characters.
  March 1, 2013 at 1:46AM EST
- Call Me Carlos the Dwarf Elodia: The only correct description was of Dean Pelton, and that joke was more about his crush on Jeff than his cross-dressing.
  
  Britta is the worst, but she's never been clueless.
  Troy isn't massively stupid, he's generally a goofy kid, but he's also a damn good mechanic.
  And your criticism of Annie is so far-fetched that I have to assume that you took the "boop de doop sex!" scene from last year's Glee episode unironically.
  March 1, 2013 at 3:39AM EST
- Jonas.Left Each of the principle characters has a larger than life personality but none of them was a caricature. They all have unexpected depths, hidden dimensions, complicated histories that make them feel like real people despite the fact that they exist in an exaggerated reality. At least that was the case for three years. This new show doesn't know how to bring those characters back to life, so we get these superficial stand-ins in their place. Over the first three seasons, the members of the study group would get to show new aspects of themselves, now the show just has them repeating the same notes over and over, even if it forces the character to regress to places they'd moved past in previous stories. Plus, they've forgotten how to bring a new character to life. This season hasn't given us a Todd or a Fat Neil. Think back to the season two finale when they had lots of minor characters, some that had only appeared once before, who were distinct and funny. The people writing this season don't seem to know how to do that. When Malcom McDowell fails to make much of an impression, its obvious the material he got was pretty lame.
  March 1, 2013 at 3:40AM EST
- madmeme Elodia: How can a creator run his creation into the ground? That's like saying Tolstoy ruined 'War and Peace' by the direction he took his characters. You might not have liked what Harmon did with HIS characters (I did) but he's not to 'blame' for anything.
  March 1, 2013 at 6:27AM EST
- Johanna Lapp MadMeme asks "How Can a creator run his creation into the ground?"
  
  Hello, did you miss Star Wars episodes 1-3? All of the Dune books after the first? Star Trek season 3? Twin Peaks Fire Walk With Me?
  March 1, 2013 at 8:40AM EST
- chas @carlos - you dont think britta is clueless?? britta, who thought she was so enlightened because she had a lesbian friend. who turned out to be straight but thought britta was lesbian? that britta isnt clueless?
  March 1, 2013 at 10:28AM EST
- madmeme @Johanna Lapp - Again, whether you like what Lucas, Herbert, or Lynch did with their creations is a subjective matter and irrelevant. It was theirs to do with as they pleased - and as such, it was - and always is for the creator - valid.
  March 1, 2013 at 1:50PM EST
- Call Me Carlos the Dwarf @Johanna
  I know you're not trash talking Dune Messiah and Children of Dune.
  March 1, 2013 at 9:38PM EST
- Jonas.Left Oh, it is on!!!
  March 1, 2013 at 9:47PM EST
- D&D Calos the dwarf- love seeing an F&G fan! That is all.
  March 1, 2013 at 11:23PM EST
- Col Bat Guano @Madmeme Regardless of the creator's intent, third party observers can certainly decide that they have ruined the characters with their choices.
  March 2, 2013 at 1:14AM EST
- madmeme @Col B.G - I guess it might boil down to a question of semantics - and the way that audience members write about someone else's creation. It's interesting to note you wrote, '...have ruined THE characters with THEIR choices', as opposed to '...have ruined THEIR characters with THEIR choices. You might decide that Harmon 'ruined' the Community characters - I might think every choice he made for them was brilliant - which is the 'truth'? Neither - except to ourselves. Again, I can fully understand disliking the choices that creators make - that is the crux of subjective criticism - but using a phrase like 'running into the ground' implies an understanding of what the correct trajectory was 'supposed to be' for someone else's work that seems impossible. OTOH, if we're discussing what Guarascio and Port are doing to Harmon's creation - that's a whole different kettle of fish.
  March 2, 2013 at 7:26AM EST
Stuckey

I didn't find it bad at all. I think if we didn't know Dan Harmon, then our perception of the show wouldn't have changed much. Maybe it would feel different if it's the end of the season and there's been no KFC/Apollo 13 movie or a Dinner with Abed episode to combat the "normal" goings of Greendale, and that sucks, but this is still a good show. Considering how bad Modern Family is and that Phil Dunphy is the only moderately amusing part of that "great" sitcom, I think we should cling to Community as the situation has called for the last 2 years and make it hard for NBC to ignore it.

So this season, right now, with us seeing roughly 1/3 of the season has been good enough for me and while it may never reach the height of creativity and genius of the last 3, it's still much better than 97% of other shows.

I think we should be thankful that we're getting these 13 and maybe the new producers will show us they got it together in the last 5 or 6 episodes after they the beats of the show. And if they don't get another season, then be glad we got 13 more stories with these actors and characters. If they get Chuck'd and get more opportunities, then we'll come to that when it gets here. Otherwise, it seems we're looking a gift horse in the mouth.
March 1, 2013 at 12:27AM EST Reply to Comment
- Mulderism I go mental when someone makes the argument that something is good because something else is bad. Just because A is better than B doesn't mean A is good.
  
  This was a so-so episode. A few laughs but otherwise not great. If the show was like this the first season I doubt I'd stick around.
  March 1, 2013 at 2:51PM EST
- Stuckey OK, I'll break it down better, would you rather watch the last 4 episodes of this season or watch 4 episodes of most CBS sitcoms or New Normal?
  March 1, 2013 at 3:02PM EST
- Mulderism I'll break it down even better. Would you rather eat cat poo, dog poo or horse poo? Whether one may be better than the other, at the end of he day they're all POO!
  
  To answer your question I'd watch none of them if they were bad. Community is still on the fence for me.
  March 1, 2013 at 3:17PM EST
- Stuckey Well, obviously some people don't think it's poo and enjoy it in whatever watered down state it may currently be in. And some don't and that's fine. But the same complaints are being made by the same people in the last 4 weeks and it's probably time for a break from reviewing it or talking about it in depth until it does something noteworthy again, whether that's a new episode that works, cancellation or renewal. But for now I'm an apologist for the show and probably won't be reading past the first paragraph of any review/recap for while.
  March 1, 2013 at 3:37PM EST
Char

I thought this was the best so far this season.
March 1, 2013 at 12:29AM EST Reply to Comment
srpad

This was the first episode of the new season I would call bad. even just the rhythms were off. Britta's line to Abed about dairy sounded like it came from a parody of a sitcom, and not a good parody like we got in the first episode.
March 1, 2013 at 12:32AM EST Reply to Comment
mark

I actually thought this was the best episode of the season, which isnt saying much because it still wasn't great.

Its hard to pinpoint whats different but one thing is it seems they dont commit to bits or parodies as hard as Harmon did. This ep had a war documentary type thing going on for a few minutes and then it was done and forgotten. While the old Pillow blanket fort war ep committed to the war documentary bit the whole episode and worked much better instead of just jumping in the shallow end of bit after bit which makes the pacing feel wierd too.

But I still thought it was decent.
March 1, 2013 at 12:39AM EST Reply to Comment
BigDerf

Whoever was writing this episode very clearly had assumed Kroll would just be available, and it suffers from that. I mean, the rest of the episode is still mostly bad, but bringing back the Germans without Kroll is just stupid, as he was the figurehead for all three characters at the time. I mean, unless they never actually watched the episode.

I mean, there are several things in this episode that really do make you wonder how much Community these writers have actually seen. Choosing to set the past study group scenes as parts of "Cooperative Calligraphy" and "Advanced D&D" is very clearly a choice based on the popularity of those episodes, since they don't actually make much sense for the spot. "D&D", as mentioned, occurs when they are saving Fat Neil's life, and "Calligraphy" occurs when the whole campus is at the Puppy Parade. The Dean literally makes an announcement of the fact that the whole campus is at the parade.

This whole Changnesia BS also ignores the clear plot thread left for Chang to be working for City College, unless it's a ridiculous set up for such a joke. And thinking about it.... if it is, that might actually be worse.

And the Troy And Abed Podcast? WTF? Seriously.... WTF? Who was sitting in the writers room and thought "What if they just got a podcast? I mean, thats the most efficient way to ruin the whole joke of the fact that 'Troy And Abed In The Morning' is not a real show"
March 1, 2013 at 12:49AM EST Reply to Comment
- Rachel I could not agree more about the podcast ruining Troy and Abed in the morning. In fact I am surprised you're the only person to comment on it.
  March 1, 2013 at 3:43PM EST
Lee Harvey

I'm with the people who said that this was the best episode of the season. Sure, the Chang story is weak, but the rest was pretty damn good. And I missed Kroll at first, but the Germans were effective anyway.
March 1, 2013 at 12:50AM EST Reply to Comment
- Dezbot The one who was motorboating the luftballoons cracked me up the most.
  March 1, 2013 at 5:30PM EST
JoeDilly

Thought this was a very poor episode. I haven't been wild about the new season, but this was the first one that really got me down about the future of the show. Everything felt flat, the Germans bit was too much and just forced, and Chang... I actually found myself wondering how much better the show would have been if Ken Jeong just disappeared after season 2, because they clearly don't know what to do with him anymore. He was incredible in season 1, just a shame.

Bottom line: when Alison Brie and Gillian Jacobs in dirndls can't salvage an episode, you know you have problems.
March 1, 2013 at 12:53AM EST Reply to Comment
Goodwin

I enjoyed this episode. But now I'm sad, because I think I need to give up on Community reviews. Usually I love to come to places like here or the AV Club to read episode reviews and often even learn some new spin on a joke or discover a fact I had never considered. But now these just aren't fun anymore. The reviewers seem so bitter, and then the comment threads are just back and forth with people arguing about whether the show is terrible without Dan Harmon or whether people only think its terrible because they know Dan Harmon is not involved anymore. Where Community has often found humor in deconstructing pop culture, I feel like these reviews and the resulting comment threads have now become more about deconstructing the desconstruction of the reviews. The Community reviews and comments have now become more meta than the show itself, and I don't think I can take it. I'm going to go back to just watching and enjoying the show.
March 1, 2013 at 12:55AM EST Reply to Comment
- Taz
  People have a right to be bitter when the creator, showrunner, and creative driver behind the heart and soul of their favorite show is fired from the show. It is impossible not to notice that the show is different. It'd be like if a new author wrote the final Harry Potter book, or Vince Gilligan left Breaking Bad. When a show has a unique energy and a particular quality, you can not remove the creator and expect the prior qualities to remain.
  
  I still think the show is good, and I love the cast, but the tone of the show is absolutely undeniably different without Harmon.
  March 1, 2013 at 1:06AM EST
- TheOneWhoKnocks This +1million.
  Love reading sepinwalls reviews and the comments because they usually enhance the experience but now I find myself enjoying the show yet all the negative reactions are only bringing me down. The show may never hit the highs of the first few seasons(most comedies are downhill after the first 3 seasons regardless of writer change) but I still feel like its community and I still feel like its one of the best comedies on TV
  March 1, 2013 at 1:07AM EST
- Slushy Agreed. I usually enjoy reading Community reviews. But now it's all just complaining that it's not the same as before.
  
  There are issues yes, but I still enjoy Community over most other comedies out there.
  March 1, 2013 at 1:41AM EST
- Former HitFix Reader Agreed. Now these reviews just make me sad after watching an episode that made me happy. I'll just stick with watching and enjoying.
  March 1, 2013 at 1:46AM EST
- CinemaPsycho No one is saying it's exactly the same as it was with Harmon. It CAN'T be exactly the same. But the situation is what it is. All I ask is that it feels relatively close enough that I can still enjoy it, that it doesn't feel like I'm watching something COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. For 3 out of 4 episodes, they have managed to do that for me. I would rather have that than no show at all.
  
  Of course it's going to be slightly different without Harmon. Harmon had a distinctive voice that is no longer there. The question you have to ask yourself is, do you STILL enjoy the show as it is now? This is what the show is now. I would never tell people to stop watching, but you have to decide for yourself whether or not you can accept what the show is without Harmon. I still enjoy it and I'm glad it's still there, for however long it lasts. If you can't enjoy it, maybe you need to consider whether or not it is still for you.
  March 1, 2013 at 3:18AM EST
- Call Me Carlos the Dwarf My issue isn't that it's different from Harmon, per se.
  
  My issue is that they're doing their absolute best to imitate the "what" of Harmon's show, with loads of super, super self-consciously meta jokes and ending voiceovers that make Scrubs look cynical, but they don't have a handle on the "why" of it.
  When the jokes didn't land the last three seasons Harmon could usually carry it with the consistently great character work. Now they need the jokes to distract from the fact that they have no idea how to write for the characters, and they haven't been landing.
  March 1, 2013 at 3:55AM EST
- Robert In other words, a lot of you only appreciated reading Sepinwall and VanDeWerff's critical analysis when you agreed with it. This is a moment for reflection, and you've chosen denial. Good work.
  March 1, 2013 at 4:18AM EST
- Slushy I wouldn't call it denial. I would call it acceptance. Many of us have accepted that Community is different. Rather than *hoping* that the next episode will magically become Harmonesque and then repeatedly feel disappointed and complain about it, we've decided to enjoy it for what it is. Granted, four episodes is still early in the season, so the complaints are still somewhat fresh, but I'm not holding my breath that we'll get another one of the transcendent Community episodes.
  March 1, 2013 at 6:12AM EST
- Oliver It sounds like you want a cheerleader rather than a reviewer.
  March 1, 2013 at 10:29AM EST
- jenfullmoon Yeah, I'm in the acceptance camp. We can't have a Dan Harmon Community any more, period. Never gonna happen. Frankly, I'll take "good enough" and so far, I think they are doing the best they can. This could be a lot worse, truly. I'm sure we can all think of other shows where they changed showrunners and then everything went to hell (Sliders, anyone?). Compared to this, you know what, I'll live. They are trying to live up to the spirit of Dan's Community, even if nobody has access to his special brand of crazy to make things as wackadoo as they used to be.
  
  And realistically speaking, the show is canceled and done after this season anyway (RUINED FOREVER), so what does it matter? I'll enjoy what I got while I still got it.
  March 1, 2013 at 12:59PM EST
- Jon, The Earl of Hamm Sandwich wow what a great comment. you expressed the frustration that reading these reviews and comments has become to a tee. as for you robert and and oliver, you just don't get it. you say "wanting a cheerleader" but I say not wanting to listen to a bunch of heckling...particularly the kind of heckling that seems to be largely based in longing love for dan harmon vs. the actual quality of the show
  March 1, 2013 at 4:00PM EST
- sepinwall My concern with this episode had nothing to do with Dan Harmon, with characterization, or anything else. It's that it didn't make me laugh. That is a judgment of the actual quality.
  
  You disagree. Swell. I'm glad some of you are still enjoying the show. But just as I won't accuse you of viewing these episodes through rose-colored glasses, please do not suggest that those of us who haven't enjoyed some or all of them somehow can't see the quality because of our Harmon-tinted specs.
  March 1, 2013 at 4:17PM EST
Goodwin

I enjoyed this episode. But now I'm sad, because I think I need to give up on Community reviews. Usually I love to come to places like here or the AV Club to read episode reviews and often even learn some new spin on a joke or discover a fact I had never considered. But now these just aren't fun anymore. The reviewers seem so bitter, and then the comment threads are just back and forth with people arguing about whether the show is terrible without Dan Harmon or whether people only think its terrible because they know Dan Harmon is not involved anymore. Where Community has often found humor in deconstructing pop culture, I feel like these reviews and the resulting comment threads have now become more about deconstructing the desconstruction of the reviews. The Community reviews and comments have now become more meta than the show itself, and I don't think I can take it. I'm going to go back to just watching and enjoying the show.
March 1, 2013 at 12:55AM EST Reply to Comment
- Rob Pollard I agree with this. It's like the internet is collapsing on itself.
  
  I've pretty much have disagreed with all 4 of Alan's reviews this season (e.g,. I hated History 101 - easily the worst of the four this season, in my opinion) and while agreeing isn't the point of reading reviews to me (gaining possible insights/viewpoints I might have overlooked is) it seems like the critics just can't help themselves with the Harmon thing. I mean, the comment about the D&D episode being "tainted" by this one? Really? Is it not possible that an episode where they made time to include someone outside their group ALSO was a time when the group (once again) thought about themselves a bit too much while doing so (and thus held onto the conference room for too long)? Both are possible and it really isn't that complicated. One doesn't get rid of the good work they tried to do; they're flawed, just like before. But it seems like critics can't help themselves w the Harmon-fixation.
  
  In any case, I really liked this episode and laughed out loud multiple times, rewound certain parts ~5 times and thought it was really clever. The Dean killed it, and many other characters had more than one line that made me laugh.
  
  It's time to just relax and enjoy the show (or not, as the case may be) based on what it is, not based on some alternate universe that doesn't exist. Otherwise, it's exhausting TV watching, and that's no way watch comedy.
  
  March 3, 2013 at 11:35PM EST
Call Me Carlos the Dwarf

Yeah. This Chang story looks to be worse than last season's, which at least gave us that awesome flashback episode.
March 1, 2013 at 12:59AM EST Reply to Comment
stevegray

Okay so I was the one a few weeks back defending the Paranormal Parentage episode, and I still stand by my defense as I've definitely really enjoyed those past 3 eps... but even I have to say that tonight's episode sucked big time. Flat joke after flat joke...annoying Germans (and "foosball and nocturnal vigilantism" is one of my many favs btw)... good theme idea for an episode ruined by it's unenthusiastic execution... turning the show on it's head in the worst possible way by claiming "advanced D&D" was part of them being selfish and "calligraphy" was too..... come on. I really hope they step it up next week. Very disappointed in the show tonight.
March 1, 2013 at 1:05AM EST Reply to Comment
JB

I thought it was wildly uneven but still more entertaining than the first three episodes of the season. I chuckled a few times. It still feels like no one knows how to write for these characters anymore.
March 1, 2013 at 1:10AM EST Reply to Comment
NoHoGreg

I liked these last two episodes and thought they were the best of this season thus far, probably on par with middling Harmon-era episodes. Surprised Alan has been so down on what I think have been the most enjoyable episodes this year.
March 1, 2013 at 1:12AM EST Reply to Comment
apearlma

That was the first episode where I felt things had some serious misses as opposed to feeling flat with the other ones - there were some funny moments, but the episode wasn't pushed anywhere near far enough.
March 1, 2013 at 1:25AM EST Reply to Comment
Jonas.Left

For a few precious minutes, I started to feel like this one might be good... This show is starting to remind me of Lucy holding the football so Charlie Brown can kick it. Then she just snatches it away and he's left humiliated that he was suckered again.

The people in charge of this show don't understand the delicate balance this show needed to maintain to work. Sure the show could be silly or over the top but Pierce getting electrocuted with visible bands of electricity was cartoon bullshit. The group all screaming at once the same way they all shouted Gilbert's name in unison in the Halloween show was cartoon bullshit. Even the emotional payoff felt cartoonish, like the lame lesson that the Griffins learn on Family Guy. Every time this season tries to go for genuine feeling it falls flat because they don't know how to earn those moments. There are episodes from the first three seasons that are so poignant I teared up. This season can barely get a laugh.

I started getting depressed after the second epsiode. Now I'm getting angry. Based on what I've read of the Harmon/Chase feud it seems obvious they couldn't both stay with the show. Why in hell did they pick Chase? He's always been the weakest member of the cast. We lost the soul and voice of the show so Chevy Chase could phone in a half dozen lines an episode?

I am genuinely happy for anyone who can still enjoy this thing that Community has become. But it is time to retire this notion that if only we hadn't known Harmon was fired, we would be able to enjoy these perfectly good episodes of Community. Maybe different people liked different things about this show. Maybe some people are more attuned to the subtler differences that have happened. All I know is that this is not the show I treasured. Not even close.
March 1, 2013 at 1:26AM EST Reply to Comment
- Stuckey It was never Chase over Harmon. Sure Harmon let that voicemail go public. But Harmon admits he was a poor manager of the show for Sony. The show was constantly turned in late and over budget. He's been pretty candid that he was deserving of getting fired, but it sucks because of how much he put into the show.
  March 1, 2013 at 2:25AM EST
- Jonas.Left STUCKEY I haven't followed the Harmon firing as closely as a lot of other Community fans have. Google backs you up, so fair enough. I still hate Chevy Chase for how he's sabotaged this show. Its especially galling since Harmon had such dramatically better actors in mind for Pierce. Can you imagine what Patrick Stewart could have done on this show?
  March 1, 2013 at 3:57AM EST
- CasaTrobed Well said, Jona. I am in mourning for what used to be my favorite sitcom and one of the few television shows I actually looked forward to each week. For me, Community lost all of the spark it used to have. It feels superficial, dumbed-down and forced. Rather than layers of subtle jokes and references that would make you go "Was that what I thought that was?" and a rewind. Or having to pause and rewind because you are laughing at one thing and another was in there right behind it. All the details and Easter eggs to watch for. Now it is like an instructional video. We are telling a joke now, get it?
  March 1, 2013 at 8:00AM EST
- Mulderism They had a germ of an idea here but didn't follow through. I can imagine the lengths that Abed and Troy would go to to make sure they beat the Germans to the sign up sheet. At the very least caming out all night at the steps like they were trying to get concert tickets. It might have been funny to see them all try and one up the other in getting in line first.
  
  Wasted opportunity.
  March 1, 2013 at 3:06PM EST
- Jonas.Left Thanks, CASATROBED. I don't know about you, but at this point I feel like I'm watching out of an obligation to see an old friend off. My optimism is at its limit.
  
  You're right about the joy of re-watching Community. Modern Warfare is so packed with references that I get somethimg new every time. I didn't notice "Row Boat Cop" or the famous "Abed delivers a baby storyline until second viewings.
  
  By the way, don't take this as angry or critical because I know its unusual, but my first name is Jonas. Its Hebrew for dove. Left is a diminutive of my last name that almost no one can pronounce or spell properly, even aunts and uncles that have known it for decades.
  March 1, 2013 at 3:35PM EST
Sparks

I don't know what show that was, but that wasn't an episode of Community.

Those jokes were so shallow and easy.
March 1, 2013 at 2:12AM EST Reply to Comment
- b alan Agree
  March 5, 2013 at 12:22AM EST
Turtle

I haven't liked any of the episodes so far this season. I didn't expect the show to be that different without Harmon, but it just isn't the same now.
March 1, 2013 at 2:22AM EST Reply to Comment
aamadis

Yeah, umm . . . Not. Funny. At. All. Bored stiff halfway through the episode.
March 1, 2013 at 2:46AM EST Reply to Comment
Autumnelsie

Best episode of the season so far! I wonder if the networks bumped this episode to air today as opposed to a few weeks ago because it was the most Harmon-like (and therefore "less accessible") episode. I actually laughed during this episode. I enjoyed seeing all the characters together and seeing other familiar Greendale faces. Episodes 1-3's pairing off of characters and giving them their own little subplots and sub-subplots was pretty awkward and clunky.

My only gripe would be that the ending where they all decide to fix up Greendale could have used some finessing. This episode's pretty much on par with some of the solid, but less popular episodes of previous seasons of Community.

March 1, 2013 at 3:04AM EST Reply to Comment
gco211

This episode was easily my least favorite of the season, but I also laughed much more than you did, as has been consistent this season. The Dean's criticism of changnesia while using a Dean-replacement was possibly my favorite pair of jokes this season.
March 1, 2013 at 4:18AM EST Reply to Comment
- jan I loved that part as well, but I also liked the Luftballons comment (am I the only one who remembers Nena?) as well as the Aronofsky comment. Heck, I even laughed at "Düsseldorks."
  March 1, 2013 at 9:12AM EST
leemats

I wonder if Chris Diamantopoulos will be back for more episodes. I suspect they would not have cast a "name" in this role unless they planned on doing more with this character. Perhaps he will come between Annie and Jeff.
March 1, 2013 at 4:48AM EST Reply to Comment
- Col Bat Guano As long as he doesn't show up on The Office any more, that would be fine.
  March 1, 2013 at 1:23PM EST
Travis

I laughed more during this episode than I did during most of the Harmon-era ones, so I guess I'm fine with the new direction. On a related note, have people forgotten that there were far worse episodes during in the first 3 seasons?
March 1, 2013 at 5:59AM EST Reply to Comment
- sepinwall I'm glad you liked it, Travis. I wish I had. Out of curiosity, which episodes from earlier seasons would you consider "far worse"? I ask that not to be combative, but because I genuinely can't think of one I found less enjoyable. Even ones I didn't much like (the messiah episode, say) usually had some kind of interesting hook, or a memorable joke or three.
  March 1, 2013 at 8:34AM EST
- Mike I thought Messiah was awful. And after the 8 bit computer game episode last season, I turned to my wife and apologized for introducing her to Community, it was so bad.
  March 1, 2013 at 10:03AM EST
- I think my least favorite episode had been last year's UN episode ("Geography of Global Conflict"), but this one probably replaces it.
  
  I did like last week's episode, though, so at least they seem to recognize which of their episodes are better than others. That suggests they may have gotten a few of the remaining correct. I feel bad for this new team, which seems to be trying their best, but just won't ever be able to get the nuance of the Dan Harmon era. What often made it so incredible is that beneath all the jokes (many of which you'd miss without repeat viewings) there was a heart to the characters unmatched by anything this side of "Parenthood."
  March 1, 2013 at 11:42AM EST
- ed w I enjoyed it a lot too. To pick a past episode I thought it was superior to, I'd go with the space/rv episode.
  March 1, 2013 at 6:03PM EST
- Jonas.Left MIKE Okay, Messiah, I can understand. It was definitely a weaker episode. But the video game show? That one is a half hour of joy. Do you hate video games or joy? Kidding, kidding. Seriously though, what didn't you like aout it? Its one of my favorites. Was it the first episode your wife ever watched? Its not the most accessible show they ever did. I've also found that when I watched something I do find funny with someone who ends up hating it, their lack of laughter unnerved me too much to enjoy it myself.
  March 1, 2013 at 6:51PM EST
- Mike No, my wife has been watching since season one, and liked it, though not as much as I do. I found the video game one to be too much video game humor and not enough humor for those of us who don't spend a ton of time playing games. Pierce's whole backstory also never did much for me, so the racist father having a bastard son never seemed to work, either. But, yeah, I know exactly what you mean about when you watch a show and another person isn't liking it.
  March 1, 2013 at 7:13PM EST
- Jonas.Left MIKE That makes sense.
  
  I heard Harmon on a video game themed podcast mention that his original idea for the Remedial Chaos Theory episode involved a video game element, but another writer convinced him to split the timeline and game ideas into two stories. There's the genius of Dan Harmon. An idea so rich I spawned two unique shows, while the new guys can't come up with an idea that sustains itself for half an hour.
  March 1, 2013 at 8:06PM EST
- Travis Admittedly, these kind of things are subjective but there's the Messiah episode, the ecology diorama episode, the one where Britta was tried at a pool, the one with Kat McPhee, the one with the high schoolers, the children's play, the Chang-heavy noir episode, the 8-bit one was weak, and the all of the ones that involved Chang knocking up Shirley (zombie ep not included). These are just what came to mind, and I'm sure there are those who can defend them, but I enjoyed those episodes far less than this one.
  March 2, 2013 at 10:42PM EST

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Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

Luckylucy Couldn't agree more. I missed this show so much during hiatus and every episode so far has been more and more disappointing. Such a waste of a super likable and incredibly talented cast. Love your articles and especially your podcast!

Streets Ahead * Awesome war between the two schools with Chang keeping Greendale one step ahead. Tyrant to hero.

Jeff G I think I'm being objective here and I would feel the same way if I didn't know Harmon had left, but the show just has no soul anymore. It's so flat. Kindof remarkable given the same cast and some of the same writers. Very disappointing.

community writing team Your mom is so flat.

Jack NAILED IT!

Hannah Lee NBC seems to be airing the Pet Semetary version of Community.

cool dude ranch sometimes dead is bettah

Jonas.Left I really wish I had thought of the Pet Sematary metaphor. It sums it all up perfectly. Especially with that quote. Now I'm off to plagiarize it in another forum.

Shelb This was by far the best episode of the 4th season. Funnier, more true to the characters, a lot of subtle jokes... while obviously not on the level it once was, it was the most "Harmon-like" episode so far this year.

Chris Agreed. I thought the writing of Abed was a little off, but otherwise was fairly true to the characters. Still, you know Harmon would have done a better spoof of war movies.

Finngodo Glad I'm not the odd man out here. As far as episodes go I thought this one was pretty good and on par with previous seasons. Thought te halloween one was good too.

I Laughed, Along With Many Others Glad you and Todd check in on each other's negative reviews to keep in sync. Strange how neither of you laughed at all but fans are quoting dozens of funny lines/moments elsewhere on the web. C'est la vie, I guess.

Dismissive Eyeroll HOLY SHIT! YOU UNCOVERED A CONSPIRACY! YOU'RE GOING TO WIN A PULITZER FOR THIS!

Jonas.Left C'est la merde, is more like it.

oswald is merde italian for 'potato' ? why did you say potato? Jonas. Left?

Jonas.Left OSWALD If that's a reference, I don't know it. Merde is French for "shit."

LoopyChew The problem with that, Jonas.Left, is that "C'est la merde" means "It's THE s***," much like it is in English. I think.

Jonas.Left LOOPYCHEW According to Google Translate "C'est la merde" means "This is shit."

Jonas.Left What does it say about me that this discussion has had me giggling like a schoolgirl?

Jonas.Left INVITÉ Thanks for your expertise. It may have been lost in the text, but I was being tounge-in-cheek when I described my play on words as clever. I totally recognize it was a bit childish.

Jacob I disagree, this was my favourite episode of the season. It felt like the first season, my favorite season. The jokes were more subtle, but still great.

Bryan-a This just makes me sad, these new show runners just don't get who these characters are so they became caricatures.

madmeme Elodia: How can a creator run his creation into the ground? That's like saying Tolstoy ruined 'War and Peace' by the direction he took his characters. You might not have liked what Harmon did with HIS characters (I did) but he's not to 'blame' for anything.

Johanna Lapp MadMeme asks "How Can a creator run his creation into the ground?" Hello, did you miss Star Wars episodes 1-3? All of the Dune books after the first? Star Trek season 3? Twin Peaks Fire Walk With Me?

chas @carlos - you dont think britta is clueless?? britta, who thought she was so enlightened because she had a lesbian friend. who turned out to be straight but thought britta was lesbian? that britta isnt clueless?

madmeme @Johanna Lapp - Again, whether you like what Lucas, Herbert, or Lynch did with their creations is a subjective matter and irrelevant. It was theirs to do with as they pleased - and as such, it was - and always is for the creator - valid.

Call Me Carlos the Dwarf @JohannaI know you're not trash talking Dune Messiah and Children of Dune.

Jonas.Left Oh, it is on!!!

D&D Calos the dwarf- love seeing an F&G fan! That is all.

Col Bat Guano @Madmeme Regardless of the creator's intent, third party observers can certainly decide that they have ruined the characters with their choices.

Mulderism I go mental when someone makes the argument that something is good because something else is bad. Just because A is better than B doesn't mean A is good. This was a so-so episode. A few laughs but otherwise not great. If the show was like this the first season I doubt I'd stick around.

Stuckey OK, I'll break it down better, would you rather watch the last 4 episodes of this season or watch 4 episodes of most CBS sitcoms or New Normal?

Mulderism I'll break it down even better. Would you rather eat cat poo, dog poo or horse poo? Whether one may be better than the other, at the end of he day they're all POO!To answer your question I'd watch none of them if they were bad. Community is still on the fence for me.

Char I thought this was the best so far this season.

srpad This was the first episode of the new season I would call bad. even just the rhythms were off. Britta's line to Abed about dairy sounded like it came from a parody of a sitcom, and not a good parody like we got in the first episode.

Rachel I could not agree more about the podcast ruining Troy and Abed in the morning. In fact I am surprised you're the only person to comment on it.

Lee Harvey I'm with the people who said that this was the best episode of the season. Sure, the Chang story is weak, but the rest was pretty damn good. And I missed Kroll at first, but the Germans were effective anyway.

Dezbot The one who was motorboating the luftballoons cracked me up the most.

Slushy Agreed. I usually enjoy reading Community reviews. But now it's all just complaining that it's not the same as before.There are issues yes, but I still enjoy Community over most other comedies out there.

Former HitFix Reader Agreed. Now these reviews just make me sad after watching an episode that made me happy. I'll just stick with watching and enjoying.

Robert In other words, a lot of you only appreciated reading Sepinwall and VanDeWerff's critical analysis when you agreed with it. This is a moment for reflection, and you've chosen denial. Good work.

Oliver It sounds like you want a cheerleader rather than a reviewer.

Call Me Carlos the Dwarf Yeah. This Chang story looks to be worse than last season's, which at least gave us that awesome flashback episode.

JB I thought it was wildly uneven but still more entertaining than the first three episodes of the season. I chuckled a few times. It still feels like no one knows how to write for these characters anymore.

NoHoGreg I liked these last two episodes and thought they were the best of this season thus far, probably on par with middling Harmon-era episodes. Surprised Alan has been so down on what I think have been the most enjoyable episodes this year.

apearlma That was the first episode where I felt things had some serious misses as opposed to feeling flat with the other ones - there were some funny moments, but the episode wasn't pushed anywhere near far enough.

Sparks I don't know what show that was, but that wasn't an episode of Community. Those jokes were so shallow and easy.

b alan Agree

Turtle I haven't liked any of the episodes so far this season. I didn't expect the show to be that different without Harmon, but it just isn't the same now.

aamadis Yeah, umm . . . Not. Funny. At. All. Bored stiff halfway through the episode.

gco211 This episode was easily my least favorite of the season, but I also laughed much more than you did, as has been consistent this season. The Dean's criticism of changnesia while using a Dean-replacement was possibly my favorite pair of jokes this season.

jan I loved that part as well, but I also liked the Luftballons comment (am I the only one who remembers Nena?) as well as the Aronofsky comment. Heck, I even laughed at "Düsseldorks."

leemats I wonder if Chris Diamantopoulos will be back for more episodes. I suspect they would not have cast a "name" in this role unless they planned on doing more with this character. Perhaps he will come between Annie and Jeff.

Col Bat Guano As long as he doesn't show up on The Office any more, that would be fine.

Travis I laughed more during this episode than I did during most of the Harmon-era ones, so I guess I'm fine with the new direction. On a related note, have people forgotten that there were far worse episodes during in the first 3 seasons?

Mike I thought Messiah was awful. And after the 8 bit computer game episode last season, I turned to my wife and apologized for introducing her to Community, it was so bad.

ed w I enjoyed it a lot too. To pick a past episode I thought it was superior to, I'd go with the space/rv episode.

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Luckylucy

Couldn't agree more. I missed this show so much during hiatus and every episode so far has been more and more disappointing. Such a waste of a super likable and incredibly talented cast. Love your articles and especially your podcast!

Jeff G

I think I'm being objective here and I would feel the same way if I didn't know Harmon had left, but the show just has no soul anymore. It's so flat. Kindof remarkable given the same cast and some of the same writers. Very disappointing.

Jonas.Left I really wish I had thought of the Pet Sematary metaphor. It sums it all up perfectly. Especially with that quote.

Now I'm off to plagiarize it in another forum.

Shelb

This was by far the best episode of the 4th season. Funnier, more true to the characters, a lot of subtle jokes... while obviously not on the level it once was, it was the most "Harmon-like" episode so far this year.

I Laughed, Along With Many Others

Glad you and Todd check in on each other's negative reviews to keep in sync. Strange how neither of you laughed at all but fans are quoting dozens of funny lines/moments elsewhere on the web. C'est la vie, I guess.

oswald
is merde italian for 'potato' ?

why did you say potato?

Jonas. Left?

Jacob

I disagree, this was my favourite episode of the season. It felt like the first season, my favorite season. The jokes were more subtle, but still great.

Bryan-a

This just makes me sad, these new show runners just don't get who these characters are so they became caricatures.

Johanna Lapp MadMeme asks "How Can a creator run his creation into the ground?"

Hello, did you miss Star Wars episodes 1-3? All of the Dune books after the first? Star Trek season 3? Twin Peaks Fire Walk With Me?

Call Me Carlos the Dwarf @Johanna
I know you're not trash talking Dune Messiah and Children of Dune.

Mulderism I go mental when someone makes the argument that something is good because something else is bad. Just because A is better than B doesn't mean A is good.

This was a so-so episode. A few laughs but otherwise not great. If the show was like this the first season I doubt I'd stick around.

Mulderism I'll break it down even better. Would you rather eat cat poo, dog poo or horse poo? Whether one may be better than the other, at the end of he day they're all POO!

To answer your question I'd watch none of them if they were bad. Community is still on the fence for me.

Char

I thought this was the best so far this season.

srpad

This was the first episode of the new season I would call bad. even just the rhythms were off. Britta's line to Abed about dairy sounded like it came from a parody of a sitcom, and not a good parody like we got in the first episode.

Lee Harvey

I'm with the people who said that this was the best episode of the season. Sure, the Chang story is weak, but the rest was pretty damn good. And I missed Kroll at first, but the Germans were effective anyway.

Slushy Agreed. I usually enjoy reading Community reviews. But now it's all just complaining that it's not the same as before.

There are issues yes, but I still enjoy Community over most other comedies out there.

Call Me Carlos the Dwarf

Yeah. This Chang story looks to be worse than last season's, which at least gave us that awesome flashback episode.

JB

I thought it was wildly uneven but still more entertaining than the first three episodes of the season. I chuckled a few times. It still feels like no one knows how to write for these characters anymore.

NoHoGreg

I liked these last two episodes and thought they were the best of this season thus far, probably on par with middling Harmon-era episodes. Surprised Alan has been so down on what I think have been the most enjoyable episodes this year.

apearlma

That was the first episode where I felt things had some serious misses as opposed to feeling flat with the other ones - there were some funny moments, but the episode wasn't pushed anywhere near far enough.

Sparks

I don't know what show that was, but that wasn't an episode of Community.

Those jokes were so shallow and easy.

Turtle

I haven't liked any of the episodes so far this season. I didn't expect the show to be that different without Harmon, but it just isn't the same now.

aamadis

Yeah, umm . . . Not. Funny. At. All. Bored stiff halfway through the episode.

gco211

This episode was easily my least favorite of the season, but I also laughed much more than you did, as has been consistent this season. The Dean's criticism of changnesia while using a Dean-replacement was possibly my favorite pair of jokes this season.

leemats

I wonder if Chris Diamantopoulos will be back for more episodes. I suspect they would not have cast a "name" in this role unless they planned on doing more with this character. Perhaps he will come between Annie and Jeff.

Travis

I laughed more during this episode than I did during most of the Harmon-era ones, so I guess I'm fine with the new direction. On a related note, have people forgotten that there were far worse episodes during in the first 3 seasons?

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