Inside Television with Alan Sepinwall

Review: 'Community' - 'Paranormal Parentage': Scooby-Troy, where are you?

The study group investigates a haunting at Pierce's house on 'Valloween'

By Alan Sepinwall Thursday, Feb 14, 2013 8:30 PM

The "Community" gang got dressed up for Halloween, but the episode aired on Valentine's Day.

Credit: NBC

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A review of tonight's "Community" coming up just as soon as I've been offended by this coat rack before...

Of the three season 4 episodes I've seen, "Paranormal Parentage" felt the most "right," in that the characters felt like themselves rather than a very well-studied imitation. And I thought the emotional moments at the end involving Pierce and his half-brother Gilbert, and Jeff and his dad, landed quite well.

My problem is that it's not an incredibly funny episode, yet it's structured as one. No one's going to be confusing this with "Mixology Certification" — it's a "Scooby-Doo" homage, for goodness' sake — and yet other than a few moments where the script calls upon the actors' go-to moves (Donald Glover saying ridiculous things while crying, Gillian Jacobs dancing), plus a few stray gags (Troy's confusion about Pierce's "special gym," Britta enjoying her inadvertent therapizing of Jeff), the jokes didn't really click for me.

The idea of doing a "Scooby-Doo" episode that builds to some big epiphanies for two of our main characters seems like a very "Community" thing to do. I can imagine a more polished version of "Paranormal Parentage" being one of those episodes of the show that makes us marvel at how exactly the creative team made it work. What we got, though, felt like it needed more work.

But Pierce reaching out to Gilbert to solve their mutual loneliness — and in a way that allowed each to hang onto his dignity — was a lovely moment, as was Jeff looking at the stitching of the boxing glove, as we realize he wore that costume as a tribute to his dad (the previous owner of those gloves).

Very nice individual pieces. I just wish the episode around them had been stronger.

Some other thoughts:

* I interviewed Giancarlo Esposito about his surprise return to the show.

* "Paranormal Parentage" was shot back when October 19 was still the premiere date, which would have put this one airing a few days before Halloween. Instead, NBC has tried to embrace the scheduling dissonance by calling it "Valloween" in promos. I really don't think it's that big a deal. "Sopranos" would air Christmas episodes at odd times, for instance, and every "St. Elsewhere" Christmas episode aired in May. I don't think TV shows need to be as slavish to the real calendar as so many of them are, but I'm curious if anyone was bothered by getting a Halloween episode on Valentine's Day.

* No follow-up on the subject of Changnesia yet, and Dean Pelton only turns up briefly in the teaser to inspire Jeff to go to Pierce's house rather than straight to Vicki's party. That said, I think Oscar Winner Jim Rash needs to put out a workout tape, ASAP.

* Abed has gotten Annie into "Cougar Town" (another show that wasn't on around Halloween), which makes watching Annie his new "third favorite show." Also, it definitely feels like the show is going back to the Annie/Jeff well, as they try to do a couples costume, and as she tries to get Jeff to still go to Vicki's party with her after the haunted house debacle.

* I appreciated the mention of Shirley paying money for a babysitter to watch the kids — and on a night when she was supposed to be out partying with Andre — given that it strains credibility at times (especially since she had the baby) that she spends this much time partying with the study group. At the very least, here she's acknowledging that it's a hassle.

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 114 Comments

Josh

It felt like the same characters, the tone was right...but several jokes just didn't land the way the writers wanted them to.
February 14, 2013 at 9:49PM EST Reply to Comment
JoeDilly

Definitely thought it was an improvement over last week. Wasn't an all-time great episode, but it was "good enough." Enjoyed the Jeff-Britta banter, and thought Troy did enough to carry the rest of the episode until the nice li'l emotional payoff at the end. Definitely could have been tighter/funnier, but overall I enjoyed it. Hopefully they can settle in and keep improving as the episodes move along!
February 14, 2013 at 9:50PM EST Reply to Comment
- CinemaPsycho Agreed. I liked it much more than the premiere. I'd much rather have the characters feel like themselves than have the show strain for big laughs that feel out of character. I actually found this episode a lot funnier BECAUSE the jokes were more true to the characters. So yes, more episodes like this please, new producers.
  February 15, 2013 at 2:25AM EST
S

Enjoyed this episode as well as last week's. Still think everyone is crying over spilled milk. I was also genuinely scared a couple of times. This episode really made me wish it was really Halloween.
February 14, 2013 at 9:51PM EST Reply to Comment
Sparks

I know Abed's 'known' he was in a TV show before but when he was in the room watching Jeff and Britta it was just a little too much.

This is still Community, but it's Community without it's Soul.
February 14, 2013 at 9:52PM EST Reply to Comment
- Shelly the turtle Thoroughly disagree. He was literally watching them on a TV. That would be the most natural time to refer to them being a TV show.
  February 15, 2013 at 12:45AM EST
- keith "I remember when this used to be a show about a community college" didn't make sense in context. It straight out broke the fourth wall. So did Annie's "I hate reference humor."
  February 17, 2013 at 9:46AM EST
- Jeff I don't know, I thought it made total sense. And it wasn't meant to be a literal fourth wall breaker. Abed WAS watching them on TV, lamenting that they were talking about Jeff's daddy issues, a topic he seemed less than interested in.
  
  So it had two meta angles - both a comment on the show's evolution away from a traditional "workplace comedy," of season 1, and another nod to Abed's oft-hinted at "I'm on a TV show" self-awareness. For Community, it seemed pretty par for the course.
  February 17, 2013 at 4:52PM EST
Matt H.

Well, I for one laughed a lot.
February 14, 2013 at 9:53PM EST Reply to Comment
- losthero47 Me too, this felt like Community was back, unlike last week's.
  February 14, 2013 at 11:35PM EST
Jonas.Left

If this is the episode that feels most "right" then I am pretty depressed about the state of this show. For me, it was the worst of the series. The jokes were, with very few exceptions, lame. The performances were off. As odd or over the top as this show could be, the cast always sold that for their characters it was real. This episode it felt like they were actors who knew their material was substandard. Even the tag with Troy and Abed was empty and false. I hope this season gets better, because I can't imagine it getting worse.
February 14, 2013 at 9:56PM EST Reply to Comment
- Kel If you are that upset by the show now, just stop watching it.
  Of course it is different. It is being run by different people now. Things have been changed so that we could keep the show going. Expecting it to be the same as it was before is ridiculous. You have to let the new people have a chance to figure out their own groove with the show, as they are obviously trying to provide what fans want.
  For goodness sake, no need to be so extra critical of it. Instead of trying to find the faults, enjoy the fact that we still have it, or stop watching.
  February 14, 2013 at 10:21PM EST
- sepinwall Kel, stop. See below. TALK ABOUT THE SHOW, NOT EACH OTHER. You don't have the right to tell Jonas to stop watching anymore than he has the right to tell you your continued enjoyment of the show is incorrect.
  February 14, 2013 at 10:24PM EST
- Jonas.Left Thanks. I don't hatewatch shows to tear them down. As a series I love Community more than any comedy since The Simpsons. I just connected with it in a way I don't with most sitcoms. Without going into specifics, watching Community has lifted my spirits through some trying times the last couple years. I want it to be good and my mind was open. Last week's premiere wasn't great, but I enjoyed most of it. It was decent. I hope the show gets better and for now I'm sticking with it.
  
  It is just a t.v. show, though.
  February 14, 2013 at 10:42PM EST
- CasaTrobed Jona, you wrote much of how I feel about the episode and the state of the show. It did really feel as though the actors are just going through the motion and the spark is gone. Everything felt so cheap and like very poor knock-offs. The sets, the jokes, the performances. I love (in an obsessive way) Community and I do not want to be so down on it right now. But part of what set Community apart from others was Harmon's OCD attention to detail and the layering of jokes that were not always so obvious. I will still watch Community to the final episode and hope things get better once the actors/writers settle in more with the new regime.
  February 15, 2013 at 7:49AM EST
- Jonas.Left CASATROBED Thanks. I didn't even think to mention how cheap the sets looked. I think its possible they were trying to convey Pierce's poor taste, but it all just looked fake.
  
  I'm surprised how polarizing this episode is. Some people thought it was a return to form. To me its further from the show I loved than ever.
  February 15, 2013 at 4:30PM EST
- Lee Harvey Saw it tonight (a day late) and have to agree with Jonas and Casatrobed. This episode felt lifeless and looked incredibly cheap, almost like an SNL sketch if SNL was being hosted by one of the cast of Community (and the rest showed up for a mass cameo). I actually liked last week's episode much better (at least I laughed a few times). If next week's show is worse than this one, then my hope will be just about gone.
  February 16, 2013 at 3:55AM EST
crittab

Well, I loved it. It made me laugh, the character interactions felt genuine, and we got a few pairings that we haven't seen in a while, or ever, in the case of Troy and Shirley. All in all, I thought it was a solid episode with good laughs.

I'm also a sucker for the Jeff/Dad storyline, so I'm psyched to see that starting to happen now. It's been my biggest point of interest ever since season one when Jeff had that throwaway line about TV never abusing or insulting him.
February 14, 2013 at 9:57PM EST Reply to Comment
- Jonas.Left It will be interesting to see who they cast as Jeff's dad. My favorite line about his father was when Pierce asked Jeff if he got along with him and Jeff replied, "I learned to get along without him." Great writing.
  February 14, 2013 at 11:20PM EST
- Joyeful Jeff's dad has already been cast - it's public knowledge who it is, but in case you've been avoiding spoilers, I won't say here :-)
  February 14, 2013 at 11:32PM EST
- Jonas.Left I wasn't avoiding it, but I don't usually look for it either. Just checked it out on Google. Seems he's a popular choice for playing long lost fathers.
  February 15, 2013 at 12:52AM EST
- Joyeful I know!! Both Community and Castle. I thought that was interesting.
  February 15, 2013 at 8:55AM EST
Noah

I enjoyed this one. It was solid enough to give me some hope after 401, which I felt was disastrous. I tend to like Ganz-penned scripts though, so I may be biased.
February 14, 2013 at 10:10PM EST Reply to Comment
Tom

The "meta" stuff still felt a little mannered to me.
February 14, 2013 at 10:11PM EST Reply to Comment
- Cheesetony I agree, Tom. I especially cringed when Annie made the comment about "I hate reference humor." (I'm probably paraphrasing) It felt forced.
  February 15, 2013 at 8:54PM EST
DB

OH MY GOODNESS all of you just stop being such stubborn a-holes. It was really really great. It's as if you people don't want it to be good. It's like you don't want to accept that it can still actually be amazing. I bet if a 10/10 perfect episode came along and slapped you in the face with it's brilliance - you would still be like "well it was OK, but it needed more work". Come off it. Get an colonoscopy ASAP because there might be something permanently stuck up your ass. I don't understand how you can all turn on a show you apparently loved soooo much, so quickly. Cut your pretentious, cynical, nitpicky "trust me, I WISH i could enjoy it" crap. You are all being Judases to Community. And that sucks. The show is still lovable, charming and entertaining.

Anyway... tonight's episode was too fun and I really appreciated and admired it. Great stuff. Booyah.
February 14, 2013 at 10:12PM EST Reply to Comment
- sepinwall Hi, DB. So glad you liked the episode. Just remember rule #1 around here: TALK ABOUT THE SHOW, NOT EACH OTHER.
  
  People are entitled to their own opinions, even when they diverge from yours.
  February 14, 2013 at 10:15PM EST
- DB Hey, Alan. Sorry - I actually looked around to see if there were rules against ranting or anything before I posted, but I didn't see any rule list.
  
  But it's just...ugh...I mean think about it, people: What if Sepinwall started writing for a different entertainment website and people starting saying "Geez, it sure feels like Alan lost his soul"? That's such a harsh and extreme thing to say. Just give it a fair chance. Let's be real: a lot of people were hating on it long before it even premiered, judging solely by 30 sec clips. Sad.
  February 14, 2013 at 10:30PM EST
- sepinwall http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/whats-alan-watching/posts/six-simple-rules-for-commenting-on-my-blog-the-sequel
  
  And people *did* say those things after I moved to HitFix, more or less. It's the Internet.
  February 14, 2013 at 10:35PM EST
- CinemaPsycho Just for the record, I agree completely with that rule. I would only tell someone to "stop watching" a show if they don't understand what they are watching or if they inject their own personal politics into a non-political show. Because those people are either confused or they are watching for the wrong reasons. But I would never tell someone to stop watching a show that they love.
  February 15, 2013 at 2:34AM EST
- CinemaPsycho Just for the record, I agree completely with that rule. I would only tell someone to "stop watching" a show if they don't understand what they are watching or if they inject their own personal politics into a non-political show. Because those people are either confused or they are watching for the wrong reasons. But I would never tell someone to stop watching a show that they love.
  February 15, 2013 at 2:34AM EST
- ChampSkins DB I actually agree with you to an extent. In my opinion, after these first two episodes, I can say the show has not diminished in value as much as another show that may or may not be airing right after it on the same network in its current season. My question is this: If Harmon did the first handful of episodes and the show was EXACTLY what we are seeing now, would people REALLY be calling it out on its face? I think the aforementioned show I mentioned is not having its best season, yet most people are not acknowledging that.
  
  Just a thought.
  February 15, 2013 at 10:55AM EST
natx

I think the show has been pretty funny and i still enjoy the characters. I think the only thing that is different now is you dont have that week to week feeling of "what will they do next".

So now community just becomes a fun show that i like watching, which isnt bad.
February 14, 2013 at 10:23PM EST Reply to Comment
- natx Which is still better than most stuff on tv
  February 14, 2013 at 10:25PM EST
Mulderism

To be perfectly honest, if I didn't know about Dan Harmon leaving I don't know if I'd notice from these first few episodes. I admit I didn't laugh much tonight but it seemed like Community. I guess we'll see how it goes.

I took me a bit to figure out who Abed was dressed up as.
February 14, 2013 at 10:39PM EST Reply to Comment
- Jonas.Left Who was he dressed up as? I still don't know.
  February 14, 2013 at 10:47PM EST
- Mulderism Calvin. Troy was Hobbes.
  February 14, 2013 at 11:06PM EST
- Jonas.Left Thanks. It went over my head, completely.
  February 14, 2013 at 11:11PM EST
- marcusmash Thank you. Calvin & Hobbes, of course. Makes way more sense than Tigger and somebody else from the Hundred Acre Wood that I couldn't identify.
  February 15, 2013 at 1:02AM EST
- Jim Ahhhhhhhh, that's it. C&H. I knew this question would be answered here.
  February 15, 2013 at 5:26AM EST
- Tohn Was that the reason why Britta was dressed as meat because she was trying to match her costume with Troy as well.
  February 15, 2013 at 1:26PM EST
- Tohn Was that the reason why Britta was dressed as meat because she was trying to match her costume with Troy as well.
  February 15, 2013 at 1:26PM EST
- Mulderism Perhaps. Britta has a knack for choosing the most unflattering costumes.
  
  I did laugh at Annie's entrance.
  February 15, 2013 at 1:32PM EST
- JayB Not only didn't I get that Troy and Abed were dressed as Calvin and Hobbs, I originally thought Britta was dressed as a bottle of Orangina... Man, I gotta get a better monitor...
  February 15, 2013 at 1:39PM EST
- Peter I've only seen a few episodes, but I agree, I thought this episode and the season premiere were on par with the rest.
  
  Knowing all the behind-the-scenes drama certainly colors someone's perception of a show. Be honest, how many of you came into this season looking for problems?
  February 24, 2013 at 9:21PM EST
Jeff G

Definitely more Community like although a middle of the road episode. It sucks that given how much the show has struggled with ratings in the past it's unlikely it will survive the time it takes for the new show runners to find their footing.
February 14, 2013 at 11:01PM EST Reply to Comment
olivia

I don't think there's anything diferente tonally this season. The characters feel like themselves, i'm so happy the DH firing didn't change things. Still the quirky, sweet, reference heavy show I love. Good productin value too! That house was amazing! Loved seeing Giancarlo Esposito again.
February 14, 2013 at 11:29PM EST Reply to Comment
Joyeful

This episode was great - but not great, if that makes sense. There was fantastic character work, but it was light on funny. Still enjoyable. Felt like Community. Was better than the season premiere.
February 14, 2013 at 11:35PM EST Reply to Comment
Mark

Is this the first episode title that doesn't work as a name of a college class?
February 15, 2013 at 12:00AM EST Reply to Comment
- JJ87 Nope. There's "Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas". Although, I think "Paranormal Parentage" does sound like a school subject.
  February 15, 2013 at 2:05AM EST
- chas do a google search of "Existential-Phenomenological Psychology" there's some weird classes out there nowadays!
  February 15, 2013 at 10:30AM EST
FicionalAlarm

It made me sad again. Even if I didn't love an episode from the first 3 seasons, I could at least appreciate how well written it was or the solid structure of the episode. Now it's giving these great actors and grat characters nothing to work with. I've been watching old episodes and the difference is night and day. It makes me sad.
February 15, 2013 at 12:11AM EST Reply to Comment
- Jonas.Left I totally agree. For me the only bad episode from the first three seasons was the one with Pierce almost marrying a Chinese corporate spy.
  February 15, 2013 at 12:59AM EST
- Conrad I've figured it out. Both episodes this season have been Halloween parody episodes. Community: Invasion of The Body Snatchers. The people you used to know and love look the same but they've been taken over by aliens. The same people but saying things they'd never say. Can't wait until the Donald Sutherland cameo as Jeff's dad.
  
  Just a sad, sad situation.
  February 15, 2013 at 1:52AM EST
- Jonas.Left CONRAD I got a bigger laugh from your comment than from tonight's episode.
  February 15, 2013 at 2:11AM EST
- XK I agree with Ficionalalarm. I feel like everything is just off... pacing, characterization, dialogue (the dialogue feels SO much simpler and slower so far).
  February 15, 2013 at 5:18AM EST
- CasaTrobed I agree. I felt sad and detached watching it. I am just hoping this is "growing pains" and due to the cast and writers still trying to get comfortable and back in the groove under the new regime and that things will improve. At least I can keep re-watching the first 3 seasons and commentary to lift my spirits.
  February 15, 2013 at 7:52AM EST
- Jonas.Left It felt like the dialogue in this episode was written and performed in the deliberately mannered sitcom style that Abed was imagining in the show playing in his head in the season premiere.
  February 15, 2013 at 5:02PM EST
- amg I wouldn't go as far as to say it felt like the deliberately mannered sitcom style of last week...but I very much agree with Ficionalarm, Jonas, XK and casatrobed's sentiments here. Even though the plot and structure of this episode felt much more like community than the jumble of things thrown into last weeks ep, and it came oh so close at several moments-it just didn't flow as well, or wasn't as snappy or something--something just wasn't quite right. Last week's seemed like a different show--this did feel like the show to me--or what this show would actually do-- and the jokes were the right 'kind' of jokes for the characters--they just fell sort of flat to me, or felt formulaic in a way they hadn't to me before. I did enjoy how the ending played out, which did capture the hold warm/fuzzy ending vibe authentically (as opposed to last weeks which I didn't feel at all), and I am intrigued by Jeff dressing up as, and calling, his dad. I'm eager to see where that goes. I just so wish that I could be more confident of the execution. Fingers crossed...
  February 16, 2013 at 1:12AM EST
Benjamin

The show was phenomenal tonight. So many subtleties (my favorite that Abed was Calvin, who uses his imagination to bring to life Hobbes). The tone (the Scooby Doo homage), the jokes (Abed's "I remember when this was about a community college"), the pacing, the characters. I don't see a change at all. This is the show I love.
February 15, 2013 at 12:17AM EST Reply to Comment
Shelly the turtle

The show never left the Jeff/Annie well. I thought it was a good ep. But it would have worked a lot better right before Halloween. If it'd aired at the right time, it'd have been dead on.
February 15, 2013 at 12:41AM EST Reply to Comment
- Jonas.Left I don't think the delay the effectiveness of the holiday episodes. The delay did hurt the Hunger Games element last week. It was way too late to be relevant. Pop culture moves too fast these days.
  February 15, 2013 at 1:05AM EST
- Jonas.Left I don't think the delay will hurt the effectiveness. ..
  February 15, 2013 at 1:07AM EST
- Shelly the turtle I think the hunger games being just slightly out of the pop culture focus made it work better. It's totally appropriate for the dean to choose something people like to be likable. Since he's not really cool or normal, he would totally be a limitless behind the pop culture curve.
  
  The scary/spooky elements would have felt genuinely spooky during haloween when that's the general tv atmosphere. Not so much when you're getting a valentine's evening ready.
  February 15, 2013 at 5:56AM EST
- Shelly the turtle Auto correct is the devil. Limitless = little.
  February 15, 2013 at 6:02AM EST
- Jonas.Left When I was a kid, my family would sometimes watch Christmas specials on tape at different times of year, as a sort of seasonal nostalgia. I think people might enjoy revisiting holidays that passed by during the hiatus.
  February 15, 2013 at 3:49PM EST
Lbsammills51

I enjoyed this ep a lot, much more than the premiere. Seeing Giancarlo Esposito again was a great payoff, along with Jeff and the gloves...
February 15, 2013 at 1:05AM EST Reply to Comment
srpad

Was Courtney Cox also a Cameo? That *was* her voice on Abed's TV wasn't it?
February 15, 2013 at 1:42AM EST Reply to Comment
- CinemaPsycho I think that was just dialogue from a Cougar Town episode.
  February 15, 2013 at 2:37AM EST
- srpad I don't think so. Did she ever actually say the words "Cougar Town" on Cougar Town? Because the dialogue we heard did.
  February 15, 2013 at 12:32PM EST
- Jon, The Earl of Hamm Sandwich did anybody else catch Abed's subtle nod to "following Cougar Town anywhere" as in to TBS after this cancellation??? I was sure someone would mention it here
  February 15, 2013 at 3:44PM EST
Ace

I liked it. A lot. It felt "COMMUNITY" in a way last week didn't - Britta and Jeff in particular.
February 15, 2013 at 1:49AM EST Reply to Comment
birkoff1

It was a decent episode - some nice moments, sufficient laughs - but for me it highlighted this writer's team's issues with characterization more than the premiere.

I again thought that this was actually an improved and more natural version of Winger. Troy and Britta are fairly close, as is Shirley, who has never been given a ton of material to work with, but the rest of the cast, especially this week, simply seemed to lack any underpinning, any person beneath the words.

To understand we need not look any further than Dean Pelton. Though Harmon's Dean certainly became more of a walking punchline in the third season, even in a 40 second bit of exposition, you saw a man as devoted as he was incompetent, desperate to belong and allured by Jeff's power, whose wardrobe just happened to betray an increasingly broad array of kinks. (Remember when he was just a furry?) Now, he's a cross dresser! And he's gay for Jeff! Let's laugh at the cross-dresser who's gay for Jeff!

Similarly, we do have Pierce responding childishly to a slight, but he doesn't appear childish or slighted...or cruel or unintentionally bigoted or arrogant, for that matter. It's just an old guy who happened to screw with his friends. Annie's genericism was even more pronounced, and Abed, while still looking and sounding like Abed, seemed an entire order of magnitude less cerebral than his former self.

It's still a funny show and I'll continue to watch, but after Alan & Dan's comments on episode 4, I am growing increasingly concerned that we may never really see half of these characters again, in any of their austere, dysfunctional glory.
February 15, 2013 at 2:14AM EST Reply to Comment
- CinemaPsycho Magnitude? Pop pop!
  February 15, 2013 at 2:39AM EST
- Shelly the turtle The dean WAS a cross dresser who's "gay for" Jeff in season 3. I think also a bit in season 2. So yes, all you have to do is look at the dean to illustrate the changes between s3 and s4. Which is to say that it's tonally and character-wise pretty much the same.
  February 15, 2013 at 5:48AM EST
- birkoff1 You're missing the point. I'm not saying that the concerning characters are significantly deviating from what we know on the surface, but that there is far less going on beneath the surface. And while it's fair to point out that the Dean did appear in plainclothes and odd non-female costuming late into the third season as well as in women's closing, there's still plenty chance for him to do the same this season.
  February 15, 2013 at 4:04PM EST
XK

I was disappointed (again). It all just feels off to me. The characters exhibit many of the same characteristics as in the Harmon years, but still feel like imitations. I don't know. My wife couldn't see much of a difference between the first episode and (some of the mediocre) episodes from prior seasons, but she definitely saw one tonight.
February 15, 2013 at 5:15AM EST Reply to Comment
Dave

Britta's ham costume was gold. Fried, meaty gold.
February 15, 2013 at 6:17AM EST Reply to Comment
- Hank Scorpio Britta costume rankings:
  1. Squirrel
  2. Ham
  3. Dinosaur
  4. Goth magician's assistant
  February 15, 2013 at 2:21PM EST
- Jonas.Left Britta was never more adorable than in her dinosaur costume. Her goth outfit was not especially adorable, but compelling nonetheless. It reminded me of Harley Quinn.
  February 15, 2013 at 4:15PM EST
- hmm2 Wasn't Britta going as Scout from "To KIll a Mockingbird" rather than a ham per se?
  February 16, 2013 at 7:51PM EST
- Jonas.Left I don't know if its referenced in the episode, but you may well be right. I never would have made the connection. HMM2 goes to the head of the class.
  February 16, 2013 at 7:58PM EST
Lou

This is weird because I hardly laughed at all and I thought Troy pretty much carried the whole episode. I also don't think this is Community as I used to know it but I kind of love what they are setting up with the characters. I have been waiting for some advancement on Jeff/Annie since season 1 and it finally seems like we're seeing some pay-off, which never would have happened if Dan Harmon was still in control. Same with Troy/Britta. I like these how these pairings have veered off from the beginning - how you often find in real life that who you once never considered or gave second thought might actually be someone great for you.

I liked the Jeff/Britta tonight too but I see nothing but platonic banter there and it was great to watch but then again, not funny.

It was a strong episode in the sense it is building to lots of things but not very funny. I'm ok with that on episode 2 of the season. If it was episode 5, it might be a different story.
February 15, 2013 at 8:48AM EST Reply to Comment
Chris

I think the past two episodes have been good --sometimes very good -- episodes of "Community." Yes, there was a quality Harmon had that sometimes gave it an extra dose of brilliance, and I think his obsession for pop culture led to homages that were consistently on the nose.

But just as often, "Community" was just very good, not great (and sometimes it was bad). Honestly, while I don't feel these last two episodes are the best that the show has ever done, they feel like very good, funny episodes of "Community." They understand the characters, they understand the tone and they've kept the show's craziness around. It's not as good as the show has ever been, but it's so much better than I feared it would be.

And I wonder how much we'd notice some of the "un-Community" aspects of the show if we didn't know about Dan Harmon's exit. My wife pays no attention to behind-the-scenes stories, and this still feels like the same old "Community" to her.
February 15, 2013 at 9:33AM EST Reply to Comment
Adam K

I love Community without Dan Harmon. Dan Harmon imploded the show in his last season but pushing the character's limits (mainly Abed's) into destruction.

The writers have the same Dan Harmon characters but have them at the correct level. The jokes are hilarious, the tone is right, I don't want to punch Abed in the face like I did last season, and Pierce is at the correct level of humanity. Chevy was correct in how Dan Harmon wrote for his character
February 15, 2013 at 9:37AM EST Reply to Comment
- Jon, The Earl of Hamm Sandwich I'm with you, the genius concept episodes like Remedial Chaos Theory, "The Video Game One" or Pillows vs. Blankets I think have made everyone forget how off and subpar a lot of the characterization and actual jokes were for the rest of last season. Harmon was just throwing cans of beautiful paint at a wall. Now they're actually painting something with brush strokes that looks better but maybe not as "cool"
  February 15, 2013 at 3:48PM EST
- Jonas.Left ADAM Season two gave Chevy Chase some great material. He got a great arc for Pierce and opportunities to play a lot of diffdrent aspects of the character. Sad, angry, pitiful, despicable, generous, selfish. Sometimes the villain, occasionally the hero. Dan Harmon, as I understand it, was forced to walk back the changes in S2 and make Pierce into "Grandpa Munster" for S3.
  
  JON I agree that Harmon's reign was not without flaw. The way season one used Professor Sleater was an incosistent mess, but the episodes she was in were still entertaining and consistent in tone and style with the rest of the series.
  February 15, 2013 at 4:10PM EST
- Jon, The Earl of Hamm Sandwich thanks for the insight into forced rewrites there Jonas, hadn't considered that. also loved your take on cold war politics in The Americans review, btw
  February 15, 2013 at 6:19PM EST
- Jonas.Left JON Thanks. I don't know about insight. Based on the comments others post, most of them follow the behind the scenes of this show much more closely than I do. I just remember seeing Harmon complaining about the response to Pierce's storyline in season two.
  February 15, 2013 at 6:52PM EST
Bgklein

A Halloween episode airing on my birthday? #Thatsoctober19th
February 15, 2013 at 11:06AM EST Reply to Comment
Scrappy Doo

I am appalled. Last week my mental thought while watching the Season 4 premiere was, "This is how NBC makes all the Community fans wish the show had ended after the 3rd Season," and this week I was thinking I was watching a Pilot, not a polished show.

I really wish I were continuing to enjoy Community, but so far I'm not. I never imagined I'd miss Dan Harmon's influence this much. Maybe he really was an 'enfant terrible', but then, so was Steve Jobs.
February 15, 2013 at 11:46AM EST Reply to Comment

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Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

Josh It felt like the same characters, the tone was right...but several jokes just didn't land the way the writers wanted them to.

S Enjoyed this episode as well as last week's. Still think everyone is crying over spilled milk. I was also genuinely scared a couple of times. This episode really made me wish it was really Halloween.

Sparks I know Abed's 'known' he was in a TV show before but when he was in the room watching Jeff and Britta it was just a little too much. This is still Community, but it's Community without it's Soul.

Shelly the turtle Thoroughly disagree. He was literally watching them on a TV. That would be the most natural time to refer to them being a TV show.

keith "I remember when this used to be a show about a community college" didn't make sense in context. It straight out broke the fourth wall. So did Annie's "I hate reference humor."

Matt H. Well, I for one laughed a lot.

losthero47 Me too, this felt like Community was back, unlike last week's.

sepinwall Kel, stop. See below. TALK ABOUT THE SHOW, NOT EACH OTHER. You don't have the right to tell Jonas to stop watching anymore than he has the right to tell you your continued enjoyment of the show is incorrect.

Jonas.Left It will be interesting to see who they cast as Jeff's dad. My favorite line about his father was when Pierce asked Jeff if he got along with him and Jeff replied, "I learned to get along without him." Great writing.

Joyeful Jeff's dad has already been cast - it's public knowledge who it is, but in case you've been avoiding spoilers, I won't say here :-)

Jonas.Left I wasn't avoiding it, but I don't usually look for it either. Just checked it out on Google. Seems he's a popular choice for playing long lost fathers.

Joyeful I know!! Both Community and Castle. I thought that was interesting.

Noah I enjoyed this one. It was solid enough to give me some hope after 401, which I felt was disastrous. I tend to like Ganz-penned scripts though, so I may be biased.

Tom The "meta" stuff still felt a little mannered to me.

Cheesetony I agree, Tom. I especially cringed when Annie made the comment about "I hate reference humor." (I'm probably paraphrasing) It felt forced.

sepinwall Hi, DB. So glad you liked the episode. Just remember rule #1 around here: TALK ABOUT THE SHOW, NOT EACH OTHER. People are entitled to their own opinions, even when they diverge from yours.

sepinwall http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/whats-alan-watching/posts/six-simple-rules-for-commenting-on-my-blog-the-sequelAnd people *did* say those things after I moved to HitFix, more or less. It's the Internet.

natx I think the show has been pretty funny and i still enjoy the characters. I think the only thing that is different now is you dont have that week to week feeling of "what will they do next". So now community just becomes a fun show that i like watching, which isnt bad.

natx Which is still better than most stuff on tv

Mulderism To be perfectly honest, if I didn't know about Dan Harmon leaving I don't know if I'd notice from these first few episodes. I admit I didn't laugh much tonight but it seemed like Community. I guess we'll see how it goes. I took me a bit to figure out who Abed was dressed up as.

Jonas.Left Who was he dressed up as? I still don't know.

Mulderism Calvin. Troy was Hobbes.

Jonas.Left Thanks. It went over my head, completely.

marcusmash Thank you. Calvin & Hobbes, of course. Makes way more sense than Tigger and somebody else from the Hundred Acre Wood that I couldn't identify.

Jim Ahhhhhhhh, that's it. C&H. I knew this question would be answered here.

Tohn Was that the reason why Britta was dressed as meat because she was trying to match her costume with Troy as well.

Tohn Was that the reason why Britta was dressed as meat because she was trying to match her costume with Troy as well.

Mulderism Perhaps. Britta has a knack for choosing the most unflattering costumes. I did laugh at Annie's entrance.

JayB Not only didn't I get that Troy and Abed were dressed as Calvin and Hobbs, I originally thought Britta was dressed as a bottle of Orangina... Man, I gotta get a better monitor...

Peter I've only seen a few episodes, but I agree, I thought this episode and the season premiere were on par with the rest.Knowing all the behind-the-scenes drama certainly colors someone's perception of a show. Be honest, how many of you came into this season looking for problems?

Jeff G Definitely more Community like although a middle of the road episode. It sucks that given how much the show has struggled with ratings in the past it's unlikely it will survive the time it takes for the new show runners to find their footing.

olivia I don't think there's anything diferente tonally this season. The characters feel like themselves, i'm so happy the DH firing didn't change things. Still the quirky, sweet, reference heavy show I love. Good productin value too! That house was amazing! Loved seeing Giancarlo Esposito again.

Joyeful This episode was great - but not great, if that makes sense. There was fantastic character work, but it was light on funny. Still enjoyable. Felt like Community. Was better than the season premiere.

Mark Is this the first episode title that doesn't work as a name of a college class?

JJ87 Nope. There's "Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas". Although, I think "Paranormal Parentage" does sound like a school subject.

chas do a google search of "Existential-Phenomenological Psychology" there's some weird classes out there nowadays!

Jonas.Left I totally agree. For me the only bad episode from the first three seasons was the one with Pierce almost marrying a Chinese corporate spy.

Jonas.Left CONRAD I got a bigger laugh from your comment than from tonight's episode.

XK I agree with Ficionalalarm. I feel like everything is just off... pacing, characterization, dialogue (the dialogue feels SO much simpler and slower so far).

Jonas.Left It felt like the dialogue in this episode was written and performed in the deliberately mannered sitcom style that Abed was imagining in the show playing in his head in the season premiere.

Shelly the turtle The show never left the Jeff/Annie well. I thought it was a good ep. But it would have worked a lot better right before Halloween. If it'd aired at the right time, it'd have been dead on.

Jonas.Left I don't think the delay the effectiveness of the holiday episodes. The delay did hurt the Hunger Games element last week. It was way too late to be relevant. Pop culture moves too fast these days.

Jonas.Left I don't think the delay will hurt the effectiveness. ..

Shelly the turtle Auto correct is the devil. Limitless = little.

Jonas.Left When I was a kid, my family would sometimes watch Christmas specials on tape at different times of year, as a sort of seasonal nostalgia. I think people might enjoy revisiting holidays that passed by during the hiatus.

Lbsammills51 I enjoyed this ep a lot, much more than the premiere. Seeing Giancarlo Esposito again was a great payoff, along with Jeff and the gloves...

srpad Was Courtney Cox also a Cameo? That *was* her voice on Abed's TV wasn't it?

CinemaPsycho I think that was just dialogue from a Cougar Town episode.

srpad I don't think so. Did she ever actually say the words "Cougar Town" on Cougar Town? Because the dialogue we heard did.

Jon, The Earl of Hamm Sandwich did anybody else catch Abed's subtle nod to "following Cougar Town anywhere" as in to TBS after this cancellation??? I was sure someone would mention it here

Ace I liked it. A lot. It felt "COMMUNITY" in a way last week didn't - Britta and Jeff in particular.

CinemaPsycho Magnitude? Pop pop!

Shelly the turtle The dean WAS a cross dresser who's "gay for" Jeff in season 3. I think also a bit in season 2. So yes, all you have to do is look at the dean to illustrate the changes between s3 and s4. Which is to say that it's tonally and character-wise pretty much the same.

Dave Britta's ham costume was gold. Fried, meaty gold.

Hank Scorpio Britta costume rankings:1. Squirrel2. Ham3. Dinosaur4. Goth magician's assistant

Jonas.Left Britta was never more adorable than in her dinosaur costume. Her goth outfit was not especially adorable, but compelling nonetheless. It reminded me of Harley Quinn.

hmm2 Wasn't Britta going as Scout from "To KIll a Mockingbird" rather than a ham per se?

Jonas.Left I don't know if its referenced in the episode, but you may well be right. I never would have made the connection. HMM2 goes to the head of the class.

Jon, The Earl of Hamm Sandwich thanks for the insight into forced rewrites there Jonas, hadn't considered that. also loved your take on cold war politics in The Americans review, btw

Jonas.Left JON Thanks. I don't know about insight. Based on the comments others post, most of them follow the behind the scenes of this show much more closely than I do. I just remember seeing Harmon complaining about the response to Pierce's storyline in season two.

Bgklein A Halloween episode airing on my birthday? #Thatsoctober19th

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Josh

It felt like the same characters, the tone was right...but several jokes just didn't land the way the writers wanted them to.

S

Enjoyed this episode as well as last week's. Still think everyone is crying over spilled milk. I was also genuinely scared a couple of times. This episode really made me wish it was really Halloween.

Sparks

I know Abed's 'known' he was in a TV show before but when he was in the room watching Jeff and Britta it was just a little too much.

This is still Community, but it's Community without it's Soul.

Matt H.

Well, I for one laughed a lot.

Noah

I enjoyed this one. It was solid enough to give me some hope after 401, which I felt was disastrous. I tend to like Ganz-penned scripts though, so I may be biased.

Tom

The "meta" stuff still felt a little mannered to me.

sepinwall Hi, DB. So glad you liked the episode. Just remember rule #1 around here: TALK ABOUT THE SHOW, NOT EACH OTHER.

People are entitled to their own opinions, even when they diverge from yours.

sepinwall http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/whats-alan-watching/posts/six-simple-rules-for-commenting-on-my-blog-the-sequel

And people did say those things after I moved to HitFix, more or less. It's the Internet.

natx

I think the show has been pretty funny and i still enjoy the characters. I think the only thing that is different now is you dont have that week to week feeling of "what will they do next".

So now community just becomes a fun show that i like watching, which isnt bad.

Mulderism

To be perfectly honest, if I didn't know about Dan Harmon leaving I don't know if I'd notice from these first few episodes. I admit I didn't laugh much tonight but it seemed like Community. I guess we'll see how it goes.

I took me a bit to figure out who Abed was dressed up as.

Mulderism Perhaps. Britta has a knack for choosing the most unflattering costumes.

I did laugh at Annie's entrance.

Peter I've only seen a few episodes, but I agree, I thought this episode and the season premiere were on par with the rest.

Knowing all the behind-the-scenes drama certainly colors someone's perception of a show. Be honest, how many of you came into this season looking for problems?

Jeff G

Definitely more Community like although a middle of the road episode. It sucks that given how much the show has struggled with ratings in the past it's unlikely it will survive the time it takes for the new show runners to find their footing.

olivia

I don't think there's anything diferente tonally this season. The characters feel like themselves, i'm so happy the DH firing didn't change things. Still the quirky, sweet, reference heavy show I love. Good productin value too! That house was amazing! Loved seeing Giancarlo Esposito again.

Joyeful

This episode was great - but not great, if that makes sense. There was fantastic character work, but it was light on funny. Still enjoyable. Felt like Community. Was better than the season premiere.

Mark

Is this the first episode title that doesn't work as a name of a college class?

Shelly the turtle

The show never left the Jeff/Annie well. I thought it was a good ep. But it would have worked a lot better right before Halloween. If it'd aired at the right time, it'd have been dead on.

Lbsammills51

I enjoyed this ep a lot, much more than the premiere. Seeing Giancarlo Esposito again was a great payoff, along with Jeff and the gloves...

srpad

Was Courtney Cox also a Cameo? That was her voice on Abed's TV wasn't it?

Ace

I liked it. A lot. It felt "COMMUNITY" in a way last week didn't - Britta and Jeff in particular.

Dave

Britta's ham costume was gold. Fried, meaty gold.

Hank Scorpio Britta costume rankings:
1. Squirrel
2. Ham
3. Dinosaur
4. Goth magician's assistant

Bgklein

A Halloween episode airing on my birthday? #Thatsoctober19th

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