Community Review: Intro into Felt Surrogacy (4.09)

Summary:

For such a high concept episode Intro into Felt Surrogacy feels so forgettable. The episode features a cute but hollow charm that manages to produce smiles and laughs. Dig deeper and there’s little to be found in this episode. The guest stars are so underused that they come off as nothing more than ratings boosting star power. The puppets lack necessity or explanation that made the other concept episodes believable. The musical numbers lack humor and are used as nothing more than progression from one scene to the next. Maybe the shine and denial is wearing off but these past two episodes of Community have been rather underwhelming and as a die-hard fan it makes it extremely disappointing. I’ve been on board for majority of the season and would still love to see the show go on. There’s hints at greatness here but a mixture of behind the scenes drama as well as built up pressure are hurting the show. Here’s to hoping that these last few episodes can pull Community from out of this late season slump especially when ratings are on the decline.

Community is no stranger to bizarre concept episodes, which for the most part have been some of the series’ strongest episodes to date. DnD, paintball, Claymation, musicals, and video game episodes are just a few of the concepts that the show has tackled. Last night’s Intro to Felt Surrogacy (4.09) marks the shows first foray into felt puppetry and despite a few laughs it doesn’t prove to be one of their stronger concepts.

The show opens up with the group as they nervously stare each other down. The tone is awkward and there is obviously something so unsettling among them that they refuse to talk to each other. Inter-dean-ing, the Dean decides to use puppets to help the coax the group out of their silence.

Overall the episode felt like a one off episode that didn’t further any of the season’s over arching plots. Majority of the show is a flashback of the events that took place outside the episode with the group being in puppet form. Occasionally the group breaks out into song to progress them from one scene to the next but it comes off cheesy. I know this seems to be parodying most puppet shows but it didn’t work so well here.

The episode did feature some pretty entertaining banter between the group as they were seated around the study table. The Dean’s humor lacked subtlety that made him entertaining to watch in previous seasons. Jim Rash’s delivery is still comedy gold but the way they’re writing the character seems to have all but openly expressed his feelings for Jeff. The episode featured some great one-line jokes from both Troy and Britta as well as some nice bickering banter between Britta and Jeff.  In all honesty the humor was there but the puppetry, music numbers, and some of the big names attached this episode felt like a distraction.

The puppet versions of the study group is cute and did manage to place a smile on my face throughout the episode but it never felt like it reached its full potential. When we got the Claymation episode we were viewing Abed’s point of view when he was in the middle of a mental break down. When we were introduced to the video game study group it was because they were digitally copied into the game. In this episode I don’t understand why the group is remembering themselves as puppet version of themselves during their trip. It feels unnecessary and with no other purpose than to just be puppets.

Musical numbers have always been a grab bag for me ranging from catchy to funny but these felt rather forgettable. With very little jokes in the lyrics the music only described the character’s action from one scene to the next. Although it’s never a bad day to see Yvette show off her music pipes the songs never get pasted feeling shoehorned in.

To say Intro into Felt Surrogacy underused Jason Alexander would be an understatement. Both Alexander and Sarah Bareilles felt just as necessary as the puppets with little more to do with the episode than just star power. Alexander had a few lines and one song and then was quickly written away with little explanation or retribution for drugging the gang. Bareilles is given one verse in a song and then used as a deus ex machina in the end. The time devoted to the songs, the guests, and the puppets could have been allocated to focusing on a tighter story.

The big reveal is that the study group is nervous around each other due to the fact that they all believe they revealed a dark secret about themselves that would negatively affect their image within the group. After Shirley reveals hers, the group suddenly remembers that nobody can remember each other’s secret except for the fact that Shirley just blurted hers out. To make up and allow each other to feel better they willingly and soberly divulge their secrets. All of which, aside from Shirley’s, seem to come out of left field and are so haphazardly thought up that most aren’t even that dark or are character ruining. The worst offense is the way Abed treats Shirley after her emotional breakdown. Despite being friends for almost four years he decides to call it a wrap and go watch a movie while she’s on the verge of tears. For lack of a better word it was a dick move and felt so out of character for Abed.

For such a high concept episode Intro into Felt Surrogacy feels so forgettable. The episode features a cute but hollow charm that manages to produce smiles and laughs. Dig deeper and there’s little to be found in this episode. The guest stars are so underused that they come off as nothing more than ratings boosting star power. The puppets lack necessity or explanation that made the other concept episodes believable. The musical numbers lack humor and are used as nothing more than progression from one scene to the next. Maybe the shine and denial is wearing off but these past two episodes of Community have been rather underwhelming and as a die-hard fan it makes it extremely disappointing. I’ve been on board for majority of the season and would still love to see the show go on. There’s hints at greatness here but a mixture of behind the scenes drama as well as built up pressure are hurting the show. Here’s to hoping that these last few episodes can pull Community from out of this late season slump especially when ratings are on the decline.

Interested in writing reviews or news posts for Thinking Cinematic? Contact me at ThinkCinematicReviews@gmail.com! You can also send your guest reviews there too!

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Email: ThinkCinematicReviews@Gmail.com

Community Review: Herstory of Dance (4.08)

Summary:

Overall Herstory of Dance feels like it fits right in the comfort zone of this season. Once again there’s an imbalance of comedy and tender moments. The episode does end on a heartwarming note but having one week to week begins to take away from the effect. The episode further delves into the study group’s romantic relationships, more so with Abed and new girl Rachel. Brie Larson brings a wonderful personality to Rachael that serves as a great on screen counterpart to Abed. The chemistry is great and it’s nice to see the writers create a romantic interest for Abed that’s not just a female version of him. With only a handful of episodes left Herstory of Dance seems like a weak foot to start on in this final stretch. 

Community returned last night from its one-week break with the airing of Herstory of Dance (4.08)! We’re down to the final stretch of episodes and there’s still a lot of ground to cover between now and then. Unfortunately last night’s episode didn’t feel like a step in the right direction.

The episode opens up with the group in the study room as Pierce is discussing his new love for the American version of Inspector Spacetime. The Dean interrupts the gang announcing that there will be a Sadie Hawkins Dance where the women will be the ones to invite the men. Offended by the sexist undertones Britta vows to throw her own gender equality dance to upstage the Dean. Meanwhile, Annie and Shirley decide to set Abed up with dates for the dance but Abed has plans of his own in mind.

This is the first episode of the season that really didn’t do anything for me. I was more forgiving in the earlier part of the season when the episode weren’t able to provide a steady stream of laughs but after eight episodes it’s concerning that episodes are still having a balancing issue. The episode does end on a heartwarming note but after so many of those tender moments week to week it begins to feel so formulaic. There are chuckles here and there but overall I didn’t find myself bursting out laughing. It’s still enjoyable given the wonderful talent and my interest in these characters after so many seasons.

I feel like the B plot with Annie and Shirley was a rehash of an earlier episode in season one when the gang tries to set up Abed with a mystery girl despite Abed’s reluctance. It seems redundant that the gang would try and do this again especially when Abed clearly stated he has no problem hooking up with girls, he just prefers when they approach him instead.

Strangely enough this plot line was the strongest aspect of the episode and I actually liked the pairing of Abed and Rachael, played by Brie Larson. The chemistry between the two worked really well and it was cool to see them create a character that shared enough interests without just making a girl version of Abed. I wouldn’t mind seeing Brie Larson becoming a regular for a while to flesh out this relationship a bit further, especially since after this season the group will be minus one due to the departure of Chevy Chase. More on that later.

One of my biggest worries after watching the first few episodes of season four was that Community would return to romantic driven relationships that dominated season one and it seems as though my prediction may have come true. Although the relationship between Troy and Britta may be on the back burner it seems as though the writers are trying to heat things back up again with Jeff and Britta. These two have way more chemistry than Troy and Britta but it’s a bit uneasy to watch the two flirt with each other without a mention of Troy. I like the idea that this group is a family and undercutting each other like this ruins that dynamic. They did it once in season two and it was quickly resolved. The relationships within the study group are messy and personally don’t do much for me but if this is the route the writers are going I hope that they can clear some confusion relatively soon.

A few positives this episode. Pierce returns to his wise old man status that has been dearly missed since season one. Going out of his way to help Britta with advice and support is a great change of pace for him and watching him put Jeff in his place was refreshing. It’s such a bummer to watch these last few episodes with Pierce knowing he’ll be gone after this season but I’m glad they’re giving us a great Pierce to remember before he leaves.

Pairing Shirley and Annie is always a fun experience though it does seem that the two didn’t reach their full potential this episode. Watching Britta’s struggle through the dance preparations was an easy way to connect with her this episode and the eventual payoff was rewarding. It was also nice to finally see her taking action against using her name as a verb to indicate something bad happening. It always felt like that slipped in uncontested from Britta. The episode also felt like it didn’t know what to do with Troy but the small gags he was in were chuckle worthy.

Overall Herstory of Dance feels like it fits right in the comfort zone of this season. Once again there’s an imbalance of comedy and tender moments. The episode does end on a heartwarming note but having one week to week begins to take away from the effect. The episode further delves into the study group’s romantic relationships, more so with Abed and new girl Rachel. Brie Larson brings a wonderful personality to Rachael that serves as a great on screen counterpart to Abed. The chemistry is great and it’s nice to see the writers create a romantic interest for Abed that’s not just a female version of him. With only a handful of episodes left Herstory of Dance seems like a weak foot to start on in this final stretch.

Interested in writing reviews or news posts for Thinking Cinematic? Contact me at ThinkCinematicReviews@gmail.com! You can also send your guest reviews there too!

Connect with me at:
Twitter: @Treyrs20o9

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Email: ThinkCinematicReviews@Gmail.com

 

 

Community Review: Cooperative Escapism in Familial Relations (4.05)

Cooperative Escapism in Familial Relations is easily the strongest episode of season four. After a grab bag of mixed tones and chaotic storytelling Community delivers on a wonderful episode that finds the perfect balance between emotional and humorous storytelling. Jeff’s reunion with his father delivers on some incredible emotional closure as well as a near tear jerking performance for Joel McHale. The episode finally figured out what to do with Pierce and he didn’t seem obviously isolated. The biggest setback is the inclusion of Adam DeVine as Jeff’s half brother. The character is awkward and over the top and doesn’t add much to an episode that reveals so much growth.

The arrival of Jeff’s dad William Winger has been a moment that has been teased for quite some time. Cooperative Escapism in Familial Relations (4.05) finally brings Jeff and his dad together at long last. Community welcomed James Brolin last night in an episode that hit a lot of strong notes.

The show opens up with the gang in the study room as they’re discussing their plans for Thanksgiving. Shirley invites the group over to her place for Thanksgiving Dinner, while Jeff casually denies due to prior plans. Eventually it’s discovered that the reason for Jeff’s denial is that he is finally meeting with his father. Britta asserts herself into Jeff’s plans, not wanting to miss a chance to experience the long awaited reunion, leaving the rest of the group to spend Thanksgiving with Shirley.

Cooperative Escapism in Familiar Relations is the strongest episode of season four that found the perfect amount of balance between humorous and emotional storytelling. Shirley’s Thanksgiving carried a lot of the comedic weight this episode and featured a lot of great performances. Donald Glover has been nailing it this season and continued to do so last night, but he was not alone. Danny Pudi, in an attempt to pay homage to Shawshank Redemption, narrated the episode as Abed and helped set up a lot of the great jokes. The best part of all is the fact that this was the first episode this season that decided to include Pierce, and more than just being there. It was nice to finally see Pierce feel like he was part of the group again. There wasn’t an obvious attempt to isolate him from the rest of the group and there were dedicated jokes given to him. The exchanges between Pierce and Abed were fantastic and I liked the growing frustration on Abed’s face.

Jeff’s storyline delivers so much emotional resolution on a plot line that has been teased for so many years. Joel McHale delivers a near tear jerking speech that revealed so much growth for his character. A lot of the great emotional moments that this plot produced did seem somewhat sacrificed for the sake of a joke but after all this is a comedy and understandable. Through the great writing and fantastic acting the reunion with Jeff’s dad was incredibly satisfying, except for a couple of set backs.

The biggest problem that plagued this episode was the inclusion of Jeff’s half brother, Willy Jr. played by Adam DeVine. Willy Jr. is extremely over the top and at times felt extremely unnecessary, especially when it was paired with such a monumental moment. Personally I’ve never really found Adam DeVine’s comedic style all too funny and his appearance in Community didn’t change my mind. The character type isn’t new to Community seeing as how Troy often plays the over reacting man boy that Willy Jr. tried to emulate but it was in DeVine’s delivery as well as the story pairing that made it feel awkward. It also doesn’t help that Willy Jr. really doesn’t add much to the story. I wouldn’t want to see the character completely written out of the show, but I would have rather seen him introduced in an episode that wasn’t as meaningful as this one.

This last complaint is something that is hard to discuss. Ever since season three Britta has become somewhat of a wild card, moving from the smart and witty foil for Jeff and becoming uncharacteristically dumb and the butt of all jokes. It wasn’t constant but it was enough to notice it. Season four seems to have been working on dialing it back but it still comes through every now and then. Last night’s episode was the perfect example of this. It was great to see her go toe to toe with Jeff again matching wit for wit and showing that’s shes not just a dumb character. I would have liked to have see them dial back on the claiming she’s a therapist bit but it’s easy to forgive especially when it produced a fantastic moment as Gillian Jacobs runs out of the room holding a dinner roll. I don’t think we’ll ever see a complete retracing of Britta but I’m hoping that the writers can find a stronger balance for it as the season progresses.

Overall the episode feels like things are finally hitting its stride. Much like the rest of season four things end on a really heart warming note and things are tied together really well. A very pivotal episode for Jeff and I’m excited to see the way things go from here. For next week’s episode I’m hoping that the Changnesia plot line will finally start to develop and we’ll see more from Chang/Kevin. Last week’s episode left us on a cliff hanger and I can’t wait to see more of the study group’s reaction to their arch enemies confusing return.

Cooperative Escapism in Familial Relations is easily the strongest episode of season four. After a grab bag of mixed tones and chaotic storytelling Community delivers on a wonderful episode that finds the perfect balance between emotional and humorous storytelling. Jeff’s reunion with his father delivers on some incredible emotional closure as well as a near tear jerking performance for Joel McHale. The episode finally figured out what to do with Pierce and he didn’t seem obviously isolated. The biggest setback is the inclusion of Adam DeVine as Jeff’s half brother. The character is awkward and over the top and doesn’t add much to an episode that reveals so much growth.

Community airs Thursdays at 8/7c on NBC! Check out last night’s episode here on Hulu!

Interested in writing movie reviews or news posts for Thinking Cinematic? Is TV more your speed? Contact me at ThinkCinematicReviews@gmail.com! You can also send your guest reviews there too!

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Email: ThinkCinematicReviews@Gmail.com

Community Review: History 101 (4.01)

Warning Mild Spoilers discussed throughout the review.

After a long series of setbacks, the beloved NBC sitcom, Community, returned last night. From losing the beloved Dan Harmon, indefinite pushbacks, and uncertain airdates, Community and its fans were left in limbo and the fate of the show seemed to be looking grim. However, things moved on and Community eventually got the release date of February 7^th, 8/7c. The new show runners along with their crew had big shoes to fill, and expectations were arguably unreasonably high. So how was Community’s long awaited return? Did it quell the worried and vocal fan’s fears?

History 101 (4.01) will be recognized as the most polarizing episode of the show’s history. As a longtime fan, I can say that personally I was pleased with the show’s return, but the episode isn’t without faults. The episode suffers from what a lot of other shows face when it comes to season openers. Story arcs need to be set in place, characters reestablished for new comers, and of course live up to the hype of fans. History 101 juggles a lot of different story lines and unfortunately it seems to come off a little chaotic.

Playing off the fear of fans that believed the show would be drastically changed, the episode opens up wonderfully with a stab at multi-cam sitcoms. Troy and Abed return to the study room in their famous melody to an uproar of applause and laughter. They exchange gimmicky quips and the laugh track continues. One after the other the old faces return with intentionally shallow jokes as well as the actors playing caricatures of themselves. We also see a surprise guest that pokes fun at a lot of the behind the scene issues, in particular with Chevy Chase. The bit works really well, but unfortunately becomes overplayed as the show keeps going back to that well one too many times.

It’s eventually established that these multi-cam bits are actually taking place in Abed’s mind as a way to deal with the stress of being seniors. They keep going back to this throughout the episode anytime Abed can’t handle the situation, like when Jeff announces that he’ll be graduating early. My problem is that these AbedTV moments feel redundant and lose their humor after awhile. However, the pay off for the AbedTV bit well worth it despite it eating up a lot of time. Personally I would have cut down some of the time dedicated to the bit and focused on fleshing out the other stories to make it a more solid episode.

The other storylines involve Jeff competing in The Hunger Deans, Shirley and Annie focusing on pranks, and Troy and Britta carrying out a new school year tradition. Although not without their funny moments, the pacing of these stories moves rather quickly, and it leaves a lot of these plot lines rushed. However, much like the AbedTV bit, these story lines eventually do have strong pay offs and set up a good tone for the rest of the season. Overall, the characters still feel natural and the episode delivers a nice heartfelt message. I won’t spoil it but it deals with moving on and learning to let go. Something Abed, as well as the fans of Community, will have to come to grips with eventually.

History 101 proves that the humor is still there, and although it’s not the strongest of episodes, it’s still Community.  I chalk up a lot of the faults in the episode to just nerves and stress from the new show runners, and the old crew trying to keep things up to par. This might be a bit of a downfall due to the fact that all of the episodes are shot and cut, so there’s not much room to make changes on the fly. It’s hard to replace the beloved heart soul, Dan Harmon, but I can say that I’m pleased with the way the show is going so far. It’s still early, but if last night’s episode is any indication of the road ahead Community is going to be just fine.

Community airs Thursdays at 8/7c on NBC! Check out last night’s episode here on Hulu!

Interested in writing movie reviews or news posts for Thinking Cinematic? Is TV more your speed? Contact me at ThinkCinematicReviews@gmail.com! You can also send your guest reviews there too!

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Movie Monday Update Week of February 4th

Hello and Happy Monday TC readers! Got a lot of great trailers from last night’s Super Bowl as well as a few solid releases both at the theaters and in retail. Don’t forget to check out the latest review on Bullet to the Head here! Also I wanted to make a correction. Last week I listed that Wreck-it Ralph was releasing to home video, but it looks as though it’s through digital distribution (iTunes, Amazon, Xbox Video etc)  only. The physical copies will hit stores in March! Let’s dive right in.

In case you missed it:

The Lone Ranger saw a new trailer during yesterday’s Super Bowl. The movie stars, Armie Hammer, Johnny Depp, and Helena Bonham Carter and the movie is scheduled to hit theaters on July 3^rd, 2013!

A trailer for Fast and Furious 6 debuted last night as well. The trailer is jam packed with familiar faces and over the top driving sequences. Fast and Furious 6 stars, Tyrese Gibson, Sung Kang, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, and Dwayne Johnson. Fast and Furious 6 is set to hit theaters on May 24^th, 2013!

Finally, Iron Man 3 saw a pretty exciting Super Bowl ad with an even longer look appearing online. Iron Man 3 stars, Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Ben Kingsly, and Robert Downey Jr. Iron Man 3 is set to hit theaters on May 3^rd, 2013!

Not a trailer but you can now watch the wonderful, Paperman short online. Paperman debuted in theaters in front of Wreck-it Ralph and I’m really glad that it’s up for everyone to view. It’s a really heart warming short.

I normally don’t do this for TV shows but I wanted to promote the return of Community season 4. On February 7th, the Greendale Seven are set to begin their senior year of college. When someone hacks into the supply closet and counterfeits class admission tickets the Dean sets up a series of games called, The Hunger Deans, to determine who gets to stay in History of Ice Cream class. Community stars, Joel McHale, Danny Puddi, Donald Glover, Alison Brie, Gillian Jacobs, Yvette Nicole Brown, Jim Rash, Ken Jeong, and Chevy Chase. Community airs on NBC, Thursdays 8/7 central. Don’t forget to DVR and watch live! #Sixseasonsandamovie

That does it for a glimpse of last week’s trailers. Which one is your favorite? Leave a comment below and let us know! Let’s go ahead and move on into home releases.

Coming to Blu-ray/DVD this week we have:

February 5th:

• Alex Cross
• Here Comes the Boom
• Flight
• Deadfall
• Celeste and Jesse Forever

Here’s a look at what’s coming to the theaters!

February 8^th Wide Releases:

• Identity Thief
• Side Effects

See anything that’s missing? Comment and let us know!

That does it for this week! Be sure to keep coming back every Monday and Saturday for new Thinking Cinematic content!

As always, I want to end with this. Thinking Cinematic is looking for more writers. Feel like sending in a guest post? Want to be apart of the Thinking Cinematic team? Send your emails to: ThinkCinematicReviews@gmail.com

Connect with me at:
Twitter: @Treyrs20o9
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