'COMMUNITY' 2.23 & 2.24 – "A Fistful Of Paintballs" & "For A Few Paintballs More"

Last year's seminal episode "Modern Warfare" (commonly referred to as "the paintball episode") cemented Community's reputation as television's most creative, geek-friendly and imaginative comedy. A pastiche of the action genre (directed by Fast & Furious' Justin Lin) is turned the corridors of Greendale Community College into the setting for a Battle Royale-meet-28 Days Later scenario with the characters all competing for the inscrutable "prize" the last man standing will win. It was a dizzying concoction of in-jokes, hilarity, pop-culture references and surprisingly exciting action sequences, and one that a lesser show wouldn't even contemplate trying to top. Only, this season, they topped it...

The two-part season 2 finale "A Fistful Of Paintballs" and "For A Few Paintballs More" was twice as fun, twice as clever, twice as rich, and twice as exciting. It may have repeated the basic concept of last year's revered episode (everyone on campus turns feral with paintguns, in order to win a $100,000 prize), but improved on practically everything. This time the paintball knockout tournament had a sponsor in Pistol Patty's Cowboy Creamery, allowing the first part in particular to develop a Western theme and riff on Sergio Leone's "Dollars Trilogy", as the core characters split and once again had their friendship and loyalty tested. Of particular interest was Annie (Alison Brie) becoming a sultry cowgirl with a quickdraw more impressive than her cleavage; Jeff's (Joel McHale) Alpha Male status was tested by the arrival of mysterious bounty hunter "The Black Rider" (Lost's Josh Holloway); and Pierce (Chevy Chase) becoming the leader of a makeshift "town" with a strict no-gun policy.

The second part refused to rest on its laurels, instead lessening the Western motifs and taking the story to the next level -- a mix of Star Wars and war movies in general, with Abed (Danny Pudi) managing to woo Annie by channeling his inner Han Solo, and the Pistol Patty mascot playing the Darth Vader role as Greendale's residents became "rebels" to eradicate. In a neat twist, Patty was revealed to be the Dean or rival City College (a black man inside the creamy-white suit, subverting Vader's race-bending reveal in Jedi), and this turned the whole situation into that of a hostile takeover bid.

There are too many highlights to choose from, truth be told: the awesome gatling-paintgun in the Saving Private Ryan-like climax, the surprisingly hot kiss between Abed and Annie as the sprinkler system doused everyone in orange paint; The Black Rider in general (were his twin rifles a nod to Hot Fuzz?), Troy's Blazing Saddles-inspired yellow Sheriff costume; Pierce's faking of heart attacks to get himself out of tough spots; Chang (Ken Jeong) being obliterated by a volley of paint ("am I out?"); Dean Pelton (Jim Rash) nearing orgasm as Dean Steven whispered in his ear; the Stormtrooper-esque paintballers; Magnitude's (Luke Youngblood) death scene in Troy's hands ("Pop? Pop-what?"); Shirley's (Yvette Nicole Brown) inability to buy into the fantasy ("Can we move this along? I'm missing CSI"); Jeff's "hero moment" coming to a comically abrupt end; the Inception-like music throughout; the brilliant way Pierce's underhandedness saved the day; and the epilogue with Abed and the janitor who has to spend his summer mopping up the paint-splattered school.

Community's essentially a playground and make-believe episodes such as this are the moments when the show can embrace its considerably skill at Michel Gondry-ian creativity. There's no other TV show around that has the skill and budget to pull off these kind of episodes and somehow make it all look effortless and endlessly re-watchable. The way it also keep an eye on the characters is also rather wonderful – especially here, where Pierce's divisive treatment all season ended with a redemption that also earned out respect and sympathy. The final scene, with Pierce admitting he's attended Greendale for 12 years, and how the study group were the first people to befriend him, was rather moving. The fact the season ends with Pierce's self-imposed exile from the group was also a nice cliffhanger, although it surely can't be too long before he's back in the fold for season 3. Or will creator Dan Harmon take this opportunity to somehow refresh the show? Season 2, while far from terrible, definitely wasn't as sharp with the characters, and seemed to occasionally have fun with the format (an animated episode!) while allowing the characters to drift somewhat (Chang was used very inconsistently, Shirley's pregnancy wasn't very engaging.)

Overall, this was a tremendous two-part finale to what's been a great second term with the Community troupe. It just pains me this show's practically unknown in the UK, having only aired season 1 on obscure music channel Viva. It would be a fantastic purchase for Sky1 or E4, and I just can't see why there's not more British network interest in procuring it. It's proven to be the funniest and most innovative comedy around right now, with almost every episode taking an opportunity to deconstruct pop-culture or stretch the limits of what you perceive can be done on a US TV comedy budget. Added to that, it's so immensely likable because of the talented cast and the sharp material they're working with.

written by Andrew Guest (2.23) & Hilary Winston (2.24) / directed by Joe Russo / 5 & 12 May 2011 / NBC

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'COMMUNITY' 2.19 – "Critical Film Studies"

I don't review Community, but it's been a particularly slow week so I thought I'd alleviate the tedium with a quick, impromptu review of this week's episode "Critical Film Studies", which was a very clever and well-written half-hour.

The premise was very simple, as Jeff (Joel McHale) conspired to get Abed (Danny Pudi) to a surprise Quentin Tarantino-themed birthday party that Britta (Gillian Jacobs) had organized at the diner she works at, only to discover Abed's a changed man who no longer bases his life on pop-culture. Instead, after being given the opportunity to be an extra in the Cougar Town, Abed's attempt at method-acting channeled a fully-developed personality he calls "Chad" that made him realize he's been wasting his own life. But the emergence of "Chad" (giving Pudi the chance to play a debonair character) put the success of the costumed Tarantino shindig in the air, as Jeff tried in vain to make Abed realize that it's okay to be obsessed with pop-culture references.

Community is a comedy that often has dialogue with its fanbase (partly because creator Dan Harmon is so prevalent on Twitter), and understands the pro's and con's of being a committed fan. "Critical Film Studies" posited some interesting questions about how fans interact and communicate these days, where social common ground has started to shift away from sport and more towards film and TV. Abed's the ultimate example of a person who's become utterly consumed by the media, to the extent that it's the prism through which he communicates to the wider world. The character appears to have some degree of autism, which further exacerbates the problem. But I'm sure many people reading this blog are somewhere on Abed's spectrum: a person who quotes movies most days, or understands certain aspects of the "real world" via how a TV show explains it to them. Hopefully people keep a healthy balance between reality and fiction, but it's true that the media's become so ingrained in our lives it's started to become our lives. (So writes the man running a TV blog.)

Some of the best stuff in "Critical Film Studies" was the two-hander between Jeff and Abed in the posh restaurant, with Jeff trying to make Abed realize that human communication is all about lying and how talking via references is a perfectly understandable way to filter the world and your thoughts. The only complaint with this episode is that, if we're honest, it wasn't especially funny. There was comedy value in seeing the cast dress up as their favourite Pulp Fiction characters, of course -- Chang (Ken Jeong) as a boxer Butch, Shirley (Yvette Nicole Brown) as mustachioed hitman Jules, Britta as Mia (with some great dance moves), Troy (Donald Glover) as the loud-shirted Pumpkin, Annie (Alison Brie) as Honeybunny, and Pierce (Chevy Chase) as The Gimp ("... I'm hot and my balls are touching a zipper") -- but it was otherwise pretty light on the big laughs and aimed for something more soulful.

Anyway, those are just a few thoughts I felt like sharing. There was also some great direction from The IT Crowd's Richard Ayoade, who once co-starred with McHale in the US version of that sitcom, and who appears to be embracing his film-making future after the recently-released movie Submarine. More power to him, as he appears to have unexpected skill in delivering slick visuals and a deep mood. The opening with Jeff wandering into the restaurant to find Abed, leaning on voice-over, was really evocative; setting the tone for an unusual episode about how the media has a hand creating who we are, how we behave, why we let it influence us so much, and if we're okay with that.

written by Sona Panos / directed by Richard Ayoade / 24 March 2011 / NBC

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COMMUNITY 1.1 & GLEE 1.1

Two US comedies made their debut this month across the pond; both set in schools, both with leading men given responsibility (indirectly, or otherwise) for a group of misfits/losers. The first is NBC's critically-praised sitcom Community; the second Fox's musical "dramedy" Glee, which has already earned itself a full season commitment...

In the former, Jeff Winger (The Soup's Joel McHale) is a wise-ass lawyer with an invalid undergrad diploma who's sent to Greendale Community College to retrain. Once enrolled, he hopes a British professor and former client (The Daily Show's John Oliver) will help him cheat his way through the semester, but that plan proves to be a dead-end. So, after taking a shine to flame-haired dropout Britta (Gillian Jacobs), whom he offers to help tutor in Spanish (despite the fact he only knows stock phrases), Jeff unwittingly finds himself anointed the leader of her misfit study group, comprised of: sassy divorcée Shirley (Yvette Nicole Brown), socially-awkward media junkie Abed (Danny Pudi), perfectionist Annie (Mad Men's Alison Brie), former-jock Troy (Donald Glover), and wise but dysfunctional Pierce Hawthorne (Chevy Chase).

Created by Dan Harmon (The Sarah Silverman Program) with a pilot directed by Joe and Anthony Russo (Arrested Development), Community's pedigree is first-rate and its cast likewise. Like all the best US sitcoms, it can spitball one-liners and spew "zingers" with great regularity, never mind the fact that so doing turns every one of its characters into gag-merchants instead of genuine, likeable people. For me, this is a common problem many US sitcoms encounter, and something that even infected NBC's remake of The Office (which repurposed the BBC classic from documentary vérité to merely a fun way of filming a sitcom.)

Still, the jokes are at least well-written in Community; well, the ones you manage to catch through the logorrhea, at any rate. Jeff rates humanity because "we're the only species on Earth that observes Shark Week" and, well, there are other quips to make you grin as they dissolve from your memory. It all amounts to an appreciation of the performances and the legerdemain of the scriptwriters, but the premise doesn't do much for me and I'm a little tired of rat-a-tat-tat line delivery from characters who all seem to hold diploma's in stand-up comedy.

What was most interesting about Community is its '80s crushes and influences: Britta's likeness is compared to Elisabeth Shue (despite the fact she's more the Anna Hathaway type), the set-up even reminds the characters of The Breakfast Club (a movie that itself gets quoted, along with Dirty Dancing), Jeff's shares a surname will Bill Murray's character from Stripes (who's name-checked along with Michael Douglas), the show of course stars '80s icon Chevy Chase, and the pilot is dedicated to late writer-director John Hughes. I hear the second episode is much better, and the "Pilot" is certainly not bad, but I can't muster much enthusiasm for it. -- Dan Harmon (writer) / Anthony & Joe Russo (directors) / Thursdays, NBC, 9.30pm

A more contemporary-feeling show exists in Glee, the first TV attempt to emulate High School Musical that isn't just a weak imitation on a shoestring budget. Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison), a real Spanish teacher this time, agrees to take-on William McKinley High School's "glee club" after its director (Stephen Tobolowsky) abandons it for a sideline dealing prescription marijuana. The twee-sounding club is essentially a performing arts revue where kids (mainly girls, mostly outcasts) sing and dance for inter-school competitions. Will himself is an ex-glee member and wants to reclaim the club's lost glory by leading the current members to victory. The close-knit group consists of talented singer Rachel (Lea Michele), who is bullied by the school's cheerleaders; Mercedes (Amber Riley), a stylish wannabe-diva; ostentatious Kurt (Chris Colfer), geeky paraplegic Artie (Kevin McHale) on electric guitar player; and Asian-American goth Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz).

The first episode concerns Will trying to instill confidence in his group, while blackmailing a football quarterback called Finn (Cory Monteith) into putting his impressive voice to good use in providing Rachel with an effective counterpoint. Inevitably, Finn joining the glee club causes some conflict with his friends, led by Noah "Puck" Puckerman (Mark Salling), a bigot whose nickname is amusingly that of a flamboyant fairy in A Midsummer Night's Dream.

We also meet Will's exasperating wife Terri (Jessalyn Gilsig), a nice person, but a woman who doesn't understand her husband's personality (she considering doing an American Gothic jigsaw as the perfect way to channel Will's "creative" side) and has the gall to complain about a three-day working week. Already, a love rival appears to have been introduced for Terri in mysophobic guidance counselor Emma Pillsbury (perky Jayma Mays), a doe-eyed colleague who is far more supportive and understanding of Will's ambitions.

There isn't much that's wholly original about Glee, which grabs high school archetypes and doesn't really offer many twists on our expectations -- there's the unenthused Principal Figgins (Iqbal Theba), a gruff football coach in Ken Tanaka (Patrick Gallagher), an austere cheerleader coach in Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch), and readymade bullies are found in the bitchy "Cheerios" team and prejudiced jocks who can't fathom why one of their own would want to prance around on-stage. I'm not sure this is quite the stigma it used to be, given the mass popularity of talent shows like American Idol, but Glee is content to push the clichés.

For all its corniness, Glee has two secret weapons in its arsenal: the characters are extremely likeable and the song-n'-dance routines are irrefutably uplifting, fun and beautifully choreographed. The standout in the "Pilot" is a rival glee club's upbeat performance of Amy Winehouse's "Rehab" (given a show-tune flourish), but there's also an appealing performance of Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" from the glee club's own troupe, calling themselves "New Directions". If the show can keep up this level of quality in the songs it's covering, it will at least find success with a tie-in album.

My only concern with the idiosyncratic Glee is that creator Ryan Murphy originally conceived it as a feature-film, and I'm not convinced there's enough maneuverability in a continuing TV version, which risks losing its luster thanks to the rigors of producing 22 hours this season alone. It should really be a 12-part series to help maintain quality, but I'm nevertheless interested to see how Glee develops. With Broadway stars like John Lloyd Young, Kristin Chenoweth, Victor Garber, Josh Groban and Cheyenne Jackson confirmed as future guest stars, Glee already feels like the hot ticket for musical fans. -- Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk & Ian Brennan (writers) / Ryan Murphy (director) / Wednesdays, Fox, 9pm

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