Community - Season 4 [US] Spoilers

allanb49 · 18-03-2013 4:45pm

Awww

Dan Harmon has said he wanted Murray to play Jeff Winger’s father

120_Minutes · 18-03-2013 8:15pm

Bill Murray played "John Winger" in the 1981 movie "Stripes". It could have worked. The jokes just write themselves.

wp_rathead · 20-03-2013 6:10pm

Abed's Documentary was, in my opinion, the first proper episode of Community this season- the Thanks Giving episode and the Halloween episode had its moments but this one was genuinely funny throughout and no point did I feel awkward watching it (like I did watching the atrocious Convention episode and slightly racist German episode)- I think the Inception episode they tried to fit to much in and just seemed scattered and all over the place (as well as getting the rhythm totally wrong with regards the editing)

Also, just wondering if any of ye have listened to this interview with Andy Bobrow, the co-executive producer on this seasons Community- interesting to have him talk about the whole Chevy and Dan scenario, plus how he admits the writing for this season is kind of missing Dan's authoritarian approach to the editing (which explain why the pacing of the episodes seems all out of sync)
There are also interviews/chats with Joel McHale and Danny Pudi
Warning: It contains spoilers for the season

pleasant Co. · 20-03-2013 7:12pm

Honestly, I've read a few posts from different posters proclaiming that episode x has been a more community-esque episode than the previous ones...but to date I disagree, this season has been diabolically bad, so much so that I'm disliking most of the characters, troy is still awesome but everyone else not so much. I really want the show to get better, but with only half the season to go I doubt that's going to happen.

20-03-2013 8:35pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CovKAyx6MQM

This was actually a pretty great comparison over the past 3 seasons of Community. While the person who made this video doesn't like the way the characters are going, a lot of it can be explained to a certain amount.

pixelburp · 20-03-2013 8:55pm

Some of the directions yeah, but things like Britta becoming an idiot, or Chang / the Dean turning into pantomime characters are less easy to explain ...

20-03-2013 9:21pm

The Dean, perhaps, but the way I kinda figure with Chang is that he's always had a fragile state of mind, even as a teacher. When he got fired, he became fixated on their study group and wanting to join, but they've constantly strung him along, probably to the point where he cracked and went insane.

Also Starring LeVar Burton · 22-03-2013 2:54am

Why that one felt like a season 1 type episode... I laughed a lot...
Regardless of how bad the season began, it seems to be finding its feet again...

FlyingIrishMan · 22-03-2013 3:17am

It's definitely been improving in quality the past few episodes. That is my favourite episode so far.

Loved the where the dean made magnitude stop saying his catchphrase
"no pop? "

Basq · 23-03-2013 1:30pm

More sub-standard dreck unfortunately..

.. only the closing Lets / Splingles moment gave me a laugh!

It's a shadow of the show I used to love at this point!

FreudianSlippers · 23-03-2013 2:58pm

I'm a bit behind, but the Thanksgiving episode was great - really felt like old community. "...they get really into push-ups"

phasers · 23-03-2013 3:47pm

I enjoyed this episode, although I think the show has lost it's innovation and is just rehashing old ideas.

A good rehash is still enjoyable to watch though, I loved Pierce behaving like a human and I genuinely felt for Magnitude when they de-popped him.

The product placement thing was funny but the KFC placement from season 2 was infinitely funnier, especially Chang with the sandwich.

I thought that the rich guy deciding to enroll because he wants to be treated like a normal guy after everything they'd just shown of him was slightly lazy. The fraternity was good, primarily the Dean's reaction at the end but Abed has already done the college movie trope thing.

pleasant Co. · 23-03-2013 3:56pm

Characters/style seems more "happy endings" the more I watch. This is a bad thing, even though I do enjoy H.E.

pickarooney · 23-03-2013 4:27pm

I was sure Magnitude was dead...

phasers · 23-03-2013 4:29pm

Magnitude cant die, he's a one-man party!

colinod0806 · 23-03-2013 5:45pm

Magnitude should have been confined to one episode. Terrible character.

pixelburp · 23-03-2013 6:06pm

Wow, isn't Greendale so WACKY and ZANY! High-larious! :rolleyes:

Haha, god, watching Season 4 is a rollercoaster; ups, downs, but mainly just an desire to vomit. Just when you think the show has recaptured some of its magic, you get episodes like this Friday's clanger - an odd pastiche of what made Community so enjoyable, but ultimately just a poor episode.

I think it's time to walk away from this show; I would have given it until the season break, but given Season 4 is a short, 13-episode run I might as well do it at this natural mid-point. Clearly the show has jumped the shark big-time, and while I'll stick around on this thread in case things take a sudden turn for the better, there's no point continuing to watch when I clearly don't enjoy it anymore. RIP Community

AG2R · 23-03-2013 6:35pm

I really liked that episode tbh, Loved the Jeff/Peirce moments

Seren_ · 23-03-2013 8:18pm

Thought this episode had a real season 1 feel to it - it showed them in class, the Dean wore normal clothes, Pierce was used well... I liked it. Nice having all the secondary characters around too.

FreudianSlippers · 24-03-2013 2:05pm

What's the joke about glitter? I know they dropped it in a few episodes, but it feels like they're trying to make it a running gag and pretending its been around ages.

This week wasn't the worst episode ever, but it was a bit meh. Magnitude is annoying. The beginning was strong, but it went a bit downhill. It was also clear the writers did not really know what to do with Abed, so they just sent him off in a pointless side story.

FlyingIrishMan · 24-03-2013 10:17pm

FreudianSlippers wrote: »

What's the joke about glitter? I know they dropped it in a few episodes, but it feels like they're trying to make it a running gag and pretending its been around ages.

This week wasn't the worst episode ever, but it was a bit meh. Magnitude is annoying. The beginning was strong, but it went a bit downhill. It was also clear the writers did not really know what to do with Abed, so they just sent him off in a pointless side story.

They dropped the joke in last weeks episode as well, it was aired out of order so the joke wasn't funny, this weeks episode was meant to go before last weeks.

On another note, I watched a the Rocket Simulation episode today because it was actually on tv. I really hadn't noticed the drastic change in quality in this season, I've been telling myself "it wasn't that bad of an episode" and whilst I don't think the episodes have been absolutely horrendous (except the convention episode) I'm starting to question whether I want a season 5 or not.

pickarooney · 25-03-2013 10:34am

It's kind of hard to just sit down and enjoy this any more without constantly critiquing it.

Kirby · 25-03-2013 6:57pm

This show is simply brilliant with Easter Eggs. I'm rewatching the show at the moment and I just got to the first Paint Ball episode. Tell me what you see here.......

Yes, that is the "Red John" smiley from the Mentalist. Can't believe I missed that the first time round.

I also really, really enjoyed the goodfella's chicken episode. And "He was horny, so he dropped him. Man is evil!".

This show is great. Yes, it has some misses....but it's hits are godlike.

Mr E · 25-03-2013 7:30pm

I'm a few behind, but this thread is putting me off from catching up.

ixoy · 25-03-2013 9:50pm

Mr E wrote: »

I'm a few behind, but this thread is putting me off from catching up.

For me anyway, some of the criticism's are way over the top. Is it as good as it was? Nope, but I'm still enjoying it for the most part. Sure it's not as sharp or clever but I personally don't think it's as bad as others make it out here. As a result of this constant negativity, it's one of the few times I've mulled over not reading a TV thread for a show I'm watching.

Seren_ · 25-03-2013 10:51pm

Personally, I haven't noticed a huge difference between this season's quality compared to others (apart from the middle section of season 2 which was pretty amazing), but I think that's just down to how I approach the show. I never really just watched it for the comedy aspect; it was moreso because of the feeling of the show or something... It's hard to explain. I can definitely understand how people think this season is worse than the others though 'cause I'm definitely not laughing as much. But I don't think I necessarily watch the show for it to make me laugh.

I know that's a weird paragraph, sorry :pac:

Also Starring LeVar Burton · 25-03-2013 10:52pm

ixoy wrote: »

For me anyway, some of the criticism's are way over the top. Is it as good as it was? Nope, but I'm still enjoying it for the most part. Sure it's not as sharp or clever but I personally don't think it's as bad as others make it out here. As a result of this constant negativity, it's one of the few times I've mulled over not reading a TV thread for a show I'm watching.

completely agree with this... Last 2 have been quite enjoyable. Not fantastic, but still worth watching.

pixelburp · 25-03-2013 11:14pm

ixoy wrote: »

For me anyway, some of the criticism's are way over the top. Is it as good as it was? Nope, but I'm still enjoying it for the most part. Sure it's not as sharp or clever but I personally don't think it's as bad as others make it out here. As a result of this constant negativity, it's one of the few times I've mulled over not reading a TV thread for a show I'm watching.

It's not without its laughs, but "over the top" is a fairer description of what the show has become - it's simply not the Community I fell for back in series 1/2. The writers have ramped up the wacky, oddball humour to the nth degree; and while the situations have become increasingly daft, arguably the characters have lost all the relatable humanity that made them so great at the start - in some cases like Annie & Abed they've actually regressed (and it started happening in series 3 under Harmon, so I'm not just booing the show because of that whole controversy) whilst others have devolved into caricatures. Remember when Chang was just the slightly weird Spanish teacher? Or Britta was just the straight-man (so to speak), and not ... well, the moron.

Fair enough if people are still finding enjoyment in the show - each to their own

- but I think it has lost the run of itself completely: oddly enough, as borderline smug as the series has become, the one interesting idea that was picked up then almost immediately dropped was that the study group were actually hated across campus. That would have been an interesting arc to work with across the season; giving the group a chance to evolve once more, and an interesting if unexpected antagonist (the rest of the college). Instead, it was resolved with a quick montage(!) and we defaulted back to wacky hijinks

BlitzKrieg · 25-03-2013 11:53pm

Or Britta was just the straight-man (so to speak), and not ... well, the moron.

To be fair, britta as a moron proved a better character. Straightman britta of early season 1 was dull.

Though it was a balancing act that they've missed a few times.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1BL3KIgFbc

is still one of my all time favourite jeff lines to her.

Also some episodes to me I always feel sort of get a pass cause they are clearly sold as *holiday specials* the glee episode in particular sticks out as ones where the characters are purposely done a few steps done on realism, so the moron dance makes sense there.

sadly new season writers missed the memo on what is a holiday special and what isnt.

psicic · 26-03-2013 8:40pm

I don't bother commenting on this thread any more - but this

pixelburp wrote: »

... the study group were actually hated across campus. That would have been an interesting arc to work with...

+1

It would have been an epic turn that would have allowed them to reground the characters and undo the sins of season 3.

Instead, Community is now Happy Endings with even more inconsistencies.

No point in me critiquing season 4 again - almost all the shortcomings I've noticed have already been pointed out somewhere. Sad smiley face is enough:

29-03-2013 9:08pm

Can't help but wonder if just how out-of-order the episodes are being shown is having an effect: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Community_episodes#Season_4_.282013.29

miralize · 05-04-2013 3:46pm

Really enjoyed this week. Parodying Britta-ing was smart, now hopefully they can stop referring that joke now. Abed & Rachel had good chem.

expectationlost · 05-04-2013 10:03pm

the cloak girl looked like the new girl

miralize · 05-04-2013 10:10pm

expectationlost wrote: »

the cloak girl looked like the new girl

Brie Larson is great. Would love her to be a regular

FlyingIrishMan · 06-04-2013 12:11am

Perhaps she could take Pierce's place if there is a season 5?

Liked that episode, new favourite of this season.

120_Minutes · 06-04-2013 12:43am

hmmmm on one hand i usually dislike the musical guest playing themselves trope, but seeing as the whole b-plot was a trope parody....

that and Rachel is super cute... though i dont know if abed should have a love interest.

**** it, i'll let it slide. i enjoyed it.

pickarooney · 06-04-2013 9:08am

I can't believe cloak girl is the daughter from United states of Tara!

Basq · 06-04-2013 11:22am

pickarooney wrote: »

I can't believe cloak girl is the daughter from United states of Tara!

Yep, amazing what a set of hipster glasses and dye job can do.

Not an awful episode... Troy had the best line of the episode IMO: "So was that girl an alien, or a toddler with a growing disease?"

Yillan · 06-04-2013 6:20pm

Right that's it. Watched 4 minutes of s04e08 and that was enough. It's like watching your dog get put down by the vet who your girlfriend cheated on you with. To be condemned to the annals of post season 8 Simpsons and post season 5 Futurama. The first two seasons will always have a place on my to watch list, but I'll be pretending the new episodes don't exist.

Yillan out

FreudianSlippers · 06-04-2013 7:02pm

I actually quite enjoyed it. It's not old community, but it was a solid episode.

Thargor · 06-04-2013 8:49pm

That was excruciating to watch, cant believe they brought in a love interest for Abed and a cheap celebrity cameo, the writers that are left haven't a clue what made the show what it was and are just reverting to the old tropes now.

miralize · 06-04-2013 9:10pm

People are looking for things to criticise now...

colinod0806 · 06-04-2013 9:29pm

miralize wrote: »

People are looking for things to criticise now...

So in your opinion, is what's now being offered as Community the same as the Community that we all loved this time last year?

miralize · 06-04-2013 11:12pm

colinod0806 wrote: »

So in your opinion, is what's now being offered as Community the same as the Community that we all loved this time last year?

Same characters, same quirkiness, 1 person difference in the creative force and writing of the show. Yes its a big person thats missing, and people on here (myself included) made a big deal of him leaving, and so we were skeptical.

That skepticism was solidified by a poor couple episodes at the start of this season. Every season of any show can have a poor few episodes, it was just unfortunate that it came at the start of the show, when fans would be more critical. But I do think that its improved greatly since then because, in my opinion, it has been better. Maybe not reaching the heights of past seasons, but realistically, how many comedies have the longevity? This is still 100x the show of HIMYM or TBBT.

colinod0806 · 07-04-2013 12:40pm

Nobody is denying that it has picked up since the start but that isn't saying a whole lot. Each episode is only ok at best. The quirkiness that used to be so natural to this show just seems forced now and there is a spark missing that I just can't see coming back unfortunately.

As for the HIMYM and TBBT comment, I gave up on HIMYM earlier this season because I actually found one episode offensively unfunny but this season of TBBT and Community wouldn't be far apart in terms of quality so I cant understand how you can say it's 100 times better.

And anyway, you should measure against the best, not the worst. Community used to be the best in my opinion but now New Girl is and that would be closer to 100 times better.

miralize · 07-04-2013 1:31pm

colinod0806 wrote: »

Nobody is denying that it has picked up since the start but that isn't saying a whole lot. Each episode is only ok at best. The quirkiness that used to be so natural to this show just seems forced now and there is a spark missing that I just can't see coming back unfortunately.

As for the HIMYM and TBBT comment, I gave up on HIMYM earlier this season because I actually found one episode offensively unfunny but this season of TBBT and Community wouldn't be far apart in terms of quality so I cant understand how you can say it's 100 times better.

And anyway, you should measure against the best, not the worst. Community used to be the best in my opinion but now New Girl is and that would be closer to 100 times better.

TBBT rely on jokes made in the first season, catchphrases & mannerisms that are just worn out. A female sheldon & a girl with a squeaky voice really gave progression??

Community, even in this season, are doing much better than that. Yes, the "Dean-" stuff is a bit OTT, but it's never to the degree of TBBT, which in my opinion, is just drivel.

I dont see the forced comedy that you've mentioned. Again I think its just a perception thing that many people have of thinking "The show has apparently lost its spark, so I shall judge every episode I now see on that".

New Girl is definitely the best network comedy on, & I'd agree that right now Community is below it, but not by that much.

colinod0806 · 07-04-2013 8:13pm

miralize wrote: »

Again I think its just a perception thing that many people have of thinking "The show has apparently lost its spark, so I shall judge every episode I now see on that".

I'll not get into the TBBT debate as I've already said you should compare to what you perceive as the best and not the worst.

The part I have quoted annoys me though. I can assure you that to me 'Dan Harmon' was just a name that popped up on screen every week. I'm very much an "end user" when it comes to sitcoms. I don't care who is writing/directing/producing it as long as it makes me laugh when I'm watching it, something Community is failing to do more often than not this season where as up until last season, it did so consistently.

Maybe some people are just blinded by their love for Community that they can't bring themselves to admit how far it has fallen.

FlyingIrishMan · 07-04-2013 8:35pm

I definitely think there has been a drop in quality, and I don't laugh as much as I did before, but I still enjoy it so I'll continue watching it.
People are too harsh on it in this thread, as I said, its definitely dropped in quality but I do still think its one of the best sitcoms on tv.

On another note, I started watching Parks and Rec last week, and I love it. I find myself actually laughing out loud a lot more than I do when I watch Community, but I don't think it has as good characters or is as cleverly written.

pixelburp · 07-04-2013 8:41pm

miralize wrote: »

People are looking for things to criticise now...

If you choose to enjoy the show in its declining years, that's fine it's your choice & nobody's stopping you, but equally you can't dismiss those who feel the show is a pale shadow of its former self, or glibly remark that their criticisms are somehow out of spite or jumping on a perceived bandwagon about Dan Harmon.

Harmon's departure is one small factor in the shows downward spiral, not the sole contributing one. What disappoints the most in all this is the fact that Community was so great in series 1 & 2, easily one of the best comedies on television, and all criticism is born out of that frustration and sense of lost quality. It's not enough for some of us to blindly keep watching and insist all is hunky-dory; I'd rather the show end on a high note than limp on like a latterday Simpsons

MOH · 07-04-2013 9:51pm

I went into this season really thinking all the behind-the-scenes stuff was overblown and wasn't going to make that much of a difference, but at this stage the only hope for the show would be the dramatic revelation at the end that in fact this whole season had been some kind of meta-meta thing where the characters were actually playing some kind of alternative universe versions of themselves, cos that's the way the show feels to me right now.

I hadn't realised how disappointed I am with the show until I saw the "6 seasons and a movie confirmed" post on Monday and was actually relieved when I realised it was an April fool.

Community - Season 4 [US] *Spoilers*

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Community - Season 4 [US] Spoilers