TV in Review: Community, “Introduction to Finality”
May 20, 2012 6 Comments
Okay, does anyone else feel like Community just came back, and now it’s already been taken away for a while? Well, the networks giveth, and the networks taketh away, and so does Dean Pelton, who arrives with good news (Shirley’s Sandwiches is back in business!) and bad news (there’s a plot device where only Shirley or Pierce can own said business, but not both!).
DEAN PELTON: Did somebody say “sexy construction worker”?
In some ways, this episode goes back to the series’ roots.
ANNIE: Jeff, get involved!
JEFF: No. I am here to replace my fake bachelor’s, so I can get back to my life as a lawyer.
Oh yeah, I’d almost forgotten about that.
Several plots going on in this episode. For one, Evil Abed is back, sprung out of the dark timeline in order to wreak his havoc. Evil Abed wants Good Abed to step out of the way.
EVIL ABED: When the world gets bad enough, Abed, the good go crazy, but the smart — they go bad.
As with the evil doppelgangers on Star Trek, Evil Abed turns out to be kinda fun at times.
Britta, who is supposed to therapize Good Abed, has the tables turned on her.
EVIL ABED: Tell me about your parents, Britta.
BRITTA: Um — no?
Troy misses Good Abed, but is pronounced the promised one — that is, “The True Repairman” — by Vice Dean Laybourne. Troy isn’t buying all of the mumbo jumbo.
TROY: It’s a trade school. It’s a two year degree in boxes that make rooms cold.
VICE DEAN LAYBOURNE: The true repairman will repair men.
I don’t like to see Community go, but at least it went out on a good note. The trial between Shirley and Pierce, the air-conditioning duel, and remember how I complained about Pierce’s uninventive bigotry? Well, miracles happened.
PIERCE: Hey, don’t use “gay” as a derogatory term!
Looks like someone may be growing up. For a few seconds. #sixseasonsandamovie, y’all.
THE FINAL THREE
TV in Review: “Digital Estate Planning” (Season 3, Episode 20)
TV in Review: “The First Chang Dynasty” (Season 3, Episode 21)
TV in Review: “Introduction to Finality” (Season 3, Episode 22)
About Matthew
I enjoyed the final 3 episodes of the season finale of Community. I still feel this is the best comedy show out there. It’s a shame that they decided to bring the show back next season without Dan Harmon (creator and head writer of the show). I don’t think the final 13 episodes of this show will be as good as these past three seasons.
They are going to use the writing team of “Happy endings” to end the show. I for one think that show is dumb with rarely a funny scene that tries too hard to be edgy. I’m not sure I’ll have the stomach to see how they end my beloved show.
I think the best thing the new crew can do is treat the final 13 episodes as a self-contained group that wraps up the series, but leaves enough open-ended that they’d have ideas to work from if they manage to get a back nine.
Unfortunately it will be a different writing team and they may not get it right since they can’t think like Dan Harmon.
I agree with both of you. Ben’s plan is smart, but Julio’s worries are legitimate. The cast seems to also be worried about Dan Harmon’s forced exit.
Wasn’t Dan Harmon demoted to executive consulting producer? If I am right (and I really hope I am) then the quality of the show won’t degrade because he will still have a voice.
And I also hope it’s gonna be more than 13 episodes if this is going to be the last season (see Arrested Development). Just give me another 25 episode season.
According to what Harmon writes on his blog, that new position is just a contractual obligation and he won’t actually have any power or input on the show. We can hope that this is just him being mad in the moment, but I doubt that NBC wants anything to do with him if they’re firing him for being difficult.