TV #24 of 2021:Community, season 3This stretch of Community is its most serialized yet (and possibly
TV #24 of 2021:Community, season 3This stretch of Community is its most serialized yet (and possibly ever; I don’t recall the later stuff too clearly). That’s always impressive in a sitcom, and it adds a nice sense of momentum to the year as various arcs unfold. Of course, the downside is that fewer individual episodes pop out as all-time series best — although Remedial Chaos Theory and Regional Holiday Music should probably be on that list — and it’s a bit jarring when a production issue creates continuity errors by rearranging the airing schedule.I also think Chang is well-placed here as a power-hungry security guard, splitting the difference between the strict teacher and the unhinged student that he’s been in the past. I don’t love how broad and cartoonish his part of the plot eventually grows, culminating in a literal fascistic takeover of the campus, but it’s an inspired use of a tricky character. Less successful for me is the show-within-a-show Inspector Spacetime, which never seems to justify itself beyond an obvious Doctor Who stand-in that’s weirdly uncommented-upon by someone as plugged into nerdy pop culture as Abed.Behind the scenes, showrunner / creator Dan Harmon was failing to meet deadlines and publicly feuding with actor Chevy Chase, and it recently came out that he was sexually harassing and emotionally abusing the writers during his tenure as well. For some or all of those reasons, he was let go from the program for season four, but then brought back for five and six after fans complained and the ratings slid. Community was sort of perpetually on the bubble of potential cancellation, but from this point on, for better or worse, that slipped from subtext into the proper text of the series, with veiled dialogue about critical response and popularity and renewal campaigns and whatnot. If you know that background it’s difficult to ignore while watching, and there’s a definite feeling of entitled resentment percolating throughout this run.As sometimes happens, writing this review has helped me work out my reaction to the season, and ultimately is going to lower the rating I was expecting to award. This is still a very funny title that I enjoy week to week, and a few gems like John Goodman’s air-conditioning repair school annex represent delightful new additions to the Greendale mythology. But overall this outing bites off way more than it can chew, and the result is messier both on-screen and off- than I had remembered.[Content warning for racism, ableism, homophobia, and antisemitism.]★★★☆☆Find me on Patreon | Goodreads | Blog | Twitter -- source link
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