*spoilers*
Usually I scribble some notes while watching TV so I remember what I wanted to mention from each episode (largely because, as is probably becoming apparent, I do not write things up immediately after watching them). I did not do that in this case because I was laughing too hard throughout the entire episode. Seriously, the teaser of this episode was funnier than the entirety of The Office PLUS 30 Rock last season (and I’ve been a huge supporter of both those shows in the past). The Pop-and-Locktoberfest? The winner gets to annex Poland?! Brilliance. Irreverent brilliance, without engaging in the mean-spiritedness that often plagues Family Guy and its ilk.
Other things I liked – Annie stepping into her own this season. Throwing her in with the expected Abed-Troy team was awesome, and she pulled through. The whole chloroform joke and the way it was set up and called back later? This is how you do comedy writing. It seems so effortless and obvious when you see it done as well as this, but so very few shows manage to get it anywhere near as right as Community. I also like how they’re setting Chang up almost as a big bad this year, but a sniveling, pathetic big bad. :) And finally, I like how there’s actually character growth in this series. The Jeff of early last season wouldn’t have realized the value of his study group friends, and now he knows enough to separate what he needs for work from who he needs for friends – it got a little treacly at the end, but the rest of the show is so snarky/meta in tone that it probably needs those “aw” moments to balance it out a little bit. All I know is I had a big ol’ grin on my face for the whole episode, and the show continues to solidify its spot at the top of my must-watch list.
Also, THAT’S DREW CAREY? Holy crap, he’s looking trim.
movieguyjon
I pretty much gasped when I realized it was Drew Carey. He pulled a Peter Jackson, apparently. Anyway, I want to study under these writers. They know what they’re doing.