Community season 4 episode 5 review: Cooperative Escapism In Familial Relations
Oh dear. Community's latest episode has done nothing to convince Emma it's the same show as it used to be...
This review contains spoilers.
4.5 Cooperative Escapism in Familial Relations
After a less than stellar performance last week, and much of the new season, for the sake of everyone’s sanity Community needed to produce something resembling the show that it purports to be. Even though all the pieces (bar one, as the show is sans Harmon) are in place, so far, it's so far lacked any punch – could Cooperative Escapism in Familial Relations claw back at least some of the credibility that the show is haemorrhaging?
The short answer is no. The slightly longer answer is sadly no. As the clearly over-thought, over-wordy title would suggest, this is a show flailing in the dark, unable to find even a smidgeon of comedy worth noting. It was based around a disastrous double Thanksgiving – one dinner at Shirley’s and one at Winger Sr’s house – that’s right, Daddy Dearest finally makes an appearance, more of which later. What followed the world’s dullest set up was a show so trad it was painful; a comedy by committee, holiday ‘special’ empty of any genuine feeling. With none of the usual unusual celebrations, no truth via obscure homage, and most terrifyingly of all, no laughs. Not content with just removing the comedy, Big Bang Community now appears to be systematically removing anything that makes the characters endearing or interesting, and in some cases, making them downright disagreeable. The group members who accept Shirley’s invitation to Thanksgiving dinner spend most of their screen time sounding and behaving like ungrateful children, while dragging their asses through an almost painful ‘homage’ to The Shawshank Redemption and Prison Break, a storyline written, it seems, by someone who has seen neither. In places, the dialogue is almost bitter, which is unusual in and of itself and while it’s true that family gatherings can be stressful, in comedy terms, this is Friends/The Big Bang Theory/Any bland sitcom territory – and Community has always prided itself on not treading the same old worn tracks as every other sitcom in history. If you need proof, see all the other Thanksgiving shows they’ve produced.
Across town, presumably, there was the Winger family reunion, with extra Britta. Why? Good question. Anyhoo, having indeed made the most important phone call of his life in his pants, Wingers Senior and not quite so senior finally meet over an overcooked bird and some soggy vegetables – or Britta and Winger Jr as they’re more commonly known. After a quick exchange of hair tips, a shockingly unfunny attempt at OAP sex humour and an entirely predictable unburdening, wouldn’t you know it, Jeff’s all better. God only knows why Britta had to be there, but her presence along with the sobbing brother made for distinctly bizarre viewing, and not in the good way.
So, let’s see where that leaves us: Jeff’s all better, Britta has her direction, Troy has a girlfriend, Abed is trying life, Annie’s discovered forensics and Shirley has her sandwiches... All we need now is for Pierce to find a steady stream of narcotics and we can all go home. Apparently the show’s new goal is to make all of the characters as well adjusted and ‘relatable’ as possible, and doing away with anything that might make it interesting to watch, including Jeff’s ridiculous desire to prove his Dad wrong every waking second of his life, is clearly the only way to go. What was most disturbing about this week’s episode – aside from the crying twentysomething in Winger Sr’s front room – was that somehow, incredibly, even Donald Glover wasn’t funny. It comes to something when the characters there specifically to make the cultural references work, can’t.
The mis-steps that could have been forgiven as new regime nerves - trad jokes, mainstream storylines, Chang devoid of life – now almost certainly are part and parcel of the new blueprint for the show this season. With Cooperative Escapism, Community moved into one hundred per cent safe territory, and in doing so has confirmed the irrevocable change in the show’s values. The white flag hasn’t so much been waved, as enlarged, stuck on the wall of the study room, and used to send covert messages to those of us refusing to believe the battle is over. This week’s message? Thanks again for watching. It would seem that the battle is indeed over, and what’s worse, it’s clear that everyone knows it. How very sad indeed.
Read Emma's review of the previous episode, Alternative History of the German Invasion, here.
Follow our Twitter feed for faster news and bad jokes right here. And be our Facebook chum here.
Disqus - noscript
What battle? What are you talking about? Things change, of course it's not the same show it used to be. Get over your biterness,
Maybe the rest of this season has lowered my expectations but I was actually pleasantly surprised by this episode.
That said, I read a quote somewhere from one of the network executives before the start of the season saying the show post Harmon 'would be the same but with more heart'. I think it shows that that's what they're trying to do, and not in a good way.
Yeah I know this season hasnt been as great as the last one, but nearly every review of community this season has been very harsh here! I have actually been enjoying this season! I certainly dont think that the criticism it is getting is justified! It's still a hilarious show!
The show has changed. It may go on for another season (as unlikely as it seems) but it's all going to be warm and fuzzy and friendly and with an optimistic life lesson at the end. How very generic.
While I have to agree that the Shirley thanksgiving was sub-par, I can't say I think the Winger story line was bad. Willy Jr. was a little too over the top (aside the show me on the bread bit, loved that), but seeing as it's been four seasons in the making, the confrontation with daddy was spot-on. The bit about appendicitis made my lip quiver for a second or two, and I don't think that in any way Jeff is over his Daddy issues - it's the fact that he now knows for certain that despite the shortcomings, he can carry on without his Father's approval. Kudos for the new showrunners in my book for not making it joke-joke-joke, and providing us with an (un?)expectedly good payoff.
Wow I'm surprised by how harsh this review is, this is probably the first negative review I've read for this episode!
The Shirley plot might not have been the strongest B-Plot ever, but the Winger storyline more than made up for it! Just because Dan Harmon's gone doesn't mean every episode is automatically the worst thing to ever happen to TV. The Jeff/ William confrontation has been coming for awhile now, and of course part of confronting his father would have to at some point involve unburdening! (He feels better about it and his friends immediately afterwards, but it is abit soon to say he is 'all better.') How do you think having Dan Harmon on the show would have honestly improved the Jeff/ William story?
Couldn't agree more. I recently introduced Community to my girlfriend and she likes to watch with me just because it made me laugh to tears ( which rarely happened ). Yet, when I look at one of the new episode, I hardly laugh at all. The beginning where Britta did a victory dance was very painfull to watch. I just couldn't help but feel sad because I see how all my favorite characters have lost a bit of their spirit. So at the end of a new episode we both feel unsatisfied in a way.
This reviewer is off their rocker! I'm seriously tired of hearing about Harmon! Screw him! It's his fault that he got fired, he deserved it!
This is the first episode of the season that felt like the old Community to me. The characters had a bit of darkness and conflict. Plus how could you not have laughed at Troy's "Eating garbage dip" line?
I think Emma's bang on the mark with this revoew. Community have definitely settled down into safe mainstream comedy territory and that's really sad. Last weeks episode is the worst I've seen. And the references to Shawshank and Prison Break were really inorganic and needed a more subtle touch.
Wow episode 6, that was pretty terrible.
I think this review is to harsh. I thought this episode was decent, with a few misses. In fact I thought it was the best episode of this season so far.
But why did Harmon deserve to get fired? Can anybody explain that to me. The guy created the best sit-com ever (S1-S3) in my opinion, Why would you fire that guy. It's absurd to me. Also the feud between Chevy Chase and him, I'm sorry, Chevy Chase seems to be an incredibly awful person. He's proven that in interviews, with other incidents. I will just pick sides here; Dan Harmon.
Episode 6, was remarkably bad, I'm sorry. I cannot deny that. I cannot deny that the new show runners are acting like fanboys, and not like creative people who picked up where the show left. (The things that they produced in the past, I'm sorry. they are quite awful. I don't get why they got the job in the first place. Maybe because they're very reliable.)
I for myself hope that the full cast will get brilliant acting careers aside Community, and that the show stops after this season. Or, that Dan Harmon comes back again. But that just seems like a fairy tale.
i cant help but feel, reading the reviews of this season, that they were always going to be negative cause people decided to hate this season of Community as soon as Dan Harmon left.