Does Anyone Else Watch COMMUNITY?- Page 13

[Plum]

Posted: 5/15/12 at 8:16am

First of all, no one said Harmon is stepping down; he just hasn't signed a new contract yet. Second, there's no way Megan Ganz is going to run a show at this stage in her career - she's only been a staff writer for a few years.

Third...Community can do worse than Fridays, IMO. Sure, Whitney is an abomination, but won't it be nice not to compete against Big Bang Theory and Idol for once? Anyway, if this turns out to be the last season and Harmon (because I do think he'll be running the show) has sufficient advance notice, he can end it with graduation and everything coming full circle, and I think I'd be pretty satisfied with that.

[MotorTink]

Posted: 5/15/12 at 8:21am

heh, I had a dream last night I was part of the study group and we were hanging in Abed/Troy's apartment. I got to kiss Jeff, so you know, that was awesome.

Random.

[TheGirlUpstairs]

Posted: 5/15/12 at 4:48pm

Why don't I ever have cool dreams like that?

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 5/15/12 at 4:54pm

When I saw a Vulture non-article the other day about how Harmon "might" not be returning, I just figured it was creating drama to fill the void of the "will it or will it not be renewed?" stuff that was just settled.

I don't care about the move to Fridays, either. I'll watch it no matter where it goes, and since it's a short season that may or may not be its last, I don't think it really matters where it airs.

[clever name]

Posted: 5/15/12 at 5:39pm

Can I fantasize that it will blow up on Friday nights prompting NBC to green light a full season?

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 5/15/12 at 5:40pm

Yes, of course!

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 5/17/12 at 11:39pm

the 8 Bit video game episode was HILARIOUS! I spent my childhood playing games like that and it was just awesome seeing the characters as 8 bit video game characters... Troy jumping all the time... Annie and Shirley killing the blacksmith.... hilarious!

[strummergirl]

Posted: 5/17/12 at 11:56pm

"TROY AND ABED SHOOTING LAAAAAAAVVVAAAA!!!!!!"

Updated On: 5/18/12 at 11:56 PM

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 5/18/12 at 5:00pm

Unsurprisingly, I loved all three episodes. I think I need to rewatch them before I comment on them, though.

One thing, though - I was really surprised Annie and Jeff didn't sleep together. His dream in the season premiere sang they would!

Updated On: 5/18/12 at 05:00 PM

[Plum]

Posted: 5/18/12 at 11:33pm

His dream in the season premiere

I think you just resolved your puzzledness. :) IIRC, that musical number also claimed they would have more fun and be less weird than they were the year before, which, uh...no. This was the "dark" year for the study group, and it descended into truly spectacular levels of WTFery. And I say that with love.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 5/18/12 at 11:51pm

Oh, I know, but for some reason I latched on that line and was sure the season was going to build to it, like it was some kind of prophecy. I never even really wanted them together in the first place, but I waited for it all season anyway!

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 5/18/12 at 11:58pm

I was wrong about Jeff and Annie and I was wrong about Dan Harmon staying, too!
Dan Harmon Is No Longer Showrunner on Community

[Plum]

Posted: 5/19/12 at 12:15pm

Harmon Tweeted about it and apparently they fired him without even calling him about it, so...yeah. He's not the only unprofessional person involved here. And no, he won't be consulting, so while I was cautiously optimistic last night when I thought he'd be taking a reduced role while the Happy Endings people kept things on time and under budget, now I admit I'm a lot more worried. The cast is still great, Megan Ganz and most of the rest of the writing staff seem to be staying, and...I guess we have the Greendale sets, but without Harmon's animating insanity? I just don't know what this show is going to be. I guess it's a good thing the season finale can work as a series finale; I may end up mentally treating it that way if next season is a bust.

[The Josh]

Posted: 5/19/12 at 1:55pm

Sony Britta'd it.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 5/19/12 at 2:06pm

Yeah, it's a frustrating decision, but I'm trying not to get too worried. I mean, it sucks, but I'm refuse to let myself believe Community still doesn't have greatness ahead of it. Of course, now that I've said that I'll be wrong about that, too!

[strummergirl]

Posted: 5/19/12 at 5:17pm

My question is why send it to Fridays where it will be counting on its niche audience to stay with it while phasing out the guy who made it the niche show in such an indistinguishable fashion? Do they want it to die but live long enough for good syndication fees?

Harmon reminds me of what I have read about John K., responsible for Ren & Stimpy, with him getting into trouble for either being too weird, too irreverent, and consistently running into deadline problems. Talented guy but combine his rep and being in the internet age, he may have trouble doing major network stuff again in the show-runner role.

I hope he gets the show-runner gig for Cougartown now that Bill Lawrence has left. I personally just want that to happen because I want that inside joke to reach enlightenment.

As for the new show-runners, I actually really like Happy Endings. It has its own quirks and similarities to Community (ensemble show with well-written female characters), so I have nothing against the new guys. I will be interested to see what happens and I really hope fans don't turn on them if the first few episodes do not appear to be in the same beats of the most memorable Community episodes.

Updated On: 5/20/12 at 05:17 PM

[Plum]

Posted: 5/20/12 at 1:13pm

This is Harmon's second time being fired from this kind of role (Sarah Silverman Show was the first), so...it might be a bit tougher for him to pick up another network gig. (Not saying he won't. This is showbiz; people with personality issues get work all the time.) He did have a Cartoon Network pilot picked up this season, so if he has an active role in that he won't be totally lacking for something to do.

I'm choosing to think of next season as a quasi-spinoff so I don't end up crushingly depressed when it's inevitably not the show we've gotten for the past three years.

Updated On: 5/20/12 at 01:13 PM

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 5/20/12 at 1:18pm

The quasi-spinoff view is a good idea. I see so many fans online talking about what a terrible season this past one was, which makes me go "Huhwhat?" At the end of the day, I just worry about the show pleasing me. Everyone else can screw off. :)

[strummergirl]

Posted: 5/20/12 at 2:13pm

I also like that outlook, Plum.

I know the common complaint from fans is hating the post-hiatus episodes which I find a bit insane. The last three episodes were such a love-letter to fans and some of their most ambitious episodes occurred post-hiatus. There were people hating the beginning of the season too pre-"Remedial Chaos Theory". Again, I don't get it. The "worst" episodes of this season in my mind were far superior to the episodes people barely remember from Seasons 1 and 2 that were also considered also "bad".

[Plum]

Posted: 5/20/12 at 8:10pm

I actually thought the pre-"Chaos Theory" episodes were a bit weak myself. (Well, the first two were a bit weak. The third I just plain hate.) But the season overall, despite some ill-conceived storylines and lurching inconsistency, hit some extremely strong notes, and the finale wrapped it up amazingly well considering all the bumps along the way. "Chaos Theory", especially, remains jaw-droppingly good no matter how many times I rewatch it.

For me, at least, the hiatus had the effect of making me put too many expectations on the episodes that aired afterward. I bet when I get the DVD set and watch the season as a chunk the back half will seem just as strong as the front. "Competitive Ecology" will still suck, though, because I said so. :P

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 5/20/12 at 8:27pm

I liked Geography of Global Conflict a lot, and not just because of my inexplicable crush on Martin Starr.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 5/22/12 at 12:09am

An interesting piece on the firing. http://www.salon.com/2012/05/21/whats_community_without_dan_harmon/singleton/

[MotorTink]

Posted: 5/22/12 at 8:11am

I adored the video game episode and was grinning like an idiot. And well shirtless goth Jeff - that will always sell me. Just a fantastic 3 episodes to end the season. I'm sad about the Harmon stuff .

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 5/23/12 at 10:00pm

[Addison D.]

Posted: 5/23/12 at 10:34pm

The Amazon suggestion algorithm--whose judgement I esteem quite highly--has been nagging at me to watch 'Community' for years. Nearly every time I stream a TV show, movie or random video, it turns out that people who watched that item also watched 'Community'.

I just watched the pilot, and--on the strength of that episode and a quick spoiler-avoiding survey of the comments here--I have gone ahead and bought the 1st season. 'Community' marathon at my house tonight.

Based on the first 26 minutes, I really like Abed.