Review – Community – Biology 101 (S03Ep01)
Little dry there Abed?
This week:
The gang is back for class after the summer off. Greendale will always be Greendale no matter how normal Jeff may wish it (through song) to be. Abed discovers British TV - including Cougarton Abbey. Jeff learns about himself, we meet some new characters, and some old ones go on new journeys.
Pluses:
The forementioned Cougarton Abbey.
Chapstick!
Pearch and Jeff dynamic.
Chimpanzzzzzzz (LMFAO).
Jeff post Chimpanzzzzzz.
OMG the Vice-Dean!
Matching outfits!
Starburns!
Minuses:
No John Oliver.
I love Community - you all know that. This was a great entre back into the show. It wasn’t a big set piece like some previous episodes, but it nicely set the scene for the year to come, while getting us up to speed on the Summer and the new characters (or changes in direction for existing ones).
#FoursolidCommunitylovingpandas
Review – The Playboy Club – Pilot (S01Ep01)
Pick a bunny, any bunny.
Synopsis:
It is 1960’s Chicago, and the Playboy Club is the hottest “key” in town. The bunnies are the most liberated women around, they can be whomever they want, including the African American “Chocolate” Bunny. Into this mix we have the movers and shakers, corrupt and not, in Chicago. What could possibly go wrong?
Pluses:
Interesting concept.
Liberation and repression with false expectations all rolled into one.
OMG it was David Krumhotlz as Billy Rosen.
Could be an interesting series arc if it gets its full run.
I like the gay rights subplot (including Sean Maher).
Nick Dalton is the name of the main character - I know a Nick Dalton.
Minuses:
For all its sexy bunny outfits, and Bunny Mansion parties, it was decidedly unsexy.
Not tightly written.
Characters need a lot of fleshing out.
Didn’t really have much suspense - even the big suspense scene.
This show didn’t really gel in the pilot. It has the potential to be an interesting character driven piece, they just have to work out what type of show it is - it doesn’t quite know yet. Is it noir? Is it T&A? Is it Mad Men lite?
#twoandahalfpandaswithabunnytail
Review – Community – Paradigms of Human Memory (S02Ep21)
And then we all had icecream.... NOOOOOOOOO!
This week:
We reminise over the year that was with our favourite study group as they work on their 20th diarama. We look back on all the classic moments while they poke fun at clip shows, and themselves.
Pluses:
Annie's Boobs.
Jeff's speeches.
Romantic slo-mo.
The Cape.
Red long underwear.
Abed's brain.
A slicked up Chang.
The diarama itself - loved Chang's placement.
Sing, sing, sing.
The Dean.
Minuses:
No Starburns (but I am just trying to think of a negative).
Yet another 5 panda outting from the brilliant mind of Dan Harmon and the whole Community Crew. Each time I see such a brilliant episode from Community, I wonder "Where to from here?" as the bar is set and reset so high, but they do not disappoint.
#fivegloriouspandas
Review – Community – Critical Film Studies (S02Ep19)
Heading back, on the track, for a little green bag.
This week:
It is Abed’s birthday, so Jeff arranges an awesome Pulp Fiction party for him. Unbeknownst to Jeff, Abed has his own plans - to have a proper sit down dinner with real conversation.
Pluses:
OMG Abed’s sweater! (This plus the voiceover was an instant tell to the movie they were taking on this week)
The gang’s Pulp fiction outfits.
Troy and the suitcase.
Dany Pudi’s acting.
Jeff’s voice over.
So amazingly funny.
Jeff backstory.
Britta character development.
Not too much Pearce.
Cougar Town (say it in a breathy way).
Minuses:
Little too much Chang (not my favourite character).
With homages to two movie classics as well as the running Cougar Town story line, this episode was up there with the best. The story within a story within a story within a story. Classic. I don’t want to say much more because it will give it away, but if you have seen the major movie this episode hangs on (not Pulp Fiction) you will love every single second of this week’s Community, and probably will love it anyway.
In fantastic recent (since I last blogged about Community) it has been renewed for a third season. It is so nice to see a smart comedy finally accepted and not left hanging with a reasonably early renewal.
#fourandahalfsweatercladpandas
Review – Community – Intro to Political Science (S02Ep17)
This may be my sister's outfit, but do you think these shorts make me look fat, Annie?
This week:
Progressive yet folksy Joe Biden is coming to Greendale to meet the Dean and the student council. With no student council, elections have to be held immediately. What could possibly go wrong?
Pluses:
Abed action (as much as Abed can).
Secret Service.
Jeff's total domination of the debate without saying a thing.
Annie's AV presentation. I laughed so hard I almost cried.
Greendale CCTV - loved their ticker too.
Key marks (Had me laughing before the credits).
The Dean's sister.
Pierce wasn't nearly as annoying as usual.
Minuses:
POP POP.
I loved this episode on so many levels. Abed and the Secret Service interactions were just glorious. Annie and Jeff's interactions. Pierce's motivations... all gold. Such a strong show, and this episode was great.
#fourandahalfsouthparkpandas
Review – The Cape – The Lich Part 1 (S01Ep07)
I know that look - I had it while watching this episode
This week:
Flemming wants to buy the port of Palm City. Toby Zeigler wants to stop him and find a missing heir. Guy is making zombies.
That is as far as I got.
The Cape finally defeated me. I was just going to keep going till the end - it is in sight after all, but I just couldn't. I can deal with Train Wreck TV, but this just had me feeling sorry for the cast and crew so I turned it off.
#nopandas
Review – Community – Intermediate Documentary Filmmaking (S02Ep16)
Not ABED, just Abed, talking to camera.
This week:
Abed is making a documentary which follows the aftermath and fall out of Pearce's park bench adventure. There is bequething, Levar Burton, a punch up and the Explainibrag.
Pluses:
Kunta Kinte jokes.
Community once again breaking the mold of the 30 min sit com.
The documentary voiceover.
Took them out of their comfort zone of Greendale.
Troy's emotional ride.
Annie's rational.
Minuses:
The funniest parts weren't the characters.
No Starburns.
No Chang.
I know I haven't reviewed the last few eps of Community. With so many others outstanding, my focus was elsewhere, but after such a great twist on the genre, I had to, especially after I tried to watch CBS's new sitcom Mad Love. I couldn't even make it to the opening credits. Even when Community is above its own par, it is still strokes ahead of anything else.
#threeandahalfmanipulatingpandas
Review – The Cape – Goggles and Hicks (S01Ep06)
Let's be stereotypical assassins in the way that stereotypical means "nothing like."
This week:
The Cape needs some time to heal and get his head back in the game so takes a day off. What could possibly interfere with that?
Pluses:
I did like the Tarot duo.
Vince’s son makes a friend.
Minuses:
Where to start?
The plot was dull.
The tech was ridiculous.
Flemming was under utilised and when he was on screen it was just stupid.
Orwell - yawn.
Thankgoodness this has been shelved. These days I watch just to see if it can actually get worse… it can.
#halfapanda
Review – The Cape – Dice (S01Ep05)
Even though the enemy of my enemy is my friend, you are my enemy.
This week:
ARK prepares to release a computer than can predict the future (correctly). Dark moments of the past come back to haunt Flemming. The Cape finds himself on protective detail. Orwell does her techy thing. The Cape saves the day. Chess comes out to play.
Pluses:
The Flemming character is further developed.
Flemming and his psychologist.
Minuses:
We have seen the math on screen thing before.
Guest star not that strong.
Orwell annoyingly intrusive and stupid.
The plot of this episode.
Really what the hell is with the ridiculous contact lenses.
This episode really could have been something. Again it had all the components, but they didn’t gel. The Cape character is really such a disappointment. Flemming is a great villain, and doesn’t need to be Chess - that is merely a distraction. Flemming is a Luthor type villain, why turn him into something cheesy?
Interestingly, the publicity shots for this episode listed it as number three.
#onepandawaitingforcancellationohwaititisalreadyuponus
Review – The Cape – Scales on a Train (S01Ep04)
How can this NOT be funny? No idea, but it was unfunnier than me after no sleep.
This week:
Vince decides to play Scales and get him to reveal that Flemming is Chess in public. The Carnival of Crime decides to get their thieving on. Orwell’s big twist is reveals (did anyone not see it coming?). Things don’t go as planned.
Pluses:
Richard Schiff again.
The Cape and The Cape.
Peter Flemming as a “White Hat.”
Minuses:
There were so many opportunities for really funny moments! I sat there waiting for it, but they never came.
The Orwell reveal - yawn.
Chess and The Cape buddy cops saving the day.
Schiff underused again.
I saw the prelim photos a week or so before I saw the episode, and was really looking forward to it - as I assumed it was going to be a rollicking adventure with laugh after laugh. Richard Schiff has such amazing timing, yet he had nowhere to go with such bland writing.
I am a week and a bit behind in my reviews - but it was annouced today that the order for The Cape has been slashed. So it doesn’t matter if I put it on notice, it is already dead.
#onedisappointedpanda
