Community

So recently, I stopped watching Criminal Minds on its early Season 5 because it's all I've been watching for the past couple months since I can't really do a marathon because of school. I just needed a new 'environment', and I'll get back to watching it probably this week. Yes. So when I stopped, I was kind of feeling some comedy, and voila, I decided to watch Community. As I'm typing this, I was just done watching the last of Season 3 for about 10 minutes now. I felt like I had to somehow review it, and give voice to the awesome last few days of my life I spent watching it. Boy, was it so downright hilarious in an unconventional way.

I was googleing a group photo of the characters so I could put it here, but most photos just show The Greendale Seven, and it is just not right. To me, it's more like The Greendale Nine. I know it would not be the same with the main ensemble, but it would also be equally NOT the whole lot same if it wasn't for the ridiculously hilarious Senor Ben Chang and Dean Craig Pelton. So here goes the Season 3 DVD cover that I found on Google: 

Top L-R: Craig Pelton, Annie Edison, Britta Perry, Shirley Bennett

Bottom L-R: Troy Barnes, Abed Nadir, Pierce Hawthorne, Jeff Winger, Ben Chang

Hilarious sons of bitches. I'm both sad and happy about finding about this show just recently. Well, technically, I've found out about this years ago, I just didn't start watching it. Sad, because I'm late in the hype, although it hasn't lost its hype, but you know, the theories, the fandom shenanigans. Happy, because I don't have to dread waiting for new seasons for dreadful months. Win win. And you know, I don't lose the in-between feelings, the enthusiasm to faithfully watch the show. That's why sometimes I prefer watching already-finished shows or shows that had a few seasons already aired. But what I have to dread now is the wait for the fourth season! It was supposed to be aired on October 19, but I haven't infiltrated the fandom yet to know why NBC postponed the airing.

Any case, I've been looking up some articles on the internet about Season 4. Earlier articles this year say that the fourth season won't necessarily be the last. But I've been also seeing that it is. Confusing. Apparently, the showrunner, Dan Harmon, was fired(or something like that) for whatever reasons. And so I looked up some articles about him being fired, and I found out that he had a rift with Chevy Chase, the actor who plays the racist, ever-redundant, moist wipes connoisseur Pierce Hawthorne. Word on the street was Chase was being a diva (ever since the show started, apparently), and Harmon was not the type to let this go. Seriously, you play a character and say that it's a mediocre and crappy show just after three seasons? Cray cray. If I created this, I would definitely feel defensive, too. But I'm not really sure if that's the sole reason why Harmon was fired.

So let's get into it.

I'm not really as knowledgeable about pop culture as Abed, but I love it. I enjoy pop culture. I've had some fair shares of TV shows, films, music, et cetera. The show's format is just absolute genius! The meta jokes, the references, the themed episodes, the parodies. I love it. No one does all those better than Community does. I guess the all-ages ensemble really just clicks. I don't know how I would articulate how unconventional Community's humor is. It's just different. And I'm not really good at articulating comparisons, 'cause that's just how you distinguish something. So, I'll just tell you what I like about the show and the characters.

Jeff Winger. The jerk. I was supposed to write jackass there, but the term fits Pierce more. Ruthless at first, but has grown a heart inside him. He was self-centered, until now, but that lessened. I guess what I like about him is that he's the alpha male, but still does silly things. I guess that makes him non-alpha. Haha! But really, if you're so obsessed with how macho you appear, being lame and silly is the last thing you would do. I hate jerks, but Jeff grew into a very compassionate man, at least towards his friends a.k.a. the study group.

Annie Edison. The sweetheart. I like her since the very beginning, but at times she becomes neurotic. I like how sensitive and caring she is of others. She may be the youngest of the group, but sometimes, she is the most mature decision-maker and the leveler. She's definitely girly, and at times childish. I know I'm contradicting myself, but I guess she's both. And I like that about Annie. Initially, Annie was just in the group to maximize why it was established in the first place - a study group. To study. But Annie let loose, and dabs right into the diversity and craziness the group owns. And seriously, who wouldn't adore Alison Brie? Girl crush. :D

Abed Nadir. The pop culture encyclopedia. Meaning, the weird one. Weird in a really, really cute way. His childishness is executed in a way that its genius. He may appear apathetic towards others, but that wall breaks when he lets Troy in. I guess I like him because he loves pop culture, like me. I can relate how nerve-wracking pop culture makes you, how ecstatic it makes you. He's invested into something everyone (at least from the Community fandom) relates to - pop culture. I guess that's what makes him crowd favorite. He's weird, and we're all weird in some ways. I love love love Abed! Cool, cool cool cool.

Troy Barnes. The childlike. He was a high school quarterback, and of course, he started cool. But that changed, too. He became friends with weird Abed, and became weird, too. He unleashed his closet nerdy, childish self when they became friends. That's what I love about Troy. His childishness. Sometimes ridiculous, but it makes me laugh. I love how protective he is of Abed - obsessively protective like a mother! Hahaha! Their bromance is fantastic.

Shirley Bennett. The ever-kind. I love her sweet voice, but it's hands down funny once she gets angry! Hahaha! She is a very religious Christian, which makes it hard for her to once in a while bend her beliefs in order to fit in the study group. The group mocks her when she becomes overly religious while preaching. Hilarious. She's like the mother of the group, like a real mother. And everybody loves the mother.

Pierce Hawthorne. The jackass. There you go. As much as I hate to say it (because Chase was bitching Harmon), he is just super effective as Pierce. Racist sonuvabitch. Hilarious. His randomness cracks me up. His old-age(ness) cracks me up. Sometimes, Pierce is pointless and irrelevant, but that's what makes him hilarious. He probably didn't enjoy his childhood, that's why he is super crazy now. Or maybe he's just bored. He enrolled and studied in a community college for thirteen years just 'cause he's bored, after all.

Britta Perry. The joy killer. I thank Dan Harmon for making her likable. I admit, I didn't like her on the early episodes of Season 1, but thank goodness that changed. Cause it would have ruined the show for me. I can't like a show if I hate one of the main characters (and Gossip Girl WAS an exception[cause I don't watch it anymore], I have tremendous love for Dan and Blair, and it outgrew my hate for Chuck hehe). I relate to her in some ways. Because sometimes I don't give a shit about the world, and I just do my own thing. I love how they mock her when she kills the fun. And I love how carefree she is. She just does whatever she wants.

Craig Pelton. The ridiculous. Who doesn't love his freaking wardrobe? Where do those come from? Hahaha! If he's my university's dean, I wonder if my uni would still be up and running. He is so cool! Haha! He may not be the best dean in the world, but he is - for Greendale. Definitely. Thank goodness it's fictional! Haha. But seriously, cool dean. At first I thought he'd be an antagonistic dean, but it turned out he's not. The study group is his favorite, even. He has a huge affection for Greendale. And it's adorable. Plus Jim Rash's acting and gestures feel so spontaneous.

Ben Chang. The hilarious. Definitely the hilarious one. He cracks me up! His mini dances or whateveritishedoes in between his lines are freaking hilarious! Ken Jeong is just so fucking hilarious. I don't care if he's antagonistic or what, he's hilarious in all ways. I don't know, just watch the show, and you'll understand me. HI-LA-RIOUS. And I just found out that Ken Jeong is a physician in real life. Talk about that. Haha!

All I can say about the characters, generally, is that they are diverse. That's it. Culturally, emotionally. And they all are now past that. Or if they're not, they all understand each other's differences, at the very least. But I guess all that could happen when you're stuck with the same people for your whole college life is you grow to being friends with them, to fighting with them, to understanding them, to... being a family to them. No matter how ridiculous and disastrous you all are when combined. I guess that's why this show is set in a community college. You get diversity from people who are diverse, different. And that is just a fucking brilliant idea. I see what you did there, Dan Harmon. Well played.

So, will this be as funny to those who are not as invested into pop culture? Probably not. Well, I don't know if this is true, but Wikipedia says that Community does not have a sizable audience and has only gained a cult following. I love Community. This show is genius, and that's why it's critically acclaimed. Cool cool cool.

I guess that's about it.

I'm still hoping for...

SIX SEASONS AND A MOVIE!

P.S. I ship Jeff and Annie. <3