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Community: Contemporary Impressionists

“Abed is a magical elf-like man who makes us all more magical by being near us.”

While last week's episode tried to spread the love around and give everyone a plotline, this episode wisely kept the focus on Abed and Jeff, the problems they were not dealing with and Tory and Britta's efforts to look out for their friends. This left Annie and Shirley drifting in the background, while Pierce and Chang were given things that maybe could be considered sub-plots.

Troy and Abed (otherwise known as Brown Jamie Lee Curtis) have a very special bond. They are so close, so in tune with each other's thoughts, that they are almost a single entity. Which is why I'm not happy to see a rift starting to develop between them, one that could've been so easily avoided. All Troy had to do was talk to Abed about his problem, explain to him exactly how much trouble he is in, and not run around behind his back trying to fix everything himself. Even so, I still don't think that this situation is strong enough to drive a wedge between these two soul mates. Troy calling Inspector Spacetime rubbish, or that Cougar Town deserves to be cancelled (I've seen it, it doesn't), those are things I can see causing a serious rift.

In a really crazy, inaccessible, and maybe too dark twist, Abed went into the Dreamatorium and made contact with Evil Abed, who has now grown a proper, non-felt, goatee. How is this possible? Is Abed going crazy or is the darkest timeline starting to bleed into the regular timeline now? Maybe, by using the same space to continually imagine themselves in other realities, Troy and Abed have been able to open the door between other realities. I know that sounds like Somewhere in Time science but it's the best I could come up with on such short notice. Which is a lie, I just wanted to slip a Somewhere in Time reference into the review (my mind works like that sometimes).

While Troy and Abed appear to be drifting apart, Britta and Jeff seem to grow closer to each other. But hopefully not too close. I still don't like the idea of Jeff and Britta as a couple (if you've been reading my reviews you'll know who I ship Jeff with). I think they'd be a disaster together. They work much better as friends who support and look out for each other. But strictly platonic friends.

Notes and Quotes

-- Britta's psychology textbook is by Dr. Ian Duncan. Are we ever going to see him this season?

-- The whole thing with Abed being in debt to French Stewart's look-a-like (played by French Stewart) was really just a flimsy excuse to get everyone to dress up. But it did give us Britta as Michael Jackson, so I'll let them off.

-- I'm sure I would find all the Ryan Seacrest jokes funnier if I had a better idea of who the hell he is (he's the host of American Idol, right? Wait, I don't care).

-- The funniest scene had to be Jeff, now a handsome ego monster with his insecurity and self-doubt gone, wearing aviators and reducing our resident Pansexual Imp into quivering messes. I have to admit, he does have one good looking shadow.

-- Earlier this season Chang thought he was a noir detective. Now he thinks he's Patton and is planning to take over Greendale and replace the Dean with Moby's look-a-like. I know this might seem extreme, but please just kill him off.

-- I glad that Britta wasn't the buzzkill screw up. It was fun for a bit, but they've been overdoing it this season.

-- At the Doctor Who Convention in Cardiff this weekend, Karen Gillan revealed she's a Community fan and loves Inspector Spacetime. She tried explaining it to Matt Smith, Arthur Darvill and Steven Moffat, promoting Moffat to promise to “take the rip” back.

Troy: “Britta, stop arguing. If you have anything else to say, say it in a high-pitched voice while walking backwards.”
Britta: “Jeff is in grave danger! Heee-heee!”

Abed: “Cool, cool, cool.”
Evil Abed: “Hot, hot, hot.”

Dean Pelton: “I don't know who told you pouting was an option for you, but all you are making me feel right now is hatred for Renee Zellweger.”

Jeff: “It appears you have all noticed my swagger has a new swagger.”

While a definite improvement over 'Urban Matrimony and the Sandwich Arts', 'Contemporary Impressionists' still felt like the show is cruising on autopilot. Two and three quarters out of four Fat Brandos.
---
Mark Greig has been writing for Doux Reviews since 2011. More Mark Greig.

14 comments:

  1. While it wasn't The Bottle episode or even The clip-show episode, this episode had several laugh out loud moments. You mentioned all of them in your review.
    It's good to have the old community back. Feels warm up in hiya. Here's hoping we get another season.

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  2. Mark, I want to praise you once more for the way you review Community. Comedy reviews should be differently handled, and you do it justice.

    The only comment I have on the episode is that I loooooved Shirley's Oprah (not a good impression, but a funny one), and that Annie has nothing to do with Judie Garland. Nothing!

    Who did French Stewart think Pierce looked like?

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  3. Karen Gillan just shot up the coolness scale! (Not that she was low on it before or anything)

    I actually really didn't like this one, which is pretty rare where Community is concerned. And I had hoped Evil Abed would come back in a more fun (and slightly less OK-Abed-has-serious-issues-now) way. But I did laugh out loud, mostly at Jim Rash, of course!

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  4. Juliette, you meant Gillian Anderson, didn't you?

    I've always loved Britta.

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  5. This thread is becoming wonderfully surreal. Karen Gillan, Gillian Anderson, and Gillian Jacobs. Maybe they're all alternate-reality version of each other?

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  6. I did see the show, but I don't have the time tonite to read this page (variation on my comments for today LOL)

    But, I just want to say that this ep should have been the one aired after this (_______) NBC hiatus...

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  7. Problem with the Chang is they broke that character. In 1st season's modern warfare, Chow Yun Chang was perfect as a completely out of place badass. Seeing that same character going into vents naked was too much of a stretch. They need something else than "weird" to build up on Chang.

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  8. AHAHAHAHA Yes, I mentioned the wrong Gillian, too! Two redheads and one that should be. I can't speak for Karen Gilian, but the others are awesome.

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  9. Gus, I really don't know what to write, so I'll respond in gif form. French Stewart thought Pierce looked like the older, fater Marlon Brando, whereas Pierce thought he looked like the Bandit.

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  10. Gee wheez !

    Having a field trip here ! Enjoy watching the show, enjoy reading the reviews AND the comments as well.

    And French Stewart was a nice touch : loved him so much in 3rd Rock from the Sun.

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  11. I'm just confused over which ones use a soft 'g' and which use a hard 'g' - had not expected Gillian Jacobs' pronunciation of her name till I listened tot he DVD commentaries!

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  12. Great review Mark!

    I agree on every point except Jeff and Britta. They have such good chemistry, and I would love for them to get together, but I don't think thats gonna happen.

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  13. Watching Abed and Troy fight makes me sad. I hope Evil Abed is not the sign of things to come.

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  14. The dean on the floor : another addition to my Jeff Winger wing.

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