Review: Community ‘Intro to Knots’ – We Couldn’t Resist

All season, I’ve held onto hope for Community. How could I not? Those first three seasons were something special, a show about college that wasn’t really about college at all, and about how people down on their luck can come together and make their world a little bit brighter. Plus, it would’ve been unfair to give up on the new show runners without giving them a chance, despite the overwhelming evidence that Harmon WAS Community‘s voice and heart.

After tonight’s thoroughly mediocre episode, I think that hope is finally gone.

A dramatic phrase, yes – but it was a feeling I couldn’t escape, as each unfunny scene beat me down until I was left mouth agape at the end, horrified by the awful tag placed on the end of the episode. Maybe it’s because things started off so promising with the Rope homage (it’s a Hitchcock movie that was constructed to give the appearance of the film being made in one take, a ‘real-time’ film if there ever was one), or maybe it’s because the beginning of the second act really started to tease out some promising things. But the first and third sections of the episode are so trite and so unfunny, anything gained in the middle third was lost on me.

In a nutshell, this is the Christmas version of ‘Cooperative Calliography’ – except Annie’s betrayal is replaced by Jeff’s, when he allows himself to get an F on his section of the paper, knowing everybody else would pick up his slack (plus there’s no Pierce, an absence thinly veiled by the excuse he’s at ‘sensitivity training’ with Gilbert). From there, Professor Cornwallis tries to break the group apart after Kevin/Chang ties him up to a chair in an attempt to gain approval from the group (which we all know is just for show). Cornwallis’s attack is the best part of the episode, as he tries to play on the idiosyncrasies that might normally cause friction between these friends.

Unfortunately, the episode doesn’t do anything with them: issues are brought up and brushed off immediately – or in the case of the ‘love triangle’ between Jeff, Britta, and Troy (which DESPERATELY has begged for more set-up through the season, with plenty of valid opportunities) it’s completely forgotten moments after being mentioned. It’s like ‘Cooperative Calligraphy’, but without the bite and the strong character conflicts. Shit, Abed’s not even a part of anything, sitting on the couch and making Die Hard references the entire time.

And then the final act becomes a massive dialogue dump, telling us the resolution of the story in a conversation between Jeff and Cornwallis, instead of showing it to us through the actions of the group. Everybody’s suddenly cool with a C+ (including Annie), and it turns out Cornwallis was only fucking with them to avoid his daughter (which, combined with his open misogynistic ways, just makes his character an unlikable asshole). They exchange gifts, we get a totally unnecessary and corny reference to the ‘darkest timeline’ (which SHUT DOWN after last season’s finale), plus a reminder that Chang is faking his amnesia, as part of his master plan to expel the Greendale 7 (which, as we all remember, was EXACTLY the same arc he had last season).

Grade: C-

Other thoughts/observations:

– in terms of my personal list of worst Community episodes, this one is a few steps above ‘Conventions of Space and Time’, but not too far.

– anyone notice how Troy’s gone from being a character to being a joke machine standing in the background? It doesn’t feel like he’s much of anything anymore.

– if they had kept up the Rope conceit the entire episode, this would’ve been at least a C+. It was explained by the writer of the episode on Twitter (limited availability of Joel McHale for filming), but it’s disappointing nonetheless, and makes the intro feel like its from a different episode upon rewatch.

– some might wonder how I’ve lost hope after giving the previous three episodes B+ grades. I’ll admit I was being slightly generous with those, hanging heavily onto the elements of those episodes I enjoyed, and being a little gentler towards the flaws. The sinking feeling I’ve had since Harmon left has never really left any point during this season’s 10 episode, despite some promising moments.

– loved how the intro was shot, but Annie was awfully written, reverting to her desperate, ignorant form of ‘Conventions of Space and Time’, which is not fun to watch.

– at least we see Troy and Britta together in a scene this week – first time in at least a month that’s happened.

– the one joke I enjoyed: Abed wondering if he should put his bare foot in the glass, John McClane-style.

– E. Pluribus Unum? Troy always thought it was Pluribus Anus, thanks to the Greendale flag.

– since when was Shirley trying to be valedictorian? Bit of an empty reveal there.

– “the obligation is the gift” makes no sense – and as an ironic nonsensical line, doesn’t fit Annie’s character at all.