And so, Jeff ends up in the halls of Greendale once again, where he tells the Dean that he’s pulling together a Save Greendale committee to help the school avoid a lawsuit after the bridge collapse. Unfortunately, before he can say, “Cool, cool, cool,” the Dean has phoned Abed (Danny Pudi) about the committee, and Abed has rounded up the old study group members.
Life hasn’t been kind to any of them though. Britta is working as a bartender, Shirley has lost her husband and kids after pouring money and time into a sandwich shop that failed miserably, Annie is professionally pushing the same kind of drugs that ruined her life before Greendale, Abed’s career as a film director has stalled and he’s writing code for a social media site, and Troy isn’t doing much of anything other than waiting for Abed’s site to take off so he can sue him and reap the benefits (Abed’s on board with the scheme). When they all reunite in the old study room, hoping for some refuge from their unhappy lives, Abed notes, “This could be like Scrubs, season 9. A revamp. A do-over. Jeff could come back to Greendale as a teacher.”
It’s a bold statement, considering how poorly Scrubs season nine was received. Harmon is making a ballsy move to get his show back on track, but he’s also being extremely open about what a struggle that is. Simply hitting the reset button wouldn’t work – it would negate the character developments of every previous episode. Instead, he’s looking to the future, accepting how Greendale has shaped his characters and bringing them back into the setting as a very different group of people. When the study group members decide to re-enroll and take their education seriously in an attempt to make something of their lives, it’s deeply sad but remarkably believable, given the tough emotional journeys each character has taken. (Apart from Troy, who tearfully declares, “I’m much sadder than the rest of you! I’ll figure out why later.”)
One of the most admirable aspects of Harmon’s vision for season five is that he himself is not outside of the line of fire. “We went into Greendale as a real people and came out the other end mixed-up cartoons,” snarls Jeff as he tries to bring the other study group members on board for a lawsuit. While Port and Guarascio might be burning a little under the collar at that one (as I’m sure they are after multiple lines blaming bad storylines on “the gas leak year”), it might as well also be talking about Harmon’s eclectic, ambitious direction, which often swung for the fences with episodes that didn’t strain credulity as much as intentionally rip it apart.
The feel of season five thus far is of a Community that’s older, wiser, and learning from its mistakes. Adding to that fresh tone is a surprise appearance from a hologram of Pierce, who tells Jeff not to turn his back on Greendale (in between plugs for his Museum of Gender Sensitivity and Sexual Potency). It’s an interesting and effective way of wiping the slate clean. Harmon is asking viewers to give Community a chance to make things right, to let him bring the show’s beating heart back to the center, where it belongs.
Some parts of “Repilot” are a little disjointed, but I’m always willing to give Harmon the benefit of the doubt. And “Introduction to Teaching,” in which Jeff (who, despite his protests, is eventually roped into a teaching position) begins his “Fundamentals of Law” class and takes heat from Annie about being too hands-off, is downright hilarious. Jonathan Banks, playing grizzled criminology professor Buzz Hickey, is comic gold, and the dialogue zips like nothing on the show has since season three. When Abed takes a class called Nicolas Cage: Good or Bad? (a follow-up to the Who’s the Boss? class that Abed ripped to shreds in “Competitive Wine Tasting”), his interpretation of the actor is equal parts hilarious and gripping.
Harmon’s back in charge, his cast is better than ever and the writing on display in both of last night’s episodes was highly promising. Though the course correction was a necessary evil, Harmon’s tireless machinations have served to give Community the fresh start it deserves after so much interference from NBC. This is the Community that fans have been waiting for. The path that Harmon is sending his characters on should make for a thoughtful, emotional, and (of course) very funny season five. I’m so, so glad that Community is back (really, genuinely back) and I simply can’t wait to see what crazy-brilliant stories Harmon has in store for us.
BEST LINES:
“It’s one duck, his name is Jim, and publishers are interested!” – Buzz Hickey (Jonathan Banks), defending his cartooning to Jeff (Joel McHale).
“I’m a cay-ut! I’m a sexy cat!” – Abed (Danny Pudi), doing an eerily spot-on Nicolas Cage impression.
“That’s like me blaming owls for how much I suck at analogies.” – Britta (Gillian Jacobs), on why Greendale can’t be blamed for her failings.
“Do you guys feel weird about doing this without… Magnitude?” – Troy (Donald Glover), on coming back to Greendale.