(This is the fifteenth part in an ongoing series, in which I am writing brief reviews of each and every episode of Dan Harmon's beloved cult- comedy "Community." Originally conceived as a response to NBC's cancellation of the series before it was revived for its final season on Yahoo.)
Following right on the heels of the excellent "Interpretive Dance" comes another strong winner for the first season of "Community." "Romantic Expressionism" is another knock out of the park that successfully blends expert humor with depth and heart to deliver a stirring and hilarious episode of television.
Some tensions are rising as Annie's (Alison Brie) budding romance with Vaughn (Eric Chirstian Olsen)- Britta's ex-boyfriend- further develops. While Jeff (Joel McHale) and Britta (Gillian Jacobs) try to manipulate Annie into dating her previous crush Troy (Donald Glover), Pierce (Chevy Chase) leads a wonderfully amusing sub-plot where he tries desperately to be accepted as a funny guy, only to lead to somewhat disastrous results.
This is another really nice character-episode for all involved. It keeps its humor focused and avoids too many broad jokes to keep us concentrated on the more emotional matters at hand regarding life and relationships. Brie and Jacobs are particularly given some good material, and Chase also gets to stretch his comedic chops nicely, which is always welcome on the show. Especially as Chase sometimes isn't given the chance to do what he does best. So it's great seeing him in a somewhat more focused-on supporting role.
That being said, I do think the prior episode was fundamentally a somewhat more solid experience, and I had a few minor issues with this episode. Don't get me wrong... It's a fantastic episode. I just don't quite think it's perfect. A few jokes didn't land and I do think the pacing and focus could have been somewhat improved for a few key scenes.
But regardless, those faults cannot distract from what is otherwise a near-flawless example of "Community" at its finest.
And so it gets a near-perfect 9 out of 10 from me. Another great entry in what is arguably the best season of "Community."
Following right on the heels of the excellent "Interpretive Dance" comes another strong winner for the first season of "Community." "Romantic Expressionism" is another knock out of the park that successfully blends expert humor with depth and heart to deliver a stirring and hilarious episode of television.
Some tensions are rising as Annie's (Alison Brie) budding romance with Vaughn (Eric Chirstian Olsen)- Britta's ex-boyfriend- further develops. While Jeff (Joel McHale) and Britta (Gillian Jacobs) try to manipulate Annie into dating her previous crush Troy (Donald Glover), Pierce (Chevy Chase) leads a wonderfully amusing sub-plot where he tries desperately to be accepted as a funny guy, only to lead to somewhat disastrous results.
This is another really nice character-episode for all involved. It keeps its humor focused and avoids too many broad jokes to keep us concentrated on the more emotional matters at hand regarding life and relationships. Brie and Jacobs are particularly given some good material, and Chase also gets to stretch his comedic chops nicely, which is always welcome on the show. Especially as Chase sometimes isn't given the chance to do what he does best. So it's great seeing him in a somewhat more focused-on supporting role.
That being said, I do think the prior episode was fundamentally a somewhat more solid experience, and I had a few minor issues with this episode. Don't get me wrong... It's a fantastic episode. I just don't quite think it's perfect. A few jokes didn't land and I do think the pacing and focus could have been somewhat improved for a few key scenes.
But regardless, those faults cannot distract from what is otherwise a near-flawless example of "Community" at its finest.
And so it gets a near-perfect 9 out of 10 from me. Another great entry in what is arguably the best season of "Community."