A Tale of Two Christmases

Isn't timing a bitch? Ever since the internet told me that the Glee Christmas episode was going to feature a rendition of Do They Know It's Christmas sung to homeless kids (or similar) I knew watching it was going to be a trial. However I didn't count on Community doing a Christmas themed episode heavily spoofing Glee within the same week. When comparing the two it's difficult not to cry yourself to sleep over the fact that Glee has been nominated for Best TV series music/comedy Golden Globe AGAIN and Community has been snubbed AGAIN. (Seriously though Hollywood Foreign Press Association's have you seen Remedial Chaos Theory/Paradigms of Human Memory? Have you seen Pot' O Gold/Asian F/anything other than The First Time?). One is magnificent one is not.

For such different shows as previously discussed on this blog I thought it was interesting that in some ways they both addressed a similar idea within this episode. Well perhaps better expressed that they they approached the obligatory true meaning of Christmas shit that all christmas themed episodes MUST address from a similar angle. To demonstrate this here are two quotes. One from Extraordinary Merry Christmas (Glee) and one from Regional Holiday Music (Community).

“It's the sad things that make you realise what's really important”

“Maybe forcing things to be bright just makes the darkness underneath darker”

The first is said by Sam to Artie when Artie wants their televised special to be Extraordinarily merry. Artie wins out in terms of the special although I think we're meant to think Sam wins in the end, I don't really care. The second is said by Abed about the disaster that is the Christmas pageant (“Oh Britta's in this?”-Classic Dean) and the revelation that Mr Rad killed the last glee club. Side note who can totally see Will doing this at the end of season 3? I have an image of him riding off into the sunset wearing Rachel's head as a hat! Sorry diversion, back to quotes, these sentiments seem to show the differences in the two show attitudes and the Community one seems to point out one of the massive issues with Glee, both its approach to Christmas and life in general. However much Glee wants to make it a show about young people having fun singing about discovering the meaning life and their place in it. Their almost never ending happy positiveness just makes the fact it's meant to be based in real life ever more laughable. Sometimes shit doesn't work out singing about it won't change this or make it better all the time. I'm not dissing music here, music is great and very important but it can't solve all ills. This focus on everything being cheerful and fun also means when they try and do deep moving shit, eg this weeks charity is awesome message, the show can't shake the glossy shiny happy time surface. This sanguine veneer it spend so much time on means that any deeper meaning is often curtailed or half baked. Another issue is the the overall attitude seems to suggests that just by acknowledging the darkness, it makes it all better. It doesn't Glee and trying against all odds to be happy doesn't mean we can't see through it. In reality a hefty chunk of these people would not leave Lima and definitely wouldn't become the stars they dream of. That's another issues despite all their “selflessness” this week we all know they are essentially the same self obsessed people they've always been. Community has always been very good at dancing between a funny light hearted show and one that's saying something about these people and without over stating it, the human condition. Within the 20 minutes Community has it does funny, moving, clever and manages to be christmasy without being cliché or obnoxious. With Glee's 40 minutes it manages none of these things but does end up being sanctimonious, confusing and nauseating in equal measure.

If I needed anymore proof I feel posting the links to the ending moments of both episodes speak volumes. Granted the Glee clip isn't actually the last scene of the episode but the last last one isn't on youtube. It's basically Rory(remember him), Sam, Finn and Rachel trying to raise money or some shit. What we have here is the last song the aforementioned Do They Know It's Christmas. Notice how there is a cut to a shot of a black kid while singing about Africa....awkward.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXuY9GjOSO4

Here is Community's: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLV_N2DnSmg&feature=related

Yes, it's just some friends hanging out watching terrible TV and no they're not giving presents to the homeless, but to me the Community entry is about 5 millions times more moving.

I could talk more in detail about the actual plots of both episodes but that doesn't really seem necessary. Community did a mash up (Glee term- see what I did there!) of christmas show, a Glee spoof and a horror movie and made it awesome! Glee told me I should give to charity (but only at Christmas because lets be honest it's difficult to care ALL year round) while making me sick to my stomach. What it also did was freak me out, which brings me to the little bit I do want to discuss: the Christmas special within a Christmas special, aka the black and white section. I'm pretty sure it was meant to be a funny homage thing, but I've never seen the Judy Garland Christmas or whatever it was meant to be based on so the level of hilarious reference was lost on me. Already being one down and given that Glee has, for so long, abandoned its self-aware-comedy-hat I wasn't sure what I was meant to be doing/feeling. Should I have been laughing or crying? Are they being clever or stupid? Is it meant to be knowingly terrible or is it all accidentally terrible? Impossible to tell. So I just sat there agog at the insanity I was witnessing. I genuinely looked around my empty room open mouthed every now and again to check I hadn't slipped into an alternate reality. What the fuck was all the chat about Global warming and the end times? I'm still trying to deconstruct the whole thing. It was the single most confusing television experience of my life. I don't what to do with myself to properly cope with it. 

I think its probably best to leave this post on a better, less confusing note so here is another Community song. Well in fact it's two because I couldn't pick a favourite.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3Ue_Dj2GXk&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn5PCKBRXLg&feature=related

If this has to be the last time we ever get a new Community episode at least it went out on such a ridiculously amazing string of episodes. As I type that sentiment I was already regretting typing it. So no I want to take it back, I refuse to be ok with that situation if NBC really does Britta this whole situation. I demand more Community.  

Capitalism in Action.

So I saw New Years Eve, it was AWESOME. I'm joking in a big way. Obviously. But it was interestingly terrible in a way I wasn't expecting.

So the characters were dull, I mean really really dull. Afterwords we were talking about the various different couples and we forgot a fair few. This was literally minutes after we saw it and I forgot all about Halle Berry and Common at war. That is a less than a good sign, lets be honest. I also was able to predict almost every plot 'development' hours before it happened. But I'm not getting down on it for this because I a) expected this, and b) as discussed, would kind of been pissed at it if it wasn't the case. It would not have been half a fun experience if 'Hessica' had not started crying with laughter when Lea Michelle began singing Auld Lang Syne. Seriously, on what planet are we meant to believe that they would let a random Bon Jovi back-up singer sing that, in Times Square, at midnight, on New Year's Eve. Yes, I know his character wasn't called Bon Jovi but I care not a bit- he was essentially playing himself so I never bothered to learn his character's name.

My main issue with the film, however, was surprising and it didn't hit me till the last couple of minutes as Jessica Biel gave her final stupid little voiceover about the importance of love and the purity of the season. While we got this drivel, we were treated to a shot of the clean-up of Time Square and a final tracking shot up to the fallen ball. On the left of the screen is a building-high poster of Robert Downey Jnr. in Sherlock Holmes 2:The Game of Shadows, which can be seen soon in a cinema near you. In fact, the trailer for it showed before New Years Eve. It then hit me like a freight train- this was an act of mindless selling and consumption. Most of the crowd scenes had thousands of people waving inflatable tubes with Nivea branded on them. Of course I understand we live in a capitalist world so I'm not expecting New Years Eve to be a communist propaganda piece but it just felt so overt and unrelenting.

Sure, any film where Time Square is featured as a prominent location is going to be visually bombarding its audience with adverts for films and products but this seems so much more than that. The selling and consumption binary is being taken to its ultimate level under the guise of entertainment. The main aim of this film is not to tell a story that means anything real, it's not trying to edify its audience. Yes, it's trying to entertain its audience but with utterly insidious primary desires. It's selling everything, not just skin care products and future films; it's also selling the actors in it, the city of New York, the commercial synthetic idea of this random day of the year and, most effectively, the reductive and simplistic idea of love that Hollywood has been pushing on us for years. We, the audience, by sitting in our seats are being treated to a three course meal of popular culture and commercialism. Watching this film made me think about Josie and the Pussycats and the whole idea of subliminal messages in music and television which seems near enough to truth for that film to be not so much satire as documentary.

Edward Murrow said in his RTNDA Convention Speech in 1958:

“This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and even it can inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise it's nothing but wires and lights in a box. There is a great and perhaps decisive battle to be fought against ignorance, intolerance and indifference. This weapon of television could be useful.”

He's talking about television but film surely has the same potential, whether we choose to use it or not. This film is using its considerable armoury to promote truncated, prescribed ideas about the way people should act, look, love and, most importantly, what they should spend their money on.

On an unrelated note, I need to go buy some Nivea Body Pure and Natural Body Lotion.

Glee-"Hold on to Sixteen"

This week I'm going to try a different method. Instead of watching Glee and then writing stuff about it, I wrote notes as I watched it. I am now going to type them out verbatim. It's an interesting read. What I think is going to be best about it is it's going to mean that if you haven't seen it, you can guess what was happening.

• Rachel said something sensible? What the What? Note: perfect take down of Quinn.
• It's less than a week till sectionals, why are we only now looking for songs. Reason Will is shit #987.
• Since when did Sam Evans have star power?
• “You Smell of Craigslist”.
• Why were Dalton's and McKinley's sectionals different dates this year?
• Sam=White Chocolate. That's not terrible in any way.
• Yay for stripping? No wait; yay for judging stripping!
• Puck's hair is still in that 'Nazi Fetish Bar' phase I see.
• Acknowledgment of Band, Win!
• Red Cup song- Is this an actual thing?
• I agree with Kurt's mouthing to Blaine “ What's wrong with you?” but I am saying it to everyone.
• Quinn/Shelby look off. Ha!
• Quinn's mental breakdown is complete! Why is no one concerned?
• In America you don't have to declare your major when you apply. Why don't the writers of Glee know this?
• Tina exists, who knew!? God she's a bitch
• Blaine wearing socks. CRAZY.
• I like Artie's Jumper.
• Blaine vs. Sam FIGHT about dancing.
• Blaine's a boxer? Since when? “I started the Dalton branch of Fight Club which I obviously can't talk about” Ha!
• Glee guys you can't make us care about: Mercedes and Sam. We never saw them together to we don't care.
• Chang Sr. vs Tina. I just don't care, don't care, don't care, don't care, don't care, don't care, don't care, don't care, don't care, don't care, don't care, don't care, don't care, don't care, don't care, don't care. “Honour his gift”- I'll honour his gift Tina, all over your face.
• Oh, the band guys are pretending to be signers, makes sense.
• Mike and Tina have a disappointment-off, sad faces!
• Sugar Motta's respond to the clown was good.
• Rachel is devastated, sad faces 2.0.
• Lindsay is back. She only has one face and it's the worst.
• Will didn't count on something, I am shocked, he never does that!
• Again Rachel is sensible. I am almost literally reeling.
• Shelby vs. Quinn. Everybody's wrong. In other news, apparently, people age but pretty people never stop being pretty.
• The Trouble Tones dresses could be more flattering, they look like tin foil.
• One again another great mash up- Glee is really good at them.
• Finn/Blaine terrorist fist bump-Noice!
• Dance moves are a bit weird but fun.
• ABC-Tina gets to sing, what did she have to do to get this.
• I see that the boy band dance moves won, not the sexy ones.
• This is nice without Rachel, everybody gets to sing their own little bit. No Rachel crooning away; she should commit voting fraud move often.
• Sebastian gah! go away. Nobody cares. Also, where are the rest of the Warblers?
• Kurt's jumps=great. Talk bit=Weird. Oh Sexy dance is here. That was painful.
• Damn this is fun.
• Control start is a bit weird.
• Again everyone is getting their moment to shine, down with Rachel
• Man in the Mirror; Finn is trying to be sing with emotional face.
• Seriously though guys- EVERYONE IS GETTING TO SING. THIS IS WHAT IT SHOULD BE LIKE ALWAYS.
• I've just noticed that New Directions only have two ladies now (I originally wrote one but I forgot that Quinn existed-awkward).
• This is great too.
• Oh just noticed that Rory hasn't got to sing- even more awkward. (Well the band guys haven't ever got to but that doesn't count).
• Will looks all proud, he really shouldn't. That smug look needs to be wiped right off his face. Useless fuck
• Mike's “Make the Change” was the single most stupidly hilarious in a not-meant-to-be-funny-at-all thing ever.
• Quinn has bipolar- for serious.
• Oh Chang Sn's on Side. Thank heavens I was worried about what way this was going to go. NOT.
• Tears-Tina is a sneaky fucker.
• New Directions Win! We all saw that coming- only way it could gone.
• Again with Will smug face. Also, his look to Emma in the audience was the sickening.
• Trouble Tones' lights-off-we-didn't-win thing was odd.
• Quinn waits for people in random offices.
• Quinn is all better now? Apparently she wants to go to Yale- yeah that's going to happen. Has she noticed how shockingly bad the quality of teaching is at her school? She needs to get on some anti-psychotic meds asap.
• Oh Quinn's suddenly ALL grown up. So wise so quickly, little one.
• Did Mercedes not notice how everyone got to sing in the the thing. It's no longer the Berry show, because she's a convicted criminal (ish) and it's never been the Blaine show (here are least).
• Oh Rachel's back, Damn.
• Her and Finn's flirty look was gross; I don't need to see that in my life.
• Another nice jumper Artie!
• We Are Young- this is less fun than the others. This is weird, I don't understand what I'm meant to be getting from this.
• Kurt's rocking the Victorian Orphan look, good call.
• Is everyone on this show bipolar? They jump from being mortal enemies to  BFF's in the blink of an eye.
• GROUP HUG!

I actually really enjoyed this one. It was Will-lite, the songs were fun and we learnt that Dalton has a fight club. What more does anyone need? Was it just me, or what this episode funnier than others have been in the past? Maybe the writers remembered they're making a COMEDY!

Also sorry if this review wasn't as "good" as normal, I'm lacking time this week.

Cultural Musings

I have been told to blog by a person who shall remain nameless, but her name rhymes with Hessica. I'm not sure what she wants me to blog about. 'Something I've watched' was her suggestion, seems legit.

Is it weird to watch a show/film that makes you angry because it's so terrible? On the way to class today I was thinking about the benefits of terrible film, this is indicative of the fun things I think about when I'm doing nothing. Me and a couple of friends are going to see New Years Eve on Thursday. That's right, we are going to see a film that thinks this poster is a totally appropriate way of advertising a film.

Look at the photo of Ashton Kutcher- that's just a shot of him in his real life, that's not anything to with the film. I could make a better poster if I still had photoshop on my computer. To quote Hessica- “That's a GCSE Media studies project”.

I don't expect this film to be good. In fact I will be seriously disappointed if it's even remotely passable as a piece of cinema. I'm going to see this film to laugh in its face! I am genuinely considering taking some paper to make notes about all the snide comments I want to make. Because, despite all my bitchiness, I do realise that it's not polite to shout “Are you seeing this, beggars belief, I've been sick in my mouth” in the middle of a screening; some people might be there for a deep emotional experience. So yes, notepad needed I think.

But here's the thing. The class I was walking to, when I was having my Wow-I'm-Going-to-See-a -Terrible-Film-Soon-Thought-Party, was about Triumph of the Will. For those not up to date with Nazi cinema, its a documentary/propaganda film about the 1934 Nazi Party Congress in Nuremburg. Obviously watching it now is quite difficult. Yes, Reifenstahl has made significant efforts to avoid any explicit references to the anti-semitism already prevalent in National Socialist policy, but the fact is we all know how that rhetoric ends- spoiler alert: it's not good. All that said, it is generally considered to be one of the best and most effective documentary films ever made. So despite the utterly contempt abled ideals, cinematically it is a very well made film.

What does this have to do have with the sequel to Valentines Day everyone thought we didn't need? The fact is one of these films is well made/good in technical terms and emotionally involving, one will not be (I've put will because I do realise I haven't seen it but I'm pretty sure). However which one would I rather spend two hours of my life watching? Clearly New Years Eve. It's not a perfect comparison because obviously they are totally different types of films. But make the set up the same but with Melancholia instead of Triumph of The Will, I still pick New Years Eve. Melancholia won best movie at this year's European Film Awards in Berlin; New Year Eve might win an MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss. Again this isn't a perfect because I'm really not convinced that Melancholia is all that good, although I never saw the end because it induced travel motion nausea and I had to leave to almost be sick in the toilet (In case you were worried I wasn't). But that's my point; what does it matter that the institutions think its good? What does it matter that it's technically inventive/proficient? It needs to be enjoyable at least a little. Even if that enjoyment is found in relishing its sheer awfulness. We use this word 'good', but what does that even mean, surely there's millions of ways of being good. Some formal and some linked to how much it achieves its aims. New Year's Eve will achieve its aims if its audience enjoy it, even if the enjoyment is ironic.

There was an interesting piece in The New York Times in August about among other things, why Phineas and Ferb is better than Treme: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/01/magazine/mag-01Riff-t.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all

Doing History of Art, I find that I spend most of my time taking everything very seriously, culturally speaking. It all matters, it's all important, it's all good and deep and the like. Sometimes I want to stand up and shout- IT'S A PAINTING! But I can also already find myself slipping into that mode of thinking, without really trying. I can already feel the weight of my cultural capital sitting guiltily on my shoulders. I just linked to The New York Times for fuck's sake and also I've made reference to Pierre Bourdieu, French sociologist, anthropologist, and philosopher. For those looking for that reference, it's in this paragraph. When did I become this person? Cultural knowledge can so often be used to legitimise and perpetuate social inequality, am I in danger of becoming like that? Rational me says no of course you're not, you are socially aware and tuned into establishment bullshit. But the little nagging voice in my head says that to assume that shows ridiculous amounts of misplaced self belief; a holier-than-thou attitude. Hopefully the fact I'm sitting around on my sofa worrying about it will stop me even if it turns out I'm not above it all. I think the fact I'm listening to Lonely Island's I Just Had Sex is a good sign! Although, really, the very idea that I'm going to see a film to laugh of it because I understand “REAL” culture goes against that. Ah fuck it, I'm doomed!

This have nothing to do with television I realise, it turned into something weird along the way.

To summarise for those a little confused:

-New Years Eve is a good film in that it will succeed in giving me what I want from it.

-I'm worried I could slip and slide into cultural snobbery.   

Glee-I Kissed A Girl

I'm not really sure what to say about this week's Glee. Granted I watched it while lying in bed in a cold-induced haze of tissues and Malteasers. A haze I am still in so, in the interests of full disclosure, this might not make the most sense (for a case in point see the next sentence).

What happened this week, let me think. Stuff, did stuff happen? I think stuff happened, yeah, no it did, well done stuff- good job on the happening.

Santana and all that lady kissing stuff

Let's start with the whole Santana thing which seemed to read, for most of part, an excersize in forcing people of the closet. Yes, she shouldn't be ashamed or, in fact, anything other than completely ok with her sexual preference but, if she isn't ready to come out just yet, then let's not force her- yeah. I'm looking at you Finn, you foetus face. I thought that the whole thing with her Grandmother would have been 8 times more effective if we had ever seen her and her grandmother interact before or at least heard Santana talk about how important her grandmother was in her life. The fact that this was not the case seemed odd, especially as this is a story line that's been playing out since at least midway through season 2; could they not have thought ahead and laid some ground work. No, sorry, as I wrote that I realise I seem to have forgotten that this is Glee I'm talking about; the show that only seems to think about a week ahead plot-wise. Here's a novel idea, Ryan Murphy and co, before you start writing a season sit down and plot out what characters are going to do and what the endgame is for those aims. Then, set up steps which will enable getting the various characters to those endpoints in a gradual and sensible way, developing the story-lines bit by bit over multiple episodes. You know- be bloody professional about it, you're writing a television show not creating a work of abstract art by throwing character decisions at a felt board to see what sticks.

All that said, the grandmother scene was pretty well done and was a lot better than the whole I Kissed A Girl incident. If I was told I had to pick a song to be sung by a newly outed Lesbian and her straight female friends as an act of defiance against the world, something that was meant to suggest that being gay not only isn't a choice but even if it was would be a totally valid and legitimate one, do you know what would be quite literally at the bottom of the list? I Kissed A Girl. Surely anyone who has given the lyrics even a moments thought knows that that song provides nothing if not a spectacularly reductive depiction of lesbianism. It says that it's a thing straight women do when drunk and it is something, at least in part, designed for the titillation of straight males. This last point was only added to by the reactions of the male characters, especially Finn and Rory, who spent the whole number looking like the cats who got the cream with their own private peep show. Not the point Glee, not the point even a little. I know they chose this song because it's popular and they've had success with Katy Perry before, but that doesn't mean its ok to pick a song that totally and completely undermines and belittles the point you're trying to make.

Kurt, the election and Rachel.

This story line involved my favourite exchange of the week

Finn- “What were you thinking Rachel?”

Rachel- “I wasn't thinking”

Me- “You never think Rachel, its kind of your thing. ”

(Not a completely accurate transcription of the exchange- a third character, coincidentally called Me, was added)

Leading on from this there was a joke (I think it was a joke) this week, in which Rachel, while talking about why she was unhappy that Kurt might not win, said that the worst bit about it was that it might mean she wouldn't have her “best gay” to help her in New York. And by “help”, she meant do emergency make overs and make soufflés. For a show all up on the GLAAD lists, it's really doing a shoddy job this week on portraying homosexuality as anything other than an outdated cliche. The reason I said I was unsure if it was a joke was because it seemed so obviously self-involved and ridiculous that I couldn't believe that it wasn't a hilarious meta joke about how the character was perceived by many amongst the sentient audience. But given that Rachel's a character that up to this point has displayed as much humour and self awareness as a humourless un-selfaware thing (Good metaphor, Pebbles dear, not shit at at all) it's probably not a joke. So yeah, maybe it was just Rachel being the little shit she always is.

Right on to Kurt; I felt bad for him, he has to deal with having the terrible thing that is Rachel as a friend. But also he's freaking out about not being good enough/being able to jump through the arbitrary hoops to do things you want and that is something I can totally get behind. This was an odd moment for me because I know I'm meant to emotionally commit and emphasise with the struggles the Glee kids go through but I never do, so it's always fun when the show fills the role its meant to. I quite enjoyed the song he sang with Blaine, especially as it got further in. It seemed odd that Santana didn't like it but was bought to tears by Finn's acapella Girls Just Want to Have Fun. That was better to listen to than it sounded on paper, but it sounded super terrible on paper so that's not saying much. Also what does that song have to do with anything?

Quinn, Puck, Shelby.

I kind of want to make it a thing that I don't talk about this whole kerfuffle although I enjoyed Puck pointing out just how 'damaged' Quinn is; something that the show has always done a less than perfect job at pointing out/addressing. Remember when we talked about how they'd never be able to undo her behaviour of late but I looked forward to watching them try; well tonight I think they tried. It was a lot less fun than I had anticipated but, luckily, it was just as unsatisfactory as I had envisioned so it wasn't a total disappointment. Basically we heard her say “Trying to take Beth back was a bit overkill” or something similar, which was then added to by “So lets make another replacement baby”. Er no, how about some counselling or something similar.

Beiste, Sue and Glee kicking itself in the face.

I love Beiste but I can't help feel sorry for her as a character. She has story lines that at times are meant to suggest that Glee is being all supportive about difference and acceptance and how difficult it is to not fit the typical idea of what people are meant to be and look like. When they're not trying to shove that obvious message down our throats they're busy making her out to be a figure of amusement. We, the audience, are meant to get an unpleasant guilty pleasure out of laughing at how much she eats and the look on Will and Emma's face when Beiste talks about doing weights, but they think she's talking about sex. “Ewwww gross, there is nothing worse than unconventionally attractive people having sex” is what Glee is telling us; now there's a great message.

Am I the only one who is pissed Burt won the congress election? Not because I don't want success for him, I do, I love that man. It's more that I refuse, and I mean straight up REFUSE, to believe that a “write-in” independent candidate with a brain-dead, useless Spanish teacher/Glee coach with no political experience as a campaign manager could have won. If it was a Best Mechanic In The Greater Lima Area or a Most Awesome Television Dad Competition then I totally believe Burt could win, provided that Will wasn't involved because, as we've covered, that man ruins everything. Congress race? No. He couldn't. Don't be stupid.

There are two issues I want to present to end with (but don't have the energy to talk about properly):

1. This show often has big emotional/singy moments about how much of a supportive family these kids are to each other. This is all well and fine, but I'd like to see them spend a lot more time being nice to each other the rest of the time. They just aren't that nice to each other if the scene isn't specifically about how much of a family they are.
2. I like how Rory won a 7 episode guest arc and we're now 4 episodes in and outside his introductory episode he's had all of what one line? Awkward much? Although I guess it could be worse, he could be Tina. Remember how Tina is a regular whose been in it since the beginning? What she's had to do this season? Lets think, one sex based monologue, and one throwaway racist comment. Ideal. This again shows a lack of planning by the writers. Also, she apparently drew “Junior” in the raffle the writers held on their “How old are all our character's day!” so surely they should be pumping up the ones that are going to have to hang around next year, so we don't have a situation where all the ones anyone can even pretend to care about fuck off. I realise they are probably going to conceive some ridiculous how-can-we-make-them-all-stay-because-we've-realised-the-error-of-our-terrible-character-development plot points a la Gossip Girl, but that's going to suck and they shouldn't try. They totally will though, damn it.

My final point is this: (I need say nothing more, it needs no introduction or explanation of why it is here. Which is good because words fail me...)

Ok here's another just for kicks, I think Blaine is praying his boyfriend never EVER wears anything that horrible ever again. EVER.

and a third so you can all see the back:

Affection Reflection: This time its serious.

I was watching an episode of New Girl the other day and I realised something a little awkward. There have been 6 episodes and I have laughed once. A whole one joke has made me laugh and frankly for a show that's meant to be a comedy those odds really suck. I also don't really actually care about the characters on an emotional level. If they kill one of them off or, as perhaps is more likely, took one in a completely different direction I'm not sure how much I'd care. It doesn't challenge me on any intellectual level. Given all that and the fact that there are only so many hours in the day why, then, do I bother to keep watching?

The metaphor I used in my discussion of the pilot was that watching it was like eating milk and cookies. In retrospect that still seems like a damn fine description of it (Well done past-me, knocking it out of the park yet again!). It's not hilarious, not that clever, and not that emotionally challenging but it's warming and comforting. Thinking about it, what New Girl does give me is a strange sense of familiar calm. Yes, I don't fully care about the characters but I feel affection for them none the less. The reason for this is, perhaps in this case anyway, the lack of true involvement. I can't get angry at the characters because of my lack of emotional investment, which also means there is no stress in watching the show; I'm not worried about plot developments. It might seem strange to say not caring about characters helps a show be watchable but with New Girl it works.

This made me think about other, supposedly comedic, shows that I like but aren't necessarily that funny in a traditional sense, but attachment keeps me coming back. The best example I could think of is Parks and Recreation. This is a very different case because a) I really do care about the characters and b) It's just a better show (It doesn't send you into a twee-induced coma for a start). But while the show is funny, and I do think it's very funny, its not laugh out loud funny in the way shows like Archer is. It's also very hard to define bits in the show that work as stand alone jokes, for me the humour is derived from a basic affection for the characters. Sometimes watching the show is like sitting round with a group of friends watching them bicker between themselves. Again its the sense of familiarity that it provides me that matters and is integral to its appeal. I know these people, I feel at home in the world they are in, I just get it.

Television works very differently than film in terms of audience participation. With a film you have 90 minutes (well nowadays, its more like 120) to make an impact. That impact can be to scare you, educate you, charm you or have you rolling in the aisles. Sure, in an ideal world it wants you to like it enough to buy it when it comes out. But in that situation you are still buying what you already know. The purchasing act is an acceptance that you want to relive what was made as a one-off experience. This is a totally different action to tuning in every week to watch a TV show which requires a continued investment in the concept. This means that the needs a television has to fulfil for an audience are much more complicated. As may be apparent from the beginning of this post, what seems to me to be crucial in this more complicated relationship is the concept of affection. Why would anyone bother to repeatably spend half an hour out of their week watching something they haven't even the slightest sense of attachment to. I'm not saying television shows can't challenge its audience but it has to do it in a much more subtle way than film. People aren't going to want to keep watching a show if it's having a go at them. Films are much more able to preach to it's audience, whereas for a weekly serial to preach is risking alienating its core audience and as discussed in a earlier post, given the way American television works, it's really crucial that a show doesn't do this. The fact that shows are in production as they air the episodes they've just finished means that if they fail they can be cancelled mid-season. This means there is a significant impetus to keep the momentum going, week after week. Whereas a film just has to win you over once, a television show has to win you over again and again. This is where affection is important, if the audience has enough devotion towards the show, then at least some of the creator's work on that episode is done for them. Mistakes, or a less good episode, are forgiven where without affection they might cause someone to stop watching. For example, I didn't really like episode 3 of season 6 of Doctor Who, but because I have a deep love for the whole thing it didn't matter half as much as it would have if I'd just started watching or wasn't as involved in the show emotionally.

All this makes me think that making a successful well-received television show is a lot more difficult than making a successful well-received film. Which is interesting since I think it's pretty well established that we hold film actors and makers in higher esteem than those on or in TV. Actors are always thought to have made it once they have lead roles in films. I can name you a lot more film screen writers than I can television ones (especially If I take away ones that are also actors!). It seems unfair that for an arbitrary reason we judge people on the size of the screen they're working on not by the challenges they face.  

Glee-Mash Off

Oh Glee Glee Glee; the light, bright, breezy (and insane) cover girl aspects of your character were back with a vengeance this week. Within the first 5 minutes we had a rendition of "Hot For Teacher" by Puck, the first half of which was terrible. It was done like a scene from the Breakfast Club on crack. There was a lot of glitter, sunglasses and pink tiger print. As I type that, it sounds awesome but it was such an abrupt contrast from the relatively still composure of last week that I found it all a bit too much. I felt like a hungover 80 year old being dropped in Times Square on New Years Eve. Total sensory overload. Luckily half way through it switched to a choir room performance, which involved Mike and Blaine doing hilarious Jarvis Cocker-esque things with their legs, so it's all good.

Gah, this episode has everything I didn't miss about last week. Loads of Will, loads of Quinn being deeply unpleasant and selfish and loads of Puck trying to seduce Shelby. Also a whole lot of Finn being a total dickwad. I know he's always been the de facto male leader of the group, but can we re-evaluate why that is again? What are his qualifications again? He doesn't have the best voice of the lot and he isn't the best dancer. Granted he always seems to come up with the ideas, but I'm sure the others have ideas. Is it because he's the tallest? Is that all it takes to be leader of a club; height and being able to shout over everyones ideas? If so, get me a pair of Manolo Blahnik's and a plane ticket to that school and I could be the leader in 6 minutes. It's a good comparison because I can neither sing nor dance and also I'm a total dickward. Although I'm not so much of one that I would have done what he did to Santana. Although she wasn't exactly a paragon of niceness or an example of the generally accepted way to treat people. The end slap was deeply satisfying even if Finn had, in fact, been saying nice things.

I don't have the energy to talk about the Quinn/Puck story lines because my opinions haven't changed. They've ruined her and he is just being creepy. End of. Well there is almost certainly more to talk about but, as I say, I just can't be bothered.

The two mash-ups were good though. Say what you like about Glee it can do one hell of a mash up. I enjoyed New Directions because a) their songs were good but b) (and this is much more important) we saw Puck, Mike, Blaine and Artie wearing Hall and Oats wigs, moustaches and outfits. Which was without a doubt the best things ever. I can't help but feel they should all look like that; it would make the whole school about 8 times more fun. As for The Trouble Tones *shudders*; their Adele mash up was great. Although we've had 4 Adele songs in the last 8 months which, when the show wasn't on air for 3 and half months, seems excessive. I mean I like Adele as much as the next person (well maybe not that much, because the next person seems to be REALLY into her) but can we please stop with Adele covers. We get it- she makes great songs but, maybe, lets give ourselves a break.

I've gone on record saying I don't like this Sue-Burt-runs-for-office-thing (though I did love Sue's videos even if they we're a little too close to the truth for absolute comfort.) Also, why must William be involved in all this- he ruins everything!

The issue of Kurt and Rachel fighting was sorted out this week. I hadn't realised how serious this apparently was; I thought it was minor annoyance not a 'block each other out of our lives' issue. Should pay more attention. Also, do we remember when Mercedes and Kurt where friends? When did this stop happening; it seems like it was years and years ago. Was there a reason for it? Again- should pay more attention. As you can tell; this episode reminded us just how 'stop-start' the character developments are on this show.

So now all the ephemeral issues about this weeks episode are out of the way, lets get serious for just a second. And I mean lets really, all jokes aside, talk about something that I brought up a couple of weeks ago and clearly requires some deep thought. In many ways it was actually the main theme of this week...

Kurt's hats.

I mean, for serious- what the hell! Tonight was like a stupid hat parade. I decided it was worth my time to go through the episode and screenshot all the ridiculous things he had on his head. The definition of "worth" barely phoning it in during that last sentence. 

Tragically the last one is clearly the best by a steady mile. But, he took it off to make a serious impassioned speech whereas he thought that wearing a riding hat was totally ok attire in a choir room scenario. Is this suddenly a Two Broke Girls episode and Chestnut is going to walk in? Also, that blue thing makes him look like he's wearing part of the cuppa soup monster's costume. All that said, winner of this weeks Stupid-Shit-The-Costume-Team-Put-On-Chris-Colfer's-Head award goes to number two. For two very crucial reasons:

1. It's the worst thing I've ever seen.
2. It's teamed with that hipster, vaguely middle east chic scarf thing, which is the third worst thing I've ever seen.

What's the second worst thing I ever seen, I hear you shout. The cuppa soup hug monster, obviously. That shit haunts my dreams.  

“As your friend, I respect your strange aversion to fun”- The First Time, Glee

In this episode, we saw Will Shuester once, for 30 seconds, and he had a total of one line. It was also the best episode of Glee in a very long time. I don't think these two things are unrelated.

I'm not sure where to begin, this is an odd moment for me because The First Time was like, good, and I genuinely mean actually good. Yes, there were a couple of odd moments and it completely dropped a lot of plots brought up last week but none of that mattered in quite the same way. What happened Glee? Where did this subtle, considered, well plotted and, at times, really moving show come from? I don't remember this version of Glee since some sections of the Prom episode. I was almost annoyed at it for being as sensible and normal as it was. Which I realise is stupid, because tonight Glee showed just what it could be and what it should be celebrated for; for being able to wade through the showmanship it gets bogged down in and find its heart.

Lets start at the very beginning, a very good place to start, and by that I mean sex. I support any show that shows teen sex as something that is a) positive b) normal c) has no negative repercussions and d) fun. These are elements of teen sex that are rarely ever shown on TV; especially teen sex between same sex couples. So its obviously really great that we're finally getting to see things like this. Also good is that they didn't change the time slot to 9pm as I had heard they were going to; it would have been ridiculous to have done so. We saw no gratuitous sex scenes and nothing inappropriate to the time slot or the age range. Just sweet pre (possibly post) -coital shots. Well I hope they were pre/post cos Kurt and Blaine were still fully dressed. Hint- kids, if everyone's still wearing their clothes, you're doing it wrong. Yes I did laugh at the firelight glow of both the rooms; has any one ever lost their virginity in front of an open fire? No, well not since the invention of central heating. I loved Tina's description of her first time and that attitude should be voiced more often on TV; especially by female characters.

It was also interesting to see the different reasons for having sex. In many ways Finn and Rachel's sex could be seen as the beginning of the end for them. Not because of the sex, obviously, but more that they behaved throughout the episode as couple naturally growing apart to a certain extent. Sex was just a point on their road to breaking up. On the other hand, Kurt and Blaine just grew stronger and more in tune throughout the episode so for them, sex was shown as obvious cementing of their affection and respect for each other. The scene on the stage after after the show was very touching and I also enjoyed the scene in Blaine's bedroom. Although, this was mainly linked to the fact his room looks like it's from the set of Twin Peaks. What 17 year old boy's room looks like that- it felt like an anti-chamber to the Black Lodge? Also, Kurt's outfit was insane even by his crazy-arse standards. He looked like he was wearing a meta take on a leopard print cat suit. God knows what was going on. Also, who wears a tie to sit on your boyfriends bed and listen to Roxy Music?

The Beiste story line was also great (apart from the Artie aspect). Her love interests speech about wanting a woman not a girl was moving and wonderfully done. It was everything the first time Beiste's insecurities were brought up wasn't. It wasn't patronising or demeaning or confusing in it's message. I just wish he wasn't called Mr Cooter; I realise it an “hilarious” joke but well, I employed sarcasm quotes for a reason.

Another reason this episode worked above and beyond the normal Glee episodes was that the music fitted in with the episode. The songs made sense in the context, not because most of them were musical numbers, but because they had managed to make them fit in with the story and felt believable. Even the, frankly quite cheesy, UpTown Girls rendition at Dalton worked. It was fun and boppy and I loved the whole crazy thing even though I didn't understand two things about it:

1. Why was the stupidly hot and sexually available teacher reading a book call Learn French? Shouldn't she be reading a book called Teach French?
2. Why was Blaine dressed like a old man in a black and white film? Did he wake up that morning and decide he was incapable of wearing any clothes that weren't on the grey scale?

Back to point I started with; this episode showed no Will. He wasn't missed. Like even a little. I actually didn't really notice we hadn't seen him until half way through. His role has no substance, he's just a universally bad person and teacher. I have no investment in him. This is problematic as the adults, in many ways, need to be the grounding on this show if it wants to sustain itself long term. To maintain some semblance of reality the kids are the going to need to come and go, like students do, and the adults (teachers I believe they're called) have to stay and "hold the fort", as it where. So we have to have some kind of attachment to them. They only thing I want to see attached to Will is a machete.

What the episode also didn't show was the Trouble Tones (my soul dies a little every time I type that) and the Quinn/Shelby/Puck story line. Normally I would have a go at them for just dropping all that stuff for the message of the week: "This weeks Glee was bought to you by Teen Sex!" but I'm not, because the message story lines were better written, more involving and less inappropriate or tedious than the others. Glee often tries to do too much in terms of story and ends up not doing enough, or sometimes nothing at all, with them. This episode went minimalist and it paid off- they had time to do it all justice. Learn from this Glee. Less is more.

Things I didn't like:

- Artie was fundamentally creepy as hell in this episode. Why did no one say “Oh Artie, you're a 17 year old boy; talking to your middle-aged virgin PE teacher about her love life and trying to get her laid is the stuff of court cases”? Like in what school does this kind of shit go on? NEVER TALK TO YOUR TEACHERS ABOUT THEIR SEX LIVES. It's pretty basic.

- I ain't in love with Sebastian Smythe, not because he's causing hypothetical trouble with K&B, just because he was kind of dull and creepy (but not in a fun way).

- I was kind of (and by that I mean a lot) weirded out by the fact that Brittany was essentially raped and we thought it was ok to laugh this away because she thought it was an alien. I know they have this whole 'aint Brittany kooky' thing going on but there is a different between dim and mentally handicapped. Sometimes I worry which side we're meant to think Brittany is on.

So yes it wasn't a completely perfect episode of Glee but the things that bugged me didn't bug me as much as they usually do. This was because they were either not there (WILLIAM SHUESTER) or minor bits of scum on a sea of genuine, touching and well-advised water. Hmmm... do you know what wasn't well advised? That metaphor!

Final point: The fact we didn't get to see Kurt's Officer Krumpke is the biggest let down since us not getting to see him do a cheerleading routine while singing Celine Dion in French. 

Glee-Pot O'Gold

“Everyone's dreams are going to come true this year”. Did this line really happen? Blerg, it took the rest of the episode for me to try and get the taste of sick out of my mouth.

So on to actual stuff. Firstly, they've Irished up Damien no end haven't they? I don't ever remember his accent being that strong. Also for his first song to be “it's not easy being Green”? Gah, ok, I get it he's Irish and wearing a lots of green. Sure great idea, not naff at all. That said, despite his awkwardly cartoon Irishness, I didn't hate him; especially by the end of the episode. He seems quite nice- a quality often lacking in the halls of Mckinley High. Not sure what they're going to do with him after this, but we'll see.

On to the main event. I can't stand this Quinn story; what Quinn was trying to do is, straight up, deeply unpleasant. Yes Puck, jail does seem a little extreme- you're right. I'm all for the continuity thing Glee is doing this season. And I'm totally up for addressing Quinn's (and Puck's) feelings about giving a child up and then having it still in their life but does it have to be this way? Her behaviour tonight was not thinking in the interests of the only perfect thing she's ever done, it's completely selfish. Also, she doesn't seem to have thought about it at all. It'll take more than two weeks for them to get back the child, even if her plan worked, and in that time she'll be in foster care they'll be significant uprooting and distress. This isn't, for want of a better phrase, child's play. The consequences of the actions she took would, if they went according to her plan, are immense. Given that this won't actually happen, the more significant issue for the character is we can't un-see this. Quinn will always be a character capable of these actions. You can't sing a song and make this fact go away, although I look forward to watching them try. They have ruined her without seeming to notice.

I obviously find the rival show choirs idea tedious but that said, Shelby seems to be helping the kids sing better. Wow; what a novel idea for the Glee Club coach to help the kids vocally. Will's always seemed to assume standing at the side looking creepy is enough to improve their voices, apparently it's not. Why is anyone surprised they didn't win Nationals again? A feat that Shelby has managed multiple times; hmmm... maybe this story should end with them all going over to the Trouble Tones. By the by, that name has to go, like it should have been gone last year. You know its bad when the name New Directions seems golden in comparison. Although Shelby clearly can't stick around because of that kiss which, if we remember from my first review, I was not so keen on happening. But yeah, no- they went there. Less than fucking impressed. Yes, Puck looks 45 but he's not. He's her student, and the baby of her adopted daughter. No way that them kissing isn't wildly inappropriate.

More on Will's general lack of anything like sense or reason. His idea of having 20-30 adverts in the program; how long is this program going to be? Surely at that rate it'd be all ads with one half page with the cast list on? That's going to look good and professional. Luckily Burt Hummel saved the day, because he's fucking great in every way. Although him running against Sue is a bit odd; would he really just decide to running for Congress with little more than a 'how you do'. But sure what ever if it means we get more of him, I'm all for it. I did enjoy that Will is too busy to direct the school musical but he's not too busy to be Burt Hummel's campaign manager. FOR CONGRESS, like actual Congress. Is he insane? How much work is this shitting musical going to be? Also, in regard to the debate between arts vs special ed., it's obviously an important, or at least relevant, one especially in this economy but I feel it would sit better if they didn't so clearly have a side. It doesn't feel like a discussion, it feels like a lesson we're all meant to take. No one likes to be preached to Glee, no one.

Finn was oddly insufferable this episode, although I loved the “old brochure dude” remark about the America Dream idea Rory was working with. But why does he still think he's in charge of this shit? That man has such a hero complex its ridiculous. Is he only one that's allowed to make a point and sort everything out? That said, I feel a little bad that his parents are assuming that Kurt's going to get into college but seem much more unsure about Finn. I mean it's possibly fair, he does sometimes seem thick as pig shit but still, need we be so open about it? Poor dear.

Do you know what I remembered this episode, having forgotten momentarily? God I hate Rachel. She's just so self involved. Does anyone remember the episode where she got a crush on Will? Well I think they should revisit this idea, because the two are perfect for each other; both selfish as fuck. Note to writers: please don't actually let that happen. Although clearly you're ok with student teacher romantic relationships, but a) you shouldn't be and b) that would mean we'd have to sit through loads of scenes of just them. That would be the worst.

Final point. Why does Kurt always wear hats?  

Hey, Girl you're on TV.

Looking at the list of new shows this autumn, it seems that there is a significant increase in the number of shows with main female protagonist.Not only this but many of the first lot to have a full season order are members of this new bunch. Side note one of the first to be cancelled was The Play Boy Club. But probably best not to read gender into this given it was straight up just terrible television.

This summer Bridesmaid's significant box office success was heralded as a sign that media (specifically comedy) with a female slant can make money. This idea has apparently been adopted by television. Looking at a shows like New Girl and 2 Broke Girls and their commercial success I'm conflicted about what it suggests about representation of women in entertainment.

I don't hate either of the shows, but I'm not sure that their depiction of females speak to any real progress.

Firstly 2BG, which lets be honest is an odd (and by odd I mean bad) show. I jump from half liking it, to not being able to believe that it's actually getting made. Yes I laugh every now and again, mainly thanks to Kat Dennings putting more effort in than the scripts deserves. But she can't do anything to make up for the fact the show does spend most of its time being casually racist and throwing in more rape jokes than seem absolutely necessary. Which is obviously less than ideal. Although the women do have actual conversations about things that don't involve men, they also spend a lot of it conform to the typical gender conventions. Yes they talk about vagina's, sex and the like. The delivery of which, even though its been 13 years since Sex and the City started showing, still feels weird and forced. Its written and performed like they want every time they say it to be subtitled with See What We Did There, Look How Avant-Garde We Are. Not that I'm saying SATC a beacon of progressive gender but still 13 years later is this stuff meant to be shocking or worth noting. Surely it would indicate progress if vagina wasn't still a punch line. Although this comparison to SATC does link to one of my favourite things about 2BG is the fact that Caroline is continually wearing the same clothes and necklace. In the last episode we even saw her wear the pair of shorts she bought in an earlier episode. This kind of continuity and the fact a women who is meant to be broke has a limited wardrobe is nice to see. If she had a different outfit each week it would be going against the ethos of the show. Not that their insanely large apartment in Brooklyn really goes with idea of broke-ness. Seriously it has a back yard, one that a horse can walk about it. That said it's not really shown to be big enough that I don't believe keeping Chestnut there is anything other than animal cruelty. What's the American equivalent of the NSPCA, because I feel it warrants a call.

On to New Girl, which although I haven't posted about since the pilot I've have been watching. The awkward reality is that I keep on wanting to write about it, but then I think to do that I really need to re-watch the episodes before I do. But I can never be bothered to get around to watch them. This isn't a good sign is it? The main issue was the awkward simultaneous occurrences of me watching the pilot and reading an article in the New Yorker by Mindy Kaling about women in film. In it she presented various stock females characters. Here is one, which I'm loath to quote because it will show why Kaling writes for the office and I don't. But that said I can't possibly begin to describe this in any funnier or better way. So I won't.

“The Klutz.

When a beautiful actress is cast in a movie, executives rack their brains to find some kind of flaw in the character she plays that will still allow her to be palatable. She can’t be overweight or not perfect-looking, because who would pay to see that? A female who is not one hundred per cent perfect-looking in every way? You might as well film a dead squid decaying on a beach somewhere for two hours.
So they make her a Klutz. The hundred-per-cent-perfect-looking female is perfect in every way except that she constantly bonks her head on things. She trips and falls and spills soup on her affable date (Josh Lucas. Is that his name? I know it’s two first names. Josh George? Brad Mike? Fred Tom? Yes, it’s Fred Tom). The Klutz clangs into stop signs while riding her bike and knocks over giant displays of fine china in department stores. Despite being five feet nine and weighing a hundred and ten pounds, she is basically like a drunk buffalo who has never been a part of human society. But Fred Tom loves her anyway.”

That is essentially Jess, word for word. Well as long as you replace Fred Tom with her 3 roommates and whatever romantic interest gets added later. Obviously whoever he is, he will have a much less awesome name. So now watching New Girl all I can hear is Mindy's words dancing round my head, crashing into china as it goes. Sometimes is seems so completely accurate and well timed that I wonder whether its all a big meta ploy. I'm just waiting for them to announce that New Girl is just people playing on the Klutz convention and they know how ridiculous and played out this kind of female character is. If this happened my affection for the show would increase by a solid 34%. I won't hold my breath.

When you acknowledge the fact that both these shows are consistently getting better ratings than 30 Rock and Parks and Recreation, its a little disheartening. Especially since both of the latter shows are better written, funnier and more engaging. They are also both shows have female lead characters than are more interesting, developed, real depictions of women hood in the 21^st century than any show with girl in the title. At the beginning of this current season, for example, we saw Leslie Knope break up with Ben because it would make her running for office problematic. This kind of non-man related thinking and taking control over ones own life in a pragmatic way is often rare, even in shows with lead female characters. It seems that to a certain extent we, as a television audience, are wiling to watch prime time sitcoms with women as long as they aren't too clever or deviate too severely from the expected ways women are meant to behave. Baby steps I guess.

Season 3 of Community (so far)

I have an tendency to get into television shows by random and oddly timed ways. How I Met Your Mother, Community, Doctor Who, Archer, Psyche, Parks and Recreation and Bones are all shows that I have heard about a particular episode and decided to watch it for kicks. Which then invariably leads on to watching ALL the episodes. This is ok for things like Archer and Community, which I found half way through season 2 both times. Less ok for HIMYM which I didn't discover till almost the beginning of season 5. So much back log. Seriously I caught myself up to it during a particularly cold December weekend when I was alone in a poorly insulated house with no central heating, where I did nothing else really but watch it and refill my hot water bottle. Totally worth it though especially this season as HIMYM seems to be really going for broke in the awesome categories. But more on that later maybe.

Back to Community. I don't actually remember what the first episode I watched was, maybe the Dungeons and Dragon episode? What ever it was I loved it a lot. And so the whole catch up cycle began. There are so many things that make Community one of favourite shows. But my favourite thing is probably the fact it doesn't take itself at all seriously. The writers have realised that you don't need be to be serious to be deep and effecting.This can be seen perfectly in the opening musical number of Biology 101. Although I desperately hope that their promise to be more normal, less crazy and less weird than the first two years combined where empty threats because I would not be ok with that. The whole number is just like the show, the right side of meta, self aware without being smug (see Jeff and Annie's “We're going to sleep together”). I've just heard that there is going to be a musical episode for the Christmas special. I'm pretty excited about this. 

What's great about Community is the deep effect ion I feel for all the characters. I love the Dean, so much and his Dean based puns. Although if he keeps wearing that suit I for one will be very Changry. I loved watching him crumble under John Goodman's Vice Dean. It's also good to see that Pan Sexual Imp being added to the opening credits, because he deserves to be after all the work he's put in over the last couple of years.Troy, Troy, Troy, Troy. I have a significant love affair with Donald Glover. What I love about him is even in episodes that about aren't about him directly he still just manages to be hilarious during every little exchange he gets. His hand slipping in from the side and taking the lid of the cup when Annie was freaking out was perfectly done. Also his doing a Georgian accent despite knowing that its the country not the state, was great. But the MVP for moment of subtle awesomeness goes to the moment involving the candy cigarette in Remedial Chaos Theory. Such a small delightful moment.

His and Abed living together can only bring spectacular things. Also I'm significantly looking forward to see what Annie being added to the mix is going to bring. Abed's freak out about not having a new favourite TV show was almost as good as Troy's Levar Burton freak out in Season Two. Well not really because that was so good it hurts a little inside. Although's the study groups reaction and attempts to help was brilliant to see.

My only complaint in the first episode was the continued discussion of whether Pierce should be in the group or not. Are we still talking about this, although it did seem to be settled in the second episode. This used to be an issue with Chang, but now he has a job as Security guard complete with badge saying- “Hows my Smile?” But the after that the episodes seem to have put these issues to bed. Which is good to see this development.

That said the only bit of Geography of Global Conflict that I didn't totally love was the whole Britta story line with Chang. It just didn't make me laugh in the way the rest of the episode did. Also it was odd that it was mainly completely separate from the rest of the action. It felt like every time we went to that story line we had to take a step back. I realise that it's good to see her tackle the issues of who she used to be and who she's going to be. It suggests that this season is going to be one of growth for the gang, as do lots of whats happened over these first two episodes. The third episode could perhaps be seen to go against that idea. It may have shown them as having grown into a group but there was still a level of internal bickering what seems a little unnecessary or a back step. The forth episode however got us right back on track. I think I'll wait to the end to go into a full discussion of the forth such are the strength of my feelings for it.

The third episode was a bit of an odd one. I found it funny but it seemed a little disjointed. This was kind of explained Dan Harmon's post explaining that it was meant to be the forth but given the extra time the original third one needed to produce they had to swap the running order. Although I laughed a lot at their mistreatment of Todd the final shot was slighting heartbreaking. That ending added a cruel tinge to the episode as a whole that was a bit disconcerting.

The Annie and Jeff romance is an interesting one. It's been suggested and referenced a fair bit throughout the two seasons. I'm not sure whether they've managed to make it stay on the right side of creepy. That said I'm a sucker for televised romance so I'm up for it. I'm really hoping that they are actually going to work through some of the issues that have been presented between these too. I'm totally aware that at least some of the reason for this is the damage done to me by Hollywood. Without romantic resolution there is a part of me that is not fully satisfied. Also Troy and Britta? Oh yeah I can see that happening. This could also be seen in Remedial Chaos Theory when with the moments in a couple of the timelines. I thought Martin Starr totally owned it as the model UN teacher. His locket which he eventually took out and talked too was great. Also that joke about knowing the actual name of the person who first set up model UN completely reminded me of the joke in Archer the other day "Who am I? Carl Lannsteiner? Discoverer of blood groups?". Side note I love that Archer joke more than I can say. It might be my favourite joke of the entire television season.

Now to the forth episode. I'm going to find it hard to talk about this without just shouting about my love from the rooftops. In many ways this is my problem with reviewing Community in general. I like it just a little bit too much. I find it slightly hard to see through my love and affection for the thing as a whole. The way the time lines shifted the relationships and when stuff works and when it works was wonderfully done and a joy to watch. It was interesting to see that Troy seems most integral to the group, if he goes all hell quite literally breaks loose. Was the message meant to be, be nice to people and let them sing Police hits if they want to? We should always let people sing Roxanne if wanted. That said I'd be sad to think, we were meant to assume Jeff is the cause of all the conflict in the group. He's just got furthest to go in accepting himself. What was great about the episode was it got funnier and better as it went on. Each time Pierce referenced Eartha Kitt was funnier than the last, because of all that went before. The repetition and replaying of ideas were so well done that it made the episode build and build until the end, which I genuinely found moving. It totally made up to the mean edge to the group from the episode before which is why I think it makes more sense in this order to a certain extent. Although they really should have taken out Pierce's Eartha Kitts reference. But apart from that if this had been before I think I would have really hated Biology 101 as it would have seen as such a step down in quality and development.

The end point is, and I think will always be for Community reviews, god damn I love this show.