"Emotional Consequences" of Watching COMMUNITY

Article originally published as TV Review: 'Community' Series Finale - "Emotional Consequences of Broadcast Television" on Blogcritics.

Community wraps up its sixth (and probably final) season today with “Emotional Consequences of Broadcast Television” on Yahoo! Screen, posted now. The school year has ended and Elroy (Keith David) reveals he has a job elsewhere, leaving Greendale behind, maybe for good. His departure, combined with other early reveals, sparks other members of the Save Greendale Committee, especially Jeff (Joel McHale), to wonder if their time together is over or close to it.

I absolutely adore Community, but I’m not sad if this is their final season. I will miss it ferociously, but it’s had a very good, almost entirely solid (*cough* season four *cough*) run, and it has fulfilled the ‘six seasons’ part of its popular hashtag, #sixseasonsandamovie. To me, that feels like a very natural end, especially in the way this episode is presented.

Jeff is the one who is most against the group forming in the beginning, but he’s also the one who needs it the most. While others have lives outside of their troupe, evidenced by how, one by one, they’ve all just faded away, Jeff does not. He is in a terrible place when he comes to Greendale, a broken, directionless man. As he says in “Emotional Consequences of Broadcast Television,” these people literally saved his life.

It’s not natural for most people to remain stagnant, though, which has been a major theme of season six. As much as Jeff might want to hold the status quo in stasis, no one else spends their life at a community college in this manner, nor do they want to. They came to Greendale to improve themselves and move on. That’s the fate of all of them, and by the end of this episode, Annie (Alison Brie) is heading to an internship in New York and Abed (Danny Pudi) has a job in L.A., removing two more of the original crew.

Much of this half hour is given over to each individual, Annie, Abed, Jeff, Britta (Gillian Jacobs), Chang (Ken Jeong), Frankie (Paget Brewster), and The Dean (Jim Rash), relating their pitch for a seventh “season,” using Abed’s frame of reference. This results in some fun cut-scenes that highlight the personalities of each member, as well as gives us another glimpse of Shirley (Yvette Nicole Brown), who departed at the start of the season. Jeff is the only one, though, that seems truly bothered that this is merely a thought exercise and not what is going to happen.

Eventually, Jeff does have to be happy for his friends and accept that they are leaving. Even Annie, whom he briefly wonders if he should marry and start a family with, even though they couldn’t make their relationship work in the past, isn’t destined to stay by Jeff’s side, though they have a wonderful goodbye kiss. That should satisfy most fans, even the shippers.

As “Emotional Consequences of Broadcast Television” closes, the remaining five share a toast. It will never be the same, and those left behind are the ones that haven’t grown enough to leave yet. But eventually they might, following in their friends’ footsteps. It’s this hopeful note, combined with the knowledge that Greendale is not inescapable, that gives peace of mind to the viewer.

Oh, and did I mention the episode was funny and meta, too, serving Community well? From finally finding out who the ass crack bandit is, to Chang farting through the fourth ‘cool,’ to Jeff’s glimpse of being at the study table with a bunch of the second-string recurring cast members, and a black screen that said #AndAMovie, there were answers and references left and right. We may not have figured out Frankie’s sexuality, but you gotta leave something for the film, which she deserves to be a part of as much as the original cast, more so than most of those that have come and gone from the table because of the way she so effortlessly slides in and feels like she’s always been there.

Too bad Community screws up the landing slightly with the board game tag. I’m not saying the story should have forced a joke at the end, and barring Troy and Abed being reunited or a movie tease, I don’t know what else could possibly go there. But as has happened repeatedly this season, the tag takes us out of the show. The sort-of-rant (from? about?) Dan Harmon almost saves it, but not quite. I’d rather the series went out without a tag than to use this one.

Still, there’s no denying the impact Community has had on me, nor the almost-perfect sense of closure “Emotional Consequences of Broadcast Television” leaves me with. I’ll be ever grateful for Dan Harmon’s brilliant mind and the fantastic way he ends his genius work.

Now, let’s get started on that movie, whether it’s studio-financed or Kickstarter-ed! (I really, really hope everyone has to band together to save Troy and LeVar Burton from the pirates!)

Abed Resorts to "Escapism" in COMMUNITY

Article first published as Abed Resorts to "Escapism" in COMMUNITY on TheTVKing.

The most recent installment of NBC's Community, "Geothermal Escapism," follows in the proud tradition of episodes such as the paintball wars and the pillow fort, turning the community college into a battleground where a hyper reality can play out. It brings some new, creative adaptations to sets, specific terminology to the situation, and some dramatic moments as friends and colleagues die in the lava that everyone pretends the floors of Greendale have morphed into. It's nothing short of fantastic.

The costumes, too, match this futuristic, post-apocalyptic landscape. From Britta's (Gillian Jacobs) black leather and frizzy hair to Shirley's (Yvette Nicole Brown) religious leader robes to Buzz Hickey's (Jonathan Banks) machine that seems to be a part of himself, the references are clear and the tone is firmly set. Chang (Ken Jeong) and his "locker boy" followers are entertaining, and most of the recurring players show up for at least one fun line. It's a total immersion in this new world.

My only real complaint is that the Dean (Jim Rash) disappears early in the episode, and we never seen him participating in the game. One must assume that there is a deleted scene somewhere, and with all of the things that must be served in the half hour, especially the Troy / Abed / Britta plot, there just wasn't room for him. Too bad. He's a character who consistently delivers, and rarely gets too heavily involved in these weird excursions.

"Geothermal Escapism" does make room to show Jeff (Joel McHale) and Annie (Alison Brie) teaming up once more. Is this a sign that they may be sleeping together again? Or forming a real relationship? Or do they just enjoy their games, and haven't been able to make a real commitment to one another yet?

Most importantly, "Geothermal Escapism," is the last one for the character of Troy (Donald Glover). A member of the study group from the beginning, Troy sets sail around the world to fulfill the terms of the inheritance bequeathed to him by Pierce. But before he can depart, his best friend, Abed (Danny Pudi), must let go, something easier said than done

Abed and Troy's friendship has been such an essential part of Community that it's hard to imagine what the show will be like without it. Will someone else replace Troy as Abed's bestie, or will Abed now be alone, as no one else understands him? Will it feel like an essential element of the series is missing, or will this finally give Abed the room he needs to grow and develop?

Abed is an emotionally stunted individual, and so dealing with the strong feelings of grief he has over losing Troy are not something he is equipped to do. As so often has been the case, Abed chooses to ignore reality, putting himself in a fantasy world, hoping that will give him the context he needs to process his sorrow. And, as has happened before, Abed drags the whole school down the rabbit hole with him.

With Abed broken again, the only person who can help him is Britta. Community fans and characters alike frequently make fun of Britta for her ineptitude; her name is even used as a verb meaning "to screw things up." Yet, in the past couple of years, we've seen her mature as a mental health professional. She may not understand how to diagnose and treat Abed, but she is the one that finds a loophole in his created realm that can be used to help him move forward, even if it's not a professional method. She saves the day.

After the action-packed installment of Lava World is mostly played out, Community does leave a few minutes for some very heartfelt goodbyes. Troy gets a moment with each of the study group in turn, and I can't think of a thing I'd change about the words they exchanged. Each player reveals something about themselves and offers at least a glimpse of the depth of their affection. It's a tear-inducing scene, played perfectly by all involved.

And then, icing on the cake, we learn that Troy is setting sail with his hero, LeVar Burton (himself). It's a call back to an earlier story, and one that gives us a hint that Troy won't be miserable and alone on his journey. It provides hope for a fun future for him, even as he leaves Greendale and his friends behind.

"Geothermal Escapism" is a near-perfect episode, serving Troy, Britta, and Abed, especially, but also squeezing in enough little bits and one-liners, such as Britta and Jeff's knock-knock argument, to make it feel authentically Community, avoiding being too narrowly focused. Let's hope if anyone else leaves, they get at least half the send-off Troy does. Better yet, let's hope Troy completes his voyage and comes back for a (not-yet-ordered) sixth season.

Community airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

Back to TV’s Roots

Article first published as Back to TV's Roots on Blogcritics.

Lately, television networks have flocked to remakes and reboots as much as the cinema has. Sometimes, it works well; other times, it’s a disaster. What could or should be remade, and how do those projects that deserve to see the light of day proceed?

Crime procedurals are typically easy to redo. There are a million CSIs and NCISs on the air, so it’s clear the genre is still popular, as puzzling as that is to many critics, myself included, who quickly grow bored with formula.

Hawaii Five-0 is entertaining because it’s set in a beautiful locale and has humorous dialogue mixed with big action. Ironside is a flimsy concept whose only real departure from the norm is that the main character is in a wheelchair, not exactly a novel twist. One of these is popular and has run for years, the other is likely to get canceled in the very near future.

NBC wants to bring back Murder, She Wrote, this time starring Octavia Spencer in the role made famous by Angela Lansbury. One one hand, Spencer is a fantastic actress (though so is Blair Underwood on Ironside) and deserves her own TV series. On the other, Lansbury is iconic in the role, still stuck in our minds many years after her cancellation. As good as Spencer is, overcoming the shadow of the great lady that came before her seems a daunting task, and thus I am not optimistic about the show lasting.

Angsty dramas are a mixed bag. Melrose Place showed us how not to do it, and 90210 lasted a few years not because it tapped in to the nostalgia of the previous generation who watched the original, but because it found a new (somewhat limited) audience and didn’t rely too heavily on history. Yet, Dallas has been my favorite in this category, continuing a familiar story, mixing beloved characters with new blood in a way that gives the series new life. The only question is if it can survive without star Larry Hagman, which remains a lingering mystery.

Sci-fi also can work, but rather than continuing, like Dallas does for its drama, the series must reinvent itself. Star Trek: The Next Generation and the other spin-offs built upon the original Star Trek, but also added a lot of new elements, coming into their own. V was interesting, and had it had stronger writing, it could have lasted longer than two years. Battlestar Galactica was fantastic, re-imagining the old version completely, and surpassing its origins.

The real reason I sat down to write this column today, though, is because of the news that the History Channel is redoing Roots. In my opinion, this is a horrible idea.

Roots was an extremely popular miniseries, which won a ton of awards. History, which has only recently entered the scripted fare market, has gotten good attention with its efforts so far. From the standpoint of its brand, I could see why they would pick this property as a contender to continue to build its slate.

However, have you watched the original Roots lately? It still holds up extremely well. And being as widely viewed as it was, and continues to be in high schools across America, it is still relevant in the public conscious. Most of the people tuning in to watch the new version will remember the old, and comparisons will be inevitable. Considering the very high quality standard the original set, this seems like playing with fire.

It’s a big risk, and one I would not recommend making, as much as I think it’s great when television takes risks. It’s like if someone decided to remake the Back to the Future films, or even the Harry Potter movies, in the next few years. It just isn’t a smart idea. The payoff, should it be accomplished successfully, could be pretty good, though it’s unlikely to reach the heights of the earlier broadcast, which aired at a time of much fewer channels and competition. It seems doomed to always be pegged as the lesser edition. And that’s the best case scenario. If it sucks, it could set History back considerably.

So I have a question for you, gentle readers. Actually two. What could History do to make Roots a win in your book, and what shows would you like to see remade?

My answer for the first is to cast LeVar Burton as the older version of Kunta Kinte, which would only be a smart move for Burton is the new project is awesome, but him signing on would automatically give it gravitas and attention. For the second, besides another Star Trek series, I’d like to see a grittier, more realistic, dramatic version of Gilligan’s Island. How about you? Weigh in in the comments below.

Few "Cha-Cha-Changes" For PERCEPTION

Article first published as PERCEPTION Season 2 Premiere Review on Seat42F.

Grade: 85%

TNT’s PERCEPTION picks up months after the previous season in this week’s sophomore premiere, “Ch-Ch-Changes.” Daniel Pierce (Eric McCormack) is seemingly stable and healthy, having found a medication regime that works for him, and his life is moving on. Which is why he feels strong enough to assist the F.B.I. again when Kate (Rachael Leigh Cook) asks him for help.

In fact, Daniel is more confident and sure of himself than we’ve practically ever seen him. Daniel is a very intelligent person and knows it, but he is willing to push his ideas a lot further this year, especially when Kate’s almost-ex-husband and new boss, Donnie (Scott Wolf, V, Everwood), tries to manipulate the evidence of a court case.

I don’t buy that Donnie and Kate were ever a couple. Donnie’s personality is awful, and that’s immediately apparent. To think that Kate found redeeming qualities in this man for any length of time, let alone enough to marry him, is unthinkable based on her characters that have been established. Sure, Donnie brings some interesting conflict to the series, but the inconsistency in the back story ruins his presence. Why force the history?

The source of Daniel’s happiness comes from his secret relationship with Dr. Caroline Newsome (Kelly Rowan). Previously his psychiatrist and the same woman, sort of, Daniel hallucinates a long-term relationship with, Caroline isn’t completely comfortable with the time they are spending together and the “great” sex they are having. But Daniel doesn’t worry about that, delighting in just being happy and being with a woman that is real.

Or is she? It is not spoiling anything to say Caroline’s existence in Daniel’s company is immediately suspect. After all, PERCEPTION has established a pattern of what Daniel experiences not necessarily being real. And by keeping Caroline separate, away from the other people in Daniel’s life, there is no definitive proof that she exists one way or the other. “Ch-Ch-Changes” leaves viewers guessing for most of the hour, and I won’t say what the result is here.

I will say that, Caroline aside, it doesn’t take long for Daniel’s paranoid schizophrenia symptoms to rear their head. His hand shakes; he hallucinates a patient. Daniel will never be completely stable because that would ruin the conceit of PERCEPTION. It’s just a little sad, for those sympathetic with the character, to see he isn’t doing as well as he thinks he is.

Thankfully, Daniel still has friends, which will provide a support system no matter what might be going on inside of his mind. Kate is closest to him, of course, valuing Daniel’s rare talents. But we also have Lewicki (Arjay Smith), Daniel’s care giver, and Dean Haley (LeVar Burton), Daniel’s boss and old friend, who aren’t on screen nearly enough, but it’s always great when they are. With this layer of protection around Daniel, no matter how crazy he gets, he’ll still have those that look out for him and help him to maintain his life.

The ongoing plot concerning Daniel’s mental illness is an intriguing one. I love how the writers play with fan’s minds, and McCormack delivers a memorable, amazing performance in the role. I wish that this was what the series was actually about, because any time this arc takes center stage, the show gets really, really good.

Unfortunately, TNT doesn’t usually do serial, and the main meat of this episode, as well as all but one of the first season’s episodes, is about a specific case that Daniel works on. The self-contained story this week isn’t bad, and there are some triumphant moments for Daniel, but it just pales in comparison to how well done the other scenes are. PERCEPTION is an example of a wonderful idea mostly squandered.

PERCEPTION airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on TNT.

Perception comes from the imagination

Reality is a figment of your imagination. These words are spoken early on in the "Pilot" of TNT's PERCEPTION, premiering tonight. This statement is important, because much of this crime drama is about reality, and how things are seen. What is real? What isn't? What is important in solving the case, and what is superfluous? All of these questions crop up, and will continue to drive the show going forward.


PERCEPTION is an hour long, case-of-the-week, crime procedural. Normally, this would be a recipe to write it off. However, it is also a series that questions how the human brain works, and the limit of the organ. There are deeper mysteries present besides who committed the murder, and if they continue to be explored, as they are somewhat in the "Pilot," there will definitely be something worth watching here.


It certainly doesn't hurt that the man in the center of PERCEPTION, Dr. Daniel Pierce, is played by Eric McCormack (Will & Grace). McCormack is great at capturing the various nuances of the character, a college professor who assists the F.B.I. Pierce is comfortable while lecturing and when at home watching the Cubs, but nervously twitching nearly everywhere else. It's the details, though, that make Pierce come alive, crazy enough to be believable as a genius with mental issues, but with just enough sanity to justify how he functions in the world. McCormack does a masterful job in the role.


In the first episode, in a total Indiana Jones moment, Daniel has the added challenge of dealing with a student's attraction to him. While he is definitely tempted by her, and has no problem saying so, he turns her down in a publicly embarrassing way. This says something about Daniel as a person. He is simultaneously extremely perceptive and oblivious, with his brain activity focused, rather than meandering. It also adds a bit of edgy, but not too edgy, humor that fits well within TNT's brand.


Pierce is assisted by Max Lewicki (Arjay Smith, The Journey of Allen Strange) and Natalie Vincent (Kelly Rowan, The O.C.). One is a grad student who assists Daniel in everyday tasks, such as organizing his crossword puzzles and making sure that he eats. The other concentrates more on Daniel's mental health, talking through problems with him, and helping him realize important things about himself. Oh, and one of these people is a figment of Daniel's imagination, which, after the reveal, will make viewers constantly question what is real and what isn't.


The crime element comes into play when Daniel's former student, Kate Moretti (Rachel Leigh Cook, Psych, She's All That), gets a demotion which places her back in Chicago. Having formerly worked with Daniel in the past, which is probably why she is so lax about the rules, and is kicked back down in the first place, she calls upon his services again. Together, they make a great team, both contributing to solve the case.


The case in the "Pilot" involves faking a drug trial. It's hard not to notice the political overtones, with Daniel (and, presumably, the show's writers) against the government and the pharmaceuticals industry. This is a stance that will appeal to most Americans, and is a safe move. The later dig on President Bush may alienate some conservatives, but probably not the people who would tune in to PERCEPTION in any great numbers anyway, considering the intellectual bend of the premise. The episode's late attempt to balance by showing a brief clip of Clinton does not assuage, and only makes the stunt more obvious.


PERCEPTION is not without its predictability. There are plenty of hints as to the character that isn't actually there before the camera reveals who it is at the end of the "Pilot." Also, the story does flow along in pretty much an expected manner, familiar to those who spend lots of time watching detectives on TV.


But overall, the fantastic performances, including LeVar Burton (Star Trek: The Next Generation) as Daniel's dean, and exploration of the brain will keep fans entertained enough to stick with the show. Let's hope that PERCEPTION lasts longer than McCormack's previous project with the network, Trust Me, which was really good, but canceled quickly.


Check out PERCEPTION, Mondays at 10 p.m. ET on TNT.