Couch Potato Report

The cast of Community

When my wife and I decided to give Community a shot on Thursday nights, I wasn’t sure either of us would like it.   With The Soup’s Joel McHale and Chevy Chase, I expected a snappy, edgy comedy that would utilize both comedic actors’ talent to the max.  (Think Joel Mc Hale’s comments on The Soup and Chevy’s “I’m Chevy Chase and you’re not” smarm from his SNL days.)

But what the show delivered was a different brand of comedy than one might expect from McHale and Chase.   The episodes have a sweetness to them that I didn’t expect and that I like very much.   The show has been pitched to viewers as something akin to the John Hughes movie The Breakfast Club and so far, that’s an apt description.

The cast is a melting pot of students from different backgrounds, ages, races and life experiences.  They’re all thrown into this shared experience at a community college and each week, they end up learning about each other through the course of  time spent together in  “study group” (reminiscent of the time The Breakfast Club kids spent in detention in the library).

It would have been simple to present one-dimensional,  stereotypical characters that make up a community college and rely on the physical comedy of Chevy Chase and the sarcastic wit of Joel McHale to drive the show without bothering to define the other characters.  Community doesn’t do that, which not only makes the show work but imbues it with a subtle and unexpected sweetness.

The show has gone to great lengths to present multi-dimensional characters and paint a picture deeper than the former HS football star trying to find his way, the fast talkin’ lawyer who’s back in school because his law degree was revoked, the dropout with something to prove, the pop culture junkie,  the perfectionist,  the divorcee with kids, and the guy who thinks his life experience has given him all the wisdom in the world.

Chevy Chase as Pierce, at times showing vulnerability (by deeply wanting to be liked and respected), is a character I didn’t think we’d ever see Chevy Chase play.  And Joel McHale as Jeff Winger does a great job of balancing smarmy with a genuine affection for the people he unwittingly befriended in the first episode.   His interactions with Britta (the 28-year-old dropout played by Gillian Jacobs)  effectively showcase the struggle between Jeff’s fast-talkin’ cool guy routine and his desire to be real and open around her.

While Joel McHale and Chevy Chase are the heavy hitters on Community, by no means do they make the show.  It’s definitely an ensemble cast, and each character is important.  In fact, out of four episodes, two have focused heavily on other characters.  One, on the pop culture junkie Abed and the other on the divorcee, Shirley.  Every ep gives a good dose of McHale and more than a little bit of Chase and Jacobs, but it’s great to see the show is spending some time on the other characters.  Also, at the end of each show Abed and Troy get screen time as a fun little bonus.

In addition to the acting and writing, the show does an excellent job with  playing on the stereotype of a community college, referencing popular culture (especially with regards to Generation X), and poking fun at the various eccentricities of college professors and administrators as well as the general stereotype of young college students.

All these things make Community a fun show to watch and add a breath of fresh air and a bit of sweetness to Thursday night TV.