BLOGS
After its awkwardly constructed, humor-challenged Pierce and Troy-centric outing last week, Community thankfully spread the comic wealth around to the entire study group in "Studies in Modern Movement," instantly making it one of Season 3's better episodes. While Annie and #AnniesMove into Troy and Abed's apartment took up the bulk of the half-hour, the episode also featured Dean and Jeff sharing some quality karaoke time, Shirley and Britta battling and then bonding over a random hitchhiker they picked up and Pierce... uh, getting high off paint fumes (hey, not every plot can be a winner, right?). Here's how we graded the episode's four storylines:
A-Plot: Moving Time/You Don't Have to Go Home/But You Can't Stay Here
When there's a guy named "Spaghetti" standing outside your apartment building just waiting to urinate on cars that are in the process of parking, you know that it's time to box up your stuff and move on. So Annie semi-excitedly, semi-reluctantly accepts Troy and Abed's offer to move into their swinging geek bachelor pad. Upside of the movie: She'll be living with good friends that will keep her constantly entertained with shadow puppet shows and adventures in their patented Dreamatorium, which awesomely resembles the holodeck aboard the Enterprise NCC-1701-D. Downside: That Dreamatorium is actually the apartment's second bedroom, forcing Annie to take up residence in a blanket fort that looks like Troy and Abed's version of a Bedouin tent. As much as we liked Troy's brief steps into adulthood last episode, it was great to see him and Abed back in classic buddy mode and Annie's mixture of enthusiasm and horror at her new living arrangement made almost all of her reaction shots comedy gold.
Funniest Line: "If the room is rocking, please come a-knockin' because there's probably something terribly wrong."
Sweetest Moment: That puppet show starring Princess Annie, Woodsman Troy and Beebab, an emotionally unavailable unicorn.
Overall Grade: A-
B-Plot: Sing, Sing a Song
The Dean has made his attraction to Jeff clear since Season One and he finally got the chance to live out his daydreams by "accidentally" bumping into Jeff while he's out shopping instead of helping with #AnniesMovie. Using the always effective threat of blackmail, the Dean... uh, we mean Craig (it is a Saturday, after all) gets Jeff to agree to a not-at-all romantic lunch at a cheesy Mexican restaurant (complete with a song from the resident Mariachi band) followed by an hour-long karaoke session. His tune of choice? "Kiss From a Rose," that classic Seal pop nugget off the Batman Forever soundtrack. (How often do you think he and Heidi sit around singing that chart-topper to their kids at home?) We've been a bit down on Craig so far this season, but his naked enthusiasm at getting to spend some quality time with Jeff was funny and kind of touching.
Funniest Line: "This is just like that Lake House movie... I can only assume, even I have limits."
Sweetest Moment: When Jeff visibly lets go of his usual cynicism and just enjoys rocking out to Seal.
Overall Grade: B+
C-Plot: Riding in Cars With Britta
Britta and Shirley have always butted heads, but their squabbles ratcheted up a notch in the wake of the Night of the Parallel Universes, when Britta's ringing endorsement of marijuana offended Shirley's religious sensibilities. The two were in the midst of one of their "I'm more self-righteous than you" arguments when Britta pulled over to pick up a hitchhiker as a way to prove to her passenger that being an atheist doesn't rob you of a sense of kindness towards your fellow man. This plan seems to backfire when it turns out that the traveller is actually a Jesus freak. Advantage Shirley! But wait -- he's a Jesus freak that believes he's Jesus and that pot should be legal because "It was given to us by God." Advantage Britta! Whoops, wait again -- he's also a bigot that's in favor of drinking blood and opposed to race mixing. Advantage nobody! Except us, because their reaction is pretty darn funny.
Funniest Line: "How can I religiously persecute you? You don't have a religion!"
Sweetest Moment: Britta and Shirley put aside their difference and bond over their hatred of the bigoted asshole in the backseat.
Overall Grade: B
D-Plot: Because He Got High
Not much to report here. Pierce agreed to clean up Annie's old apartment so she could recover her security deposit, but winds up knocking over a can of white paint and making paint angels in the resulting lake with the windows closed. Pierce's hallucination of himself tickling the piano keys Burt Bacharach-style with Hula girls swaying in the background was pretty great, but otherwise this felt like an easy way to fulfill Chevy Chase's contractual obligations to the show.
Funniest Line: "Ah good evening, Senator. Any requests?"
Sweetest Moment: Maybe it's just us, but we found something oddly charming about the image of a high-as-a-kite Pierce happily tapping his fingers on a cardboard box as if it was a piano.
Overall Grade: C+
Think you've got game? Prove it! Check out Games Without Pity, our new area featuring trivia, puzzle, card, strategy, action and word games -- all free to play and guaranteed to help pass the time until your next show starts.
What are people saying about your favorite shows and stars right now? Find out with Talk Without Pity, the social media site for real TV fans. See Tweets and Facebook comments in real time and add your own -- all without leaving TWoP. Join the conversation now!
MOST RECENT POSTS
Today's TWoP News: Wednesday, February 20, 2013
New Girl: Roomate Do's and Don'ts of the Week
Wednesday, February 20, 2013: American Idol
Today's TWoP News: Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Saturday Night Live: The Best Sketches of the Night
TV on DVD: Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Tuesday, February 19, 2013: Cult
I Want My DVD: Tuesday, February 19, 2013
BLOG ARCHIVES
The Telefile
February 2013
21 Entries
January 2013
62 Entries
December 2012
44 Entries
November 2012
59 Entries
October 2012
69 Entries
September 2012
66 Entries
August 2012
65 Entries
July 2012
51 Entries
June 2012
58 Entries
May 2012
68 Entries
April 2012
71 Entries
March 2012
68 Entries
February 2012
64 Entries
January 2012
78 Entries
December 2011
49 Entries
November 2011
56 Entries
October 2011
74 Entries
September 2011
77 Entries
August 2011
61 Entries
July 2011
56 Entries
June 2011
57 Entries
May 2011
57 Entries
April 2011
78 Entries
March 2011
73 Entries
February 2011
57 Entries
January 2011
65 Entries
December 2010
39 Entries
November 2010
45 Entries
October 2010
46 Entries
September 2010
62 Entries
August 2010
55 Entries
July 2010
53 Entries
June 2010
65 Entries
May 2010
59 Entries
April 2010
57 Entries
March 2010
67 Entries
February 2010
53 Entries
January 2010
59 Entries
December 2009
32 Entries
November 2009
47 Entries
October 2009
65 Entries
September 2009
66 Entries
August 2009
58 Entries
July 2009
72 Entries
June 2009
71 Entries
May 2009
50 Entries
April 2009
57 Entries
March 2009
66 Entries
February 2009
52 Entries
January 2009
56 Entries
December 2008
51 Entries
November 2008
71 Entries
October 2008
88 Entries
September 2008
86 Entries
August 2008
120 Entries
July 2008
115 Entries
June 2008
90 Entries
May 2008
44 Entries
April 2008
30 Entries
March 2008
26 Entries
February 2008
30 Entries
January 2008
44 Entries
December 2007
31 Entries
November 2007
66 Entries
Comments