For the love if shit, people. Without the first 3 episodes we wouldn't have this episode. Without the first 3 episodes this one wouldn't be as impactful. It's storytelling and all part of a larger whole. Stop saying, "finally we're getting somewhere," or "this is what the show should have been from the start." Its a journey. Just sit back and enjoy the ride. Holy shit.
[9.7/10] This episode clearly deserves a longer review, but what I’ll say for now is this:
This may the best parody of anything ever. That’s bold talk, I know, but there’s just such genius in how Harmon and company distill down the tropes and quirks of the Ken Burns-style Civil War documentary and meld it with the insane world of Greendale. The talking heads, the text messages as letters, the sound design over still images, it’s all just perfect. The show captures the rhythms of those documentaries perfectly, in a way that elevates the homage even if you’re not intimately familiar with the source material. There’s a specificity to everything that really works.
And while four characters get most of the spotlight, it’s a nice outing for the rest of the cast too. Shirley is great as one of Troy’s lieutenants, and her descriptions of the battles is a comic highlight. Pierce’s staypuft-esque pillow weapon is a neat way to integrate him into the episode. Chang’s “interns” being enlisted as kids who know nothing but pillow fighting is a fun conceit. And Britta’s blurry, poorly framed photos are a laugh every time.
But what elevates this episode above Community’s other fantastic parodies is that it uses these events for pathos and meaning, not just for comedy. There’s something inherently absurd, and yet so true to form, about Troy and Abed having this massive bedding war. The show plays around with their usual shtick, but also goes to some real places though.
My favorite of these is the intercepted/exchanged letters. Abed’s description of Troy’s fears is funny, but you get why it hurts. And their later exchange -- “You weren’t supposed to see that”/”You weren’t supposed to think those things” -- feels true to real fights between friends. Troy’s response is just as cutting, telling Abed that no one else will have Troy’s patience with him, playing on Abed’s own insecurities in a remark intended only to hurt. There’s a truth to the way that fights between friends are the most painful, because by the very act of friendship, you’ve made yourself vulnerable to someone, and there are few things that sting as badly as someone using those vulnerabilities against you.
What I forgot about “Pillows and Blankets” is how good Jeff’s arc here is. I’d remembered the silly emoji-laden conversation with Annie, and his “it really summed it all up” ending, but I’d forgotten that he has his own journey here. It’s about him deciding to use his words not just to benefit himself, but to do good in the world, or at least for two people he cares about. As is often the dynamic on the show, Annie gives him the moral disapproval and nudge that motivates him to make the change, and it culminates in something outstanding. Cool, detached, self-serving Jeff not only plays along with the “imaginary best friend” hats, but uses his speechifying skills to bring Troy and Abed back together, to do something selfless. It’s some of his most meaningful growth in the whole series.
Of course, it’s wonderful to have Troy and Abed reunite in that fashion. It’s pretty plain, even for a bold show like Community, that they weren’t going to break up arguably the show’s best duo forever, war or no war. But having their friendship on the line in this skirmish, and having them continue to whack each other with pillows so that friendship never has to end, is a way to thread the needle between Ken Burns style “futility of war” missives and the heart that exists between these two lovable weirdos who don’t want to let one another go, even if it means extending their fight to accomplish that. It’s a nice note to go out on, one that deftly puts an end to their feud while staying true to what started it and who these characters are.
(And as an aside, the closing pledge drive mini-skit is a delight to anyone who’s watched a regular array of PBS.)
This is truly one of Community’s high water marks, a mix of parody and character stories and high concept arcs brought together to make something hilarious but touching all the same. Greendale’s Civil War becomes the Civil War, realized in the goofiness, pain, and sincerity of affection between two young men who need one another more than they need to set a record, or stand by their principles, or to win.
I bet Hitchcock's current cologne is named "Corona".
So glad to have all these nutcases back for a whole new season!
Terry's facial hair absolutely ruled this episode! He did look like a drag queen, at some point. And, oh boy, was that creepy...
And it's always heartwarming to see Jake and Charles' friendship rising above everything else and pushing personal quarrels aside. Those two definitely deserved bigger caps.
"I didn't murder anybody. They died of terminal stupidity"
lol I love this show
Ok, even though we were the bad guys, I must say I LOVED all the Brazil references :P
And THANK YOU, YES, WE ARE AN ISLAND OF PORTUGUESE SPEAKERS IN A SEA OF SPANISH SO THANK YOU FOR GETTING THAT RIGHT LOVE THIS SHOW SO MUCH BYE
The rescue scene was just BAD, I know it was supposed to be an heroic moment where the hero tells his love interest he has been in love with her for a while, and the villain shows that perhaps he is not that black and white, but it just didn't worked out, one of the problems was that, the whole world seemed to stop so they could have long conversations in the middle of a escape scene, so that killed the feeling of danger for the character's life in the first minutes of the episode, the side characters lack motivation for doing what they are doing and the redemption arc for Geun-soo was basically keeping Yi-seo alive so Saeroy can save her, which is, once again, poor writing. I'm dissapointed.
It was a brilliant idea on the side of the creators of the show to use a seemingly known character and franchise as a platform to talk about people from the Middle East or other poor regions, and what drives them to seek refuge. It's highly unlikely that any of the potential viewers would have been interested enough to look for documentaries on this matter, so this type of forced exposure can be very educational. Just like the Turkish man said, geography is destiny. Some people just happen to have been born in a country where they have nothing, and it's not their fault, while others, such as those who live in the West, have access to everything. And then this Western privilege of having never lived in truly harsh conditions allows for xenophobia, making the immigrants who are looking for a better life have to face hardship yet again.
P.S. Since the first episode I'm really impressed by the actor behind Greer.
Luke Cage himself is out of focus this season, but this doesn't make the show any less great. Step by step we have been learning the story of Mariah, seeing Bushmaster as this villain driven by some grief from the past, as he mercilessly kills people. In this episode the tides are turned. There's much more of Bushmaster's story revealed, while Mariah is now the one mercilessly killing and having no respect for life, so we can see that Bushmaster was right at the very beginning, when he talked about it running in the family. The annoying repetition of "Mariah Stokes" makes perfect sense now. The actors behind both of the villains are amazing, especially Mariah. The looks she gives, the speeches she makes, the emotions she shows, including the mental instability. There's talent everywhere, and Misty too got time to shine again. The "stone-cold guy Shades" role was not really fitting for the actor behind it, so this episode emphasized on that, making him vulnerable just like the character he played in Sons of Anarchy, resulting in a much more suitable role. Even Mariah noted these sides of him.
What's with all the hate towards the doctor throughout the series? It was first thought that he's been using Jessica's mom to kill people, but it turned out to be completely untrue and related to her own anger issues. He saved the lives of Jessica and her mom, then made huge progress on making her mom look normal again. He appeared to be genuinely in love with the mom. He cared for her despite her history of murder and violence, and he sedated her so she wouldn't keep attacking people. More often, he just talked to her and it calmed her down.
The real villain was Trish. She held the doctor at gunpoint, attacked Jessica's sidekick, completely disregarded Jessica's and her mom's plans to help the doctor, all just so she could be as strong as Jessica. She was completely out of her mind, simply because of her jealousy. It wasn't a sudden rush that could be explained by drug withdrawal.
What does Jessica do about it all? She blames the doctor and sees Trish as the victim. No wonder he cracked under the pressure and killed himself. He didn't deserve it. Trish would have, and it will be a total mess if Jessica starts bonding with her again in later episodes.
I haven’t had many expectations about this series and I am happy that it proved me wrong. It wasn’t all the hardcore action I supposed it is going to be. No. The action was there when I should to be and it was done well. Very well with great balance between being to soft and to hard. But the main point of this series are dialogues which are done exceptionally well. They sound natural and can deliver powerful emotions through it. Casting is also a strong point of it. I can’t remind a single character that was weak in his or her role - both main or secondary character.
All together it was a great series to watch, a pleasure surprise and I hope that they can keep up the pace with second season.
What an epic season finale! Geez, Jon Bernthal is The Punisher just like Robert Downey Jr. is Iron Man. This season was really amazing, and not only Bernthal's acting was great, but the rest of the cast too. Just loved it. Ready for season 2.
MEMENTO MORI
-13-
As soon as they introduced Billy Ruso I wondered if they got the guts to turn him into Jigsaw.
After last Episode I thought they could actually do it.
And as I saw the mirror I knew: They are fucking doing it!
Can't whait to find out what his face will look like.
Never thought a ride with a carousel would be so intense!^^
Last four Episodes where insane!
I was most surprised by the gore.
Maybe one of the best Marvel Shows!
Hell, it is!
Jon Bernthal is the Punisher!
No doubt about that!
[7.2/10] Not bad. The notion that Fake Eleanor is trying to improve her goodness score but can’t do it until she figures out that her motivation matters is overly simplistic, but a good enough throughline for the episode. The gaggle of nerds who populate The Good Place loving her “pobody’s nerfect” joke is a good dorky gag. And she and Tahani make for a good pairing.
I was less compelled by Chidi being overwhelmed by Real Eleanor’s egg-based “I love you” and not knowing what to say in return. Chidi’s reaction in the moment is great, but it feels like such a stale sitcom plot.
I continue, however, to be oddly compelled by the “romance” between Janet and Jason. Michael’s exasperation that this even happened, and Jason completely failing Michael’s test are good bits from each of them. The same goes for Jason realizing he doesn’t deserve Janet in light of the flashbacks to all the dumb stuff he’s done. The rapid fire appear/disappear stuff with her was a big laugh, and the idea that through Jason’s stupidity and Janet’s first Bambi-like steps of emotion they have some weird simulacrum of love is an interesting one.
And the prospect of a neutral zone, where Eleanor, Janet, and Jason want to escape, is an intriguing one.
Overall, some milder material, but also some good laughs and again, a weird but amusing story about a dolt loving a computer program.
[7.7/10] I’ll say this for The Good Place. I like that they’re basically running through all the love triangle permutations now rather than dragging them out unnecessarily. I’ll admit, I don’t exactly buy the possibility of Fake Eleanor and Chidi together, or Fake Eleanor being in love with Chidi, but I do buy it as a spur of the moment feeling that, with some reflection, she realizes isn’t real. (I’m less sold on the idea that Tahani and Chidi aren’t soulmates, because that seems like a better possibility.)
Still, I’ll say this for that part of the story -- it leads to the best thing in the episode, namely Fake Eleanor and Tahani hanging out together. The two characters have a fun dynamic, and watching them check out a BBC sitcom or put in hair extensions or snark at Jason and Janet’s wedding is a treat.
Heck, I even liked the Jason and Janet shtick. There’s something about someone who’s a complete dolt “falling in love” with someone who’s barely sentient but nevertheless nice to him that is weird but oddly sweet. The pair’s vows, entrance music, and little dance together are all absolutely charming even if it’s a semi-bizarre bit.
The only part of the episode that didn’t really work for me is Chidi’s indecision. I like the approach, showing Chidi’s paralyzed by choice, but it’s done in such a cartoony, over the top way that it’s hard to be too invested in his growth over the course of the episode. That said, his best friend knowing him well enough to do a “fake wedding day” test, and Chidi literally being killed by his indecision is a decent bit.
Overall, lots of laughs and good energy to this one, particularly the funny and endearing Tahani/Fake Eleanor portions and the strange Jason/Janet stuff.
[6.2/10] Somehow “Royal Dragon” is slightly more catchy than “Three Guys, a Girl, and a Chinese Place,” but the latter is more descriptive. Possibly to save on budget, possibly to work in some character material and exposition before the big battles start, possibly both, “Royal Dragon” spends most of its runtime with the good guys figuring out who everyone is and what they’re up against. It’s not entirely a bottle episode -- we get brief outside interludes with Jessica and Alexandra, but for the most part the episode spends most of its time dumpling-adjacent.
I actually really like that tack. The show has nicely taken its time bringing all of the good guys together. Giving them an episode to just talk, bounce off one another, express their surprise or skepticism at the others’ role in this, should be a great opportunity to not only get to know them better, but to better understand them in relation to one another.
The problem is that this is, understandably, a dialogue-heavy episode and the dialogue is almost uniformly hokey and full of action flick clichés (which, considering this one was written by the Defenders showrunners, is not promising). The episode at least has the good sense to give each of the characters a motivation: Jessica wants nothing to do with anything bigger than her one case, Danny wants the dirt on the hand, Matt’s mad a stick, and Luke thinks there’s something important going on but wants nothing to do with a superteam.
The problem becomes that the show dramatizes this with cornball, on-the-nose dialogue. I’m glad that the show remembers that Matt and Stick aren’t on the best terms, but Matt just has so much over-the-top aaaangst about everything that it doesn’t land. It doesn’t help that Stick speaks almost entirely in exposition and clichés. His conversation with Matt about Elektra just being a vessel now and he has to let go is right out of the standard mentor playbook.
But as clumsily delivered as it is, he at least provides us with a little context. The rest of his army (The Chaste) is dead, but there were at least some people out there fighting The Hand. (I do like that Danny asks why no one told him about this since they’re nominally his army and Stick basically shrugs). We learn that the hand has five “fingers” who each ruled their own kingdom and are now reconvening to do some serious shit: Alexandra, Madame Gao, White Hat, Bakuto (oh please no), and a new guy we meet while he’s butcher a bear who was apparently backing Nobu. They’re game is achieving immortality, something we get with Alexandra and the stock “on no, cough, gotta take my pill” sign of trouble.
It’s all pretty standard, video game-esque “here’s the bosses” stuff. The best part of the episode, naturally, is Jessica Jones. While she and Luke still have no chemistry (making their “nice to see you again” exchange feel even more clunky), she gets to do more detective work and play Han Solo here. I’m glad that she gets to use her detective skills to figure out that Alexandra is the person who’s been transferring assets between these shell companies, and her “hit Elektra with a car” return to the group after saying she wants out is a funny, fistpump moment (even if, logically, she should have grabbed Elektra’s sword while she was prone).
But while the episode goes to great lengths to try to at least glancingly explore the reasons why these four lone wolves wouldn’t naturally team up, it all feels pretty perfunctory. Matt not wanting to reveal his identity is a formality. As fun as it is, you just know Jessica is going to come back. And oddly, one of the better scenes is the episode is one between Luke and Danny, where the dialogue is just as clumsy (“I don’t need any superfriends” “Can’t you see the universe is telling us to team up!” type stuff) but the dynamic between Danny as the usual noble idiot juxtaposed with Luke as the skeptical dude who’s kind of amused by his new friend works surprisingly well to save it.
Of course, we can’t escape without the usual villain monologue for Alexandra and a tease for the next episode with Elektra standing off against The Defenders + Stick. I appreciate that the show took time out from its busy schedule of ninja fights and explosions to dig into why these people would join forces. A lesser show would have elided it for more action. But while the attempt is noble, the results are middling and full of the usual dry cool action line pablum.
