Community 4.4: Alternative History of the German Invasion
The cast of NBC’s “Community.”
Last time, we praised series creator Dan Harmon for clearing up some of Community’s plot points in a reasonable amount of time. This week, however, writer Ben Wexler seems to have burned through what could have been a fun plotline.
The inefficiency of Wexler’s story really stands out after following up Harmon’s efforts. Which makes it more unfortunate that the Group finally having to confront — though a welcome series of callbacks — the fact that they’ve been lording it over Greendale gets such short shrift. Putting aside the “We’re Nazis” jokes, the story of Greendale vs. The Greendale Seven was something the show could have ridden into the sunset.
The problem is, the reveal of the other students finally calling Jeff & Co. out comes almost 20 minutes into the episode, and gets resolved almost entirely off-camera. We see the gang fix up some more dilapidated rooms on campus while Jeff offers up his most maudlin Speech ever, but no reactions from the mob that was after them just a scene or two earlier.
Which makes the rest of the episode — the return of the annoying Germans from the fun foosball episode of Season Three; a guest-spot from Malcolm McDowell — end up counting for nothing, a feeling this show never used to give its fans.
If the current creative team is betting on building the rest of the season up to the gang fighting the reemergence of the one true Chang, then it’s already looking like a sucker move. Even if the showrunners allowed Dean Pelton emerge, briefly, as the voice of reason before being taken in by “Kevin’s” remorseful attitude.
What made Chang so unnerving, despite Ken Jeong’s zest for the role, is that the character has always been an outlet for the show’s worst, broadest schtick. Without former showrunner Dan Harmon around to manage his usage, it’s tough to make the case that the new showrunners are up to doing any better.
