As you probably all know, the most recent episode of Community will be our last visit to Greendale for a good long while. Whatever the rights and wrongs – mostly wrongs – of that decision, it’s more than fitting that our favourite study group (temporarily) left us with a prime example of what makes this show so special. Of course, a more suitable title for the episode would be something along the lines of Oh! The Irony, involving as it does the Dean’s inevitable mental breakdown as a direct result of trying to make an interesting, relatable and popular advert for the college, for network broadcast. Not that I’m in any way insinuating that Dan Harmon et al are experiencing anything close to mental illness, but you wouldn’t blame them. Somehow, NBC failed to see the irony when choosing exactly which week to pull the show. Providing the perfect showcase for endless making of spoofs, and the awaited McHale does Brando – actually pretty good, but nowhere as good as his Dean Pelton – some fantastic gags and some weirdly affecting emotional breakthroughs, Redux is a gem of an episode. There’s even what might possibly be a Saved By The Bell reference, within a definite Breakdance reference – what more could you possibly ask of your weekly sitcom? What was a good thing however was the video resignation – how 21st century. In a wonderfully written, beautifully acted sequence, as per docudrama convention, the real Craig Pelton is finally revealed. Funny, over the top and strangely realistic in its own way, Jim Rash turns a great secondary character into a great regular character, making the show’s recent yanking all the sadder. Not that we shouldn’t be pleased with what we’ve been allowed to see so far – despite claims that the show is weirder than ever; clearly unfounded – season three has had some fantastic moments, and Redux had more than its fair share – Winger in a bald cap, Chang in a Winger special, the group forgiveness, Britta and Troy’s touching final hug, oh, and Luis frickin’ Guzman. Could it possibly be that when critics/networks call a show weird, what they really mean is that they just don’t get the jokes? As with Family Guy, Futurama and Arrested Development, sometimes it takes the rest of the world a little while to catch up. Pray to the TV Gods that they catch up soon – it would be a tragedy should Community go the way of Firefly. To paraphrase the about to be much missed Abed Nadir, just keep thinking six seasons and a movie. Sadly, in the greatest Abed tradition, they may well have stay in our heads. See you in summer school guys. Read our review of episode seven, Studies In Modern Movement, here.
