Contrary to its title, Advanced Gay has little to do with enjoying the company of men. In fact sexual preference of any kind was pretty low down the list; the issue of the day was daddy. Daddy as in father, as opposed to “Who’s your…” Ivory-coiffed centenarians aside, Advanced Gay gave the older, more disturbed male members of the group a chance to work out some of that edible complex Britta keeps harping on about. Yup, three classes into her psyche course and she’s Freud, but her apparent dyslexia doesn’t mean she’s wrong. Despite not being related to Daddy Hawthorn in any way, Jeff gets some Freud-themed closure by proxy, killing Col Sanders with nothing more than his silky Welsh tongue (according to the age addled, racist to the point of insanity Col Sanders, perma tan plus overly dramatic oration equals Welsh). While Jeff was busy getting himself some closure by causing a funeral – which they threw together in less than 24 hours, by the way – Try was giving us all something we really wanted: an excuse to bring John Goodman back. Possessor of the most authoritative voice on the planet, the unsettlingly serene Assistant Dean is hell bent on bringing plumbing Rainman Troy over to the dark side – of Air Conditioning Repair. A slightly bizarre tug of war between the plumbing and air conditioning repair fraternities for Troy’s soul led to some of the best gags of the episode – the reverse Troy and Abed and the breath recognition entry system among them. But even if it hadn’t led to the gags, having the John Goodman once again prowling the perfectly temperate halls is payoff enough. Casting him may well prove to be the best decision of season three, so let’s hope the battle for Troy develops over the rest of the season. In perhaps the only comparison ever likely to be made between Community and Friends, it’s almost as if Troy and Abed are the Joey and Chandler of Greendale, albeit with added pop culture. You tune in for the show, but really you’re there for the comedy stylings of two grown men who spend way too much time together. If Britta and Troy ever get together, you know we’re in trouble. So, something of a mixed bag this week – hilarious in places, plain bizarre in others, and yet somehow the whole is always greater than the sum of its parts. The presence of the mighty John Goodman is always going to be a bonus, and who can resist laughing at racist, soon to be dead Southerners? While the gags may not come as thick and fast as they used to, Community is a show settling into its maturity, and remains one of the best value shows on TV. With the addition of some great cameos and the continued T&A hilarity, season three is shaping up very nicely indeed. Read our review of episode five, Horror Fiction In Seven Spooky Steps, here.
