S06.E12: Wedding Videography

[formerlyfreedom]

The group is invited to Garrett's wedding while Abed films the big event for a documentary.

[arc]

Everyone's Garrett impressions are pretty good! And Elroy's bit about how to make white people comfortable was fantastic.

The group became good wedding guests for bad reasons (stung pride, mostly), but OTOH they were being terrible before Garrett's mom told them off.

As far as direction goes, this felt the least like the other documentary episodes. Esp since in a couple of scenes there were clearly at least two cameras rolling, but the story never acknowledged the second camera operator, unlike in the other doc episodes.

Stacey, Garrett's wife, is Dan Harmon's wife IRL, and according to his Twitter, that was her real wedding dress on the show.

Great tag.

I feel like they've hinted at Jeff being a high functioning alcoholic before, but they hammered it pretty hard this time.

[Amarsir]

I loved this episode. Maybe more than last week.

Agreed, the feel was very different from other documentary episodes. In fact after the first third you could forget Abed was there. He wasn't the focus, just a mechanism for showing the characters in a "backstage" sort of way.

The whole effort - including the way lighting, makeup, and handheld cam were used - gave me the first impression that there wasn't much script to it. But in retrospect that's not true at all. There's a very tightly written script with details flowing smoothly into each other and escalating hints into the reveal. Plus a nice save by Chang - who, like everyone in this episode, was showing a side we haven't seen and yet true to character.

I got to wondering what the former characters would have done were they here for this episode. Shirley I can easily see making friends and saying that her competitiveness is "the worst" that comes out in the group. Pierce something similar, leaning on his old business skills to get along. But I don't know what Troy would have done. He'd be good for jokes but what's his backstage personality and what's his better self when being the ideal guests?

[CletusMusashi]

Two weeks in a row of me being really happy. I know that the writers have wanted to do something like this for years, doing a whole script that treats the main cast as intrusions into the lives of the extras. I'm glad they finally did.

[liqidclark]

I love that, "You are my favorite video game," was part of the vows. Another really good episode.

[VCRTracking]

Top lines on the episode:

 

"Please don't 'Jim' the camera like that."

 

"Aren't you still smelling hair to tell Frankie from Annie?"

 

"My name is Elroy Patashnik, and from 2006 to 2009, I was addicted to encouraging white people"

 

"Okay, Britta we're ALL the worst right now. Take a day off."

Edited May 27, 2015 by VCRTracking

[Latverian Diplomat]

Not to jump on the incest apologetics bandwagon :-) but they were only 2nd cousins, right (great grandparents in common)? A little googling says 2nd cousin marriages are legal in every state.

 

I'm reminded of the 30 Rock episode where 

Liz and her boyfriend discover they are related, and decide to say what level of cousin would be appropriate: 

He says fifth, and she says "unacceptable no matter what" in true Liz-squicked-out fashion.

 

Edited May 27, 2015 by Latverian Diplomat

[arc]

Not to jump on the incest apologetics bandwagon :-) but they were only 2nd cousins, right (great grandparents in common)?

I only know the term "meemaw" from media, not from real life, but googling says it can mean both great-grandmother and grandmother.

[Amarsir]

But that would be second, I think. First cousins are when your parents are siblings. Second cousin is grandparents. So a grandmother being great aunt would mean they're second. (I think. I'm also not clear what the phrase "once removed" means.)

[Tetraneutron]

Once removed refers to generation. Your cousin's son is your cousin once removed (and he is yours). Your son and your cousin's son are second cousins. So (assuming Meemaw means grandmother) Garrett's great aunt is Stacey's grandmother. Making the two of them second cousins. If Meemaw is great grandmother, then it's second cousin once removed. Either way, totally legal.

 

I thought the narrative structure of the episode really highlighted how Frankie and Elroy don't know these people - and we don't know them. On the other hand, Chang is essential to the show, something I literally never thought I's say about a character who seemed useless even when he was the Spanish teacher. When the show gets too meta, it highlights the way half the cast is gone. And almost no Abed, the strongest character. And they're trying to make Jeff and Annie happen again? Why?

 

Does anyone know if they're going to make next week's episode a proper finale? I hope so.

[Latverian Diplomat]

I thought the narrative structure of the episode really highlighted how Frankie and Elroy don't know these people - and we don't know them. On the other hand, Chang is essential to the show, something I literally never thought I's say about a character who seemed useless even when he was the Spanish teacher. When the show gets too meta, it highlights the way half the cast is gone. And almost no Abed, the strongest character. And they're trying to make Jeff and Annie happen again? Why?

 

I actually like both Frankie and Elroy, though it's true they aren't always well integrated with the rest of the cast's long history. Chang even saved the day this time! I didn't mind him as an absolutely terrible professor, but a lot of the stuff between then and this season got on my nerves.

 

I was wondering if they were hinting at a Frankie/Annie thing, actually.

[Amarsir]

I thought the narrative structure of the episode really highlighted how Frankie and Elroy don't know these people - and we don't know them. On the other hand, Chang is essential to the show, something I literally never thought I's say about a character who seemed useless even when he was the Spanish teacher. When the show gets too meta, it highlights the way half the cast is gone. And almost no Abed, the strongest character. And they're trying to make Jeff and Annie happen again? Why?

We don't know them yet, but rushing/forcing it is worse. For example Hickey took a lot of focus in S5 and it was a problem. So they participate while occasionally getting a line indicating that they're still getting up to speed on the group. I think that's as good as we can hope for, considering that cast leaving wasn't something the show chose to have happen.

What was Abed's line at the beginning? "The sooner you forget I'm here the sooner I cease to become a factor" or something like that. I didn't realize it was meta at the time. He gets a lot of episodes though so I don't mind.

My take on the Jeff/Annie was that Frankie was the voice of reason, seeing that something between them as we all have and shutting it down. Possibly meta as well.

[Kalliste]

I feel like I didn't watch the same episode as everyone. I sat through most of it wondering when it was going to get better and less strange. And when I say strange, I mean strange for Community.

 

I was hoping their lack of chairs at the wedding meant they weren't actually invited to the wedding and just assumed they would be because they're them.

 

I think Elroy's addiction to white people was my favourite part and otherwise just didn't care about the episode at all. Especially the end.. what? The ends are just so odd now and don't mesh well with the rest of the show... the exceptions being the weird tv/movie trailers.

[FurryFury]

And they're trying to make Jeff and Annie happen again? Why?

 

You've just killed all my desire to see this season when it's out. God, can't stand this pairing. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Chang's speech was both the best and the worst.

 

Related anecdote: in college a guy I knew told a friend of mine about this girl he hooked up with at some party. The morning after, they were telling random stories at breakfast and he mentioned his uncle Mike. The girl said, "I have an uncle Mike too!" They started talking about it some more and it turned out that they had the same uncle Mike and they were cousins.

[Zahdii]

I appreciate Yahoo taking on the show, and I even hope it goes another season, but it's changed a lot (and not in a good way IMO).

 

The part about our former study group mucking up the wedding wasn't really new, nor is their attempt to be better guests when they realized how bad their behavior had been.

 

I found the insistence on calling a marriage between second cousins 'incestuous' to be uncomfortable.  It might not be very common, but it's not really a big issue nor is it taboo.  I got the impression that Garret and wife are now going to spend their lives defending themselves unnecessarily, possible even forgoing having children.

 

I think that Community is trying to be more edgy, but I don't want edgy.  I want silly costumes, games getting out of control, some more classroom diorama's (Jeff), etc.  Sure, now we see more from the administrative point of view, but aren't some of these people still taking classes?

 

ETA:  Garrett has some seriously rounded shoulders there.  Does the actor have a physical problem or is the show just portraying him like that to accentuate Garrett's 'oddness'?

Edited May 27, 2015 by Zahdii

[Kalliste]

 

I think that Community is trying to be more edgy, but I don't want edgy.  I want silly costumes, games getting out of control, some more classroom diorama's (Jeff), etc.  Sure, now we see more from the administrative point of view, but aren't some of these people still taking classes?

 

Yeah, that's what I keep thinking. When I thought they were seriously considering a class earlier in the season and it was just the grifting episode, I was so sad.

[Amarsir]

I think that Community is trying to be more edgy, but I don't want edgy.  I want silly costumes, games getting out of control, some more classroom diorama's (Jeff), etc.  Sure, now we see more from the administrative point of view, but aren't some of these people still taking classes?

I'm reminded of the Harmon quote that he named the show "Community", not "Community College". I get what you're saying, and this certainly wouldn't be the first show to have gone off the rails because they couldn't maintain material for the premise. But I don't know how much that was ever in the cards, as opposed to just being a jumping off point.

 

The first season was centered around Spanish class because that's all they had. As tertiary characters came in, the school got fleshed out, and their influence expanded we saw the world of the show broaden more and more. No doubt there's a lot of comedy to be written about school administration, but I'm not sure that's what Community was ever going to be. Instead it's more creative, for better or worse. And I've always liked that riskier side.  But I get it. This isn't what was presented when the show premiered back in 2009.

[VCRTracking]

 

You've just killed all my desire to see this season when it's out. God, can't stand this pairing.

 

To be fair we're 12 episodes in and other than a few moments like the recent episode there hasn't been that many Jeff and Annie stuff. At least compared to previous seasons. So much so that the real die hard J/A shippers on Tumblr have been very pissed. You'll see complaining after earlier season 6 episodes have premiered about the Jeff and Annie ship being ignored by Harmon.

 

I've been always more for Abed/Annie (even though I liked Abed's girlfriend played by Brie Larson). When they started the episode with Annie acting loving toward the camera person who I knew was Abed I was like "Whoa, what's going on here?" Then when they revealed that they were recording a "missing lover" video I was laughing but a tad disappointed I admit! By the way that was a brilliant joke because there have been countless movies I've seen where the protagonist watches home videos of their dead loved ones and they all pretty much act like Annie did!

 

I don't think second or third cousins is that risque. It's not like Jonah Hill's character in The Wolf of Wall Street where he tells Leo Dicaprio that he married his first cousin and he actually watched her grow up! I'd like to believe that with Garrett it's more humiliating that he can't find a woman outside his whole family who'll love him and his problem is more of an ego thing.

 

Edited May 27, 2015 by VCRTracking

[amensisterfriend]

I'm not really loving this 'Jeff has an increasingly serious alcohol problem' thing. Don't all these characters already have enough issues as is?! 

[DrLar]

Perhaps Frankie has the hots for Annie, that's why her rant about Jeff... hehe..

 

Yeah the Annie scene, the I love you, I thought I was dreaming! (and I'll dream that forever), even if it was an act, sounded so good and natural.

 

Although Britta also said she loved Abed right? later on the episode?

[Conan Troutman]

That was exactly the combination of genius and insanity that this show has been lacking for a while. I really had no clue where they were going with this - some HIMYM riff (never watched that final season, but I guess it went down something like that?) or some parody on reality shows was my first thought. But that was so much better. Chang and Garrett totally nailed it and even Jeff didn't totally ruin everything, much to my surprise.

 

Only that tag felt kinda weird. As every Crusader Kings II player can tell you: Incest is great? Duh doy!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

To be honest, the incest tag was a bit much in light of last week's Duggar scandal but I know it was just an unfortunate coincidence.

[Irlandesa]

I think this may have been my favorite episode of the season. One the thing the documentary-style trick allowed the show to do is have a lot of random funny little moments that didn't necessarily connect with an overall story but were fun to watch anyway.  I can't get enough of Abed, Annie and Britta as roommates.

 

But the wedding craziness felt so true to character, as well.  They can be great and they can be self-absorbed.  The biggest difference is the Yahoo version is a bit more cynical about it all than the NBC version of Community but I'm genuinely happy to have either version.

 

Perhaps Frankie has the hots for Annie, that's why her rant about Jeff... hehe..

At the very least, Frankie has taken an interest in Annie.  It could be that she has the hots for her but it really feels more like she recognizes herself in Annie and wants to mentor her. 
 

I thought it was far more about how Frankie sees Annie and how Frankie sees Jeff than any big commentary on Jeff/Annie as a potential couple.  (And I'm a J/A fan, for what it's worth.  Just not the angry kind.) Besides, I don't think Frankie knows anything about their past.

 

Yeah the Annie scene, the I love you, I thought I was dreaming!

On a pure shallow note, that scene and her final image as Trudy are about as gorgeous as I've ever seen Alison and that's saying something.

 

It might not be very common, but it's not really a big issue nor is it taboo.

 

I'd argue that it has become rather taboo.  The taboo is mostly based on erroneous assumptions but I do think it gives people pause.  There's a reason the film was named Les Cousins Dangereux.*

 

And Elroy's bit about how to make white people comfortable was fantastic.

That was terrific.  I know there are those that see this season as a mess but I kind of love it.  I love it for the character work they've done on the dean and Chang.  And I love it for how well they've incorporated Frankie and Elroy.

 

*Arrested Development shoutout.

Edited May 28, 2015 by Irlandesa

[Conan Troutman]

Does anyone know if they're going to make next week's episode a proper finale? I hope so.

 

I'm pretty sure it will just be a regular season finale. Word has been Yahoo seriously considers a seventh season - even if that was just marketing speech, there's always the movie to wrap things up. We also still got the save Greendale arc going on and Frankie and Elroy are a breath of fresh air, so I can see another season working at least as well as the last two.

 

I was hoping their lack of chairs at the wedding meant they weren't actually invited to the wedding and just assumed they would be because they're them.

 

That's how I interpreted that scene. I'm not even sure if there were any other students, it was mostly family. A pretty big family, considering it was only one after all...

 

I'd argue that it has become rather taboo.  The taboo is mostly based on erroneous assumptions but I do think it gives people pause.  There's a reason the film was named Les Cousins Dangereux.*

 

Only somewhat erroneous assumptions. The chance of genetic defects in first cousin marriages is double than that of totally unrelated people: Six instead of three percent, and while that's not ideal, it's not really all that disastrous. The real problem here is that it piles up rather quickly if a family's doing it over multiple generations and not getting enough outside blood in there regularly (see Charles II of Spain).

So declaring first cousin marriages illegal can help, but isn't really all that necessary - the social taboo and potentially the Westermarck effect are doing a pretty effective job already and the occasional exception is no big deal, at least in western cultures.

[Rinaldo]

So declaring first cousin marriages illegal can help, but isn't really all that necessary - the social taboo and potentially the Westermarck effect are doing a pretty effective job already and the occasional exception is no big deal, at least in western cultures.

Another thing that seems to have influenced changing attitudes toward cousin marriages is that, compared to a century ago, people move around much more -- it's relatively rare for a family to stay in the same town, generation after generation, and in any case there's not the insulation from life elsewhere that there used to be. When you knew only the same families that your parents and grandparents had known, marrying someone who was somehow related to you seemed almost inevitable. Now, it seems like a deliberate and pointless choice, when there's a world of alternatives.

[April Bloodgate]

I feel like I didn't watch the same episode as everyone. I sat through most of it wondering when it was going to get better and less strange. And when I say strange, I mean strange for Community.

I agree. This episode really did nothing for me, which is a big disappointment after last week's success. I have actually liked this season better than 4 and 5, but this episode was a big miss.

[romantic idiot]

I like this episode and I do hope they do J/A eventually. They've been one of my favourite things about the show, and the fact that the show would end without going there fully has been making me sad. 

[arc]

The most silly throwaway joke in the tag is that in the writers room, there's a story circle, but it's divided into sixths rather than eighths.

[Racj82]

You've just killed all my desire to see this season when it's out. God, can't stand this pairing. 

They really aren't trying to make it happen. It's an overreaction (IMO) to like 5% of an episode where the two barely even interacted. As soon as the two even look at each other, someone has a reaction to it. I don't get it but it's a thing.

Edited June 13, 2015 by Racj82