S05.E13: Basic Sandwich

[ElectricBoogaloo]

SEASON FINALE!!

The group learns the history of Greendale's first Dean, Russell Borchert, a reclusive, wealthy genius who disappeared amid a personal scandal in the 1970s. Once Shirley and Hickey locate the school's blueprints, Annie and Abed lead the search for Borchert's old computer lab, which was sealed off years ago. Subway returns to Greendale with plans to take over the campus for a Subway University and they enlist Chang to secretly keep tabs on the study group. Meanwhile, Jeff and Britta make a grown-up decision about their futures.

Edited April 18, 2014 by stacey
Adding Season Finale note

[CookieChica]

That was great. The last 5 minutes were awesome ("That's canon") and I kind of love that Dan just straight up trolls shippers.

If they hadn't done the Koogler tag earlier this season, tonight's tag would be the best. It's a pretty close second. Intensive Karen was amazing.

Six seasons and a movie!

[Charlotte Vale]

I would finally get a DVR if Celebrity Beat-Off were an actual show.

[lambertman]

I haven't been terribly impressed with this season at all, but I really enjoyed this one. Alison, in particular, was fantastic. (He says, being male.)

[faceupandsing]

I also liked that closing bit, I would watch the Captain Cook show  with Starburns and I should probably be ashamed to admit it. 

Overall I thought the episode was amusing enough. I'm a bit bummed that Shirley got so sidelined and didn't even get to go to the underground lair. It was a bit too much "Dean heavy" but they've expanded his role a lot this season so I guess that's to be expected. I liked Abed's spin off/season/series finale references just because the show is so up in the air so I was thinking the same things anyway. I don't think the season held up to my Season 1-3 memories but if this was a send off episode it wasn't a bad one. 

[Ruby Gillis]

Can anyone find me a gif of the dean dancing to Dave Matthews?  I'm still cracking up at that

[NoWillToResist]

 

I kind of love that Dan just straight up trolls shippers.

 

It really bothers me because it's unnecessary. If he isn't interested in shipping, how hard is it to just not write it? There's no need to fan the flames for one pairing, kill it and then fan the flames for the other pairing and then do nothing with that either. Baiting isn't nice. Pissing off whole sections of your already small audience isn't the smartest strategy, IMO.

 

Him sassing NBC and the pilot season probably isn't the smartest strategy either but at least I find that amusing.

[Madness]

I did enjoy the finale. This season started stronger and seemed to get weaker as it went on. I still enjoyed most of the season though.

[bourbon]

It really bothers me because it's unnecessary. If he isn't interested in shipping, how hard is it to just not write it? There's no need to fan the flames for one pairing, kill it and then fan the flames for the other pairing and then do nothing with that either. Baiting isn't nice. Pissing off whole sections of your already small audience isn't the smartest strategy, IMO.

'Zactly. And it's sort of why Community and I went through a DVR divorce this season. I read something after the S1 finale where Jeff and Annie kissed that Dan Harmon admitted he was just throwing some of the fans a bone. But then they kind of played with it in some of the episodes that followed and it was "Oh, look what we have! Cake! Yummy yummy cake! Don't you want some?" and then they are shocked and disgusted that we might actually want some. It feels very cynical to me, and when the creators start to have contempt for portions of the audience, it's probably time to jump ship.

I get that Dan Harmon might be uncomfortable with the warm and fuzzy, but then don't introduce the romance at all. I get the age difference, but I think Allison Brie and Joel McHale have insane chemistry. I wish my enjoyment of the show as a whole wasn't drained away by the abandomnent of the Jeff and Annie pairing, but what can I say? I want my cake and don't need a showrunner telling me how bad it really tastes.

[NoWillToResist]

 

I get that Dan Harmon might be uncomfortable with the warm and fuzzy, but then don't introduce the romance at all. I get the age difference, but I think Allison Brie and Joel McHale have insane chemistry. I wish my enjoyment of the show as a whole wasn't drained away by the abandomnent of the Jeff and Annie pairing, but what can I say? I want my cake and don't need a showrunner telling me how bad it really tastes.

 

I half wonder if the whole Annie thing was not meant to be something that the audience would root for. I wouldn't be surprised if it was meant to be funny, watching Jeff wrestle with "ung...so hot, but so young" but then Alison and Joel's chemistry drew in lots of people and Jeff/Annie got popular. And then, unfortunately, TPTB decided to keep teasing it (IMO).

 

I'd have been fine if the show wanted Jeff to only be sexually attracted to Annie but determined not to act on it for fear of feeling like a creepy old perv, but that's not what they've shown me. Over and over, we've seen Jeff do and say things which show that he has feelings for Annie beyond her looks.

 

If TPTB didn't want them to be considered a viable pairing, IMO they fucked up, big time. But truthfully, I think they did what many shows before them have done (LOST, is the most glaring example in my mind), where TPTB realize two pairings have followings and they don't have the guts to just shut one (or both) down. So, one week it's one couple bonding and whatnot, and the next week it swings to the other one.

 

In the G.I. Joe episode, he's all "BOOBS!" but then in the finale, there is the implication that his deep feelings for her, prompted by the non-sexually charged but emotionally loaded audio flashback "milady...milord" exchange are what allows the computer to reboot and save them all. I got whiplash.

 

Jeff/Britta didn't fare much better. I personally can't see them beyond platonic, but fans of that pairing must have felt like shit, finally seeing their favourite pairing kissing, planning a hook-up and wedding, only to have it stated over and over by third parties that J&B were basically doomed to fail etc.

 

Yes, some fans pull pairings out of the air, but IMO, this show was very complicit in keeping both sets of fires going. So, for them to turn around and thumb their noses at those same fans, when the show can't afford to lose any? I just think it's kind of a dick move. You don't like fans shipping your characters? Fine. Stop with the soft, sly glances and the awwww-inducing lines of dialogue, the affectionate gestures etc.

 

Don't write 'em that way and then express shock and annoyance and distaste that people root for them.

 

I've become increasingly frustrated with Community because I feel like I can see the manipulation, both re: character and plot. I was addicted to this show but lately, I've been happy to wait to watch new episodes, rather than eagerly looking forward to the next Thursday.

 

I'm curious to see if it gets renewed.

Edited May 9, 2014 by NoWillToResist

[arc]

If TPTB didn't want them to be considered a viable pairing, IMO they fucked up, big time.

That wasn't the intention, I don't think.  Based on stuff I remember from the S1 DVD commentary or something around that time, I think they set up Jeff and Annie to be a viable pairing but with the age difference in the way, though of course that age difference becomes (slightly) less of an issue the older the two get.

 

You don't like fans shipping your characters?

Again, I really don't think Harmon dislikes shipping.  He may have a weird relationship with it -- this is the first thing he's written where fans have shipped characters, and I distinctly remember him writing a Tumblr post way back in S1 or maybe S2 about the phenomenon as he understood it and as his then-girlfriend (who was doing some academic program in media studies?) explained it to him -- but hell, he paid for the "Gravity" song way back in s2 out of his own pocket to pay a playful sort of homage to shippers.