So after Community's original producer Dan Harmon, the man most credited for the show's best nerdgasm moments like the D&D episode and the alternate realities episode, was fired, season 4 premiered today.
In my humble opinion, it was lame.
I was worried they'd change the type of jokes. But, they didn't do that. They took the same type of jokes, and changed the tone of the characters completely. I think they did a good job with Abed's desire to keep everything in sitcom format and then the 'Muppet Babies' reference, but that bit was the only part of the show that was actually funny. They obviously added that part to respond to fans' fears that the change in management would change the show, and even tailored Jeff's speech to say that. The humor itself reduced the characters' personal quirks to sitcom gimmickry, without the original nerdicoolness those quirks were written with.
Troy and Brita getting together made sense, but the fight about wishing in a fountain with coins, while along the lines of both characters' established personality traits, was boring and stupid. And the Dean totally would pit students against each other for the right to take the Ice Cream Appreciation class. But none of the games were interesting or funny.
I'm not ready to give up on the show yet, but this premiere certainly did more to confirm than settle my fears about the change in management. The new writers understand the characters fine, but they have no idea why the show was funny.
In my humble opinion, it was lame.
I was worried they'd change the type of jokes. But, they didn't do that. They took the same type of jokes, and changed the tone of the characters completely. I think they did a good job with Abed's desire to keep everything in sitcom format and then the 'Muppet Babies' reference, but that bit was the only part of the show that was actually funny. They obviously added that part to respond to fans' fears that the change in management would change the show, and even tailored Jeff's speech to say that. The humor itself reduced the characters' personal quirks to sitcom gimmickry, without the original nerdicoolness those quirks were written with.
Troy and Brita getting together made sense, but the fight about wishing in a fountain with coins, while along the lines of both characters' established personality traits, was boring and stupid. And the Dean totally would pit students against each other for the right to take the Ice Cream Appreciation class. But none of the games were interesting or funny.
I'm not ready to give up on the show yet, but this premiere certainly did more to confirm than settle my fears about the change in management. The new writers understand the characters fine, but they have no idea why the show was funny.
