3. Character Chemistry
Community is different and it won't be for everyone. However, at the heart of every good sitcom is a cast and group of characters that work together as a team to achieve the same result. From Pierce to Shirley, from Britta to Abed, every character on the show is defined superbly and not one of them is expendable. Something that always struck me as so wonderful about
Friends was that the writers understood every character was different and featured an abundance (my favourite word at the moment) of scenes showcasing their individual habits.
Community does this efficiently and it works so well because they've accumulated such a great cast and group of characters. The way each member plays off another is fantastic and there's never a dull note - the rhythm and tone of dialogue, the telling and delivery of jokes, the facial expressions, the reactions; all inch-perfect. The characters care about each other and, perhaps more importantly, they care deeply for the unique world they inhabit, worshiping the years of sitcom gold that have come before them, from 'Very Special Episodes' to Betty White. It should also be noted that they aren't all about the humour - when needed, the actors can stiffen up, portraying a slightly more dramatic pretense which usually lingers for a good 10 seconds before being replaced by a conventionally unconventional gag, revolving around the dead Glee club ("
what the hell are 'regionals'?") or their continued building of dioramas. Whatever the situation, the cast is perfect; I can't imagine the show without any of them and the balance/imbalance brought together by Harmon is one of the key factors to the show's success. Committed, comical and talented actors, every last one of them; they're deeply flawed characters and those flaws are exhibited lavishly, usually leading to comments about how unlikable certain characters are (usually Jeff), but at the end of the day, as long as they remain together, they'll have that one constant that they'll need to keep them all rooted in reality....as they know it, anyway.