TV Review: COMMUNITY 3.3, "Competitive Ecology"

Before the premiere of Season 3 of Community, Creator Dan Harmon mentioned that the show would focus less on "special episodes" (Zombie attacks, Paintball Shenanigans, etc.) then it had in previous seasons. This had me, and a whole slew of Community fans, worried sick. Would the show sink into a conventional sitcom, without all the self-reflexive magic? Would the show loose its spark without all the flare? And most importantly, what would be the fate of the lovable Abed? Three episodes in, it seems as if Harmon is delivering on his promise, to an extent, and some of these questions can be answered. Episode 3 opens with a simple assignment from the biology teacher, Professor Kane (played by the terrifying Michael K. Williams who seems to be playing an Oscar Redux-type character). "Look across the room" he cooly mentions, "that person will be your new lab partner for the rest of the year." The group quickly realizes they have been paired up with strangers. They band together as a study group and convince Kane to let them switch. Of course, Pierce remains the odd man out, and is stuck with the sweet, yet ostracized Todd. United again, the group is confronted with a reality they continuously face. They just don't do well in pairs. A showdown occurs outside, and Jeff demands that they deal with the "Todd Problem." The group is forced to rank one another, and soon find out what it is they all actually think of one another (spoiler alert: it's not great). Meanwhile, Chang embarks on a noirish detective (which doesn't exist) tale to find the conspiracy that hangs all around Greendale (which, again, doesn't exist). His antics lead one disaster to lead to the next, which he believes to be leading him closer to the truth. I must say, it's been a bit of a slow start for Community this season. I'm a bit biased, and like Abed, I'm not the biggest fan of the so-called "bottle episodes," which pits the characters together in a situation they can't escape. The writing team is clearly set on some long overdue character development, but it may have gone too far. The episode revolves around a familiar concept in sitcom tropes. An outsider acts as a mirror to the group, unearthing the flaws that, well, we all knew where there, just didn't pay attention to. The result is fairly comical, and like every episode of this show I have seen, it has some very strong moments. Todd's final outbreak and single tear come to mind, and the humbling of Jeff Winger is always a pleasure to watch. But there is something rather integral missing so far this season. Community has always had an extra something to it. Call it a postmodern blend, or a clever repartee, or whatever you want, it has shown itself to be smarter and funnier then the rest. Without this extra attention to meta detail and the referential, the show begins to loose some of its meaning. And one more thing. If the writers want to steer away from "special episodes," I'm sure they can find a more clever way to do it then relegate its role to an auxiliary character (Senor Chang). Chang's character has already dived off the deep end into the world of complete insanity, but the writers have clearly decided that he can be a vessel for them to vicariously live out their secret, absurdist dreams. Let's pump that material back into the main characters where it belongs. Of course, that's just what I think. Allow me to end with a fairly simple resolution. I love Community. I will continue to watch it, even in a lull, because I know its going to ultimately deliver. But Community built up its fan base through a diligent adherence to detail in its comedy. Its satire without spoof, pastiche without recycling. To get away from their roots now would be terribly devastating. They're not dried up, I promise you.