OK, I haven't watched season 4 since it aired. It is, in fact, bad. I don't like referring to it as the gas leak year, though. It's very uncanny valley, and that's a big part of why it's bad, but it also just doesn't take itself - that is to say, the wold is creating - seriously and that is a bigger part of why it is not just "not as good". They tried real hard but not only could they not hit what they were aiming for, they were aiming at not quite the right target.
In short, it's the Jim Belushi of Community seasons.
Already 2 episodes into season 5 and it's already so much more bingeable...I was just stopping in between episodes of season 4, thinking about maybe switching to Killing Eve...
I'm the odd person out, because I don't mind season 4. I generally don't feel any love for the remaining seasons. I thought 5 was just meh and it goes downhill from there.
I don't mind season 4, either. Not my favorite, but I liked it fine. Wasn't super thrilled with season 5.
I think I disliked it more on rewatch than I did the first time, which surprised me.
That said, it's a bad season of Community, not straight up bad television. It's still much better than the one episode of Yes, Dear my Tivo tricked me into watching where I literally spent the whole episode waiting for an actual punchline
So far the most surprising thing about rewatching season 5 is how little I remember - I hadn't seen seasons 2&3 in years and years either (although I did watch those episodes more back in the day I'm sure) and those were full of recognition and anticipating the cool thing I knew was coming and season 5 is just kind of, I remember few big things but that's it. I don't know if that's some intrinsic difference or maybe a difference in how I initially consumed them or just my brain doing what it does for no good reason, but it's striking.
Troy leaving still makes me cry
No surprise there
I started a rewatch after watching the Community Table Read, and while I still find the pilot pretty mediocre, I quickly fell right into it and ran through 10 episodes laughing my way through.
I was a little surprised how quickly the first season sucked me right in last week. Part of that is how delightful to recognize firsts and future callbacks, probably.
I'm watching Entertainment Weekly Binges Community videos in between seasons, they are kind of fun - a little visiting with a cast member, a little TV-nerd discussion between critics
Troy and Abed was one of the best television bromances ever.
Huh. The last two episodes of season 5 are completely unfamiliar to me. Is it possible I never saw them? Weird.
SO, season 5 as a whole I kind of halfway like, I think? There are a couple of episodes I really like in their entirety, but most of them I like parts of. I wish Shirley had had more of a storyline. She had some fun stuff to do but her big picture seemed kinda muddled and vague - starting the season with the revelation that Andre had taken the kids and left and just letting that be with no follow up or development is disappointing, especially knowing she won't be back for season 6.
