Now that Dan Harmon's back to work on "Community", fans can expect Season 5 to be a return to form, and more like the show it used to be. While I believe Season 4 wasn't that bad, there were some things it didn't handle well. While some plot lines carried over from past seasons were executed (and in some cases concluded) poorly, other elements of the show were otherwise thrown out the window.
How will Dan Harmon address these issues? What will his response to Season 4 be? Whatever he does I'm along for the ride, but I, as I'm sure most fans do, have a little wish-list for Season 5.
1. Bring Back John Oliver/James Brolin/Malcolm McDowell
We haven't seen Ian Duncan since Season 2! I know John Oliver's been pretty busy with The Daily Show, and he'll be even more busy with it when Jon Stewart leaves to direct his first feature film, but before that happens can we get him back for one episode? His character is rooted in the beginnings of the show.
I for one felt the episode where James Brolin as Jeff's Dad, was underwhelming, considering it was built up to be the conclusion of one the show's most important story lines. Considering Harmon began this storyline, I truly hope he can bring Brolin back to bring Jeff's story with his father to a proper conclusion, one that both he and the fans can be happy with.
Malcolm McDowell was so underused in Season 4 the powers that be should be arrested for it, and I hope he can come back to intimidate the study group further. I mean...he's Malcolm McDowell.
2. Write The BEST CHRISTMAS EPISODE EVER
"Intro To Knots" paled in comparison to Christmas episodes from the past seasons. Past "Community" Christmas episodes were real treats, and offered something fun, exciting, and satirical. "Knots" didn't bring much to the table, other than giving Malcolm McDowell some deserved screen time. It didn't even feel like a Christmas episode. It was more like something pulled out of the cliche' sitcom handbook. In short, while I enjoyed the episode, it wasn't a "Community" Christmas episode. That said, I hope Harmon can make up for it.
3. Kill Chang Off
I'm sorry, but we have to get rid of this guy. Sure The Hangover trilogy is over, so maybe Ken Jeong's schedule will open up a bit, but does it really matter? Chang is no longer the interesting character he once was. When he was in power in Seasons 1 and 3, he was a compelling character. Now, he's been reduced to faking amnesia-sorry, Changnesia...what? With the conclusion of "Heroic Origins" his arc to join the study group that started in Season 2, has ended, so I really don't see anywhere else we can go with Chang. If anyone can give this character purpose again it's Dan Harmon, but honestly I'd rather just see Chang written off the show.
4. Explore The Relationships of Jeff/Annie, Tory/Britta, Jeff/Britta...
Five seasons in I think it's time to give these romantic couplings a little more spotlight. Harmon always did a great job of not over-saturating the romance into the show, and I think he can continue to do that. But we have these relationships that should be explored a little further, now that we've spent four years watching them grow.
Maybe Troy/Britta should be left alone. I'm sure not everyone was a fan of it. I loved "Basic Human Anatomy", but one flaw in it was that I really didn't care that Troy and Britta broke up. We spent like one episode in Season 4 developing their relationship, and their relationship wasn't even at the center of the episode, Troy and Abed's was! Again, another storyline Harmon set up, that I hope he can bring to a proper conclusion that'll satisfy both himself and the fans. There's always some drama between exes right?
That, and now that Britta's single again, the Jeff/Annie VS Jeff/Britta debate needs to be addressed. While Season 1 focused on Jeff/Britta, Seasons 2-3 developed Jeff/Annie and moved away from Jeff/Britta. Season 4, from what I could tell, returned to focus on Jeff/Britta. With this possibly being the last season of the show, something's got to give in terms of our protagonist's love life.
5. Make Fred Wilard A Series Regular To Replace Chevy Chase
Wilard's guest spot as Pierce in Abed's Sitcom Illusion in "History 101" was classic. He played Pierce perfectly with the cocky, absent-mindedness from Season 1, and he fit well with the rest of the cast. Dare I say, he could play a better Pierce than Chevy Chase. You don't have to make him Pierce. You could make him a new character, and throw in some meta-references for Abed to spit out. Either way, Fred Wilard has got to come back to the show.
I can only hope someone related to the production of "Community" sees this. A fan can dream right? Regardless, I look forward to the return of "Community"....midseason. Come on, NBC...
Side-Note: I'd really love to see an episode done in the style of Indiana Jones, or an episode without any dialogue, or an episode that pays tribute to the animated musical, or....sorry, I'm done.
No comments:
Post a Comment