Now leaving the darkest timeline
How long has it been since Regional Holiday Music? Almost exactly three months, right? Way too long in any case, but Community is finally back. I've missed these characters and this show so much.
Urban Matrimony and the Sandwich Arts was one of the more "normal" Community episodes, and while I do think that you need episodes like this to balance out blanket forts and zombie apocalypses, I also find it really amusing that this episode also contained an entire subplot about how if weirdness is in your nature you should embrace it and not try to be normal (hard not to take Troy and Abed's subplot as meta commentary, isn't it?).
Abed, we're weird. We need to be weird!
"Dewhimsified" Troy and Abed were amazing. I love how when they're normal they end up unnerving everyone because normal for them is weird. It's also a nice touch that while it was originally Abed that brought out Troy's inner geek, it's Troy that brings the weirdness back in this episode. Kind of a call back to the fact that Troy chose to leave his jock persona behind inthe zombie episode, and a reminder that Troy's arc this season is about choosing what he really wants, and that so far that is to watch tv with his buddy. And I clapped in delight when they did their handshake and declared themselves on Blorgon Patrol. These two are definitely my favorite part of the show.
In any case, other thoughts about this episode:
- Shirley seldom gets focus episodes, and she tends to get less character development out of anyone from the study group. Last season delved into her quite a bit and fleshed her out beyond "Christian housewife going through a divorce", but this season she has definitely been more on the sidelines, so it was good that this episode centered on her and explored whether she would be willing to give up on her dream to try to get back what she once had. I'm glad she wasn't willing to; and while I'm not sure I personally buy that Andre is the sort of person that can change enough to accept the new more independent Shirley, I'm glad that she is putting her foot down and setting up new ground rules, so to speak.
- Britta being an amazing wedding planner and loathing herself for it every second was hilarious. Her part in this episode also sheds an interesting light into who she is. It's not that I don't think she's not genuine about her beliefs, but the idea that maybe she embraces them so aggressively (to the point of ridiculousness sometimes) as a way to reject what she feels was maybe expected of her adds an interesting layer, and it's certainly something I can identify with.
- The other side of that is that I'm sure we were all expecting Annie to take over wedding planning duties. Guess not!
- Also, I'm sorry but this episode cemented for me the belief that Jeff and Britta deserve each other. Make of that what you will.
- Pierce got fired from Hawthorne Wipes and now, maybe for the first time ever, has the desire to actually do something with his life, and that something is going to be to invest in Shirley's business. Interesting.
- Apparently a fool-proof way to get Dean Pelton on board a proposal is to include a cute little cartoon of him. With bags of money.
- I love that there is an Inspector Spacetime wedding episode and that he ends up marrying himself as a baby. And this is why you need to make sure to get a DNA reading of your prospective mate!
- Finally: it was great to see Annie's Boobs again!