Arts: Community, Season 4

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Tv Club Community, Season 4 Community's so heavy. By Aisha Harris Posted Monday, Mar 11, 2013, at 04:45 PM ET Jeff's long overdue (and presumably last) encounter with his estranged father, William, proved to be rather sobering in last week's Community. With the exception of the occasional truly comical moment (Britta to Jeff and William: "You two are probably feeling the impulse to sleep with each other right now, and hey—that's normal") this was the first episode this season that—for half of it, at least—wasn't trying to garner lots of laughs. And as far as Jeff's story is concerned, that worked. (The counternarrative regarding Thanksgiving with Shirley's in-laws was meant more or less as an antidote to the seriousness of Jeff's trip to see his father, with a half-baked Shawshank Redemption/Prison Break plot that failed to work as well as past cultural references. And yet even that storyline ended on a slightly introspective note.) The show's rare handling of the other characters' family members has generally tended toward the silly (Troy's crotchety Nana, who's always telling her grown grandchild to "get me a switch" so she can spank him with it) or the satirical (Pierce's hateful Archie Bunker-like father, who mercifully dies of a heart attack). "Cooperative Escapism in Familial Relations" was notably heavier than any other episode we've seen before. But the show's humor wasn't necessarily lost; it was just more acidic than playful. (Says Jeff to his father: "I like your hair. The presence of it, I mean.") Without the ... To continue reading, click here. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate How Drones Kill Americans No Breitbart, Paul Krugman Hasn't Filed For Bankruptcy Can We Please Stop Drawing Trees on Top of Skyscrapers?	Advertisement
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