Community: The Complete Series Blu-ray Review

THE MOVIE — 4.5/5

Series Synopsis: Recently divorced lawyer Jeff Winger (JOEL MCHALE) enrolls to get a legit degree the quickest and easiest way possible, but when he starts a fake Spanish group solely for the purpose of hooking up with sexy classmate Britta (GILLIAN JACOBS), he doesn’t expect to be joined by a random group of misfit fellow students: Abed (DANNY PUDI), Shirley (YVETTE NICOLE BROWN), Troy (DONALD GLOVER), Annie (ALISON BRIE) and Pierce (CHEVY CHASE).

Quick Hit Review: Community was a series that I never watched during its airing on NBC for the first five seasons and Yahoo for the sixth and final season. I have no clue why this was not on my radar more or at least DVR’d but this was one hilarious show where every moving part worked so well between the great ensemble cast and finely crafted scripts that felt part Office and part Seinfeld. Joel McHale in particular was in his element while Chevy Chase, although from what I remember reading, was a bit of a jerk, reminded me he was once funny.

Although the show only ran for six seasons, unlike the aforementioned The Office, which probably ran a good three seasons too long, even more so following Steve Carell’s exit in season seven, this one seemed to be just right in its run with the sixth season, which did have some strong moments, though the departures of Chevy Chase in season four (with only a cameo in the fifth season premiere) as well as Donald Glover leaving after episode five.

The series also saw some great supporting roles include Eric Christian Olsen as the hacky-sack kicking Vaughn, John Goodman as the college’s vice dean, John Michael Higgins as a professor and even future Academy Award winner Brie Larson.

SPECIAL FEATURES – 4.75/5

SEASON ONE:

Episode Commentaries:

• ‘Pilot’ – Dan Harmon (Creator), Joel McHale, Joe Russo (Co-Director/Executive Producer)
• ‘Spanish 101’ – Harmon, McHale, Chevy Chase, J. Russo
• ‘Introduction to Film’ – Harmon, Danny Pudi, Gillian Jacobs, Donald Glover
• ‘Social Psychology’ – Harmon, McHale, Yvette Nicole Brown, Anthony Russo (Executive Producer)
• ‘Advanced Criminal Law’ – Harmon, McHale, Gillian Jacobs, Andrew Guest (writer)
• ‘Football, Feminism and You’ – Harmon, McHale, Glover, Alison Brie, A. Russo
• ‘Introduction to Statistics’ – Harmon, McHale, Chase, J. Russo
• ‘Home Economics’ – Harmon, McHale, Pudi, Lauren Pomerantz (writer)
• ‘Debate 109’ – Harmon, McHale, Brie, J. Russo
• ‘Environmental Science’ – Harmon, Jacobs and Glover, Ken Jeong
• ‘Politics of Human Sexuality’ – Harmon, Brie, Glover, Hilary Winston (writer)
• ‘Comparative Religion’ – Harmon, McHale, Brown, Adam Davidson (Director)
• ‘Investigative Journalism’ – Harmon, Brie, J. Russo (Director)
• ‘Interpretive Dance’ – Harmon, Jacobs, Pudi
• ‘Romantic Expressionism’ – Harmon, McHale, Brie, Glover, J. Russo, Guest
• ‘Communication Studies’ – Harmon, McHale, Jacobs, Pudi, Chris McKenna
• ‘Physical Education’ – Harmon, McHale, Pudi, A. Russo
• ‘Basic Genealogy’ – Harmon, McHale, Brown, Chase, Karey Dornetto (writer)
• ‘Beginner Pottery’ – Harmon, McHale, Brown, Winston
• ‘The Silence of Illusion’ – Harmon, McHale, Brown, Jacobs, Davidson
• ‘Contemporary American Poultry’ – Harmon, McHale, Pudi, Jacobs
• ‘The Art of Discourse’ – Harmon, Glover, Pudi, McKenna, Davidson
• ‘Modern Warfare’ – Harmon, McHale, Jacobs, Emily Cutler (writer)
• ‘English as a Second Language’ – Harmon, Jeong, Brie, Glover
• ‘Pascal’s Triangle Revisited’ – Harmon, McHale, Brie, Glover, Joe Russo

Outtakes (TRT 17:07) and More Outtakes (TRT 16:15) finds the cast breaking up into laughter and some line-o-ramas across both discs.

Creative Compromises (2:53) is a mock feature from Dan Harmon on how the TV execs “watered down” the series.

Mini Episodes

• Study Break: Using Your Brain (1:31)
• Study Break: Truth or Dare (1:31)
• Study Break: Generation Gap (1:30)

Alternate Scenes (3:56) from the ‘Advanced Criminal Law’ episode.

Season One Cast Evaluations (11:43) finds, in this skit–like featurette, the cast talking about the others in mocking fashion. Also includes some short audition footage.

Last is the Extended Producer’s Cut (26:34) of ‘Communication Studies’ with cut footage due to time constraints.

SEASON TWO:

Episode Commentaries:

• ‘Anthropology 101 – J. Russo, McHale, Brie (I think), McKenna
• ‘Accounting for Lawyers’ – J. Russo, Emily Cutler, Rob Corddry, McHale
• ‘The Psychology of Letting Go’ – A. Russo, Glover, Winston, Chase
• ‘Basic Rocket Science’ – Harmon, A. Russo, Glover, Andy Bobrow (Writer)
• ‘Messianic Myths and Ancient Peoples’ – Garrett Donovan (Producer), Brown, Pudi, Richard Erdman
• ‘Epidemiology’ – Harmon, Glover, Jeong, Anthony Hemingway (Director)
• ‘Aerodynamics of Gender’ – Glover, Jacobs, Adam Countee (Writer), Jake Aust (Producer)
• ‘Cooperative Calligraphy’ – Harmon, Brown, J. Russo, Megan Ganz (Writer)
• ‘Conspiracy Theories and Interior Design’ – Harmon, McHale, McKenna, Jim Rash (Actor)
• ‘Mixology Certification’ – Harmon, McHale, others
• ‘Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas’ – Harmon, Pudi, Dino Stamatopoulos (Writer), Ludwig Goransson (Composer), Duke Johnson (Director) over the phone.
• ‘Asian Population Studies’ – A. Russo, Pudi, Brown, Jeong, Glover
• ‘Celebrity Pharmacology 212’ – Rash, Winston, Chase
• ‘Advanced Dungeons & Dragons’ – Harmon, Guest, J. Russo, A. Russo
• ‘Early 21st Century Romanticism’ – Jeong, Glover, Jacobs, Steven Sprung (Director)
• ‘Intermediate Documentary Filmmaking’ – Harmon, McHale, Ganz, A. Russo
• ‘Intro to Political Science’ – McHale, Stamatopoulos, Countee, Jay Chandrasekhar (Director)
• ‘Custody Law and Eastern European Diplomacy’ – A. Russo, Jacobs, Brown, Bobrow
• ‘Critical Film Studies’ – Jeong, Pudi, Sona Panos (Writer), Neil Goldman (Executive Producer)
• ‘Competitive Wine Tasting’ – Glover, Pudi, J. Russo, Aust
• ‘Paradigms of Human Memory’ – Harmon, McKenna, Rash, Tristram Shapeero (Director)
• ‘Applied Anthology and Culinary Arts’ – Brown, Rash, other
• ‘A Fistful of Paintballs’ – J. Russo, Rash, Guest, Donovan
• ‘For a Few Paintballs More’ – J. Russo, Glover, Pudi and Winston

Outtakes (TRT 11:58) and More Outtakes (12:36), DJ Steve Porter Remixes Season One (1:50) and some Deleted Scenes.

Season Two Cast Evaluations (10:35)

SEASON THREE:

Episode Commentaries:

• ‘Biology 101’ – Brown, Jacobs
• ‘Geography of Global Conflict’ – McHale, Jacobs, Brie, Bobrow, Martin Starr (Actor)
• ‘Remedial Chaos Theory’ – Brown, Pudi, McKenna
• ‘Competitive Ecology’ – Jacobs, Brown, Maggie Bandur (Writer)
• ‘Horror Fiction in Seven Spooky Steps’ – Harmon, McHale, Jacobs, Brown, Rash
• ‘Advanced Gay’ – McHale, Jacobs, Brown, Matt Murray (Writer)
• ‘Studies in Modern Movement’ – Harmon, McHale, Brie, Jacobs, Brown, Rash
• ‘Documentary Filmmaking: Redux’ – McHale, Rash, Jacobs, Brown, Pudi
• ‘Foosball and Nocturnal Vigilantism’ – McHale, Brown, Chris Kula (Writer)
• ‘Regional Holiday Music’ – McHale, Brown, Jacobs, Steve Basilone & Annie Mebane (Writers)
• ‘Contemporary Impressionists’ – Harmon, McHale, Brown, Pudi, Alex Cooley (Writer), Kyle Newcheck (Director)
• ‘Urban Matrimony and the Sandwich Arts’ – Brown, Jacobs, Malcolm-Jamal Warner (Actor)
• ‘Digital Exploration of Interior Design’ – Harmon, McHale, Brown, McKenna, Dan Eckman (Director)
• ‘Pillows and Blankets’ – McHale, Brown, Pudi, Bobrow
• ‘Origins of Vampire Mythology’ – Harmon, McHale, Brie, Brown
• ‘Virtual Systems Analysis’ – Jacobs, Brie, Murray
• ‘Basic Lupine Urology‘ – Harmon, McHale, Brown, Rob Schrab (Director)
• ‘Course Listing Unavailable‘ – Jacobs, Brown, Stamatopoulos, Tim Saccardo (Writer)
• ‘Curriculum Unavailable‘ – McHale, Jacobs, Brie, Starr, Bobrow
• ‘Digital Estate Planning‘ – Harmon, McHale, Brown, Jacobs
• ‘The First Chang Dynasty‘ – Brown, Jacobs, Chandrasekhar, Alex Cuthertson (Writer/Producer), Matt Fusfeld (Writer)
• ‘Introduction to Finality‘ – Brown, Mebane, Basilone

Outtakes (TRT 13:16), More Outtakes (TRT 10:01), A Glee-ful Community Christmas (6:22) featurette, This is War: Pillows vs. Blankets (13:26), and some Deleted Scenes round things out.

SEASON FOUR:

Episode Commentaries:

• ‘History 101’ – Shapeero, Pudi, Bobrow, Moses Port (Executive Producer)
• ‘Paranormal Parentage‘- McHale, Brie, Ganz, Others
• ‘Conventions of Space and Time‘- McHale, Bandur, Others
• ‘Alternative History of the German Invasion‘- Saccardo, Bandur, Ben Wexler (Writer), Hunter Covington (Writer)
• ‘Cooperative Escapism in Familial Relations‘- McHale, Jacobs, Brown, Basilone, Shapeero, Adam Devine
• ‘Advanced Documentary Filmmaking‘- McHale, et al
• ‘Economics of Marine Biology‘- Rash, Brown, Brie, Saccardo, Zack Pearlman (Actor)
• ‘Herstory of Dance’ – Pudi, Port, Shapeero, Jack Kukoda (Writer)
• ’Intro to Felt Surrogacy’ – Brown, Bobrow, Gene Hong (Writer)
• ‘Intro to Knots’ – Brie, Shapeero, Others
• ’Basic Human Anatomy’ – McHale, Jacobs, Rash, Brown, Beth McCarthy-Miller (Director)
• ’Heroic Origins’ – Brown, Bandur, Basilone, Covington,
• ’Advanced Introduction to Finality’ –Brie, Ganz, Others

Lastly, we get some Outtakes (6:28), Inspector Spacetime: Inspection (9:43) and Adventures in Advanced Puppetry (15:37) featurettes and some Deleted Scenes.

SEASON FIVE:

Episode Commentaries:

• ‘Repilot’ – Harmon, McHale, Shapeero, McKenna
• ’Introduction to Teaching’ – Harmon, McHale, Pudi, McKenna
• ’Basic Intergluteal Numismatics’ – Harmon, McHale, Brie, Shapeero, McKenna
• ’Cooperative Polygraphy’ – Harmon, McHale, Pudi, Shapeero, McKenna, Alex Rubens (Writer)
• ’Geothermal Escapism’ – Harmon, J. Russo, McKenna
• ’Analysis of Cork-Based Networking’ – Brie, Jeong, Shapeero, Monica Padrick (Writer)
• ’Bondage and Beta Male Sexuality’ – Harmon, McHale, Jeong, Brie, Shapeero
• ‘App Development and Condiments’ – Harmon, Brown, Schrab, Parker Deay & Jordan Blum (Writers)
• ’VCR Maintenance and Educational Publishing’ – Brown, Jeong, Shapeero, McKenna
• ’Advanced Advanced Dungeons & Dragons’ – Harmon, J. Russo, McHale, McKenna
• ’G.I. Jeff’ – Harmon, J. Russo, Brown, Schrab, McKenna, James Fino (Executive Producer)
• ’Basic Story’ – Harmon, Brie, Jeong, McKenna, Other
• ’Basic Sandwich’ – Harmon, Brown, Schrab, McKenna

Other features include: Re-Animating the ‘80s (17:36) featurette, a set of Outtakes (5:58) and Advanced Television Production: 5 Days, 2 Scripts, No Sleep (42:26), a pretty good behind-the-scenes featurette

SEASON SIX:

The final season gets Outtakes (7:51), some Deleted Scenes, Community Trivia (24:46) game with the cast/crew and Six Seasons and a Finale (19:36) featurette wrapping up the series.

VIDEO – 3.75/5

AUDIO – 4.0/5

OVERALL – 4.25/5

Overall, Community is an entertaining show that for whatever reason I didn’t watched when it was on TV. But now with a Blu-ray release, it was a great experience catching up and although there are a few episodes that were merely okay, the bulk were utterly hilarious thanks to the sharp writing and an ensemble that works so well together.