Community: Season 6, Episode 1: Ladders
The show that will not die! It has survived the departure and return of it’s creator/show runner, the departure of two of its main cast members (Donald Glover/Troy and Chevy Chase/Pierce) and a full cancellation on NBC. It’s had its ups and downs over the years, but it has maintained its level of high intelligence comedy.
Community has some of the most unique storylines in sitcom history and is grossly under-appreciated. This is evidenced by its cancellation. It is definitive proof that if one refuses to dumb down for an audience it is not made for, then it may be doomed to the cursed realm of cancellation (looking at you Young Justice). Luckily it is one of those rare birds that finds resurrection online. Luckily it didn’t have to wait several years for said resurrection (looking at you Arrested Development). Thank you Yahoo Screen for choosing to begin your foray into original material with this fantastic show.
This show has lost none of its unique tone or personality in this transition. The only issue is the notable absences of Shirley and Buzz, who I was just beginning to like. Awesome that Shirly, who has lost an amazing amount of weight (Yvette Nicole Brown looks fantastic), made an appearance in her new “spinoff” role.
It was however, very refreshing to see the recurring characters of Garrett, Leonard, Todd and Bob. As a show with some of the best recurring characters in the biz, I can only hope we see appearances from other characters like Magnitude and Star-Burns. (Side note: we haven’t seen Professor Duncan in a while. I don’t recall him appearing in season five at all).
The show has maintained its intelligence and all of the characters are as charming as ever. Even the addition of Franky has noteworthy merit. The show often joked about hoping for six seasons and a movie, but I’m hoping for quite a bit more! Welcome back Community!
Jonathan Thomas Jones is a speculative fiction author and founder of geekhavenreviews.com. He has been passionate about all things geek for his entire life. See more about him at jonathanthomasjones.com and follow him on twitter @jtgloryjones.
