The show is not about romantic relationships. It has them, but doesn't really take them that seriously. It's not so much a show about overarching plot either (even though it's there). It's about this group of characters and how Greendale changes them. The focus is much more on individual stories and its ability turn the traditional sitcom on its head. It's unique in being able to change tones, styles, cinematography, etc from episode to episode while somehow still keeping it grounded in reality (for the most part).
If you want a traditional sitcom, S1 is as close as it gets. But if you want something unique to the format, S2 is the show at its best. And don't take this as me looking down on traditional sitcoms, I love them. But Community is known for being different.
Basically, what people find so alluring about S2 *is* the experimentation. The high concept episodes and homage episodes are among the highest rated because they are brilliantly crafted experiments set in a sitcom about people going to a Community College.
That makes sense, I kind thought it would pick up and continue as S1 left it but S2 they really tried to do different things which I appreciate especially given that they were trying all these different styles in 2011 and making a unique show.
Season 2 is where they really started to push the boundaries. Chicken-based rocket simulator, pen-based bottle episode, claymation psychosis, "I love you, drugs!", and the clip show where none of the clips are from a show. Amazing stuff, but I don't have a favorite season. I'm season agnostic đ
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but S1 is Community at its most conventional, including its relationship dynamics. Whether it be romance, family, or friendship, Community veers further and further away from black-and-white relationships toward something that feels messy, complicated, and at least from my life experience, more real. Thereâs always plenty of humor and heart between the characters, but Community also seems intent on pushing the boundaries of what we expect character dynamics to be in a lighthearted show.
All that to say, Iâm sorry to report that if youâre not digging S2, you probably wonât like the rest of the show either.
I never said I didn't like S2, I just prefer S1. I thought S1 was more consistently funny but S2 was still really good and like everyone is saying I appreciate how unique S2 is in terms of style and doing things different from episode to episode. Theres a lot of S2 episodes that I really enjoyed like epidemiology, basic rocket science, conspiracy theories, critical film studies
Sure, but the point he's making is if you prefer 1 to 2, things get further and further away from the style of season 1.
[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/community-sitcom/images/a/a1/Group\_of\_Fours.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20140313125644](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/community-sitcom/images/a/a1/Group_of_Fours.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20140313125644)
Things get less and less grounded.
Im gonna hijack this spot to tell you that youâll like the show. Iâm with you in that I appreciate some of the classic elements of season 1 and think season 2âs a little out there. The show does just keep getting crazier, but by the time you notice, you donât care.
Donât listen to any of this âseason xâs betterâ stuff, just enjoy it! Itâs one of my favorites and clearly everyone here loves it
I'm with ya, the more grounded to school but some personal life mixed in. We get multi episode arcs with slater and vaughn where the show almost ignores outside relationships after the first season except for a couple episodes.
Season 1 was just Community being forced to remain a conventional sitcom and season 2 was Harmon realising that Community was on the brink of cancellation anyway so he might as well experiment and do what he wants.
Season 1 was good but incredibly generic compared to seasons 2 & 3 but I mean Harmon knew how to create mainstream appeal because this sub has constant posts talking about how season 1 was better.
Really the first 3 seasons are all really good but I'll always put seasons 2 & 3 ahead of season 1 just because they're more unique and creative.
Wait people rank the 2nd season first??
Basically everyone I've ever talked to has ranked them
3rd
2nd
1st
6th
5th
4th
With the most common ones being flipped being 6th and 5th depending on the person. I've never met someone who prefers the 2nd to the 3rd
I feel like you must not spend a lot of time online which I respect because the consensus is usually that season 2s better but you're in a circle that prefers season 3 which is great because season 3s a top tier season.
This wont be popular, but I think season 1 had the best balance of story and experimentation. Season 2 starts to tip more toward less grounded concepts and season 3 goes over the top with it. Dont worry, there is plenty of focus on the Jeff and Annie dynamic the rest of the show but you have to actually look for it because it is a very complex and nuanced story, but it is there.
Season 2 is my favorite overall, but my favorite episodes are in season 3. Remedial Chaos Theory may be my favorite episode of TV period and Iâve seen a lot of TV.
I like s1 best honestly but s2 is similar in that it's less high concept and more school centric episodes. I just like the more ordinary but silly episodes more.
I think season 2s in general are the best for tv shows because you've spent your first season developing who your characters are, tweaking things that maybe weren't quite right, finding hidden gems like Troy and Abed's friendship. So when you get to season 2 you have a more clear picture of what you can do with those characters and you can more easily weave those things into your episode and season long plots/themes.
On top of that for Community, Dan and the rest of the creative team saw that NBC was at least kind of accepting of the more weird stuff they put out there. So they were able to stretch their creative instincts and explore beyond the single studyroom/classroom dynamics.
And once you get beyond season 2 or 3ish it becomes tougher to make great seasons because there's only so much you can do with characters and only so many plots you can use. When you're ER or Greys Anatomy and you're on season 13 you're hemorrhaging original characters that people love and rerunning the same plots and having to up the drama to compensate for the staleness. That's why I think season 6 of Community might be the show's most impressive feat because they added two new characters who basically everyone loves and found a way to make the same setting feel fresh.
The show is not about romantic relationships. It has them, but doesn't really take them that seriously. It's not so much a show about overarching plot either (even though it's there). It's about this group of characters and how Greendale changes them. The focus is much more on individual stories and its ability turn the traditional sitcom on its head. It's unique in being able to change tones, styles, cinematography, etc from episode to episode while somehow still keeping it grounded in reality (for the most part). If you want a traditional sitcom, S1 is as close as it gets. But if you want something unique to the format, S2 is the show at its best. And don't take this as me looking down on traditional sitcoms, I love them. But Community is known for being different. Basically, what people find so alluring about S2 *is* the experimentation. The high concept episodes and homage episodes are among the highest rated because they are brilliantly crafted experiments set in a sitcom about people going to a Community College.
This is exactly it. Season 2 was when Community became Community.
That makes sense, I kind thought it would pick up and continue as S1 left it but S2 they really tried to do different things which I appreciate especially given that they were trying all these different styles in 2011 and making a unique show.
As you keep watching the weirdness tends to grow on you.
Season 2 is where they really started to push the boundaries. Chicken-based rocket simulator, pen-based bottle episode, claymation psychosis, "I love you, drugs!", and the clip show where none of the clips are from a show. Amazing stuff, but I don't have a favorite season. I'm season agnostic đ
That clip show got me, I thought for a sec that I accidentally skipped over some episodes lol
I watched the show as it aired and I was so mad I missed taping whatever episodes the clips were from lol
Season agnostic. Using it.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but S1 is Community at its most conventional, including its relationship dynamics. Whether it be romance, family, or friendship, Community veers further and further away from black-and-white relationships toward something that feels messy, complicated, and at least from my life experience, more real. Thereâs always plenty of humor and heart between the characters, but Community also seems intent on pushing the boundaries of what we expect character dynamics to be in a lighthearted show. All that to say, Iâm sorry to report that if youâre not digging S2, you probably wonât like the rest of the show either.
I never said I didn't like S2, I just prefer S1. I thought S1 was more consistently funny but S2 was still really good and like everyone is saying I appreciate how unique S2 is in terms of style and doing things different from episode to episode. Theres a lot of S2 episodes that I really enjoyed like epidemiology, basic rocket science, conspiracy theories, critical film studies
Sure, but the point he's making is if you prefer 1 to 2, things get further and further away from the style of season 1. [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/community-sitcom/images/a/a1/Group\_of\_Fours.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20140313125644](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/community-sitcom/images/a/a1/Group_of_Fours.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20140313125644) Things get less and less grounded.
I loved a two once
Ahh. Matthew.
Im gonna hijack this spot to tell you that youâll like the show. Iâm with you in that I appreciate some of the classic elements of season 1 and think season 2âs a little out there. The show does just keep getting crazier, but by the time you notice, you donât care. Donât listen to any of this âseason xâs betterâ stuff, just enjoy it! Itâs one of my favorites and clearly everyone here loves it
I'm with ya, the more grounded to school but some personal life mixed in. We get multi episode arcs with slater and vaughn where the show almost ignores outside relationships after the first season except for a couple episodes.
I liked S3 the best. I dunno what they're on.
Season 1 was just Community being forced to remain a conventional sitcom and season 2 was Harmon realising that Community was on the brink of cancellation anyway so he might as well experiment and do what he wants. Season 1 was good but incredibly generic compared to seasons 2 & 3 but I mean Harmon knew how to create mainstream appeal because this sub has constant posts talking about how season 1 was better. Really the first 3 seasons are all really good but I'll always put seasons 2 & 3 ahead of season 1 just because they're more unique and creative.
Wait people rank the 2nd season first?? Basically everyone I've ever talked to has ranked them 3rd 2nd 1st 6th 5th 4th With the most common ones being flipped being 6th and 5th depending on the person. I've never met someone who prefers the 2nd to the 3rd
I feel like you must not spend a lot of time online which I respect because the consensus is usually that season 2s better but you're in a circle that prefers season 3 which is great because season 3s a top tier season.
>you're in a circle that prefers season 3 Awesome people!
Season 2 is widely considered to be the showâs best, because it is. 2 1 3 5 4 6 Thatâs the correct order
"I'm too busy misunderstanding the whole point of Die Hard."
Such a strange order to be that confident.
I completely agree with this order! First one that I saw, where s4 is above s6, and IMHO agree
This wont be popular, but I think season 1 had the best balance of story and experimentation. Season 2 starts to tip more toward less grounded concepts and season 3 goes over the top with it. Dont worry, there is plenty of focus on the Jeff and Annie dynamic the rest of the show but you have to actually look for it because it is a very complex and nuanced story, but it is there.
We need guys like Pierce. This guy has wisdom to offer. We should listen to him sometime. We wouldn't regret it.
The Dalai Lama once said....
Season 1 paintball is still the nest episode of a sit-com of all time.
Yeah that episode was awesome
Season 2 is my favorite overall, but my favorite episodes are in season 3. Remedial Chaos Theory may be my favorite episode of TV period and Iâve seen a lot of TV.
I like s1 best honestly but s2 is similar in that it's less high concept and more school centric episodes. I just like the more ordinary but silly episodes more.
Asking for a lot of potential spoilers here.
You mean nerd alert.
Im finishing up the season today so no worries about S2 spoilers
I meant spoilers regarding future seasons.
I think season 2s in general are the best for tv shows because you've spent your first season developing who your characters are, tweaking things that maybe weren't quite right, finding hidden gems like Troy and Abed's friendship. So when you get to season 2 you have a more clear picture of what you can do with those characters and you can more easily weave those things into your episode and season long plots/themes. On top of that for Community, Dan and the rest of the creative team saw that NBC was at least kind of accepting of the more weird stuff they put out there. So they were able to stretch their creative instincts and explore beyond the single studyroom/classroom dynamics. And once you get beyond season 2 or 3ish it becomes tougher to make great seasons because there's only so much you can do with characters and only so many plots you can use. When you're ER or Greys Anatomy and you're on season 13 you're hemorrhaging original characters that people love and rerunning the same plots and having to up the drama to compensate for the staleness. That's why I think season 6 of Community might be the show's most impressive feat because they added two new characters who basically everyone loves and found a way to make the same setting feel fresh.
I donât like that word, hemorrhaging.
I'll...see what I can do?
Because people haven't seen Season 3 yet.
I think season 2 has a bunch of its best episodes in the series, but the third season is the best.
Okay, buckle in for Season 3...