I Watched: Community

Community is one of those shows I lost in the noise of 2009, while I don't recall was I was watching at the time, we had just had our first kid and TV felt like a luxury at the time. Add in an aging Chevy Chase and Joel McHale, who was mostly ok on The Soup, but nothing must-watch, and I didn't really take time to bother with the show. A few years ago, I did start with the Pilot, and it was ok, but didn't pull me in right away and I forgot it for a bit.

However, with an active fan base and free time on my hands, I decided to give it another shot, and I'm very glad I did. While taking a few episodes to find it's footing, it really shines through seasons 2 and 3, with the band slowly breaking up over seasons 4 and 5, before "the replacements" season 6. I admittedly enjoyed the full ride, even if the highs weren't quite as high in the late season.

What really made the show shine were the various dynamics between the characters. Not everyone is best friends, they fight and bond in different ways among the group, but they all value the group as a source of comfort and growth. They all realize they are better together than on their own.

Add in a variety of hi-jinks, from the multiple iterations of paintball, the rival city college, taking a sailing class in the parking lot, and the "darkest timeline", and the show uses a lot of different ways to play on and develop the character dynamics. And this gives all the characters an opportunity to shine in their own ways, from the loveable slacker in Jeff to the always-peppy Annie, as the actors walk the balance of being caricatures and growing more depth into them.

While we're still waiting for the potential movie, Community was a fun ride that regularly made me laugh out loud, and I'm sure I'll watch through again.