tvdinner&amovie

Previously on Community: Digital Estate Planning

As the episode drew to a close, I recall having two distinct thoughts: Does the ‘first’ in The First Chang Dynasty mean there will be more Chang dynasties to follow? Also, Chang coupled with some obscure Ocean’s 11-style storyline should be funnier…right? We’ll get back to this later.

“A new day has dawned at Greendale…”

In one corner we have the (fan favorite) Greendale Seven, in the other, Security Chief Benjamin Franklin Chang, the architect of security, harmony and success at Greendale. A birthday Chang-travaganza was soon approaching and this was the study group’s chance to expose the Dean-o-ganger, Dopple-deaner or whatever you prefer to call him, and get themselves un-expelled. What served as the penultimate episode of the season also wrapped up one of the few conflicts of this season. Chang’s tyranny came to an end, the Dean-o-changer was banished back to a life of playing Moby on half-hour comedies and the group could return to Greendale. Alas, all is not well that ends well, and as this episode ended, Troy was moving out of the apartment and into his new life at A/C/ school.

As briefly mentioned earlier, I did want the first, of hopefully many, Chang dynasty episodes to be funnier. However, aside from the zillion quotables, I didn’t really find myself laughing out loud. Sure, there were a few giggles here and there, but nothing beyond that. What this episode, along with Digital Estate Planning and Introduction to Finality, made me realize is that I don’t love this show because it’s always hilarious, I love it because it’s always good. Community proved more than ever this season that it’s willing to try new things and most importantly, the show respects its overly-obsessive fans enough to put meta jokes inside the inside jokes and ensure that our attention to detail doesn’t go unacknowledged. So without further discussion, here are my favorite moments, quotes and stray observations:

• “Unfortunately, love is not admissible evidence” as a potential line or full rock ballad for upcoming cop opera. Of course the obvious name should be is Copera, but I think Pierce’s Policisical  had real potential.
• “Thanks for the hot water.” Because drinking coffee is just too mainstream.
• “I love how binoculars make far away things seem like they’re close. They’re like telephones for your eyes.” The adorably child-like Troy, joined at the end by the usually cynical Britta. Really cute moment.
• Chang’s army of Basterds who were armed with “stun batons and misplaced sexual aggression.” All very cute tiny terrors, but Joshua (played by Ryan Lee, Super 8) aka the dog sneeze in a pair of Reeboks was rightfully Chang’s number two.
• “Not a lot of people get a second chance, just you and probably Obama.”
• “This girl in Chicago won’t stop Facebooking me. Looks like J-Swag is going deep dish.” And this is why he’s rightfully the right-hand man.
• I’m not sure what was hotter, Jeff as a Criss Angel-esque Ricky Nightshade or Britta as his goth assistant.
• “It was just my head before, but now I’m really in.”
• What Chang keeps in his file drawer: Extra File Folders. Misc. Chang Puns. Lock Combinations
• “Peachy keen, Avril Lavigne.”

• “The best part of the plan is that a certain point, it’s going to look like the plan is failing. But that’s when it’s going to turn out that the failing plan was all a part of the plan.” Jeff channeling Danny Ocean.
• “Sar-cas-tic claps.” Far superior to the slow clap.
• “Chang, you’re insane. You’re still into key-tar?” Con-ti-nu-i-ty.
• “Fire can’t go through doors stupid. It’s not a ghost.”
• “As many of you know, I ate my twin sister in-utero. So, on my birthday I try to remember I’m a winner. This one is for you Connie.” Creepy.
• The entire rave scene was funny. However, the Dean’s impressive glow-stick dance moves were clutch.
• Yard-margs (yard-long glasses full of delicious margaritas) at Skeeper’s Bar. Although small, I still respect the call-back.
• “…a man is only as good as his word or his now through a camera to a guy with a button.” I said adorable and child-like, but I forgot to mention the massive amounts of integrity Troy has.
• Speaking of Troy…I believe the Dean’s Jeff-inspired collapses are slowly becoming just as amusing to me as Troy’s freakouts.
• Britta giving Troy a lock of her hair. Also creepy.
• Troy’s “I know you hate when people do this in movies” lean-in whisper. Sadly, I was hoping the scene would play out like the Buffy/Dawn in The Gift.

Nicole is a TV junkie and TVDM helps her feed a lifelong addiction. She can be found here, providing biased commentary (sprinkled with a few Pop Up Video-esque insights) on her favorite shows, every week.