We spent a lot of time reexamining roles on this week’s episode of Community. Abed pretty much stayed the director of the group, but it was quite the battle royale between Shirley and Annie to become the resident badass. It’s funny that it took me to this episode to realize just how alike these two characters really are. They’re cut from the same cloth, but have traveled on divergent paths. However, the end result is the same: good girls with a hilarious streak of crazy.
Not only was Shirley and Annie working together to fight crime the best buddy cop movie ever, but I loved how they made the crime scene feel appropriately like an episode of Law & Order. It made me realize that Allison Brie would really be great on an episode of SVU. Of course, she’s not as smooth as all of those detectives– I’d be hard-pressed to imagine Olivia Benson running through a cloud of pepper spray, but she’d do really well as a victim who turns out to be a total crazy. Law & Order casting directors and writers: you’re welcome.
It’s also very fitting that as these characters are in a college setting, they’re having realistic, albeit heightened, experiences. One of the most common college experiences (besides binge drinking and walks of shame) is trying on new identities and trying to break out of the box that people put you in in high school. Annie’s tired of being the good girl, Shirley’s tired of being written off, Britta wants to be fun, Pierce wants to be cool, and Troy wants to be smart. Even Jeff’s trying to be a somewhat nicer guy. It’s only Abed, who has confidence coming out of his butt, who wants to stay the same. Luckily, the way Abed is already, means that he can do a pretty amazing exasperated police chief impression.
But while there were many interesting plot points, there were several that were just ridiculously funny. I’ve already mentioned a couple of them, but when Annie slammed Jeff’s head against the table, I nearly died. In fact, I think I did die, and I came back to life just so I could write this and spread The Good News. It was completely unexpected, and impressively realistic. Plus, Jeff’s face? Priceless.
We have the technology to make Troy and Abed in the Morning exist, so why can’t we make it? Can’t we tack on another hour to The Today Show? Please, guys?
Clacked by Kona Gallagher 
on Mar 25, 2010 @ 21:44 EST5EDT
