Who knew that we’d end the season with a cliffhanger that could affect the very core of the group? This episode worked so well; it was definitely one of my favorites of the season. The first part concentrated mainly on the action, which was beautifully shot. I know it’s just the slow-mo and the camera angles and music that just gives us the artificial feeling of something epic and moving, but I’ll be damned if it didn’t get me anyway.
When Troy ran to face his demise, and then Shirley got hit in the back, I was just as invested as I would have been if I were watching Saving Private Ryan instead of Community. Last year’s paintball episode was pretty epic, but this year’s easily topped it. I was so caught up in the action of it all that the two big story points completely caught me off guard at the end.
First of all, Abed freaks me out whenever he’s acting. He’s basically the greatest actor who has ever lived, so whether he’s talking about his first kiss on Cougar Town field or playing Han Solo, he’s completely mesmerizing. Annie fell under his spell yet again. The group was around to stop his very meta Don Draper moment from getting too out of hand, but they were nowhere to be found when Annie came up against Han. Ordinarily, Annie and Abed kissing wouldn’t be considered remotely hot, but this time was definitely an exception.
As compelling as Abed was, it was Pierce’s redemption that I found to be the most interesting aspect of the show. He’s always been the villain, but this season he’s been ramped up to 11. He has become more and more of an insufferable asshole every single episode, to the point that not only were we ready for him to be kicked out of study group, but I would guess that he had few fans who wanted him to even remain a character on the show.
However, his badass save and his improbable decision to write the check to Greendale certainly won me over. The audience and the study group felt the same: that maybe Pierce wasn’t so bad after all. That’s why I loved his speech: he managed to remind the group that they’re all selfish assholes while making us feel sorry for him — but not in a pathetic, pitying way.
So now I’m torn: Pierce has driven me up the wall all season, but now I feel like it would be sad if he left the group. Would the study group be empty without its resident villain, or is this just temporary insanity brought on by the fog of war? Does a season’s worth of bad actions still outweigh a few moments of good? Should Pierce come back next season?
Clacked by Kona Gallagher 
on May 12, 2011 @ 21:59 EST5EDT
he’ll be back but not in the group wandering outside it and interacting with it like all the other char’s. Him, Star Burns, Leonard and Jarrid working their way around and maybe eventually into the group community (the suburbs!) then boom by season 5 it’ll be a city heh
When the City College flag was raised in front of the Greendale flag, I realized this show might have surpassed Arrested Development as my favorite show ever.
If you’re not sure why that moment was so incredible, go back and watch it again.
My wife thinks that Pierce is leaving the group to make way for Chang to officially join it. I like all the characters on this show, but I don’t really want to see that.
Was tonight really the finale? Damn. I want more of this show, and I want it now. /= On the bright side, I suppose Season 2 will be on DVD soon.
I am very sad that even with a space cowboy transition, there was no Nathan Fillion. I’m seriously wondering if he’ll be found in one of the deleted scenes, because it would have fit so well!
That being said the anal sex flag joke was BRILLiant. That and Magnitude’s heroic “death.” Oh, and this is the first time we’ve heard him say anything but “POP POP!” HISTORY!
I’m still not convinced he wasn’t in the episode. Did you see Cougar Town’s Dan Byrd and Busy Philipps cheering at the end the episode? Maybe he was in the background of another scene, or maybe he played stormtrooper?
I wondered about him being a stormtrooper, too. But if he did have a speaking line, I think I would have recognized his robust, manly voice.
I just watched the finale – finally – and I did see Dan and Busy at the end, and was wondering why no one else have even mentioned it. It was such an OMG moment!
To be honest the speech didn’t do it for me. That was the perfect time for him to apologize for the things he’s done over the past semester or at least show a shred of guilt about it since apologizing seems out of character for him. Admittedly doing that would have been less of an impact but I think that was what he needed to do to redeem himself with the addition of winning the game with Greendale in mind. But instead he passed the blame on the study group and guilted them into thinking that they were to bad people and that he’s done with them. If I actually knew someone like Pierce in real life and went through the same experiences I would have been fed up with him a long time ago. And that speech would have been unacceptable. It would have been fuel to growing dislike.
But I don’t think Pierce believes in apologies. There was an entire episode in the first season built around his refusing to apologize to Shirley for pantsing her, and when he did get around to it he was upfront about it not being sincere. His position is, this is who I am, take it or leave it; if you’re offended by what I say and do, that’s your problem, not mine.
While I’d agree that Pierce isn’t a guy who likes to apologise much, and the show portrayed this trait a few times, I’d also say his position and outlook was rather more nuanced than that. His view seemed more that since his respect for Shirley was utmost and sincere, any, ah, mischief towards her on his part therefore could never be an act or sign of disrepect, hence his confusion and consternation that his pantsing Shirley was construed as such.
Sure, Pierce tends to be an insufferable asshole, but in his case, it seems that given the foundational basis of the relationship he maintains with his friends within the Study Group, he often acts like an insufferable asshole either because he (1) is less cognizant of the boundaries and limitations of such a relationship than others and acts accordingly by taking it for granted, or (2) is all too aware of the limitations/boundaries and acts accordingly, by testing the mettle of his friends and pathetically lashing out for attention. I believe both, especially the latter case, since this is a man who, not unlike Jeff with his lawyer colleagues, is jaded/wise enough to see through his relationship with his step-daugther and Chinese fiance for what they really were…And because he said he tends to test people.
Man, Pierce was awesome.
No Chevy Chase should definitely NOT leave “Community”. He’s the main reason to watch it, and as old as he is, he’s still very very funny. He’s still got it! I love him and love him on the show.