Community: Season 3

Long-time readers of this blog - by which I mean a few of the people who contribute to it - know that I've got a weakness for TV series ownership completion; if I own one season of a TV show, I've got to own them all. Somehow, this applies to even the shittiest of TV seasons. The good news is that I've at least learned in recent years to wait on making TV season purchases until the DVDs have dropped in price to a reasonable $10 or $15 each. It's not as if I can't wait to re-watch most of these seasons. In fact, I often dread it. And even when it comes to the ones I know I'll enjoy, why not wait? The longer I give myself between viewings, the more I'm likely to have forgotten from said season, and thus, the more I'll probably enjoy the second viewing. Of course, as you've probably already figured out, this lengthy opening paragraph has merely been included in this post just to highlight that when the third season of Community came out, I purchased and watched it immediately, devouring every bonus feature included on the DVD set, including cast and director commentaries on every episode. What can I say? I fucking love this show.

I won't go off on a lengthy pitch or even attempt to describe my strong appreciation for the series. Instead, here's a brief list of a few different tricks it pulled off along the way to another 22 episodes:

• A multiple-timeline episode exploring chaos theory and the butterfly effect
• An episode in which the characters take turns telling very unique and true-to-character horror stories, unintentionally exploring the various roles and relationships they all see one another having within their study group
• A very memorable montage set to Seal's "Kiss From a Rose"
• Another documentary spoof (not a "mock mockumentary" this time around, but more of a Hearts of Darkness spoof - so, different!)
• A Christmas musical episode
• A Ken Burns-style documentary about a college-wide pillow fight, told mostly through still images
• Another "clip show" of entirely original clips
• The shocking - albeit temporary - twist that the characters weren't at a community college at all, but instead in an insane asylum
• An episode about a video game, rendered almost entirely in wonderful 16-bit animation
• A heist episode
• An appropriately touching season finale that could have served as a series finale (production on it was finished before the show was renewed for a fourth season)

Luckily, the show was indeed renewed for that fourth season. But at what cost? The season will consist of 13 episodes, not 22. The show will now air on Friday nights, all but ensuring that its (young) audience will be DVRing it rather than contributing to its ratings. And, worst of all, Dan Harmon, the show's creator and primary creative voice, has been fired outright. What will this show look like without him next season, and how badly will it flounder on Fridays, and is there any hope whatsoever of getting a back nine ordered - or hell, a fifth season? I suppose these questions will be answered next month. For now, I'm just thankful there's a fourth season at all. (You know. In addition to being thankful for three truly wonderful seasons of television.) So, uh, #sixseasonsandamovie, and I'm looking forward to Season 4's premiere with an open mind and high hopes. Good night!