Over the past several years Community has been a bit of a puzzling show in that it displays moments of television brilliance with the occasional well-crafted high concept episode, while often trudging through the rest of the season with clever, if not overly memorable entertainment. But it's hard not to root for and support a show that has given us the Paintball episode, the Blanket Fort episode, Inspector Space Time in all it's glory, and also exists of several alternate timelines.
A few episodes back, Community brought another classic to the small screen. This time it ventured into the animated world of 1980's G.I. Joe, as well as the more narrowed sphere of G.I. Joe toy commercials. This dead-on parody brought the characters into the Joe universe, with spot-on code names and outfits. It took on the some of the more puzzling aspects of the cartoon, like why no character ever dies in their endless explosive battles, or why Cobra is always targeting tourist destinations with no military value. It was hilarious, especially if like me, you were a fan of the cartoon in your childhood.
As with most of the episodes, it used this alternate world to deal with one of the character's personal issues. The show always does a good job by making those connections in ways that don't feel forced, yet always seem play into sitcom troupes with a tongue in cheek attitude. It's sort of amazing that this show has lasted so long, and even more surprising is that it's better than it's been in years. It takes chances usually not reserved for prime time, major network shows, and that's what has always kept me coming back for more.
Yo Jobra!
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