Plot: Study group is part of an 80’s cartoon made to sell toys. Now you know. And knowing is half the battle.
Wow. Just wow. Under normal sitcom circumstances, another program couldn’t combine an 80’s cartoon with a regular live action comedy, but the latest episode of Community pulled it off with flying colors. Yo Joe!
The episode begins seemingly out of context from past events when the audience is catapulted into a G.I. Joe cartoon, beginning with the uniformed protagonists fighting off the evil Cobra. Seems Destro (remember him?)is up to no good. However, his plane is gunned down by Jeff (aka “Wingman,” for army code name purposes), who proceeds to kill the evil terrorist. Much to the shock of the Joes, (these good guys haven’t slaughtered a bad guy in the actual cartoon’s entire run), Jeff’s action land him in prison. Here he, Annie (“Tight Ship”), Britta (“Buzzkill”), and Shirley (“I’ve Got Three Kids” or something like that) run into Abed (aptly named Fourth Wall). Fourth Wall discusses a secret base known as “Greendale,” that they must get to. However, whenever the word “Greendale” is mentioned, it creates Jeff’s animation to have seizures. These moments launch Wingman’s consciousness into a live action commercial for the toys that appeared animated just a second ago. My nostalgia meter just went into frenzy; I couldn’t get enough.
Anyway, it all ties together by the episode’s end, which is a psychological analysis of Jeff’s life at the current moment. Much like “Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas,” the animation factor is a plateau for a subconscious explanation of a character’s breakdown. Once again, it works perfectly. It’s not as emotional heartwarming as Abed’s story, but it works just as well for Jeff that it’s a little bit more rough and tumble. This is probably bias speaking, but since I grew up with G.I. Joes, Community tapped into my childhood with hilarious results. I loved this episode and it’s probably one of my favorites of the whole seriessssssssss (Cobra Commander emphasis there).
Also Hasbro please make Community/G.I. Joe action figures now.
Rating: 9.5/10
