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Welcome to the second season of this ingenious and clever yet warm-hearted sitcom about sitcoms. On the surface,
Community follows the misadventures of a study group at a mediocre community college, but it's really a loopy satire of TV comedy, taking every opportunity to deconstruct the absurd rules and accepted structures that shape almost every sitcom ever made--while, without missing a beat, making brilliant use of those rules and structures to create wonderfully likable characters and tell delightfully funny stories. It's hard to imagine how something this sneaky and multilayered got through the soul-sucking committees of network television. In season two, the members of the adorable misfit study group struggle to fight off their former Spanish teacher, Seor Chang (Ken Jeong), who desperately wants to be part of the group even though they're now studying anthropology. But a greater danger lies within: Pierce (Chevy Chase), the socially obtuse moist-towelette magnate whose mix of paranoia and jealousy turns him against his friends, transforming him into the outright villain of the season. Meanwhile, the gang grapple with the sexual politics of charity, outer-space flight simulation, religious-epic filmmaking, mean girls, booze, Dungeons and Dragons, zombies, Balkan genocide, stop-motion Christmas specials, and a sequel to the first season's paintball episode that is almost as brilliant as the original. The entire cast (Chase, Joel McHale, Gillian Jacobs, Alison Brie, Donald Glover, Danny Pudi, and Yvette Nicole Brown) is in top form, the guest appearances (ranging from Betty White to Josh Holloway from
Lost) are smartly used, and the abundant DVD extras are all excellent.
Community: The Complete Second Season is a pleasure from start to finish. --
Bret Fetzer
