NBC's clumsy handling of Community's third season came to a head during last night's three-episode dump, including the season finale.
By itself, the first of the three ("Digital Estate Management") would have made for a fine standalone episode, and easily one of the best of the season. This is probably why NBC stuck an episode of 30 Rock between it and the two final episodes.
Yeah, probably.
Despite expulsion and Chang's tightening grip over Greendale, the gang accompany Pierce to a warehouse where his dead father's assistant Gilbert (Giancarlo Esposito) tells him dad designed a video game for Pierce, per his wish for video game money in 1979. It's called "Journey to the Center of Hawkthorne," and the first player to reach the Cornelius's throne wins Pierce's inheritance. It's like Scott Pilgrim meets Dig-Dug.
It's a terrific episode, more so if you're a gamer. It's the little touches, like Pierce's avatar running into a corner, or Annie and Shirley inadvertently killing the blacksmith and his wife. And then there are Cornelius's own bigoted in-game creations, like the Lazy Forest (with tacos) or Gay Island (with cock and balls). But the best part was Abed's romancing in-game character Hilda and creating an army of child slaves. His own child slaves.
The study group team up, of course, and help Gilbert win the game. Gilbert is Pierce's half-brother, as it turns out, though of course their father never admitted it. That done, it's time for margaritas.
The first of the final two episodes was "The First Chang Dynasty." The gang wants to free Dean Pelton from Chang and his newly fascist Greendale, but Officer Cackowski informs them they can't go within 50 feet of the school. Troy approaches the Air Conditioning Repair Annex for assistance and Manny offers their help...for a price: Troy's enrollment in a/c school.
The gang refuses to let Troy do it, so the only other option is an Elaborate heist, the high point of which is Jeff and Britta as "goth magician" Ricky Nightshade and his assistant. I really think Joel McHale tries to get his shirt off every episode, like Matthew McConaughey. The plan fails, then succeeds, then fails again. In the end, and in order to foil Chang's plan to blow up the school and destroy all record of his crimes, Troy agrees to enroll in a/c school, where he is welcomed with open arms by Vice Dean Laybourne (John Goodman).
