Community: The Complete Fifth Season DVD Review

     Actors: Joel McHale

Format: Multiple Formats, AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Widescreen, NTSC

Language: English

Subtitles for the Hearing Impaired: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1

Number of discs: 2

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: Sony Pictures Entertainment

DVD Release Date: August 5, 2014

 

        It’s actually fairly ironic that “Community” character Abed (Danny Pudi) is obsessed with the show “Cougar Town,” because the two shows have more in common than you might think. Television is an unpredictable medium. Unlike film, a dedicated fanbase is not enough to ensure continued productions. Many fan-favorite shows have been canceled in the past, and only recently have they learned how to find new homes on different networks or new media outlets. “Arrested Development” had a second life through Netflix, but the gap in-between production seemed to kill any momentum in the series. “Cougar Town” jumped from ABC to TBS without the same break, and following this season “Community” will be moving from NBC to the online programming of Yahoo TV.

 

        Cult followings have brought back shows, and they have already brought back writers to “Community.” Even with the show’s creator Dan Harmon back, this series has had a rough time living up to the success of the first few seasons. Season five brings back many of the familiar elements, but even more of them seem to be leaving. Troy (Danny Glover) leaves during this season, while Pierce (Chevy Chase) only has brief appearances from beyond the grave. Still, there are some classic “Community” moments for fans of the quirky post-modern sense of humor. Abed’s obsession with pop-culture comes into play again, and even Jeff (Joel McHale) joins in with a cartoon episode in homage to “G.I. Joe.” In similar fashion to the holiday claymation episode, it is a result of a psychological break from one of the characters withholding a secret.

 

        There are some great moments, but you can almost feel the show dying over the course of the fifth season. For one thing, there are only 13 episodes in this season. The half-season of “Community” is fit onto two discs, along with the special features. The extras include a cast/crew commentary on all episodes, outtakes, and two featurettes. One of the featurettes shows the process of writing two scripts in five days, while the other is about the ‘80s animation used for the G.I. Jeff episode.

 

Entertainment Value: 8.5/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 7.5/10

Historical Significance:  7/10

Special Features: 8/10



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