SkimIt
Abed uses the dreamatorium to learn empathy.
Play Date
This week's Community builds on Troy and Britta's newly acknowledged attraction from last week, though largely from Abed and Annie's perspective. With Troy and Britta on an extended lunch date, Abed is left in the dreamatorium with only Annie to accompany him. The result is, for better and for worse, one of Community's quirkiest episodes, essentially staging a medical drama on the Star Trek holodeck.
Abed's playtime initially starts in the familiar realm of Inspector Spacetime fan fiction, though he quickly riles Annie by revealing a deep-seated pessimism about Troy and Britta. Annie reaches into the dreamatorium's Gondryesque cardboard reactor core, and in a fit of frustration, swaps out the cardboard box channeling Abed's thoughts for a new box tuned in to "Other People." Her hope is that he will learn empathy; instead it nearly fries his brain.
Acting Selflessly
When Abed recovers from the transition, his inner personality is no more. He's now channeling the persona of Jeff, and the dreamatorium takes the shape of Greendale Hospital School. Imaginary Jeff explains that this is where doctors make love and save lives, often at the same time. Annie must navigate a study group recast as doctors and played by Abed, all of whom are unwilling to acknowledge his existence.
Talking to Oneself
Eventually, Abed takes the shape of Annie, inspiring Annie to take the shape of Abed. Real Abed then imagines Chang arresting him and shoving him in a locker, where Annie and Abed can then be themselves. Abed is worried that as the group changes he won't be needed, but Annie assures him that they're all strange enough to need each other. Abed emerges, now armed with empathy.
On the plus side: I loved the episode's visual style. The visual representations of Abed's imagination were consistently creative and funny, and the trick of shifting Abed between characters was quite clever. Unfortunately, it felt like the visual flourishes were there to make up for slightly-below-average teleplay. The multiple references to empathy were particularly egregious examples of explicitly writing to theme, the forced resolution and multiple lingering shots on smiles felt kind of cheesy, and strangely prominent indie-cute soundtrack didn't do the episode many favors either.
Community has proven itself capable of subtlety and substance many times over; it's a credit to the show on the whole that even a visually creative episode like this falls short its high bar of excellence.
Best Lines:
"What am I supposed to tell people in line, I had good news and bad news?"
- The Dean, suspecting that maybe his costume goes too far.
"Blogon means thank you in Blorgon."
- Abed, on Blorgon language.
"I can see why women are attracted to Clive Owen to the point of almost being attracted to him myself."
- Imaginary Troy, under the influence of truth serum.
"Can I just interject and say I have no idea what the hell's going on?"
- Imaginary Pierce, on the episode's convoluted plot.
"I saw eagles."
- Pierce, on what happens when you sit on your balls.
Similar Shows:
