Community, "Debate 109": G vs. E

Quick thoughts on tonight's "Community" coming up just as soon as my shirt gets out of my pants...

"Debate 109" continued Alison Brie's comic hot streak that's bounced impressively between the period repression of "Mad Men" and the pop culture silliness of this show. Despite the difference in eras and styles, Trudy Campbell and Annie Edison turn out to not be so different in their ambition, in their indomitable wills, in all the emotions hiding behind that plastered-on sunny demeanor, and in their awareness of how to manipulate their man when needed.

My one big issue with the Jeff/Annie storyline is that it never really addressed the huge age gap between the two of them. We've established that Annie's 18, and Jeff's at least in his mid-30s (Joel McHale turns 38 in a few days). While I suppose you could interpret sme of Jeff's reluctance - and the head pats - as him being very aware of the gap, I think there was some material they could have mined there but either forgot to or chose not to.

As with tonight's "Parks and Recreation," the episode's biggest laugh came from what was practically a throwaway moment, with the arrival of the fuh-laming Greendale men's basketball team (complete with midriff-baring jerseys and handlebar musaches) in the middle of the debate. But as with "P&R," the rest was a lot of fun, too.

Despite the focus on Jeff and Annie, everyone had their great moments, whether it was Troy's brain being wrinkled by Abed's psychic films, Shirley being so excited to hear Jeff invoke Jesus in the debate, or Pierce tripping over the drums the second time(*). And Abed's films provided this weirdly satisfying layer of meta humor, complete with Not-Troy and Not-Abed appearing in the tag, alongside the actual Troy and Abed. A very satisfying episode.

(*) The first time seemed lame, but the second fall reminded me of Chevy's physical comedy genius back in the '70s. The difference, I think, was in the slowness of the second fall. If you watch any of Chevy's old Gerald Ford sketches, what made them work so well was that time seemed to slow down and it took Ford forever to hit the deck, knocking into/over many things on the way down, and yet he could never stop himself. That's funnier than just your basic pratfall, which the first one was.

What did everybody else think?