Community: Advanced Gay

Advanced Gay was a bit more of a standard Community adventure after the last couple high concept episodes. Or as standard as an episode featuring Black Hitler and fatal heart attacks being played for comedy can be. This isn't a bad thing, as things like Remedial Chaos Theory can't happen all the time. In fact Advanced Gay was quite enjoyable, with the first (and last?) appearance of Pierce's dad Cornelius, and the return of Vice Dean Laybourne. It also managed to be about both Pierce and Jeff's issues with their fathers.

Having just watched through Community season 2 on DVD, I've noticed that Pierce actually has been more likeable this season than he was in season 2. He's still not the most likeable character, but he's not flat-out antagonistic. So it was easy to sympathize with Pierce as he finally began to strike out on his own once he found out how popular his wipes had become with the gay community and throw a party (he also became as openminded as one could expect of Pierce), only to be talked into cancelling said party once his father (who as Shirley puts it is "the Abed of racism") arrives. And when the party happens anyways because of Jeff (more on that in a minute), one feels bad watching Pierce about to announce his support of the gay community only to completely reverse his position only because his father shows up.

Meanwhile Jeff clearly has unsettled issues with his own dad. An "edible complex" as Britta calls it. And so, he begins resenting Pierce's dad as a substitute for his own, leading to the point where he stands up to Pierce's dad for him in the climax in a nice, powerful moment... which then leads to black humour at it's darkest as Cornelius Hawthorne has a heart attack, and when Jeff confidently declares it's fake (Pierce is known to fake heart attacks, and Cornelius says he taught him that), we cut to Cornelius' funeral, where Pierce's eulogy finally has him ready to step out of his fathers shadow. Of course his fathers dead, but it's still a good moment, and Pierce and Jeff's father issues are looking to continue on past this point, which should be interesting.

Meanwhile, Jerry (the janitor we see from time to time who tried to get Troy to become a plumber in season 1) returns and tries to get Troy into plumbing again. And Pierce enjoys it. But his skills are noticed by a member of the air conditioning annex, and soon Troy has been kidnapped and thrown into the intentionally surreal world of Vice Dean Laybourne, who is looking to recruit Troy for his own school. This plot leads to many great moments (The aforementioned "Black Hitler" and an Astronaut cooking Panninis, plus the definitive Room Temperature room among other things.), and leads to a nice Troy and Abed scene, where Abed convinces him he needs to do what makes him happy. Which for now is spending time with Abed and not becoming a plumber or an air conditioning repair man. But he still has his gift for fixing things and Vice Dean Laybourne isn't about to give up on Troy yet. This plot does a good job of establishing Laybourne as a nemesis for more than just Dean Pelton. He could threaten the whole group yet, and this should be interesting.

All in all, this was a solid episode of Community that told a good story, while developing the season-long plot threads further. Community's third season has been great so far and I expect to see it rise even greater.

Grade: Awesome! (Good)

Memorable Moments

-Shirley: “Yes, I’m always nice to the gays. They may live in defiance of God, but I’ll die before I let a woman touch my hair.”
-Cornelius: “These are your friends, Pierce? Minorities? Jewesses? The unseasonably tanned?”
-Pierce is apparently short for Piercenault, which is awesome.

-Priest at Cornelius' funeral to Britta: "You're the worst." Britta just can't catch a break.
-Inspector Spacetime continues to be a hilarious runner.