Thursday Comedy Quick Reviews – October 15th

Community – “Advanced Criminal Law”

This was probably the best episode of Community so far, and although that’s not saying much, I thoroughly enjoyed some parts of the episode. There are three separate storylines in “Advanced Criminal Law,” the main one following Britta’s hearing after she admits to making a crib sheet for a test in Señor Chang’s class. We also follow Troy and Abed as they try to mess with each other, as well as Annie who selects Pierce to write a song for Greendale Community College.

All three storylines peter out in the latter half of the show, but there are plenty of laughs to be had at the beginning. Once again, Ken Jeong does a wonderful representation of the insane Señor Chang as he threatens to fail the whole class if the cheater does not come forward. There’s also Troy telling Abed the secret that he’s President Obama’s nephew. But the funniest moment had to be when Pierce revealed that his jingle for Hawthorne Wipes was actually a rip-off of the song “She’ll Be Comin’ Around the Mountain.”

I was pleasantly surprised by this episode of Community. It definitely proves that the show is capable of being a primetime contender. However, the majority of the episodes, so far, have been flops, so they really need to improve their writing soon.

Grade: B

The Office – “Mafia”

Jim and Pam are off on their honeymoon, but their departure, thankfully, doesn’t detract from the humor of this week’s episode (though that’s not to say they aren’t missed). Patiently waiting for Michael as he arrives at the office is Mr. Grotti, you’re everyday insurance salesman, who just happens to be Italian. After listening to his pitch, Michael simply declines the offer, that is, until Dwight and Andy convince him that Grotti is somehow connected to the mafia. Hilarity ensues.

Oscar is the only sensible person in the office this week, as the only two people who would support him are honeymooning in Puerto Rico. Not wanting to become a victim of the mob, Michael offers to have lunch with Grotti, but he brings Dwight and Andy, who is hilariously disguised as a mechanic, named Pat, along with him. Whether it was Andy being mistaken for a real mechanic, then telling a mother and her son that her car was totaled because of a “leaky spark tube,” or Kevin accidentally canceling Jim’s credit card back at the office, it seemed like I was always laughing.

Eventually, Michael caves and decides to buy the insurance, which he cannot afford, but the episode has a great, albeit really uncomfortable resolution. I don’t mean “uncomfortable” as an insult; it’s just something that The Office is so good at, where you actually feel embarrassed because of the characters. I’m glad to see that The Office is still in full-swing.

Grade: A

30 Rock – “Season 4”

30 Rock is finally back, and it’s still as funny as it’s always been. Jack Donaghy already has a full plate, and it’s only one episode into the season. Trying to appeal to middle America, Jack has secretly assigned Liz to hire a new cast member, and he also suggests to Tracy and Jenna that they should try to interact with average Americans. Meanwhile, Kenneth and the rest of the pages go on strike, after he realizes that there’s no money for the page’s overtime because Jack took a huge bonus check.

Liz immediately drags Pete into her situation, and their suspicious sneaking around makes for some great moments, including telling all the writers that they’re sleeping together to hide the news of new cast member from the actors. Furthermore, Jenna attempts to connect with the common people by “going country,” while Tracy roams the streets of New York, eventually revealing his friends: “Nobody, and his wife, Susan Walters-Nobody.” And to make the episode even better, Kenneth quotes the infamous “Hill People,” from where he used to live in Georgia, in short clip that is sure to make all DVR/TiVo users rewind and playback numerous times.

I think you’d be hard-pressed to find an episode of 30 Rock that isn’t great. Now that I’ve witnessed yet another great season opener, I still don’t think we’ll see one for a while. As the writer of the season opener, Tina Fey did a fantastic job of evenly balancing the humor among the show’s varied, extreme characters. “Season 4” was a perfect way (and a very fitting name) to start 30 Rock’s fourth season.

Grade: A