Ted Lasso, Rom-Coms, and Emotional Vulnerability

Why is it important that a show about men who play soccer did a rom-com homage?

Dickinson Behind-the-Scenes: An Interview With the Artisans

Meet the artists who brought the Apple TV+ series to life!

If You Like This, Watch That

Looking for a new TV series to watch? We recommend them based on your preference for musicals, ensemble shows, mysteries, and more!

Thursday, July 31, 2014

In Which Jenn Goes to LeakyCon: "Open at the Close" Private Universal Studios Party


I remember the thrill of excitement that shot through my body years ago as I hurried towards Barnes and Noble. I would do this - practically run toward the store - whenever a new Harry Potter book was released. I was never brave enough to stay up until midnight and fight through crowds at bookstores in order to obtain a copy. My brother and I had a system, you see, when we were teenagers. We would buy one copy of the book and share it between us. The book stayed in a neutral zone (the living room) and we would take turns - shifts, really - to read. I'll never forget the summer that Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was released. I say this because it was the summer my mom temporarily banned my brother and I from reading J.K. Rowling's novel. She banned us not because she detested the series, but because my brother and I would hover around each other during the first week we obtained the book, alternating between glaring at each other and the clock. I told him that he had been hogging the book; he countered that he had just started reading and I would have to wait my turn. My usually patient mother took the book from us and placed it in our dining room until we could prove that we could read the book without bickering.

It's an amusing story when I really think about it: my brother and I fought over a book. We couldn't share a novel, but I think that what this story is evidence of is just how special, how compelling, and how important the Harry Potter series was (and is) to so many people. There have been eight movies, seven novels, countless cosplays and tattoos and papers and discussions about this integral and beautifully constructed series. And as new people continue to be introduced to the Boy Who Lived and his extraordinary tale of heroism and loyalty, new ways to celebrate Harry Potter are forming.

That's where LeakyCon and I factor into this diatribe. When I found out that this delightfully geeky convention would be housed in my city beautiful of Orlando this year, I knew that I had to be a part of it. And, armed with a press badge, this year I've found myself being able to be a part of the delightful, mad world of nerdy conventions. LeakyCon kicked off last night with a special event called "Open at the Close" hosted at - you've guessed it! - the new Universal Studios Diagon Alley expansion. It was my first time seeing the Diagon Alley portion of Universal (I've been to the Islands of Adventure part featuring Hogsmeade and Hogwarts before), and it was a blast. Really, it was amazing because of the people that I was surrounded by. LeakyCon planned a special event with Univeral Studios that closed the park beginning at 10 PM to outside guests and allowed those few (hundred) with LeakyCon special passes to have Diagon Alley all to themselves.

I was surrounded for a few hours by Harry Potter lovers, by LeakyCon attendees, and by people who were full of so much happiness and joy. People who burst out into spontaneous "Get Back to Hogwarts" sing-alongs while in line for the Hogwarts Express. People who genuinely love and care about fandom and who don't care if they look silly or weird. People who squeal and hug when they meet each other, who become friends in line for a ride, and who "ooh" and "ahh" at a dragon that breathes fire. These are my people. And that was my introduction to LeakyCon.

So below the cut, here are some of my favorite photos and memories from "Open at the Close" so that you can live vicariously through me! ;)

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Suits 4x06 "Litt the Hell Up" (Some Men Just Want to Watch the World Burn)


"Litt the Hell Up"
Original Airdate: July 23, 2014

The theme of “Litt the Hell Up” is really just that: sparks. There are spark flying like crazy in this episode – romantic sparks and angry sparks and sparks of betrayal mingled with regret (those are totally a thing, right?). The first few episodes of this season have been building toward a fire. Slowly but surely, the kindling has been placed and the flint has been struck. Harvey and Mike have clashed on multiple occasions and every sign pointed to a forest fire as the end result, not a fizzle. What’s so interesting about the resolution of this storyline is that the fire rages and burns in the most unexpected way. And when we back away from the flames, we see that Louis Litt is holding the match.

I admit that I was surprised by this resolution as I presumed there would be a final confrontation between Harvey and Mike – that those two would have a final duel and one (or both) would emerge covered in soot but somehow restored in their relationship. What happens instead in “Litt the Hell Up” is that Mike emerges, covered from head to toe in ashes, Harvey roasts marshmallows over an open flame, and Louis watches the flames erupt around him with feelings of remorse. So let’s discuss how this episode managed to connect everyone emotionally.

Monday, July 21, 2014

Jenn's Pick: What You Should Binge-Watch This Summer


It's summertime, y'all! What does this mean for you, the avid television viewer? It means that you are free to peruse Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Instant Video because your TV schedule is open. (It also means you're probably spending time basking outside in the glow of the afternoon sun, reading magazines or novels while sipping a cool drink and working on your tan.)

In case you're in the market for some good television to watch this summer, I've compiled a list of some comedies and dramas available on Netflix or other sources that you can binge-watch with reckless abandon. So if you're prepared, check out the list of series below the cut and then go out (er, technically in) and watch some pretty great television shows.

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Jenn's Pick: Top 15 Episodes of 'Psych'


I have very few television regrets, if I’m being honest. I suppose that this is because I’ve found myself becoming involved in fandom or social media at just the right time – I joined the Community fandom just as it was beginning to surge and take on more life (and social media prowess). I was pretty much at the ground floor of the New Girl fandom. And I am proud that I was watching the pilot live and got the opportunity to witness Sleepy Hollow soar into success. In recent years, I cannot recall a regret that I’ve had regarding television. I don’t even regret watching Smash or Glee as being involved in both shows has afforded me the opportunity to discuss their faults ad nauseam and bond with others who felt similarly (long live #SmashBash).

But there is one television-related regret that I have and it is this: I regret that I didn’t watch Psych when it was on the air and become a part of its meta, delightful fandom. Funnily enough, I first recall hearing about Psych from my friend Sarah. We were at her apartment, marathoning the second season of Community when she told me that since I loved that show, I should marathon Psych next. She told me that the humor was so similar that I was certain to love it. I vowed to follow her advice but then life and other fandoms got in the way and I found myself forgetting about the show until I was home sick one afternoon with a blanket on the couch and the near-limitlessness of Netflix. After taking a poll via Twitter – of which one person and I do not remember who, but thank you, responded – I decided to kick off my newest television binge of Psych. I had been drowning myself in Pretty Little Liars so I was overdue for some good, solid comedy. And boy, did I find it.

I wrote a post a few years ago in which I ranked some of my favorite pilots of all time. Looking back on the post, I have no regrets about which shows I selected, but I would now like to retroactively add Psych’s pilot to that list. It’s rare that I fall in love with a show from the pilot alone. Most shows usually take a while – at least three to five episodes – to really find their groove, but Psych drew me in immediately and compelled me to continue watching. After the completion of my initial binge-watch this weekend I can safely say that Psych ranks among my top five television shows in recent memory (perhaps of all time). Not only are the characters appealing, hilarious, and delightfully nuanced but the stories and cases are solid and the humor is self-referential in the way that makes me laugh and swoon. I didn’t think a show could be more meta than Community, but Psych is just that and – if I dare to say it – does meta humor better than Community.

I fell deeply in love with this USA comedy series and its characters over the course of my binge-watch, so I thought that I would rank some of my favorite episodes of the series. What’s delightful about this show is that there are so many amazing homage-style episodes and “normal” ones to choose from that I doubt any two “top 10/15 episodes of Psych” lists between fans are identical. I think that’s actually pretty cool, to be frank. So grab a pineapple and maybe some fries quatro queso dos fritos while you’re at it, because we are about to count down my top 15 episodes of Psych!

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Suits 4x05 "Pound of Flesh" (Or How About A Truce?)


"Pound of Flesh"
Original Airdate: July 16, 2014

When I was in elementary school, I clearly remember two of my friends getting into a huge argument with each other. Our friend group was split on the playground during that week at recess – you were either with Laura, or you were against her. I tried to be in the middle, to be neutral, to not be forced to choose a side. Neither side of the fight really liked that. The truth is that until there is a truce or the fight manages to fizzle out organically, fights don’t usually end themselves over time. They usually do just the opposite and intensify. And no matter how much you will it to end or push it away, there will always be a layer of bitterness and resentment until (and sometimes long after) the dust settles. Suits’ most recent episode titled “Pound of Flesh” doesn’t get to the truce until more than halfway through the episode. The first part of this season has focused pretty heavily on the dissolution of the Harvey/Mike relationship. They’ve done more than fight, if we’re being honest. They’ve crossed personal and professional lines with each other and it has been messy and brutal at times. But the episode comes to a head when Harvey and Mike realize that little sliver of the Venn diagram where their personal and professional interests overlap (Rachel) and decide to call a momentary ceasefire in their war. The problem, of course, is that while Harvey is a soldier, he isn’t the general.

Elsewhere in the episode, everyone else spends the majority of their time figuring out how to stab each other in the back, Rachel spends a chunk of the episode unconscious, and Louis and Donna perform some Shakespeare. And that’s what you missed on Suits!

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

The Crazy Ones 1x09 "Sixteen-Inch Softball" (Stuff of Legend)


"Sixteen-Inch Softball"
Original Airdate: November 21, 2013

Simon Roberts concerns himself a lot with being a legend.

The Crazy Ones is a show that focuses on his relationship with his employees and his daughter but it also heavily focuses on the man’s desire to be remembered and his fear that he will slip into anonymity once he is gone from the advertising world and the world in general. It’s a universal human fear, to be honest. We all have this desire within us to be remembered. We want to do something that puts us on the map. So we work hard and we strive to be noticed by our bosses or our peers or Internet strangers. We want to feel like our lives are significant and that we make an actual, tangible difference in the world. No one at Lewis, Roberts + Roberts understands this feeling more than Simon who spends most of “Sixteen-Inch Softball” weighed down with concern over whether or not he will remain a legendary figure to his staff. Elsewhere in the episode, Sydney spends most of her time trying to buddy up to Nancy, Andrew’s girlfriend, who hates her. The younger Roberts is nothing if not persistent, but continues to fail and Andrew dissuades her from pursuing a friendship with Nancy (the reasoning for which we learn near the episode’s end).

So if you’re ready, let’s discuss more of “Sixteen-Inch Softball” and its plot as well as some character development and insights, shall we?

Saturday, July 12, 2014

In Defense of Danny Castellano: Part 1 [Guest Poster: Ann]


In the first of what is sure to be more collaboration, I've invited my extremely articulate and passionate The Mindy Project fandom friend Ann to guest post at Just About Write. This is the first part of her guest post titled 'In Defense of Danny Castellano.' Please welcome her to the blog and check out her brilliant commentary regarding our favorite fictional doctor below (and subscribe to her Tumblr while you're at it)!

Hello everybody! I am Ann (overanalyzingtelevision on Tumblr) and I love TV and I love writing and I love talking and I am so excited to be talking about my most favorite of characters on my most favorite of shows.

When the title of the majority of the writing you do about TV is under the name OVERANALYZING TELEVISION, the two assumptions most people make is that you’re a) a television sage or b) a television snob. Neither of those are true. I just love TV. I love tropes and I love seeing how writers on TV shows tell the story they want to tell, and I love seeing actors rise to the challenge of stepping in a character’s shoes and help tell that story, too.

A show is nothing without its characters. No plot is good enough that lame, inconsistent characterization can carry it. And when a show has great characters—with help of the writers, and with help of the actor in charge—it’s the difference between Pizza Hut pizza and pizza from Italy. Like, you’d still eat them both, but which one are you going to Instagram?

I guess what I’m trying to say is that Danny Castellano is one of the best characters on television.

To begin my discussion on why a character is great, I want to make it clear that the answer isn’t goodness, or even likability. If we’re being honest, goodness can be boring. What if Hannibal didn’t like killing people and was, like, a dentist?

It all boils down to texture. Realness. People are parts likable and unlikable. People carry conflict and they start conflict. They have idiosyncrasies. They fall in love. They get pissed. They have vulnerabilities and hopes and fears. And memories! The best characters are people, not vehicles for jokes or underdeveloped shells.

A half-glance at Danny Castellano gives you only a shell: a divorcée with daddy issues who begrudgingly falls in love with his banter buddy and best friend. If I had a shot for every trope I just listed, am I right? But he is above and beyond this basic description.

I am a writer—like, the story kind—and I have always viewed fiction storytelling as the construction of an elaborate lie. A good writer is a great liar, and the reader (or, in this case, the viewer) is the one administering the polygraph test. The best readers will be skeptical and the best writers will expect and prepare for this skepticism.

The three questions a writer should prepare for: Why, how and so what? What motivations did a character have to do something, what was the process to lead to an outcome, and what effect does that have on the story?

‘Danny Castellano is a divorcée with daddy issues.’ Both of these were true of Danny before the events of the Pilot. And while ‘daddy issues’ isn’t Danny’s fault—it’s purely, at least to our knowledge, reactionary—the divorce well could be.

Why are things the way they are? What do we know about the divorce that is interesting? We’ve met Danny’s ex-wife—we know she is a dramatic, impulsive, manipulative woman who cannot keep things private (whether she’s asking for Danny back, breaking up with him, or displaying a collection of pretty hot nudes to all of Manhattan). And we know that after the divorce, Danny was devastated—going to Suze Orman conferences, writing letters with drawings of imagined children (in 2008!!), and missing his wife 5 years after she’d left.

Maybe it’s unfair of me to love a character so much based on speculation of why he is the way he is, but it fascinates me the picture these facts, dropped sporadically throughout the 2 seasons, paint before we even consider what Danny does in the present day.

Because here’s who Danny Castellano is, all things considered: he’s a man who has an enormous capacity to love. Enormous, for his devastation to last so long and be so strong. Enormous to try to heal—heal from his dad with Christina, and heal from Christina with Suze Orman.

If we know this as we watch Danny be a complete asshole to Mindy Lahiri in the Pilot, it’s clear that for all the efforts Danny made to find love, he failed. Not because he didn’t want it enough, but because the cards he was dealt were so bad that he lost hope.

How does that manifest itself in Danny? He’s a smoker. He thinks work should be for work only, and he doesn’t mind spending Thanksgiving alone. And, most importantly, the problems in the past have made him terrified—and absolutely doubtful—of love itself.

And then there’s the second part of our statement, the falling-in-love part. How does a man who has shut himself away fall in love with a woman who thinks of romance in the exact opposite way?

You can’t start a fire without a spark, and that tension between Mindy and Danny is the conflict that drives the relationship and the show. Mindy is a person who gives everyone a chance. Danny resists warmth because he’s been burnt before—but the reason the show keeps moving and these characters keep growing is that Danny keeps coming back because despite everything—everything!!—he has been through, and despite his best efforts, he can’t help himself from wanting love. And Mindy sees that potential within him.

What’s that? Hearts in your eyes? Me too.

In the first season, the conflict between Mindy and Danny is primarily about friendship (with a dash of somethin’-somethin’). Mindy is the initiator most of the time. She seeks him out for advice, she texts him, and she challenges him. And Danny, who underneath the gristle and icy exterior a warm heart beats, responds. He goes to the club because of her. He picks her up from school jail. They’re not friends, but they are familiar, and with each episode increasingly so.

The first big turning point between Mindy and Danny, to me, is in Josh and Mindy’s Christmas Party, which is the first time Mindy is vulnerable around Danny. In the previous episodes it was on her to support him, and this episode provides the checkpoint that these little gestures have meant something to Danny, whether he admits it to himself or not.

Here’s a metaphor, Hazel Grace: personality is a tree, with a trunk and a branches and fruit. And if the trunk of Danny’s personality is that he has a high capacity to love (a personality trait my dad would just call ‘emotional’) the branches are that he is protective, caring, selfless, and sweet. And the ‘Josh and Mindy’ fruit is juicy, man. Protective, like telling Ellie Kemper that it’s ‘uncalled for’ to call Mindy chubby? Caring, like going after Mindy when she just wants to cry in her room and close herself off? Selfless, like ditching a date to help a friend (ha) in need? Sweet like a GINGERBREAD HOUSE WITH COTTON CANDY INSULATION?!?! Above and beyond. Danny Castellano is just gross.

Danny’s first deliberate moment of vulnerability (‘Harry and Mindy’) comes not far after ‘Josh and Mindy,’ and it’s as adorable as you’d think it would be, but it’s on the same trajectory. Mindy pushes and Danny responds.

That trajectory is disrupted, however, with ‘Pretty Man,’ as Mindy and Danny and the audience has to question what we’ve seen develop between the two of them but especially within Danny and question what will develop next.

Why is Danny so interesting in ‘Pretty Man’? Because the episode is so much about Danny—all of Danny, the raw, the mean, the suspiciously not platonic. For the first time, Danny expresses to Mindy the fear that everyone hates him (to her shock, having not expected him to react so strongly). Which is cool, but then he keeps going—he is jealous of Brendan, and then loving (“He’s an idiot for treating you badly”) and then that shower seems awful small all of a sudden.

Mindy and Danny as a romantic possibility, from episode 1, is something I could talk about for eons—and something I really believe is palpable from the beginning of the show—but the writers are a lot more conservative than Chris Messina’s eyeballs. I think ‘Pretty Man’ … take a deep breath, this is linguistic acrobatics … ‘Pretty Man’ clues us in on the underlying romantic tension that explodes in ‘Santa Fe,’ an episode which then sets in motion the tension building to the big moment in ‘Take Me With You.’

Stay with me here! So in ‘Pretty Man,’ Danny is vulnerable, which we as an audience have become used to, but then we get a peek of something more from him (‘potential to love,’ you know?) .

With the end of ‘Pretty Man,’ and the end of Danny’s resistance to Mindy’s friendship (in light of deeper feelings), a cycle with increasing stakes begins, where Danny and Mindy come closer—and almost connect—but just miss each other. In ‘Santa Fe,’ Mindy and Danny hold hands, and Danny responds (grabbing her hand again), but then Christina comes in. The season closes with an almost kiss, but Casey and Christina are enough to stop Mindy and Danny, at least temporarily.

I love ‘Take Me With You’ because it juxtaposes the Pilot with itself so well. (It wouldn’t be a critical essay if I didn’t use ‘juxtapose,’ right?) Mindy and Danny are back in the doctor’s lounge, but now so much has changed.

Especially with Danny. Yeah, it’s called The Mindy Project, but in the course of that season Danny is the one that changes most. And though he doesn’t leave New York City or cut his hair to Ellen Degeneres lengths, he leaves the first season finally ready to fall in love with Mindy, the only person who believed In him enough to get to that point.

By the end of season 1, Danny Castellano is warm. Not only that, but the almost-kiss paves the way for season 2 and the advent of Danny Castellano love eyeballs. Not that they didn’t exist in season one—because MAN DID THEY:





But season 2 is a whole different animal, an arc produced as a result of the almost-kiss. The central conflict in the first season is whether or not Danny and Mindy can become friends. Though it’s hinted at in every single episode of the first season that there’s something more, it’s only in the final episodes that the tension is acknowledged by the show in a significant way.

As ‘Take Me With You’ ends in the same place, but with very different circumstances, as the Pilot, Danny is not the same person. He’s better. He’s awesome. And he’s more than ready to fall in love.

HEY HEY SEASON 2!

Part two will be coming soon so keep your eyes open for it! Until then, folks. :)

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Suits 4x04 "Leveraged" (From A Place of Strength)


"Leveraged"
Original Airdate: July 9, 2014

“Good lawyers negotiate from a place of strength, not weakness.”

And just like that, this week’s episode of Suits titled “Leveraged” can be summed up. Thus far, this season of USA’s hit drama has been all about fighting – it’s focused on how to fight fair, fight dirty, fight against yourself, and fight FOR yourself. It’s allowed us glimpses of Harvey Specter in vulnerability, torn because of his desire to win and also his care for Mike; it’s shown us Mike Ross at his most cunning and conniving. It proved that you should never back him into a corner. It’s also showed us what a managing partner torn between romance and her career looks like, as well as a man (Louis) desperate to be seen as an equal and a partner, rather than an afterthought. The dichotomy between strength and weakness is strong within this week’s episode and this season in general.

Have you ever noticed that the metaphorical claws only ever come out during conversations in which you feel threatened? I’ve noticed that about myself, to be honest. I’m a rather pleasant person in general; it takes a lot to rattle me. But when I am rattled the most is when I’m cornered – when I feel trapped and weak and lash out to hurt someone before they hurt me. Brand it what you will, but the bottom line is that everyone has a pressure point and the more they feel cornered and smothered, the more vicious the attack. We justify how we act in these moments by labeling it “self-preservation.” We excuse our behavior by spinning ourselves as the victims or telling ourselves that we had no choice.

But what we learn in “Leveraged” is this: there is always a choice. And sometimes once choice can mean the difference between success and failure, but it can also mean the difference between maintaining a relationship and destroying it.

Monday, July 7, 2014

Jenn's Pick: 5 Books To Add to Your Summer Reading List


When I was in high school, I remember getting my summer reading list each year and then dragging my mom to the closest Barnes & Noble to locate the novel or novels among the shelves. Each summer, thousands of high school students are required to annotate novels and write papers. I remember my summer reading assignments for my sophomore (A Separate Peace), junior (The Great Gatsby and The Things They Carried), and senior years (The Poisonwood Bible) quite vividly. I remember the smell of the bookstore and the feeling of sitting outside on a lawn chair beside the pool, listening to the quiet bubbling of the pump while I turned pages, underlining and highlighting phrases and sentences. I remember how the sunscreen scent mingled with that distinct smell of my new books. I remember the musky library that I often visited in the summer, scouring for my required reading books, too.

I love reading (hence the English degree) and I actually, surprisingly, enjoyed almost all of the novels I was required to read during my high school summers. So, in the spirit of summer, I decided to compile a list of five "summer reading" requirements for y'all. There are a ton of books that I am dying to read this summer and that I am sure you can recommend. So don't hesitate to hit up the comments with YOUR suggestions. For now, let's explore five very different novels that I recommend, shall we?


Tuesday, July 1, 2014

How 'Community' Can Be Redeemed: #SixSeasonsAndSomeCharacterDevelopment


As my roommate and I sat eating dinner last night, she asked if Community really was coming back. I nodded and affirmed the fact that the show just cannot seem to be killed, even when numerous people stomp on it with the intent to kill. Somehow, the show keeps coming back in the eleventh hour and it’s either stupidly good luck or some divine intervention that it does. But let’s be real for a few moments here: I didn’t like Community’s fifth season. Perhaps “didn’t like” is an understatement. And I wasn’t mad by the time the show wrapped on NBC; I was disappointed. I was disappointed that Community’s fifth season had no trajectory, no common plot thread. I was disappointed that guest stars sucked up the valuable time that could have been spent focusing on the five remaining cast members. I was disappointed that Annie Edison was left as an afterthought and Shirley was glossed over like last month’s copy of InStyle. I was disappointed that characters didn’t grow and instead were written as caricatures of themselves from the pilot and then fizzled into nothingness at the series’ end.

Jaime and I talked extensively about Community’s problems, both in its later years and in particular season five throughout this post. I’ll spare you the majority of the details, but the conclusion we arrived at is this: Community isn’t perfect. It has flaws and faults and hang-ups and we simply cannot ignore those. I told my friend Laura this week that the longer a show runs, the more difficult it is to sustain the quality of the series. Even under the best of circumstances, it is difficult to maintain quality writing, but in the case of Community – with the show’s removal from schedule, firing of Harmon, shake-up of cast members, and now cancellation and reinstatement – it’s been an even more tumultuous journey. It’s important to see flaws in your show if you want to watch the show critically or learn anything from the series as a whole. I’ve learned more about what I look for in a television series from watching this show under a more critical eye than I would if I fawned all over everything the show has ever done. I do love this show, don’t get me wrong. I love its cast and their dedication to us (a dedication that is unmatched across any fandom I’ve ever seen or been a part of). I love the characters. I love the meta humor. But because I love the show so much, I lament when it fails to be all that it CAN be simply because it doesn’t focus on what is important or give weight to certain stories or characters.

With all of that said, Community is returning courtesy of Sony and Yahoo! and that means that we have another thirteen episodes with our beloved Greendale students. Since the show is, indeed, coming back, I thought I might compile a bit of a list of what I feel needs to happen this year in order to bring the show back into my good graces. Some damage is irreparable, which I’ll discuss momentarily, but there are numerous elements that can be fixed in order to make the sixth and likely final season a success and joy to watch. It seems silly to call this a “wish-list,” because I already made one of those for season five and look at how well that turned out. Instead, I’m calling this a task list: it’s a list of things that need to occur and not necessarily just that I want to occur. Whether or not these items are fulfilled is out of my hands, but that’s okay. I simply need to express what I feel the show requires in order to be better and not merely coast in its final season. Because when you think about it, this season? Season six? It’s a miracle. I know of very few shows that are able to find homes after network cancellation. (R.I.P Happy Endings.) And if this season is a miracle – if you are literally or figuratively thanking God for Community’s return – then the show OWES it to not just the fans but to itself in order to prove to the world why it deserved to be revived. Wouldn’t you agree?

So below the cut, let’s just chat. Let’s talk about some of the pitfalls this show has experienced and what can be done writing-wise in season six to improve and bring this show back into all of my good graces.