"We're gonna finally be fine!" the cast of NBC's "Community" assured audiences this past Thursday during its season three premiere. Of course, that's not true at all. Instead, "Community" promises to be as problem-ridden, hectic and outrageous as always. In other words, it will be the same hilarious, touching, lovable sitcom that has amassed a loyal fan-base over the past two years.
Since the series' beginning, viewers have followed Greendale Community College's dysfunctional study group, led by Jeff Winger (Joel McHale) through war-like paintball matches, a slew of movie parodies — one of the show's most common comedic strategies — and a multitude of dramatic, often chaotic dances. Fortunately for fans, the show doesn't seem like it's going to be much different this time around.
"Biology 101," the season opener, began on a high note with an over-the-top musical parody of Fox's "Glee." Hilarious in its irony, the scene finds cast members singing about how things will be "calm and normal" this year. Given the scene's context however, the audience instantly realizes that "calm and normal" could not be further from the truth.
The episode continues by concluding the second season's cliffhanger, with last season's primary antagonist, Pierce Hawthorne (Chevy Chase), returning to the study group without much contestation. He claims to be a "more highly evolved Pierce Hawthorne," and the group's ready acceptance of this excuse seems rather unrealistic, considering the circumstances in which he had left. Still, considering Pierce's immense past animosity, it's interesting to see his character portrayed more positively.
Tensions with Pierce seemingly resolved, the spot of the show's new "bad guy" is filled by Vice Dean Laybourne (guest star John Goodman), who butts heads with new addition Dean Pelton (Jim Rash) over the school's finances. Goodman provided a stellar performance last week, giving fans something to look forward to.
"Community" is no stranger to high-profile guest stars, having boasted the likes of Jack Black, Drew Carey and Hilary Duff. In that vein, its season premier included a second guest star, Michael K. Williams of "The Wire" (2002-2008) fame, as the group's biology professor. Per usual, the group decides to take one class, Biology 101, together, ensuring they will see each other throughout the semester.
Williams' famous "Wire" phrase, "You feel me" was among the episode's slew of cultural references. Others included allusions to ABC's "Cougar Town," "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968) and the BBC series, "Dr. Who."
The reference to "Cougar Town" is also a reference to a past episode of "Community," which backs up creator Dan Harmon's promise that season three will have more "connectivity between… episodes," instead of a multitude of "big stunt episodes." Such cohesiveness is a cornerstone of the series; this news can only be received positively.
In many ways, season three's premiere sets the stage for the coming year, introducing possible plotlines for future episodes. Such storylines might include Britta Perry's (Gillian Jacobs) journey to attain a psychology degree, Señor Chang's (Ken Jeong) rise from a near animalistic figure to one of authority and Jeff and Annie Edison (Alison Brie) eventually sleeping together.
Overall, "Community" may have had the lowest ratings among its NBC companions, which include "Parks and Recreations" and "The Office," but "Biology 101" was a very funny premiere that is hopefully indicative of episodes to come.
