Comparing Community to Breaking Bad is as awkward as it gets, but in a distinctive way "Cooperative Calligraphy," reminds me a lot of Breaking Bad's season 3, "The Fly." Both episodes revolve around an inconsequential object--a stolen pen in Community's case and an annoying fly in Breaking Bad's case--resulting in an intense focus on the characters and their traits.
This season, we've had the spaceship episode and the zombie episode, both strong episodes which were funny. However, the depth of the characters weren't really explored and some of the lines could have been interchangeable.
With everyone trapped in the room, however, each character must confront the others--and themselves--with regard to the group. The episode is loaded with frank discussion from all the characters. Britta's free spirit plays a large role in the beginning; Shirley's own hypocrisy (possibly her baby with Chang) comes into focus, We see Abed's inability to deal with people leading to the charting of menstrual cycles; Jeff blows off a date to fix the group.
After all the questioning, all the undressing and shaking, the group sits down and considers the next move. The logical conclusion, according to Jeff, is that a ghost stole the pen. The true bond of the study group, forged over a season of wackiness, is impossible to break and everyone must be telling the truth. Therefore, if the pen truly is gone, something as implausible as a ghost must have taken it--and that's a good answer for everyone.
Score: 9.5/10
Thursday, November 11, 2010
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