(This is the twenty-second part in an ongoing series, in which I am writing brief reviews of each and every episode of Dan Harmon's beloved cult- comedy "Community." Originally conceived as a response to NBC's cancellation of the series before it was revived for its final season on Yahoo.)
OK... I'm gonna level with you. I know "The Art of Discourse" isn't exactly a fan-favorite. And there's a pretty good reason for that. But when it comes to "Community", especially looking back now that the series is over... I love this episode. I love it, I love it, I love it. Because it's just so quintessentially "Community" in virtually every way, both good and bad. A lot of people seem really against this episode due to its frankly grating main storyline, but I find it all too endearing and entertaining. To me, this is a fine example of the show doing what it does best, and with style and great humor to boot! Yeah, it might be that one episode in the first season that makes fans want to shove cotton-wads into their ears and claw at their eyes... but sue me. I think it's great.
Jeff (Joel McHale) and Britta (Gillian Jacobs) run afoul a group of loud-mouthed, snotty-nosed teenagers who are visiting Greendale to check it out. Unable to deal with or even really comprehend being punked by High Schoolers, the two begin to plot together to try and get back at them... a plot that just might involve Jeff trying to seduce the "hot mom" (guest star Lisa Renna) of their leader Mark. (Jared Kusnitz) At the same time, Pierce (Chevy Chase) finally pushes Shirley (Yvette Nicole Brown) to her breaking point, while Troy (Donald Glover) helps Abed (Danny Pudi) accomplish a list of goals based on the tropes and clichés of old college movies.
The thing most people seem to remember about "The Art of Discourse" is the villainous Mark and his gaggle of friends. And the reason they are so memorable to so many is that they are almost intolerably annoying. With their penchant for just repeating what the other characters say in a snarky tone, inserting a prolonged "Duuuhhh" at the end of every sentence and just being generally obnoxious, a lot of people view them much in the same way that they view characters like, say... Jar Jar Binks from "Phantom Menace" or Willie from "Temple of Doom"... unwanted and infuriating comedic side- characters that get far too much emphasis. But I actually think they're kind of the ideal foils for Jeff and Britta. The perfect villains for our two leads thanks to their beautifully simplistic and hilarious execution and portrayal. They're grating for a reason, and I think they work exceptionally well. It's just so much fun seeing such stupid characters getting such a rise out of everyone else. Oh, I hated them for the longest time. But once I got over it... I can't help but laugh at them every time they show up on screen.
The subplot involving Pierce and Shirley is actually quite good natured and has a lot of fun moments, and it's nice to see the two working off of each other. Despite his falling out with the series later on, Chase is actually really good when he's given the chance to stretch his acting chops, and it's always nice to see Shirley getting some business in an episode. I also really enjoyed Troy and Abed's mini-storyline here, and even though it might not play into the overall plot as much as I'd have liked, it does pay off in a big, bad way that I won't spoil. Add to that generally great humor, solid direction, tight writing and good supporting performances by our guest-stars and you got one heck of a great Season One installment for "Community."
It might not be an episode for everyone. And in fact it might be an episode for almost no one. But for me, "The Art of Discourse" easily earns a perfect 10 out of 10 for its sheer hilarity and high entertainment value. Duh!
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