“This class is like a redhead who drinks scotch and watches Die Hard.” – Jeff
First, anything with Tony Hale (he of Arrested Development and other things fame) automatically gets more rad. And in this episode of Community, Hale wearing that bizarro new age-hippie-artiste-Indian smock as the pottery instructor in the “blow off class” of the week takes things to new levels straight off.
We return to the theme of Jeff (Joel McHale) not dealing well with not being the instant “cool guy” in the room. The pottery class has golden boy Rich, who pretends to be a beginner according to Jeff, stunning everyone with his pottery mastery to the point that Hale utters breathlessly, “I want to kiss you on the mouth.”
Meanwhile, most of the gang has followed Pierce (Chevy Chase) into a yachting class that has its moments but doesn’t showcase Community at its wise cracking, ironic, pop culture drenched best. However, the “rescue scene” to bail Pierce out from drowning in the parking lot is fairly epic.
More thoughts on “Beginner Pottery”:
- “This class is like a redhead who drinks scotch and watches Die Hard” – Jeff (Joel McHale)
- Can Tony Hale and Joel McHale be in everything together, always? I’m just asking the question.
- The SS Nose Candy… wow.
- Abed’s (Danny Pudi) penchant for voiceovers is well played here again.
- “Good luck, Pierce.” – Jeff. “Don’t need it, never had it.” – Pierce
- I haven’t talked much about Shirley (Yvette Nicole Brown) but she is terrific as the relentlessly cheerful and somewhat naïve mother of the gang.
- “I’m still scared.” – Annie (Alison Brie), with reference to Jeff referencing his flashbacks out loud.
- Not enough Senor Chang (Ken Jeong) this week!
From Around the Web: Community, “Beginner Pottery”:
- A.V. Club: It was a weird little episode Community tonight. It was also according to Jaime Weinman, an episode that was significantly out of production order, being bumped to the 19th episode to air after it was the 14th episode filmed.
Some stats and info about Community, “Beginner Pottery”
TV SHOW – Community
SEASON/EPISODE – Season 1, Episode 19
AIRED ON – March 18th, 2010
NETWORK/STREAMING SERVICE – NBC/Yahoo! Screen
GENRE – Comedy, College Shows
CREATED BY – Dan Harmon
CAST – Joel McHale, Danny Pudi, Donald Glover, Chevy Chase, Gillian Jacobs, Alison Brie, Yvette Nicole Brown, Ken Jeong, Jim Rash
This review originally appeared on TV Geek Army.