The Talented Mr. Winger and Season Five of Community
Dymon Lewis ’14 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer
Although Dan Harmon can’t go back in time and wipe Community’s lackluster and poorly-written (Britta and Troy, anyone?) season four out of existence, his season five trailer is certainly trying to get its viewers to forget about those dark, dark days.
Jeff Winger (Joel McHale) has graduated from Greendale Community College a kinder, humbler man and now armed with a legitimate college degree he can finally get back to practicing law and making a real difference in the world. Yeah—no. Apparently, making a cheesy commercial starring yourself dressed as a DC Superhero who practices law is not the way to find paying clients. Jeff learns this the hard way as his furniture, but more importantly his drink, are re-possessed in the opening scene of the trailer.
So, the prodigal son returns to Greendale and becomes a teacher. Literally everyone knew that was going to happen—but it’s not unwelcome or awkward. The change in group dynamic—since Jeff can’t truly be part of the study group—will give Harmon & co. ample room to both reaffirm and complicate the relationships between the major characters.
Jeff is Community’s protagonist and an avatar of Harmon so the trailer focuses on him, but there are brief appearances from Community’s other major and minor characters. Dean Pelton’s (perhaps the only major character who wasn’t abused by season 4) is still dangerously in love with Jeff. Troy and Abed continue to be adorkable, though Donald Glover is only slated to appear in five of this season’s thirteen episodes. Britta, Annie and Shirley don’t do much in the trailer but do appear. Actor Jonathan Banks (Breaking Bad’s Mike Ehrmantraut) is featured in the trailer and his character Buzz Hickey, a criminology professor, is scheduled to appear in eleven of season five’s episodes.
As a community of television watchers and fans of the series we can do our part and simply forget that season four happened. Just remember that Pierce is gone and Jeff graduated. That’s it. That’s all you need to know.
Community returns January 2nd at 8 PM with a one hour premiere on NBC.
Watch the trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-3kFjFbSSE