
Community has thrown another uninspired episode into the ring, trying to do battle with last week’s powerhouse only to trip on its own untied shoelace and knock itself out before the first punch was thrown. Ordinarily, there would be some saving grace for the show, but it ultimately felt like the writers were phoning this one in.

These flashbacks felt forced into being, with the numerous attempts at changing the past to create a better present never really going anywhere, and the entire ordeal reaching a dissatisfying payoff. The meta-commentary between Jeff and Abed over the show’s shifting focus from Jeff as the driving force behind the plots to having a grander ensemble joining him in the spotlight elicited a chuckle, but it was certainly the only highpoint in an otherwise dull affair.

This week’s episode of Community is not worth watching. It should be, but the whole premise lacks the "je ne sais quoi" that last week embodied so fully. Hopefully this is the nadir of the season, and next week will see a vast improvement in quality.