Quick Take: Community, “Basic Rocket Science”
"If NASA ever needs someone to keep an arrow inside of a moving rectangle, I know who I'd recommend." – Jeff to Troy
Review: Community, “Basic Rocket Science”
(S0204) Exhibit A: Only one show on television can get away with going into deep (as in deep space) parody mode and still make you want to return week after week for more.
Exhibit B: Only one show on television can get away with trapping its cast in a KFC-themed space camp Winnebago from hell (and the 1980s).
Do we have to take guesses on what that show might be?
Taking a step back from the wacky premise of this week’s episode for a moment, I must call out the writing on this show for its swift and deft pacing. Unlike most comedies (and even the faster-paced single camera shows) a lot happens on Community during a half hour, and particularly during episodes such as this one where a completely bonkers set-up has to be kicked off in a tight span to get the jokes and hijinks high-flying.
In this case, we open with the gang dressed in white and strutting toward us in purposeful slow motion, an obvious call out from The Right Stuff and a tipoff on where we’re headed. And in a few minutes we’re set up with most of the main cast trapped in some sort of 1980s relic called the City College Cosmic Pioneer, which was to be used to showcase Greendale Community College’s prowess in space simulation ahead of a similar (though no doubt higher powered operation) demonstration at City College.
What really propels things into bizarro orbit is that the space simulator is called SANDERS (Systematic Android Network Diode Energy Rocket System), i.e. Colonel Sanders, and everything about the simulation seems to be at least as much about how delicious KFC brand chicken is versus learning anything about science or space travel.
“Just as Kentucky Fried Chicken’s secret process seals in the flavor, I’m sealing the cabin’s air so you don’t explode on your journey,” an Atari 2600-like depiction of SANDERS on a television screen announces. And lickety split the Winnebago “takes off” in the form of being towed outside of town in classic college comedy prankster mode by those rascally villains at City College.
Except poor Abed (Danny Pudi), who had run off to grab his rather impressive space suit, has been left behind. Therefore, he of course becomes the Apollo 13 astronaut who has been Grounded From The Big Mission and therefore has to swallow his pride and use his experience to keep the gang calm and help them to get home safe. “I know how she works,” he says as wistful music accompanies.
Meanwhile, all hell breaks loose. Pierce (Chevy Chase) develops a bad case of “space madness” (which includes believing SANDERS is telling him that he will die alone), while Jeff (Joel McHale) and Troy (Donald Glover) bicker over the latter’s assumption as captain of the “ship.” And Annie’s (Alison Brie) role as Judas is discovered: she had conspired with City College to have the Winnebago towed as she is considering transferring, having lamented the gang’s lack of school spirit of late.
Pierce’s space madness causes him to rip SANDERS’ monitor off the wall, allowing Annie to slip through to the driver’s seat. The gang returns home just in time for the demonstration to a heroes’ welcome, replete with butt flags reading E Pluribus Anus.
The character development is admittedly lacking this week, but that’s fine as the spectacular foray into space movie parody territory worked as a nearly flawless half hour story in of itself. There has been – and will be no doubt – enough plot and character movement made on other episodes that Community is able to go this far off the deep end (of fake space exploration) and I’m more than happy to go along for the ride.
More thoughts on this week’s spacey episode:
Video: Community, “Basic Rocket Science”
Check out a fun clip of Danny Pudi and Alison Brie on set, from Hulu:
From Around the Web: Community, “Basic Rocket Science”
Abed as Gary Sinise was genius. Such a great episode.