Still very smart. Definitely the not as good as the previous 2 but still decent.
11 Reviews
Enjoyable overly politicized episode.
m-4782621 February 2020
For once. And it made me like Britta, when she stopped being a stupid follower, and took a real stand. And refused to let double standards, dictate the school's policy. No matter how awful this comedian's « jokes » were, THIS is also freedom of speech, and it works that way for everybody. The part with the emails leaking was fun too, and filled with juicy revelations. Plus it got Paget Brewster to show that comedic timing, I knew of her from Friends and Grandfathered. And the season premiere. Really enjoying this finale season.
I don't even think the writers got what they were saying.
fearthepiff10 February 2022
The thing about this episode is that it's so messy because the writers were weirdly ahead of their time with this, and what I got out of it, based on the characters' inability to find a lesson themselves, may not be what the writers intended. Frankly, the politics of this entire season all seem to head in the right direction but the more nuance an idea needs, the less exact and direct the morals of any lesson, hence the ending of the episode.
"Freedom of speech" means absolutely nothing if we all take it at face value and give it no nuance and act like all speech should be allowed without any consideration for context and content. What the students of Greendale do to agree that the racist comedian should not be allowed to perform and work together to try and stop him is more noble than the blind fight for a non-existent, non-hypocritical freedom of speech that forces them to go against the will of most of society, a will that they all banded together and worked to enact.
Are we really free when the will of the few get to make decisions that affect all of us? Every student and teacher's data was leaked! And I don't think there's any lesson about data and privacy, it's just a way for our characters to have a romp and get angry at each other, 'cuz that's what our dear study...committee is best at: being horrible people. And my favorite thing about this show is that every other student at Greendale hates them.
"Freedom of speech" means absolutely nothing if we all take it at face value and give it no nuance and act like all speech should be allowed without any consideration for context and content. What the students of Greendale do to agree that the racist comedian should not be allowed to perform and work together to try and stop him is more noble than the blind fight for a non-existent, non-hypocritical freedom of speech that forces them to go against the will of most of society, a will that they all banded together and worked to enact.
Are we really free when the will of the few get to make decisions that affect all of us? Every student and teacher's data was leaked! And I don't think there's any lesson about data and privacy, it's just a way for our characters to have a romp and get angry at each other, 'cuz that's what our dear study...committee is best at: being horrible people. And my favorite thing about this show is that every other student at Greendale hates them.
Love is not admissible evidence - but emails are
sharky_5515 April 2015
Warning: Spoilers
After Chang's masterful performance of The Karate Kid this is the second episode of Community's 6th season to really embrace the half hour runtime. A typical Community episode would have ended with some nice music while the comedian expresses his gratitude at getting a show. That would have been a fine ending too. The storyline features several acts which are nicely paced and as a result each character gets a fair share of lines which then makes the episode feel more natural. After all, the hacker is threatening all of them, not just the ones that the writers feel would get in the most one liners. That's not to say that each of the committee gets perfect 'secrets'. Community has visited the whole group fighting dynamic before, most successfully in the season 2 bottle episode "Cooperative Calligraphy", as well as the less successful season 4 puppets episode and "Intro to Knots".
Ultimately the issues that are brought up in these kinds of episodes are supposed to be futile because they are not discussed outside of them. When they venture in the serious category and get tossed aside next episode that's when it feels off, like Jeff confessing he's not ready to date a woman with a child, or in this case, Frankie writing emails to her dead sister. It's furthermore complicated by the somewhat less characterisation Frankie has had in comparison to the other members and the fact that she is the least 'wacky' of the group. Which means her issue of Jeff being a functional alcoholic is a bit less dramatic and trivial than the other stuff that is aired out. The last line I think sums this up quite nicely; Elroy's models are of course completely inappropriate but outside of Annie's reaction they won't be mentioned again.
At first I was taken aback by Britta's role in this episode, which came close to the cringe worthy and over the top anarchist role that hits rock bottom in "Heroic Origins". But although the whole American and free speech thing was slightly exaggerated the more I thought about it the more it made sense. Britta's original purpose was to protest the racist comedian but once she finds out they are being blackmailed to shut it down she motivates the group to protect his freedom of speech. It's an important distinction that Britta would never go that far, even though in the end they are the bad guys. That was more of a group choice which feels like a natural study group option akin to say, barring the doors and missing a cute puppy parade to find a stupid pen.
Chang and Elroy fit in but a bit less than the other group members. At this point Chang's role is pretty undefined and though he's one of the most consistent funny characters on the show along with the Dean (because they can be fitted into any scene seamlessly), when you try to give him a role in the plot it's hard to find a legitimate use for him. Him being the star actor in Karate Kid and him being the muse behind the bear dance are good examples of not just using his character's over the top reactions or wackiness for the sake of being wacky but still being a funny character. Elroy has pretty much taken over the grumpy lonely old man role from Jonathan Banks and fill similar roles. It'd be interesting to have an episode focused on him and his background but in a 13 episode season it's a lose lose situation.
Overall the characters gel quite nicely in a formula that Community is familiar with. I really liked the cameos from Officer Cackowski and slightly less fat Neill, as well as the two child actors in the hacker and the cyber crime division. The end tag isn't quite as good as the earlier one with Shirley and the detective but is still very funny. I wonder if Craig will take the kid to see Avengers.
Ultimately the issues that are brought up in these kinds of episodes are supposed to be futile because they are not discussed outside of them. When they venture in the serious category and get tossed aside next episode that's when it feels off, like Jeff confessing he's not ready to date a woman with a child, or in this case, Frankie writing emails to her dead sister. It's furthermore complicated by the somewhat less characterisation Frankie has had in comparison to the other members and the fact that she is the least 'wacky' of the group. Which means her issue of Jeff being a functional alcoholic is a bit less dramatic and trivial than the other stuff that is aired out. The last line I think sums this up quite nicely; Elroy's models are of course completely inappropriate but outside of Annie's reaction they won't be mentioned again.
At first I was taken aback by Britta's role in this episode, which came close to the cringe worthy and over the top anarchist role that hits rock bottom in "Heroic Origins". But although the whole American and free speech thing was slightly exaggerated the more I thought about it the more it made sense. Britta's original purpose was to protest the racist comedian but once she finds out they are being blackmailed to shut it down she motivates the group to protect his freedom of speech. It's an important distinction that Britta would never go that far, even though in the end they are the bad guys. That was more of a group choice which feels like a natural study group option akin to say, barring the doors and missing a cute puppy parade to find a stupid pen.
Chang and Elroy fit in but a bit less than the other group members. At this point Chang's role is pretty undefined and though he's one of the most consistent funny characters on the show along with the Dean (because they can be fitted into any scene seamlessly), when you try to give him a role in the plot it's hard to find a legitimate use for him. Him being the star actor in Karate Kid and him being the muse behind the bear dance are good examples of not just using his character's over the top reactions or wackiness for the sake of being wacky but still being a funny character. Elroy has pretty much taken over the grumpy lonely old man role from Jonathan Banks and fill similar roles. It'd be interesting to have an episode focused on him and his background but in a 13 episode season it's a lose lose situation.
Overall the characters gel quite nicely in a formula that Community is familiar with. I really liked the cameos from Officer Cackowski and slightly less fat Neill, as well as the two child actors in the hacker and the cyber crime division. The end tag isn't quite as good as the earlier one with Shirley and the detective but is still very funny. I wonder if Craig will take the kid to see Avengers.
Intelligent commentary about truth and privacy
daisyisabaker7 February 2021
I finally get it
rmpherwanihp8 January 2022
My least favourite episode so far
sonydschx9 August 2020
I actually smiled at a line. It was funny and caught me off guard
jpapanone31 January 2021
I don't think I've smiled once at anything in season 6.
Britta Perry: We're talking about freedom of speech! It's the amendment so important it's literally the first one they remembered to add!
Elroy Patashnik: For white people.
Francesca 'Frankie' Dart: With penises.
Jeff Winger: We prefer to be called "people without color or vaginas".
"people without color or vaginas". That's good.
Britta Perry: We're talking about freedom of speech! It's the amendment so important it's literally the first one they remembered to add!
Elroy Patashnik: For white people.
Francesca 'Frankie' Dart: With penises.
Jeff Winger: We prefer to be called "people without color or vaginas".
"people without color or vaginas". That's good.
Gupta Gupti Gupta
safenoe12 April 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Jay Chandrasekhar directed this "all over the place" episode that tried to have its feet in all hopscotch squares at the same time really. As the Dean winked at the beginnig, the idea of Gupta Gupti Gupta (Jay Chandrasekhar himself) engaging in hate speech in his comedy routines, referring to his Indian (not American Native Indian) background, was somewhat not the best way to highlight hate speech I guess from the usual suspects.
There's absolutely nothing here
feliasrojas7 August 2023
Nothing happens in this episode. The leaks mean nothing and are just brushed off, the message is nothing, the fights end up in nothing, they learn nothing, there are no memorable lines aside from Chang's "I haven't been well used since I was a teacher" (that one actually made me laugh).
I also still don't get why I should care for Franky and Elroy, they don't really add much to the group dynamic. Elroy is not interesting (what ever happened to Hickey? He was a well constructed character that actually had depth) and Franky is just a boring character to listen to... also the cop overstays his welcome.
Not even the "comedian" was worth the watch. I expected at least one joke, but all he had were racist remarks that not even racists would find funny. Worst episode since the puppets one.
I also still don't get why I should care for Franky and Elroy, they don't really add much to the group dynamic. Elroy is not interesting (what ever happened to Hickey? He was a well constructed character that actually had depth) and Franky is just a boring character to listen to... also the cop overstays his welcome.
Not even the "comedian" was worth the watch. I expected at least one joke, but all he had were racist remarks that not even racists would find funny. Worst episode since the puppets one.
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