| "Romantic Expressionism" | |
|---|---|
| Community episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 15 |
| Directed by | Joe Russo |
| Written by | Andrew Guest |
| Production code | 115 |
| Original air date | February 4, 2010 |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"Romantic Expressionism" is the fifteenth episode of the first season of the U.S. television series Community. It was originally aired on February 4, 2010, on NBC.
In the episode, Jeff and Britta try to break up Annie's budding romance with Vaughn, whom Britta previously dated. However, their ploy fails and results in hurt feelings. Meanwhile, Pierce tries very hard to prove that he has a sense of humor.
The episode was written by Andrew Guest and directed by Joe Russo. It received strong praise from critics.
Jeff (Joel McHale) and Britta (Gillian Jacobs) are concerned about Annie's (Alison Brie) budding relationship with Vaughn (Eric Christian Olsen). Annie asks for Britta's blessing to date Vaughn, Brittas ex,which she receives. Despite this, Britta and Jeff, assuming the roles of Annie's parental figures, decide to get Troy (Donald Glover), Annie's previous crush, interested in her in order to prevent her from developing relationships with creepier men. The plan fails miserably, leaving Annie, Troy and Vaughn all upset.
Meanwhile, Abed (Danny Pudi) invites Troy, Shirley (Yvette Nicole Brown) and Señor Chang (Ken Jeong) to his dorm to watch and make fun of Kickpuncher. However, they are reluctant to invite Pierce (Chevy Chase) due to his peculiar sense of humor, but he decides to go anyway. At the viewing party, Troy, Abed, Shirley and Chang all crack jokes at the film which are appreciated by the rest, but Pierce can only come up with lame and racist zingers. Abed invites the party back to watch the sequel the next night.
To avoid rejection again, Pierce holds a meeting with a comedy sketch troupe to prepare jokes for the upcoming viewing. During the viewing, Pierce easily churns out jokes, but it is apparent to the rest that his jokes were pre-planned. Pierce then reveals his frustration at not being seen as funny by the group. As he exits the room, he trips and falls, finally drawing laughter from the rest of the party.
The next day at the study room, Jeff and Britta apologize to Annie and accept that she is an adult who can handle her own relationships. The conversation then turns heated as each member of the group reveals their interests in and jealousies of other members and their relationships. They realize the fact that they, unlike a real family, all have the potential to see each other as romantic and sexual prospects. Vaughn then emerges outside the library and plays a song for Annie. With Britta's genuine approval this time, Annie gladly reunites with him.
"Romantic Expressionism" was written by Andrew Guest, his second writing credit of the series. It was directed by Joe Russo, his seventh directing credit.
The fictional movie Kickpuncher is a parody of 1980s sci fi action films trying — and failing — to emulate the success of RoboCop . [1] The practice of poking fun at movies while watching them was made popular in the television series Mystery Science Theater 3000 . [2] While Pierce is preparing jokes with the sketch comedy troupe, he demands, "I need Phyllis Diller-grade stuff!" [1]
Vaughn referred to Shirley as "that Sherri Shepherd lady". [3] Abed compared the group's dynamic to the 1970s sitcom The Brady Bunch . [1]
In its original American broadcast, "Romantic Expressionism" drew an estimated 5.2 million viewers, with a Nielsen rating/share of 2.3/7 in the 18–49 demographic. [4]
The episode received universally positive critical reviews. Emily VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club called "Romantic Expressionism" her favorite episode of the series so far, giving it an 'A'. [5] Jonah Krakow of IGN called it the best episode of the season so far, adding he was "thrilled that Community is finally coming around and reaching the potential we all knew it had." [1]
Critics praised the scene where members of the study group looked at one another as possible sexual partners and strong utilization of the show's ensemble cast. [1] [5] Krakow called it "best single scene of the season". [1] Jason Hughes of AOL said, "This episode would have been great for the scene where the study group looked around the room thinking of one another sexually. Without a single word, there was so much spoken with facial expressions and eyes and turns of the head." [2] VanDerWerff remarked, "It's almost perfectly executed, each joke rolling off the top of the previous jokes, calling back on the show's short history and establishing that these people really are as weird of a little group as they seem to be." [5]
Alison Brie's performance was also widely acclaimed. Hughes said, "It still wows me that the 26-year old Alison Brie does such a great job at playing a teenager." [2] Alan Sepinwall of The Star-Ledger said that Brie was "on fire", while VanDerWerff said she that "can do whatever the show tosses at her". [3] [5]
"Spanish 101" is the second episode of the first season of the American comedy television series Community. It aired in the United States on NBC on September 24, 2009. The episode features Jeff and Pierce working on a Spanish project as Annie and Shirley organize a protest. Receiving 5.39 million viewers upon its premiere, the episode was met with mostly positive critical reception. The end tag—the first of the series—shows Troy and Abed performing a nonsense rap in Spanish, an early interaction between the pair which was praised by reviewers.
"Social Psychology" is the fourth episode of the first season of the American comedy television series Community. It aired in the United States on NBC on October 8, 2009. The episode shows Jeff bonding with Shirley through mockery of Britta's new romantic interest, Vaughn. Annie gets Abed to participate in a psychology experiment organized by Dr Ian Duncan. It received 4.87 million viewers in the United States and mixed critical reviews.
"Advanced Criminal Law" is the fifth episode of the first season of the American comedy television series Community. It aired in the United States on NBC on October 15, 2009. The episode follows Jeff attempting to help Britta after she confesses to cheating on a Spanish test, as Pierce helps Annie by composing a school song and Abed attempts to convince Troy that he is an alien. It garnered 5.01 million viewers in its first broadcast and was met with mixed critical reception.
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"Debate 109" is the ninth episode of the first season of Community. It originally aired in the United States on NBC on November 12, 2009. In the episode, Jeff teams up with Annie to take on City College in a debate, while Pierce tries to help Britta quit smoking using hypnotherapy. Meanwhile, the study group attempts to figure out if Abed's student films are predicting their futures. The episode received mostly positive reviews, with many critics singling out Abed's subplot for praise.
"The Politics of Human Sexuality" is the eleventh episode of the first season of the American comedy television series Community. It originally aired in the United States on NBC on December 3, 2009.
"Communication Studies" is the sixteenth episode of the first season of the U.S. television sitcom Community. It originally aired on February 11, 2010, on NBC.
"The Science of Illusion" is the twentieth episode of the first season of the American comedy television series Community. It aired in the United States on NBC on March 25, 2010.
"English as a Second Language" is the twenty-fourth and penultimate episode of the first season of the American comedy television series Community. It aired in the United States on NBC on May 13, 2010. In the episode, a revelation from Señor Chang threatens the study group's Spanish credit, and Troy discovers his skill at plumbing. It received generally positive reviews.
"Pascal's Triangle Revisited" is the twenty-fifth and final episode of the first season of Community. It originally aired in the United States on NBC on May 20, 2010. In the episode, the group gets ready to say goodbye for the summer at the end-of-year dance. Britta and Professor Slater compete over their affections for Jeff, while Annie considers leaving Greendale and Troy looks for a new place to live. The episode received generally positive reviews, with critics both praising and criticizing the final twist.
"Aerodynamics of Gender" is the seventh episode of the second season of the American comedy television series Community, and the 32nd episode of the series overall. It aired in the United States on NBC on November 4, 2010. The two plotlines concern the women's discovery that Abed has an undiscovered talent at insulting people's appearance, and Troy and Jeff finding a secret garden with a trampoline.
"Mixology Certification" is the tenth episode of the second season of Community. It was originally broadcast on December 2, 2010 on NBC.
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"Horror Fiction in Seven Spooky Steps" is the fifth episode of the third season of the U.S. television series Community. It first aired on October 27, 2011 on NBC and is the series' 2011 Halloween episode.
"Studies in Modern Movement" is the seventh episode of the third season of the American sitcom Community. It was originally broadcast on November 10, 2011, on NBC.
"Urban Matrimony and the Sandwich Arts" is the eleventh episode of the third season of the American television series Community. It originally aired on March 15, 2012 on NBC, with the series returning after a three-month hiatus. In the episode, Shirley's ex-husband Andre whom she has reconciled with proposes to her again. While planning her wedding, she also considers a business proposition from Pierce. The rest of the study group help Shirley plan the wedding, while Troy and Abed attempt to suppress their weirdness and act normal at the rehearsal to no avail.
"Digital Exploration of Interior Design" is the thirteenth episode of the third season of the American television series Community. It originally aired on March 29, 2012, on NBC. The episode was written by Chris McKenna and directed by Dan Eckman.
"Origins of Vampire Mythology" is the fifteenth episode of the third season of the American television series Community. It originally aired on April 12, 2012, on NBC. In the episode, Britta must resist the temptation to meet up with her ex-boyfriend Blade, and Jeff tries to figure out how Blade is able to attract women.
"Introduction to Statistics" is the seventh episode of the first season of the American comedy television series Community, airing on NBC on October 29, 2009. Annie hosts a Dia de los Muertos party, the success of which depends on Jeff attending. At the party, Pierce gets high, causing trouble for the other characters. Jeff pursues their statistics professor, Professor Michelle Slater. Finally, Shirley is distressed due to her ex-husband's behavior.
