(no subject)

[the_rck]

Scott and I got the first DVD of Community from Netflix. We watched about fifteen minutes and decided that we hated Jeff, who appears to be the main character. We didn't really have time to form opinions about the other characters. Jeff seemed quite enough.

Has anybody watched the show? Is there a reason to stick with it when we loathe Jeff? Are future episodes less about him and more about other characters? We might be able to stand him as a supporting character if the story smacks him often enough for being a jerk.

Comments

[loligo]

Definitely keep going! The writers want you to loathe (and laugh at) Jeff at this point -- he slowly becomes a more worthwhile person as the series goes on, but still definitely flawed. The real joy of the show is the other characters, though (except for Pierce). Sometimes it comes across as a true ensemble show with each character getting their turn for attention, and sometimes it gets sort of stuck on Jeff & Britta, but overall it is totally worth it.

[the_rck]

Thanks for the comment. It helps. The consensus from everybody is that we should persevere, so we'll at least give it to the end of the first DVD. One person suggested skipping the first couple of episodes. I don't know that we'll do that.

[tassosss]

Keep going! Jeff is not the whole show and the show is not about him all the time. It is in fact very often about everyone else and their crazy relationships. And the crazy hijinks at Greendale.

[the_rck]

Thanks for the advice! Several people (here and on LJ) have advised us to continue, so we'll at least go to the end of this DVD. I hope we fall in love with the show.

[merriehaskell.livejournal.com]

The first episode is misleading, and it does take a few eps to find its footing. Jeff is not the main character, the thing is a true ensemble. Abed and Troy are MY main characters, and they develop a charming friendship of deep geekitude. I also like the three female characters a lot--half the writing staff is women, and I think it shows in the female characterizations.

Each episode ultimately spoofs some film, television or genre convention. The first ep choosing to spoof The Breakfast Club was off-putting because BC has the trappings of a sitcom and makes it seem like "Oh, this is what THIS is about." In a lot of ways I HATED the first episode. The only reason I watched ep 2 was the brief, brief moment in ep 1 where Jeff approaches the cafeteria worker and says he was raised by television to believe that older African-American women will dole him out advice and care about his problems. And then she doesn't. And that's when I thought, "There's something more there."

It takes a while for the show to admit Jeff is not the main character, however--and much longer for Jeff to discover it, which is actually sort of funny. Also, ep 2 is not good. It takes some time for the show to shake out its kinks, and occasionally there are moments where one or more of the characters is hideously unlikable. Intentionally so, I'm sure. If you aren't into huge meta and shows that sort of screw with the audience, it might not be for you. But I tend to think that the ensemble outweighs the rest, and there are moments of such charm and depth. But it is occasionally prickly.

[the_rck]

I think we'll see how we feel at the end of the first DVD. It may take us some time to get back to it, though.

Thanks for the comment. It helps to know that other people whose taste I trust like the show.

[illyaa.livejournal.com]

I had a similar reaction the first time I tried to watch the first episode, but I'm really glad I tried again. The show is much more of an ensemble comedy, and though Jeff is the lens though which we see a lot of it, I wouldn't say that he's the focus of a lot of the episodes. The story does spend a lot of time smacking him around for being a jerk and the character actually grows a lot from it. The really fun from the series comes from how they poke fun of a lot of TV tropes.

[the_rck]

We'll try the rest of the DVD, at least.

Thanks for letting me know that you like the series. That helps us make up our minds.

[retsuko.livejournal.com]

Stick with it! It's one of my favorite shows and it takes Jeff down a bajillion pegs in almost every episode. The rest of the cast are very funny and their timing as an ensemble is impeccable. D. was the same sort of ambivalent, but the Christmas episode in the first season really sold him on it--if you want to skip ahead a little, you might bypass some annoying material.

You will not regret it!

[the_rck]

Is there a particular episode you'd suggest for starting with? Right now, I'm thinking to give it to the end of the first DVD, but even if we're not sold on the show by then, we might be willing to get a specific further DVD if we know that we're looking for something specific.

Thanks for giving me your opinion. It helps to know that other people like the show (and that Jeff doesn't run roughshod over everything).

[retsuko.livejournal.com]

Hhmm. I don't remember the exact title or episode number, but like I said, the Christmas episode first season was what really sold David on it.

Really, the rest of the characters are what sells the show for me (although I will admit to having a crush on Joel McHale). Annie and Shirley, in my icon above, have some great lines and the Troy/Abed dynamic is so sweet/funny/nerdy/cute that I just want to squee over it all the time. (The Doctor Who parody that they do in later seasons, Inspector Spacetime, is nerd comedy gold.)