Well, the moment we'd all been waiting for since December came and went last night, and I think we can agree that this episode, while perhaps not the epic blowout some people were hoping for (and that crazy faux-trailer hyped us all up for), was a more than successful entry in a somewhat shaky season 3. We do have to keep in mind that "Urban Matrimony and the Sandwich Arts" wasn't written to serve as an all-out comeback episode, when they dreamed it up it was simply the next episode in line. Watching it with that in mind, I found this episode to possess the same wit and quirkiness we've all come to love -- and during the hiatus, miss-- about this show.
This episode features a plot line about Shirley getting remarried to her ex-husband Andre, which ordinarily would be a snooze-fest, but its impact on the other members of the study group makes the episode infinitely more interesting and hilarious. I can't decide what I loved best-- Britta's proving to be a wedding planning savant despite her opposition to marriage, Jeff's inability to compose a simple wedding toast, or Troy and Abed's epic attempts to "normal" themselves up in time for the ceremony. Scratch that, I'm pretty sure it was Troy and Abed. It's always Troy and Abed-- last night only served to remind me that they are probably the best part of this show on any given week.
That said, the other players bring their absurdest A-game to the table. Annie predictably freaks out over being in the mere presence of a wedding, armed with the cliched wedding scrapbook and a sudden radar for anyone who might want her help with planning the nuptials. Pierce is delightfully minimal/sidelined in this episode, working to start a sandwich business with Shirley (they are unfortunately preempted by a new Subway franchise), and using the endeavor as a final "screw you" to his departed father.
Jeff and Britta's combined jadedness and sometimes obnoxious displays of "non-conformity"sometimes fall on the wrong side of pretentious or overplayed, but I liked the idea they went with last night. The two of them almost inadvertently getting married in an attempt to prove it's a sham (or, in Britta's case, that becoming a wife is inevitable) is a hilarious and weirdly almost logical next step for them, though I am glad Shirley and Andre were able to put a stop to the madness.
On the whole I liked this episode. Not the season's best or worst, but it offered a true sampling of what makes this show so great. I've read only good things (and lots of hype) about what the folks over at Community have on tap for the rest of season 3, and I can't wait to see if it lives up to the chatter.
Oh, and I still wish we'd gotten to see more of Troy and Abed's adventures inside the Dreamatorium.
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