Advance Review:

Community is back, guys. No, I mean it’s really, really back!

It’s absolutely crazy that Dan Harmon has returned to the series for Season 5. In my interview with Harmon leading into this season , we spoke about how unlikely it was that he’d ever return to the show after Sony and NBC let him go at the end of Season 3. This was something that just doesn’t happen. And yet here we are.

Dan Harmon on His Return to Community

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I didn’t find Season 4 a total disaster. It had some strong episodes and funny moments throughout. But it never fully meshed and its low points were notably low. You could feel the struggle a lot of talented people were having trying to evoke the work of someone whose very specific vision had fueled this series and how hampered they were trying to make what they felt Dan Harmon would do when, well, they weren’t Dan Harmon.The Season 5 premiere, “Repilot”, has a lot of busy work to get out of the way. When Season 4 ended, Jeff had graduated and we knew his friends were almost finished with Greendale too. So the bulk of the episode has to actually get these people back to the school and into a new dynamic. Given this show always builds upon its past, it's fun to see Rob Corddry return as Jeff's old colleague turned nemesis, who brings a potential case to Jeff involving Greendale that causes Jeff to return in the first place.

Community: Season 5 Interview - Gillian Jacobs

But among this necessary busywork, oh man, do you feel the presence of Harmon and the also-returning Chris McKenna (the two now serve as co-showrunners) behind the scenes. The old Community vibe, so often lacking last year, clicks right back into place.

Community: Season 5 Interview - Ken Jeong

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Harmon wisely doesn’t ignore what occurred in Season 4. It wasn’t all a dream and what happened is dealt with or at least acknowledged (Hello, “Changnesia”). But most importantly, Harmon and McKenna get the gang back together via the very funny, very clever and warmhearted touches Community is known for.There’s plenty of Community’s patented meta flavor at work, from Abed purposely creating a callback to the past to an especially hysterical reference to Donald Glover’s impending departure this season. The episode also impressively deals head on with the fact that Community’s characters have changed in a big way since we first met them, getting broader and more outwardly wacky, as is often the case for TV comedies. As Jeff puts it, “We went in as real people and came out the other end as mixed up cartoons.”

Community: Season 5 Interview - Yvette Nicole Brown

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In short, Harmon and McKenna manage to successfully move the show forward while also deftly acknowledging the past. The way they evoke Pierce’s absence from the study group is particularly great, involving a really funny line from Troy. It should be noted that Glover may be on his way out, but he's going out strong, once more getting huge laughs from nearly every line.Even during Season 4’s weakest periods, the cast of Community were terrific, but they feel notably energized by Harmon's return – which makes sense given they fought for it to happen, led by Joel McHale . From lines about fingers in places they shouldn’t go to a Tumblr worshipping a certain British actor, Community returns in all its comforting glory. Yeah, five years is a long time to spend at a community college, but Season 5 quickly shows you the appeal of Greendale all over again.