Even though the show suffered at the beginning of its fourth season with the departure of creator and show runner Dan Harmon, Community seemed to have found some sort of footing. Episodes like “Intro to Felt Surrogacy” and “Basic Human Anatomy” hinted at the brilliance of seasons past.

However, the season finale, “Advanced Introduction to Finality,” seemed to be a step backward. I enjoyed the episode, but it felt like David Guarascio and Moses Port, the people who had the misfortune of taking the creative reigns from Harmon, were trying a bit too hard to cater to use some of Harmon’s well-executed ideas without making them their own.

Community managed to squeak out a renewal, something I hoped for, but didn’t in my wildest dreams see coming true. After all, the show has been lucky to draw in over three million viewers on Thursday nights, but NBC axed most of its comedy lineup, with Whitney, Guys With Kids, and, sadly, Go On, among the casualties.

One of my wishes for next season is that Guarascio and Port stop trying to conform to what Harmon created, and instead take the show in the way they seem fit. It’s then when the show doesn’t seem so forced.

3/5