Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Alternate Character Interpretation: It's fair to assume that each roll of the die is … "Remedial Chaos Theory" is the fourth episode of the third season of the American television series Community. What I appreciate is that rather than simply describing him again and again, they actually showed him, which goes against the way this sort of thing is written in most shows. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. ( Log Out /  And while Community can have mediocre episodes like everything else on television, pretty much no other show can, or is willing, to make an episode like “Remedial Chaos Theory.”. 4 Season 3 - "Remedial Chaos Theory" (9.8) The only other contender for "best-staple" when it comes to Community (if it isn't paintball) is the concept of "The Darkest Timeline," a storyline that was introduced in this season 3 episode when the entire gang shows up at … This also might show how fragile the group is, since a simple act (activating the Indiana Jones diorama) sets everything off for the worst. Troy and Abed decide to host a small housewarming party for their new apartment with the whole study group invited. Home Latest Film TV Club Music Games Video TV Reviews Reviews And more. It’s all the things that … Somebody on staff a big Irving Berlin fan? "Remedial Chaos Theory" is an intricate installment of Community that demands a ton from its audience. Two of the reviewers are regular watchers, one is someone who hasn't seen an episode before. Rather than trying to create seven mini episodes out of the multiple dimension scenario, all the alternate dimensions work in perfect concert with each other. Posted by 7 years ago. The complicated writers’ chart outlining the multi-verse. Written by Chris McKenna and directed by Jeff Melman, “Remedial Chaos Theory” isn’t necessarily the best introduction to the show—watch the whole thing from episode one, heathens, so you can understand what each of the characters is doing in this episode—but it is a useful entry point if you’re trying to figure out whether Community ’s sensibilities will jibe with your own. It was clever, funny, complex, and extremely unique in the way the story was told. Join the Newsletter! Troy: Chaos breaks out. Finally, Troy stares at the evil troll doll, as if the troll was responsible for all of this. The episode is one of the few to take place almost entirely outside of Greendale at Troy and Abed’s new apartment. The structure of “Remedial Chaos Theory” is said to have been inspired by Run Lola Run. The killer turns out to be Diane Simmons, who just turned 40 years old and lost Tom Tucker and James Woods when she did. Archived. All Rights Reserved. We then start rotating through what would happen were every character to leave for the pizza, courtesy of a terrible, terrible graphic showing the exact point where each particular universe is determined. Abed: Disorder envelopes the group and everyone ends up hating each other by the end of it. This also made it something of a pain to review. •Britta’s instant love with the super creepy pizza guy is also pretty amazing. In mathematics, chaos can be generated simply through small changes in initial conditions. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Podcast Review - Remedial Chaos Theory. The randomness at the episode’s center represents a type of show that Community, for all its quirks, is unwilling to subscribe to. The events that do actually happen are fascinating as well, showing us how the study group bonds best when Jeff isn’t there, which I hope is something we see more of as the season continues. For instance, we see under what circumstances Pierce wishes to give Troy the troll and what circumstances mean he’s not. The combination of characters reverting to their earlier selves and story repetition just didn’t match with a show that has some of the best individual television episodes made in the last few years. This variation on conventional script writing allows seven different narratives to emerge within one twenty-two minute plot. Ultimately almost everything we see in the episode is discarded as non-cannon, but that doesn’t matter. “Remedial Chaos Theory” will probably go down as one of the best episodes in the entire series. Here, Community rejects that in favor of crafting the outcome that you believe your characters should come to organically. Ever since season 1’s episode, “Contemporary American Poultry” which turned Community into a Goodfellas inspired mafia story revolving around the sale of chicken fingers in the lunchroom, Community has frequently turned to high concept episodes. BruceNannie3726. The great thing about this is that it's an episode that not only plays as a concept one but also makes us understand more about the group dynamics and their personalities and it does that by repeating the same 2 minutes in alternate realities. In the mean time, the Serbian rum has spilt on the floor, and Britta comes out of the bathroom high, is shocked by the scene of Pierce being shot, and drops the joint on the floor, igniting the rum and the  new apartment in flames. In the preview to "Remedial Chaos Theory," I discussed how Community hasn't seemed to click yet this season. This is an episode that demands multiple re-watches for you to fully appreciate every last second of it. This includes, during the first couple of trials, wondering what significance, for instance, the Indiana Jones simulation could possibly have. They weren’t so much bad—they weren’t—as directionless. To me, it was an amazing episode that ended on a really weird note. Although if you've never seen an episode of Community, go back (at least) to Season 2 and start from there, you'll be happy you did. ( Log Out /  “Remedial Chaos Theory” is in fact more revealing about characters’ thoughts and relationships than a normal episode, since we see a good deal more than what was actually played out. Is this song commonly known? Let’s try the same thing with the 2018 Saints. Season 3, episode 4: “Remedial Chaos Theory,” probably has the highest concept of them all. The only thing that holds “Remedial Chaos Theory” back is sadly an uncontrollable factor: time. Season 3, episode 4: "Remedial Chaos Theory," probably has the highest concept of them all. It may be a bit disappointing that the show largely requires some sort of gimmick in order to really be great, but that’s just part of Community’s identity. The Law & Order homage/spoof (episode 17) is so well done that even new watchers can appreciate it. In one timeline, it is revealed that Annie has a gun in her purse, in another, she explains she lives in a bad neighborhood where she tried to nurse a stabbed hobo. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. We are introduced to the idea of Troy and Abed taking one step toward adulthood by having their own apartment. This is another of Community’s classic episodes. •”Serbian rum. And unlike other high concept Community episodes, like “Modern Warfare,” where the paintball war distracts from everything else at Greendale, this episode brilliantly continues to develop the characters and to continue their story arcs under a bizarre situation. Smart, insightful, laugh out loud funny and heart-warming all at the same time. At Abed and Troy's housewarming party, Jeff decides to let the decision on who gets the pizza rest on the roll of the dice, leaving Abed to contemplate six alternate realities. •Shirley’s pizza sounds just so disgusting. Just a couple minutes into things, a pizza delivery man arrives and they have to decide who will go down to get it. Directed by Jeff Melman. In the beginning of the episode, Abed introduces his replica of the Indiana Jones rolling boulder scene. It’s telling that the most significant moment in “Remedial Chaos Theory,” the best episode of Community since “Advanced Dungeons And Dragons” and … ( Log Out /  Ever since season 1's episode, "Contemporary American Poultry" which turned Community into a Goodfellas inspired mafia story revolving around the sale of chicken fingers in the lunchroom, Community has frequently turned to high concept episodes. Every element is either there to drive a specific mini-story in one of the universes or to reveal something about character, and that leanness is a beautiful thing to behold. Otherwise known as the "butterfly effect", chaos theory postulates the possibility that… Stray observations: With Joel McHale, Gillian Jacobs, Danny Pudi, Yvette Nicole Brown. HitFix’s Alan Sepinwall reviews "Remedial Chaos Theory," the October 13 episode of "Community," in which the study group lives out 7 different timelines in season 3’s best episode to date. The episode was written by Chris McKenna and directed by Jeff Melman.It originally aired on October 13, 2011 on NBC.It follows a community college study group at a housewarming party for members Troy (Donald Glover) and Abed (). I’ll broadly define “removed” as anything that decreases a given player’s success in 2018 compared to 2017, ranging from a calamitous injury that causes them to miss the entire season to a simple performance regression. 'Remedial Chaos Theory' was Community at its absolute best. Community Review: "Remedial Chaos Theory" Leigh Raines at October 13, 2011 9:30 pm. The episode is one of the… “Remedial Chaos Theory” examines what happens to a group dynamic when various members of the group are removed from it. Close. A page for describing YMMV: Community S3 E04: Remedial Chaos Theory. “Remedial Chaos Theory” is in fact more revealing about characters’ thoughts and relationships than a normal episode, since we see a good deal more than what was actually played out. •”So Annie’s got a gun. Like watching Clue, most of the fun lies in noticing what’s different and what remains the same about every possible version of events. Jeff decides to roll the dice in order to decide who will go downstairs to get the pizza. Fortunately, “Remedial Chaos Theory” was one of those episodes that’s so good it glosses over the disappointments. ( Log Out /  Because they have 21 minutes of time to spring through seven versions of events, nothing is insignificant. Abed tells Jeff that he is about to “open up six different timelines.” The rest of the episode unfolds with each dice roll yielding a different character getting up from the table with the multi-verse being slightly (or greatly) shifted each time. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. Remedial Chaos Theory takes a classic sci-fi theme, the multiverse, and transforms it into an original piece of comedy. Nosengarres. Before playing a game of Yatzee, the pizza man rings the doorbell. Annie trips on the rolling boulder leading to the gun in her purse misfiring on Pierce. Remedial Chaos Theory Photos. I already feel comfortable proclaiming this week’s episode, “Remedial Chaos Theory”, to be the absolute best episode of Community thus far. Pierce brings out a bottle of Serbian rum. While the typical high concept piece is by its nature, high in concept, relatively low in character development, that is not the case in this episode. Troy and Pierce both struggle and bond over the idea of Troy moving out of Pierce’s mansion. •I assume the second (third?) •”Avoid touchy topics, like ‘the negro problem.’” Chaos manifests in many forms: the fickleness of the stock market, the geometric pigmentation of seashells, the fluctuations in weather patterns. All of these timelines coalesce into one horrible scenario. •”These taste just like regular-sized pies.” “Oh, yay!” Community S03 - Ep04 Remedial Chaos Theory HD Watch. Remedial Chaos Theory (episode 4) is beyond genius. But I decided it would take up too much space to explain that. Just thought I'd share. 20:23. A Star Trek podcast has decided to review the Community episode 'Remedial Chaos Theory'. In season three’s Hugo Award worthy episode, “Remedial Chaos Theory”, a roll of a die turns into a voyage through the multiverse. ... Review Community as Partner: Theory and Practice in Nursing (Anderson, Community as Partner) darren. The episode is equal parts hilarious and intelligent and there are many elements that went into it that fans might not be aware of. Change ), Biographies of Post-modern Sitcom Writers, The Structure of “Messianic Myths and Ancient Peoples”. View All Photos (2) In Theaters ... Get the freshest reviews, news, and more delivered right to your inbox! It’s a little thing that says a lot about the two characters and what they’ve been through and how they can hurt each other, intentionally or not. The episode’s premise is kind of stupid, intentionally so in fact. But then again, it’s easy to forget how inconsistent Community can be. Much like the writers of Community's Remedial Chaos Theory, Cherry Chevapravatdumrong (cool name) knows how to keep us viewers guessing in suspense without lying to us. So strong it was banned there.” © 2021 Paste Media Group. But what results is one of the most satisfying and stimulating experiments in all of television. Shirley’s role as mom is questioned when Jeff tells the group not to eat her pies. 0:05. Remedial Chaos Theory is the only really complicated episode of Community, and it's the only one that needed a lot of clarification. It’s taken a few episodes to get there, but season three of Community has finally hit it out of the park and reminded us of why we all love the show. The whole situation is comic gold, and a stroke of sitcom writing genius. Annie and Jeff continue their flirtations. Troy may be the heart of the group, because without him, the dark timeline is created. Finally, Annie creates a bit of a teaser by asking to move in with Troy and Abed, a question which will inevitably lead to conflict in future episodes. Jeff says they should roll for it, with each person assigned a number, and Abed decides that this will open up parallel universes for each possible roll because, well, he’s Abed. The single biggest problem facing “Horror Fiction In Seven Spooky Steps” is that it airs right after “Remedial Chaos Theory,” an episode that’s fairly similar structurally but is also better. Even with my changes, the article still doesn't explain why everyone argued when Abed left. Stuck In The Middle S03E04 - Stuck in Camp Chaos. Tinkering with one parameter can yield widely diverging outcomes. •I didn’t write much about the specific universes, but clearly the most fun one to watch is the Rube Goldberg one in which everyone is maimed or killed. “Remedial Chaos Theory” is, without a doubt, the most ingenious of the episodes in this list. Podcast Review - Remedial Chaos Theory. Metacritic TV Episode Reviews, Remedial Chaos Theory, When Troy and Abed decide to share an apartment, they host a party for the group, which takes on an … In yet another timeline, Pierce gives Troy an evil looking troll doll as vengeance for Troy moving out. 25:48. That is a big claim, but the episode easily earns it. In another timeline, it is revealed that Britta is smoking a joint in the bathroom. Episode 3.4: Remedial Chaos Theory Summary: Troy and Abed have the study group over to their new apartment as the episode explores seven different possible timelines for the evening's events. •What is the deal with Britta’s terrible, terrible pizza dance? Yes, Community has two list-worthy bottle episodes. ending for the episode featured Troy and Abed watching Dr. Who, but even so was there a joke going on? The episode also implicitly parodies the type of sitcom writing in which one of the main tasks in writing is simply coming up with new character pairings and seeing what happens (Modern Family, I’m looking in your direction). As long as the show’s around it’ll be pushing the limits of sitcoms, and the results are almost always spectacular. 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