Basic Sandwich

I love this episode, but the blatant repeated attempts at product placement are so annoying. The finding treasure plot was SO GOOD and I would have rated this episode 9/10.

But it just felt like a really long Subway Advert.

I don't even like sandwiches, but I'll never go to Subway because I'm so sick of it being plastered all over this show. Clearly the directors had lack of funding but they should have just made up a fake sandwich brand and instead capitalised off of selling fan merch. Similar to have the US Office now has loads of t-shirt, mugs and posters etc of Dunder Mifflin

Hardly a revelation that the fourth season of this show was not much good at all. The fifth season is a much better one though, and it feels like it knows what works whereas the fourth felt like it was just trying to copy what had worked without really understanding it. The narrative here sees the group mostly reformed on the basis of improving Greendale, however mostly this is all just a device to get the characters back together and have not too much change while still having a forward motion to the episodes.

Mostly it works, not because of the plot, but rather because the show treats the characters well, allows them to be true to themselves (rather than delivering lines that sound like they were written for them – even though they were). The comedy feels more genuine then, and the performances benefit from it too. At times the high number of 'event' episodes did feel a bit much, but they mostly did work so it was not a massive problem even if it seemed like it was trying too hard to get back to its core strengths as a show.

The cast are very good throughout. Impressively the show manages to cope well with two big changes – one being Chase not being then, the other being Glover dropping out after only a few episodes. The heavy use of famous faces in cameos is a little distracting, but is mostly done in a restrained way, and they deliver – thus avoiding feeling like their name and a ratings bump was all they brought to the party. The addition of Banks is brilliant – he really has great timing and delivery and makes great things with his character.

Season 4 had a lot to be disappointed with, but season 5 is not only a strong recovery, but it also deals with the challenges of losing cast members, trying to keep the plots fresh, and making guest stars work for their supper. Fans will be pleased and many casual viewers will too.

But to be fiar, this is the only episode I didn't like

How the heck does this episode have an 8? Genuinely one of the worst episodes in the show, felt straight out of the gas leak year. I understand they were in a tough position with the cancellation but I know Harmon and co. Have more in them than this. For a show that excels by being very self aware they had no idea what they were doing here, just because you wink at the audience doesn't mean you're in on the joke. This episode is a joke which is ironic because it doesn't have very many good ones.

Oh p.s. Jeff and Annie are not endearing, the writers seem to just assume we're rooting for them but haven't even once shown that they'd be good together or even really why they like each other.