'Community' Season 3, Episode 12 Recap - 'Contemporary Impressionists'

Call this episode a bridge or transition episode. Call it a chance for a bit of character development, or a setup for a continuing conflict for the rest of the season. Call it those, because they sound a lot better then "kind of a crappy episode."

Maybe last week's triumphant return was a little TOO good, and set up an unrealistic expectation going forward. But after the magnificent joke-o-rama that last week provided, this week seemed very low on zingers.

The plot was a bit weak too: Abed starts a hobby in which he hires celebrity impersonators to act out movie scenes with him, but gets into debt because of it. To bail him out, the group has to dress up as celebrities themselves and work at a bar mitzvah, or else Abed's legs will be broken by hired thugs. It all just seems a little too sitcom-y.

French Stewart guest stars, and while he does a pretty great job, this show always seems a bit cheapened by guest stars. They're superfluous in this group of characters that has been built with such and intricate and perfectly balanced chemistry. When you add in the fact that our characters all have to dress in costumes, it just feels like a big gimmick.

But some good comes out of it: Jeff's story this week is that his new shrink gave him some anxiety pills, and now his insecurities are melting away. Britta worries that because of this, Jeff's ego will grow to the point that it explodes... and that idea is helped along as Jeff gets compliment after compliment for his Ryan Seacrest costume. He's "more handsome than the guy who's famous for being handsome."

Jeff is still keeping it under control, at least until the point that the awards are handed out at the bar mitzvah, and Jeff gets none (sound familiar?). Jeff ends up hulking out due to ego and tearing the place apart. That, and his Hulk music as he hitchhikes later, is well worth the long setup.

The whole scenario, however high-concept and slightly silly, serves an important purpose: Abed can't be Abed all the time anymore. Troy confronts him about it, telling Abed that he'll have to trust that Troy knows best sometimes. Abed agrees, but walks off without a secret handshake (awww!) to the Imaginarium, where he sees... Evil Abed! So there's definitely a rift here, and chances are pretty good that Evil Abed with show up more than once.

The cartoony trend that we saw last week continued as well, as we saw thought bubbles for Chang and Jeff's ever-inflating ego apple. Interesting. Will this be the new aesthetic for the rest of the season?

Notes & Quotes:

- "What? Hello?!" "Hello."

- The dean's seizure at Jeff's aviators. Amazing.

- Full list of celebrities:

Jeff: Ryan Seacrest
Annie: Judy Garland (or Anne Hathaway if you add a few teeth)
Shirley: Oprah
Pierce: Fat Brando/Fat Burt Reynolds
Abed: Jamie Lee Curtis
Troy: 80's Michael Jackson
Britta: 90's Michael Jackson

- "October 15th, 2009, friends don't lie to each other." Nice callback!

- "Cool. Cool cool cool." "Hot. Hot hot hot."