While the cast delivers solid, funny performances, they're mostly just playing caricatures of themselves, and the rest of the supporting players range from forgettable to obnoxious, especially Danny Pudi, whose rambling Abed is about as endearing as stepping on a nail. The humor in Community is so soft that it will likely please only the tenderhearted. The river that runs through it is a comforting one, though. As long as the jokes stay barbed, fast and witty--as they are in the pilot--there's more than enough reason to keep following the band of misfits. Given the heft of the show’s themes and the crispness of the writing, it’s got to be a brilliant social commentary disguised as a major network sitcom, right? Or maybe Joel McHale really is that likable and we’re all wallowing in nostalgia for a simpler 2002. Either way, boo-yah. Community, during the pilot, comes off as a "Desperate for Laughs/Punchline," and snooty show which includes a well known comedian, at first glance, just to get attention. However, how many first days at work have you had that you can say to yourself and friends "Really ROCKED?" After watching the second and third episodes I would urge viewers not to rate this series on the pilot but upon the clever and poignant themes that had me and my wife laughing along. For instance, what's funnier than an Asian man teaching Spanish with a complex? I know, lots of things, but it's very funny. I hope this series receive all the help that it deserves to stay on because it's filled with great promise, good writing, and great characters. [More]