NBC’s ‘Community’ season 4, episode 12 review: A ‘Chang’ of heart

Whoever knew that Chang had it in him? After spending almost all of “Community” season 4 hiding under the false name of Kevin and threatening to destroy Greendale from within, Thursday night’s new episode finally did something that Ken Jeong’s character had been waiting for since nearly the beginning: The opportunity to feel like he was a part of something.

Of course, in the process of doing so, the show also did a very smart thing by trying to set things up for a season without Chevy Chase on board. The actor has been by and large gone for much of the past several episodes, and while he will be around for the finale, he has already left the show in the event that it is renewed. With Chang’s inclusion, the group is now back up to seven.

The unfortunate thing is that even though Chang may have joined the good side yet again, it may still be too late. All season long, he’s been in cahoots with the rival City College, and it still looks like they are going to be up to something rather nefarious in next week’s finale. Personally, we expect there to be shock, violence, and cliffhangers, and quite possibly in that order.

As a whole, Thursday night’s “Heroic Origins” was reasonably funny. The only real problem with it is that in the process of spoofing so many other properties that go back in time with prequels and create plot holes for themselves, it also by and large did the same exact thing to itself. We find it hard to believe, for example, that none of these characters would have ever remembered each other from little moments in their past, even if they only had memories that lasted for a few seconds. It was a novel idea, and while it became a little too sentimental in the end (an issue in the post-Dan Harmon era), it’s still better than most of what we had in the first half of the season.

What did you think about Thursday night’s “Community”? Be sure to share your thoughts below! Also, be sure to head on over to the link here if you want to read some more news on the upcoming finale.

Photo: NBC