I think Paranormal Parentage is one of those episodes. [4] During its premiere, the network promoted the hashtag #ghostdad onscreen. After being promoted as airing on October 26, it eventually debuted on February 14 (Valentine's Day). 2. NBC decided to promote the episode and acknowledge the weird discrepancy by by coining the term "Valloween" and using the word in the official commercial for the episode seen below. He eventually lets everyone in on the prank, but the prank turns to real fear as Abed finds a shadowy figure that watches over Pierce while he sleeps. However, he locks the panic room in fear after Abed mentions the footage of an unknown figure he saw. The figure arrives and opens the panic room—it is Gilbert (Giancarlo Esposito), Pierce's half-brother. "Economics of Marine Biology", 8. 3. [10], Giving the episode a rating of 3.7 out of five, Gabrielle Moss of TV Fanatic found the episode lacking for fans, but a good introduction for new viewers. A photo of the shooting script for "Paranormal Parentage" was tweeted by the writer Megan Ganz. He didn't need a lecture, a forewarning of any sort, or an oddly cold comment. Paranormal Parentage 22m. 3. "Intro to Felt Surrogacy" [2] However, the series was delayed so that the first episode premiered on February 7, 2013, with the show in its time slot of previous seasons of Thursday at 8 p.m.[3] As a result, though "Paranormal Parentage" was a Halloween-themed episode, it premiered on Valentine's Day. Pierce surprises them from behind. Abed continues to examine the footage unaware that a shadowy figure is behind him. Abed finds a security room and concurrently watches Cougar Town and the group's activities. [14], "Fall TV: NBC Sets Premiere Dates, Including Summer Debuts and Late Start For, "Community Review: House on Haunted Hill", "Community: "Paranormal Parentage" Review", "Die 11 besten Halloween-Folgen in TV-Serien", "Community: 10 Best Holiday Episodes, Ranked", "Thursday Final Ratings: 'Zero Hour', 'Big Bang Theory', 'Community', 'Idol', 'Elementary' & 'Grey's Anatomy' Adjusted Up; 'Scandal' Adjusted Down", Custody Law and Eastern European Diplomacy, Alternative History of the German Invasion, Cooperative Escapism in Familial Relations, VCR Maintenance and Educational Publishing, Emotional Consequences of Broadcast Television, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paranormal_Parentage&oldid=1003293018, Short description is different from Wikidata, Television episode articles with short description for single episodes, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 28 January 2021, at 08:51. Britta suggests to Troy that they ditch the party so they can watch an episode of ", Annie mentions the reason why Pierce wasn't invited to, Troy mentions that Jeff killed Pierce's father, Troy mentions having lived at the mansion which he did in, The 'Special Gym' that Troy and Shirley find is mentioned in the. Pierce calls Troy (Donald Glover) as they are leaving, asking for help. But this season is all about growing the old and new audience of Community. The gang has gathered together in costumes—Jeff’s a boxer, Annie’s Samara from The Ring, Abed and Troy are Calvin and Hobbes, Shirley is Princess Leia, and … An eye-rolling scene like the hands one would be balanced by a funny Abed… 10. Take your favorite fandoms with you and never miss a beat. That special time of year when people dress up in costume and–wait. 1. [9], Upon its first broadcast in the United States, an estimated 2.76 million viewers watched the episode. Yet, this episode is not the one that earns Esposito the accolade of one of the best Community guest stars. The study group meet on Halloween in costumes to go to Vicki's party, with the exception of Pierce (Chevy Chase), who has not been invited. 5. Ah, Halloween. "Herstory of Dance" Season 4 Episode 2. "Cooperative Escapism in Familial Relations" Getting warmer. "Alternative History of the German Invasion" [4] Vulture's Josh Gondelman rated the episode 3 out of 5. Though Jeff (Joel McHale) is reluctant, the group agree to go to Pierce's mansion, where he has locked himself in his panic room. He leaves the room, finds Britta and they both quickly leave the area. "Paranormal Parentage" When Britta snarks at his choice of costume, he insists that he’s participating in a couples costume (really there’s no other way to put it than that) with Annie this year. Community: Paranormal Parentage Season 4 Episode 2 Review. Though Jeff (Joel McHale) is reluctant, the group agree to go to Pierce's mansion, where he has locked himself in his panic room. After drinking from the bar, he discovers the red notebook which has the code. "Heroic Origins" Initial reports placed the rating at 1.1("[zap2it.com]]"), leading Andy Bobrow to post a pair of self-deprecating Tweets: On Twitter, there were two known Community-related trending topics during the initial broadcast: #HappyValoween and #GhostDad. "Intro to Knots" Community. Pierce suggests that he move in and the group depart. "Conventions of Space and Time" Abed had a difficult life growing up due in part to his parents. Reaching the outside of the panic room, they find an image of Pierce unconscious. "Paranormal Parentage" was certainly not intended to air on National "Overpriced Dinner At The Only Place Where I Could Get ... Abed. Jeff enters the code he found but when they enter the room is empty. Paranormal Parentage. In the episode Conspiracy Theories and Interior Design, Jeff offhandedly mentions that Annie took to deception like Abed took to Cougar Town. Annie says she hates referential humor. [11] Emily VanDerWerff of The A.V. Guest starring Giancarlo Esposito. Season 4 "Paranormal Parentage" 4x2 Aired 7 years ago - Feb 14, 2013 On Halloween, Pierce accidentally locks himself in his panic room, forcing the gang to search through his house to find the code that unlocks the door. The episode was watched by 2.76 million viewers on its premiere and met with mixed critical reception. The group gathers in costumes (Shirley is Princess Leia, Abed and Troy are Calvin and Hobbes, respectively, Britta is a ham, and Jeff shows up as a boxer). "Advanced Introduction to Finality". [1] In early October 2012, NBC delayed the premiere. [5] Cory Barker of TV.com believed it to be roughly as good as "Introduction to Statistics" but inferior to the other Halloween episodes. "History 101" The show gets too focused on Abed+Troy and Jeff+Annie team ups after the first season and while those are easily the best combos in the show, it’s a damn shame that other strong team ups got sidelined as a result. It shows someone watching Pierce as he slept. Shirley asks if he wants to come but he elects to stay at home with Gilbert. The room Jeff ends up alone in that features a bar is a reproduction of the country club/snob "bar room" from "Caddyshack", starring Chevy Chase. [12] Sean Gandert of Paste similarly criticized the characterization and found the episode to lack ingenuity or humor. The scheduled was shifted to accommodate a closer air date to Halloween, but the entire season was put on hold from its October 19 premiere and eventually pushed back to next year. 6. The door to the panic room starts to open from the outside revealing, He admits that he was trying to fill a void in his life left by the death of Cornelius by taking care of Pierce the same way he took care of their father. At home, Jeff calls his father. It is the second episode of Season Four of Community but originally was intended to be the third episode. Gondelman found it largely self-referential, writing that: "We spend much of this episode watching the characters watch each other on screens". The Community episode "Paranormal Parentage" provides examples of:. ... Abed is the audience’s most consistent reminder that they are watching television because he is often as much an onlooker as a participant. And it’s a bit of a role swap for them; typically it’s been Troy who’s attempting to mature and Abed stuck in fantasyland. Portrayed by Danny Pudi Abed Nadir is a graduate of Greendale Community College. However, at the convention, Abed starts bonding with Toby, a fellow Inspector Spacetime fan. After finding a sex dungeon, which Troy does not understand the purpose of, Shirley (Yvette Nicole Brown) begins to worry about his new relationship with Britta, seeing Troy as too innocent. There was a lot of back and forth in "Paranormal Parentage" between the strong moments and the weak ones. Meanwhile, Abed (Danny Pudi) abandons Annie (Alison Brie) after discovering a secret passage behind a bookshelf, leading Annie to become afraid, particularly after seeing Cornelius in a mirror. In various interviews. You need episodes you can put in the "win" column to do that. In frustration, he eventually reveals that he has had his father's number for weeks but not called it. In season 4's "Paranormal Parentage", when the study group is hiding from a 'ghost', Pierce makes a hilarious callback to Chang's idiotic line. Last night's episode of Community, while still plagued with inconsistent characterizations and pacing issues, was a welcome improvement Jeff finds the notebook containing the panic room code, but the room he is in appears to be haunted, with knocking on the door with no apparent source, a picture of Cornelius distorting and the room beginning to rattle. Paranormal Parentage. Giancarlo Esposito, who portrayed Pierce's half-brother, Gilbert, also turns up in season four, in the episode "Paranormal Parentage." There was cultural discord between them as Abed's father is a Palestinian from Gaza and his mother Polish America. Chapter 16: Paranormal Parentage. Pierce tried to scare the group as he felt left out from the party. Club rated the episode a B+, reviewing that it was an improvement over "History 101". On the way to a Halloween party, the study group must free Pierce (Chevy Chase) from his panic room and slowly comes to suspect that his mansion is being haunted by the ghost of his late father. Meanwhile, Troy, Shirley and Annie notice a wall seemingly coming to life and flee in terror. Abed reveals to Jeff that he did a cameo in an episode of the show, Cougar Town, in season 2's "Critical Film Studies". ... Abed tackles a two-day crash course on Nicolas Cage, while a clueless Jeff begins his teaching career with Annie as his most demanding student. The group, sans Jeff, coo when Pierce apologizes to them for being such a burden. RELATED: Community: 5 Times Pierce Was A Great Person (& 5 Times He Was Terrible) Nathan: So for those of you who missed it last week, I wrote a recap of Community where I lamented the impending death of the show, said it lacked all heart and soul, and was a hollow shell of its former self. HitFix's Alan Sepinwall reviews "Paranormal Parentage," the February 14 episode of NBC's "Community," in which the study group investigates a haunting at Pierce's house on 'Valloween'. Summary: The gang celebrates Halloween without a gas leak. "Cooperative Escapism in Familial Relations", "Alternative History of the German Invasion", "Lawnmower Maintenance and Postnatal Care", Jennifer Marie of A Still and Quite Conscience, Alternative History of the German Invasion, Cooperative Escapism in Familial Relations, https://community-sitcom.fandom.com/wiki/Paranormal_Parentage?oldid=71076, He tells them they need to find a red notebook he misplaced which contains the code. #community #abed nadir #danny pudi #s04e02 #paranormal parentage #i will be at college when this posts :0 wow #abed sweater rating #season 4 #calvin costume #costume #pink striped tan cardigan #cardigan #tall man costume #4/5 Back in Cornelius' room, Jeff is annoyed by incessant knocking at the door. Claiming to have done so accidentally and then saying it was because he saw his father Cornelius's ghost, he asks the group to search his house for the code. The study group meet on Halloween in costumes to go to Vicki's party, with the exception of Pierce (Chevy Chase), who has not been invited. “Paranormal Parentage” is one of the most tangible examples of how Community’s fourth season hasn't exactly gotten star treatment from NBC. 12. He finds his way to Cornelius Hawthorne's bedroom and locks himself inside. [7], Rating it 7.2 out of 10, Eric Goldman of IGN reviewed the characters as "cartoonish" and found the episode to be mixed overall. The room then shakes violently as a portrait of Cornelius warps and give off a sinister glowing glare. Elsewhere, Jeff is chased by Britta who is still nagging him about his father. 4. This happened after NBC dismissed former showrunner, Dan Harmon, thus sentencing the show to a future of corporate sell-out doom. [6] The mystery genre of the episode resembles the animated franchise Scooby-Doo,[5][7][8] which previous episodes had also made tribute to the franchise. Jeff and Britta (Gillian Jacobs) search together, with Britta attempting to make Jeff confront his issues with his father. Coming back to Jeff, it was obvious in season 4’s “Paranormal Parentage” when Britta convinces Jeff to open up about his father by first introducing the idea of ghosts. Ben : I also miss Trobed (though I’m totally Team Tritta). With the mysterious Ass Crack Bandit back … Giancarlo Esposito, who plays Pierce's half-brother Gilbert and appears in … This Halloween episode, pushed back to mid-February by the network, unfortunately has problems that do not stop with its odd, yet unavoidable timing. Pierce calls Troy (Donald Glover) as they are leaving, asking for help. Paranormal Parentage Question/Find an Episode I’m re-watching the series again- and by that I man I’m watching the episodes that are not just my favorite lol what movie or the show is this episode “Paranormal Percentage” spoofing? Claiming to have done so accidentally and then saying it was because he saw his father Cornelius's ghost, he asks the group to search his house for the code. Nice outfit: Jeff is dressed as a boxer, Britta is dressed as a ham referencing (by chance) the character of "Scout" from the movie "To Kill A Mockingbird", Troy and Abed are dressed as Calvin and Hobbes, Shirley is dressed like Princess Leia and Annie is dressed as " Samara " from the horror movie " The Ring ". He claims the figure must really be the ghost of his dead father. Abed switches his attention to old surveillance footage of Pierce's bedroom. 9. "Advanced Documentary Filmmaking" Pierce then admits the reason he is in the panic room is because he thought he saw the ghost of his dead, Shirley enters in believing it's the library but it turns out to be Pierce's. It shows the group searching Pierce's mansion for the code to his panic room, after he locks himself in there. In a review of both this episode and the season premiere. After Cornelius' death, he arrived at the mansion and began discretely doing housework tasks out of loneliness. 13. Paranormal Parentage. By Mike Papirmeister in Community Television February 15, 2013. Basic Intergluteal Numismatics 22m. Season 4: Paranormal Parentage – Paranormal Activity and Do the Right Thing. The fourth season was initially scheduled to premiere on October 19, 2012, airing on Fridays at 8:30 pm. He opens the door to find no one there. "Paranormal Parentage" drew 2.76 million viewers, earning a 1.2 rating/4 share among adults 18-49, down 33% from "History 101" on February 7, 2013("[zap2it.com]]"). Barker liked Jeff's storyline and some of the jokes. In the hallways, Annie, Troy and Shirley continue their search for Abed. While Jeff only thought she was stating her fears of the paranormal, Britta knew that Jeff would some how relate ghosts to Pierce’s dead dad, which would lead to Jeff’s feelings about his own father. r/Community Rewatch S4E02: Paranormal Parentage. They stumble across Annie, Shirley and Troy, who have witnessed the outline of hands begin to protrude through a wall. Absentee Actor: Ken Jeong as Chang; Actor Allusion: Troy wonders if there's a connection between Pierce installing a panic room and the release of Do the Right Thing a day earlier, a film that starred Giancarlo Esposito (Gilbert). He silently prayed he wouldn't have any more nightmares and made a mental note not to mention any of this to Abed. Via the telescreen they see an unconscious Pierce inside. Pierce suddenly appears behind them and reveals it was all a prank. He finds Britta and leaves. Though a Halloween-themed episode—the fourth for the series—it premiered on February 14, 2013 on NBC. When Annie recaps Pierce's familial history and when she realizes how ridiculous it sounds she says: The boxing gloves Jeff had as part of his costume turns out to be gloves used by his father, Troy and Britta coo when Shirley mentions that her family is going with a Star Wars theme for their costumes this year: Her husband. Unfortunately, the humor of “Paranormal Parentage” misfired horribly to me, ... •Abed’s Calvin mostly just reminded me of Freddy Krueger. ... And of course, besties Abed and Troy dress as Calvin and Hobbes. Afterwards, Pierce says goodbye to the group as they leave for the Halloween party. 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