Fear Itself: "Community" Episode Review
Series: Fear Itself
Episode Name: Community
Air Date: Thursday, July 24, 2008
Fear Itself “Community” Episode Review
The latest installment of Fear Itself, called Community, features actors Brandon Routh and Shiri Appleby, and tells the story of a couple who just want to have a happy life together, but take a wrong turn on the road to sinister.
They portray the attractive yuppie couple, young, 20 something, married and in love, trying to make a better life. They both want to start raising a family, but decide to wait until they can move to a better place. At a social gathering, they happen to hear of a placed called The Commons. This is when the fun begins.
They arrive at the gated community, are warmly welcomed, and later “brought into the fold” by what seems to be on spec, the most perfect place to live and raise a family, a place that embodies the word “community”. Ah, but director Mary Harron has some different plans for us, doesn’t she?
We begin to see the trappings of something archaic, a collective mindset if you will, that does in fact stem from the most ancient societies, the concept of the community, in which everyone is responsible for their neighbor’s actions. It brings a whole new meaning to the phrase, “it takes a village”.
From the silent, glaring red light of the infrared cameras installed in each home, to the practice of community public humiliation, and the punishment meted out to those who would “break a rule”, try to leave the community, or warn others, this episode begs a question. How far do we go to make our society better, and to what lengths should this attempt, by delving into the privacy of our very lives go to keep us safe?
Community’s ending was indeed a kick in the spine. It reminded me that for all the desirable trappings of a place such as The Commons, i.e. security, quality of life, and a collective bond of these neighbors, (which scarily has leaked into higher forms of government, according to one of the residents), none of this is worth the loss of individual freedom.
This was an amazing episode, and by far one of my favorites. Setting, effects, and acting were above average. Appleby does a lovely job of portraying the young, determined wife…who would stop at nothing to have the family she feels she deserves, and Routh is amazing as the man who ultimately realizes his place in the community.
Image © 2008 NBC Universal, Inc.
Tags: brandon routh, community, Fear Itself, fear itself review, mary harron, shiri applebyRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Episode Resources, Fear Itself, Horror & Paranormal Television, Review
1 opinion for Fear Itself: "Community" Episode Review
Gary
Aug 1, 2008 at 12:54 am
I actually thought it was ok. Certainly better than last week, which was really weak.
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