Fans everywhere were ecstatic to hear that Community was getting a fifth season. The world was thrilled further at the announcement that show creator Dan Harmon would return. Now that all the dust has settled, Community star Joel McHale tells Huffington Post his feelings on season 5 and the show runner’s return.
Harmon was hired back to the show after being fired from it after season 3, a result of a high-profile feud with Chevy Chase. It had been decided from the start of season 4 that Chase would not be returning to Community after the fourth season. After the show was “unbelievably and fantastically” (says McHale) renewed, Harmon returned as show runner.
Harmon credited his return to McHale, who modestly corrected him, “I think it was a group effort. Dan is the voice of the show and there’s nobody else on the planet like him, so when it started happening that he was coming back, I became as excited as a little boy on Christmas morning — who celebrates Christmas. I’m thrilled he’s back, [along with] Chris McKenna, who wrote ‘Remedial Chaos Theory.'”
Season 4 received lukewarm reactions from fans and critics. But in his podcast, Harmontown, Harmon dragged season 4 through the mud. He only recently watched the fourth season, and he hated it. He described it as “very much like an impression, and an unflattering one. It’s just thirteen episodes of ‘Oh, I’m Dan Harmon! Derpy, derpy, durr! Die Hard! Durrrrr!'” According to Vulture, Harmon later wrote a 1,600 word blog post apologizing for trashing season 4. He specifically addressed each offended party (fans, cast and crew, and the writers).
Entertainment Weekly reports that Harmon also apologized in general by saying, “I was very much not thinking about anyone but myself while watching that season, which was the crime… I was just indulging my petty feelings about being left out. It seemed kind of funny at the time because it seemed at the time like I was the only person with feelings.”