"Come with me if you don't want paint on your clothes"
ORIGINAL AIRDATE: 6th May 2010
EPISODE NUMBER: Season 1, Episode 23
WRITTEN BY: Emily Cutler
On a show with a reputation for its sharp movie parodies, of which there are many in this episode, Modern Warfare has become a remarkable achievement in its own right, and would come to be known as "the paintball episode". It was so popular it even inspired a sequel of sorts.
The episode begins with Jeff waking up in the middle of a warzone, 28 Days Later-style. A paintball game has turned into a survival horror experience after the announcement of the prize, priority registration. The action movie box is soon checked, with Jeff taking his look from Die Hard's John McClane, also referenced at the end. Senor Chang's look resembles a character from Hard Boiled. The fight scenes resemble The Matrix and the plot is Battle Royale. That's a lot of different elements, but it's a cocktail that works.
Modern Warfare is not only great entertainment, but it creates a tense, absorbing atmosphere. The paintball game was a genius concept. Previous rules were now gone, giving the show a freedom it had never had before. They created a warzone environment that was new, exciting and fun.
Oh, and the Jeff/Britta sexual tension was also advanced, with the couple doing it for the first time. It recieved just the right amount of prominence: Acknowledged, but without taking over the show.
Modern Warfare is a modern classic.
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