Top Ten Community Episodes

Community is a show that has meant different things to different people in its run from 2009 till 2015. For NBC, it represented a key part of the renaissance of TV comedies alongside The Office, Parks and Recreation and 30 Rock. For showrunner Dan Harmon and his band of brilliant performers, it represented an opportunity of a lifetime. For ardent fans of the show, it represented a source of great joy and great frustration as NBC executives never seemed to be as committed to the show as they could have been. As such, the show never got a chance to be as popular as some of the aforementioned shows. Not that it mattered – the show developed a cult following over the years. The show follows a group of friends attending Greendale Community College and their adventures in their crazy school. The friends include Jeff (a disgraced former lawyer), Britta (a misguided activist), Shirley (a recently separated Christian mother of two), Abed (a TV/movie junkie with poorly developed social skills), Annie (a compulsive overachiever teen), Troy (an easily excitable, former jock) and Pierce (a bored, socially inept senior citizen). The cast aren’t just the most diverse comedy ensemble imaginable (across age, race and gender), but it’s arguably the most gifted group of comedy actors banded together on a sitcom. When you consider the talented cast, the visionary showrunner and some of Hollywood’s finest writers and directors, it’s no wonder it was arguably the funniest thing on TV for years. Even though we got six seasons, we’re still waiting on the movie - #sixseasonsandamovie.

Bonus

Romantic Expressionism

(Season 1 Episode 15)

One of the major arcs of Community’s brilliant first season, was Jeff’s various romantic interests. At different points in the season his interest shifted from Britta to Professor Slater and on occasion even Annie. In this episode, Jeff and Britta learn that Annie is now dating Vaughn, Britta’s ex-boyfriend. As the de facto parents of the study group, the pair decide to indirectly meddle in the budding relationship as neither of them approve. Their meddling succeeds in turning Vaughn off and Annie finds out what they did. When Jeff and Britta admit to their scheme and their less-than-noble motivations for doing so, we get one of the great study room scenes in the show’s history. The group put all their romantic cards on the table as they have a frank and open conversation about any feelings or attractions that might exist between them. It’s not just a great 22 minutes of television, but it serves as a great introduction to the show for new watchers as they get to see each character in their unique element.

Ten

Cooperative Calligraphy

(S2E8)

Bottle episodes – episodes shot at one location - can be quite tricky for regular sitcoms and comedies to pull off. Sure, they are useful for cutting costs on the production side, but it can put a burden on the writer(s) of the episode. How do you write a story that properly serves your characters and sustains the attention span of the audience? It’s a good thing then that Megan Ganz is one Community’s best writers because this is one of the show’s greatest episodes. After another study session, Annie finds that she’s missing her pen. No one seems to have seen it and it is after all, just a pen. But Annie refuses to let this go. Why? Because this is like the fourth pen she’s had taken over the last month or so. After careful searching doesn’t yield the pen, Annie insists Britta (a constant borrower of things) should have her bag searched. Before too long, emotions get the better of the group and the search for Annie’s lost pen takes an obsessive and ridiculous turn. Accusations are thrown along with insults. The group’s frustration threatens to get the best of them and they still can’t find this pen! After hours wasted in fruitless search, the friends come to a conclusion – they’d much rather accept a reality where the pen vanished into thin air than accept they can’t trust each other anymore. It’s a satisfying conclusion to a wonderfully paced and hilarious episode. There aren’t many episodes where the core cast get to play off each other with minimal interference from others but this is a great example of the strength of their chemistry.

Nine

Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas

(S2E11)

Abed is arguably the most interesting sitcom character there’s been in any 21st century comedy. Picture Sheldon from Big Bang Theory without the off-putting obnoxiousness. Dan Harmon, the show’s creator has never confirmed whether the character suffers from any specific personality disorder but it’s quite clear he’s a bit developmentally challenged. In this special Christmas episode, Abed finds that for some reason he can only see the world in Claymation. Fearing for his mental health, Jeff and Britta invite Professor Duncan (John Oliver) – the campus psychologist - to help Abed. Unfortunately for them, Abed isn’t interested in therapy at all. He only wants to discover the true meaning of Christmas and as such, we the viewers are treated to a Christmas adventure in Claymation. It’s an episode that’s as poignant as it is funny and the viewer learns more about one of the show’s best characters.

Eight

A Fistful of Paintballs

(S2E23)

The problem with doing sequels is that there is a significant chance that you can undo all the goodwill from the original. Did Hangover really need to have a sequel? What about Home Alone? The less said about Batman and Robin, the better. But Dan Harmon and the Community writers are clearly not cut from mediocre cloth. They not only created a sequel to “Modern Warfare”, season 1’s standout episode, but they made it a double feature closer to season 2. “Fistful of Paintballs” is the first (and stronger) part of the double feature. It’s the end of the school year, and Dean Pelton – as is his wont – wants to mark the occasion in a special way. Despite the damage to school property from the last time (“Modern Warfare”), he announces that there will be another game of paintball. The prize this time? $100,000, courtesy of Greendale partner, Pistol Patty’s Cowboy Creamery. It doesn’t take long for the Greendale campus to literally devolve into a Wild West terrain. The episode mostly spoofs old westerns and cowboy movies to hilarious effect. But beneath the funny concept and the overarching story of the contest to win prize money, lies the underlying story of the group’s patience with Pierce wearing thin. Like most classic Community episodes, it’s side splittingly funny with real emotional stakes.

Seven

Curriculum Unavailable

(S3E19)

The funny thing about season 3 of Community is that despite its relative inconsistency – at least, compared to the mostly perfect seasons 1 and 2 – its high points are as good as anything the show has ever done. This is especially true of the last five episodes of the season. At that point, Chang had conspired to getting the group not only expelled from campus for a crime they did not commit, but banned from the campus grounds. When Abed (donning one of his many personas) gets caught on campus trying to investigate, he is forced to see a therapist (John Hodgman) in lieu of actual legal trouble. Naturally, the rest of the group join him to offer support. Abed remains convinced of his discovery, Dean Pelton has been replaced by a doppelganger who lied to the school’s board to get them expelled. Although his friends don’t quite believe him either, they jump to his support by pointing out to the therapist just how crazy Greendale is in a series of hilarious clips. Just like the season 2 classic episode, “Paradigms of Human Memory”, this episode is an inventive take on the clip show (an episode of a show that mostly consists of clips from past episodes). The difference is when Community does clip shows, the clips are from episodes we’ve never seen. As such, the viewer gets treated to hilarious clips from random group adventures at Greendale. At the end of the episode, the group finds that Abed’s assertions are once again completely valid. But more than that, the therapist might not even be who he says he is.

Six

Contemporary American Poultry

(S1E21)

Abed might not be as well versed as most people at basic things like reading people’s emotions and telling time accurately, but when it comes to interpreting life through movie tropes, no one comes close. In that sense, Abed is a keener observer of human behavior than most because he sees life as a series of movies and TV shows playing out. When the group realizes that they keep missing out on chicken fingers from the campus cafeteria because Star-burns (the cook) keeps hoarding a bunch for people, they quickly devise a plan. They wouldn’t just get rid of Star-burns, but get Abed the job of fry cook and manipulate the supply of chicken fingers. It doesn’t take long for Abed to see this as a typical mafia-style movie. After all, each member of the group would play a specific role to keep the new, corrupt arrangement running smoothly. But just as soon as the group assumes power over the campus playing their roles, Abed finds himself thrust into the position of mob boss as his chicken frying skills and flair for organization sees him running the whole enterprise. This doesn’t sit well with Jeff, the group’s natural leader. Partly because of his ego, but because he sees how power is corrupting each member of the group. How far will the group go before – in typical mafia-movie style – they self-destruct on their own hubris?

Five

Paradigms of Human Memory

(S2E21)

As the group – and Senor Chang for some reason - works on their final diorama of the semester together, they are interrupted by Troy’s monkey stealing one of their items and escaping into the vents. When Chang goes after it, he discovers a treasure trove of items deemed missing over the school year, including all of Annie’s stolen pens (“Cooperative Calligraphy”). This sets the episode up for another remember-the-time style clip show. But before they can fully dive into nostalgia mode, Abed abruptly surmises that Jeff and Britta have been having sex behind the group’s back all year. He proves his case via a series of previously unseen flashbacks and clips (like the aforementioned “Curriculum Unavailable”). Before too long, the group members are at each other’s throats again as they keep pointing out via hilariously ridiculous flashbacks how Jeff and Britta’s actions may or may not have threatened the group harmony. Just like “Curriculum Unavailable”, the concept is fresh and inventive and the result is one of the funniest episodes Community has ever done.

Four

Modern Warfare

(S1E23)

The original paintball saga. When Jeff awakes from a nap and makes his way into the Greendale campus, he notices something is different. The air is thick with tension, the walls are stained with different colors and the silence is deafening. Greendale College looks more like Greendale apocalyptic wasteland. Fortunately for him, he runs into Troy and Abed before he falls into any harm. They then break it down for him. The Dean announced a paintball game an hour ago with the prize been priority registration – the power to schedule classes whichever way the winner wants! Before too long, the trio run into Pierce and then the three ladies. They quickly devise a plan to join forces and eliminate all the other students. But before too long, the only group members still standing are Britta and Jeff. Alone. In the study room. Late at night. Cue fireworks. This episode is often cited as one of the best episodes of the show for several reasons. The dialogue is sharp and funny. The story is captivating. The directing (by Justin Lin, famous for the Fast and the Furious movies) is cinematic and reminiscent of the biggest summer blockbusters.

Three

Advanced Dungeons and Dragons

(S2E14)

The overarching story of Community’s season 2 is Pierce’s turn to villainy. Over the course of the school year, Pierce lost his mother, injured both his legs and then got addicted to pills. It was truly a dark year for the oldest member of the group. Maybe this informed some of his villainous choices that year. The most significant of these dark turns may have been in “Intermediate Disciplinary Filmmaking” where Pierce pretends he’s on his death bed to mess with everyone’s heads. But “Advanced Dungeons and Dragons” is a close second. In this episode, we meet Neal, (better known by his cruel moniker, “Fat Neal”) a student who Jeff has recently befriended. He’s shown to be something of an antisocial nerd, who has no social life whatsoever and finds solace in games (board and video alike). When out of the blue, Neal gifts his board games to Jeff in a last rites type of manner, the latter’s radar goes off. With Abed’s help, he invites Fat Neal to a game of Dungeons and Dragons with the whole study group in order to lift his spirits. Well, almost the whole group – Pierce wasn’t invited. Why? Pierce’s general insensitivity could potentially worsen the situation. Unfortunately, Pierce finds out and is not best pleased with been excluded. He makes up his mind to zero in on the guy he deems responsible, the potentially suicidal Fat Neal.

Two

Documentary Filmmaking: Redux

(S3E8)

If viewers had to agree on a favorite character on the show, it would prove massively difficult to get any consensus. The characters aren’t just fantastically written but they’re portrayed by some of the brightest talents in Hollywood. But I have a particular regard for Jim Rash’s Dean Pelton. After all, Greendale’s Dean is only the most ruthlessly optimistic, cross dressing-est, sexually fluid character in television history. Although his penchant for loud costumes and his weird sexuality tend to be the most reliable source of laughs, one thing that has never been in doubt is the Dean’s dedication to Greendale. He’s always taken great pride in his job, striving (without much success) to make Greendale similar to real universities. As such, when the Greendale board give him $2000 to shoot a new commercial for the school, he is beside himself with excitement. He enlists the help of the study group to help with acting, directing and production. All agree, except Abed who instead chooses to shoot a documentary of the commercial’s production. Things go relatively well until popular actor Luis Guzman, a Greendale alumnus, agrees to take part in the commercial. The Dean then makes the executive decision to make the production grander and more befitting of a Hollywood actor. Before long his obsession with perfection not only brings normal school activities to a screeching halt, it also causes the production to soar over budget. The Dean spirals out of control as he torments his actors and crew members with his erratic decisions. One by one each actor and crew member abandons the project until the Dean is left to salvage his mess by himself. This Megan Ganz scripted masterpiece works mostly because it puts the spotlight on the endlessly complex and fascinating Dean Pelton, although the documentary format used also makes the episode very memorable.

One

Remedial Chaos Theory

(S3E3)

When one thinks of what makes Community special, aside from the brilliance of the creator and the gifted actors on the show, it’s surely the creative approach it takes in telling stories (both familiar and unfamiliar). After all the point of a sitcom (especially one on a huge network like NBC) is to reliably make as many people laugh as you can. It’s not about reinventing the wheel, it’s just putting a new spin on old tropes. On the surface, “Remedial Chaos Theory” is just a tale about alternate timelines, a concept that isn’t particularly new. But the fact is how many shows will tackle the concept of alternate timelines in a way that is not just funny but incredibly smart? The story itself is simple enough. When Troy and Abed host the rest of the study group for their house warming, they decide to play Yahtzee and order pizza. When the pizza man arrives, the group has to decide who should go downstairs and get the pizza. Jeff suggests they each pick a number from 1 to 6 and roll a die to choose who goes. Simple enough. But what we then get with this wonderful, Chris McKenna scripted episode, is an examination of six different timelines based on which group member gets the pizza. There are some hilarious consistencies regardless of the timeline, like Pierce telling his story of sex with Eartha Kitt and Britta singing along to “Roxanne” by The Police with Jeff cutting her off abruptly, but each timeline also comes with situations playing out in different ways. Some timelines have truly dark outcomes and others end up happier. This episode deserves its place on the top of any ‘greatest of’ lists for several reasons. It’s an interesting concept treated very cleverly. It shows a remarkable understanding of not just the characters but the different ways they all relate with each other. Plus it’s truly funny. This was my introduction to the show and I can honestly say I became a fan just based on this episode.

#comedy #community #sixseasonsandamovie