Greetings,
If you are a fan of the show Community, then you were most likely saddened by the news that, after a five year run on NBC, the series would be coming to an end. But you would most likely be quite happy at the news that it was going to be brought back to life by way of Yahoo! This way, we will hopefully be getting our "six seasons and a movie", at the very least. Honestly, the only thing that made me smile, where the initial cancellation was concerned, was the fact that I would get to do a top ten episodes list. And, though the show is continuing, I thought I'd get around it by calling this a top ten from the traditional years, a.k.a. the years spent on that old timey thing called television. I don't call that cheating; I just call it being creative. Wouldn't Jeff Winger be proud of me?
So, as of late, I have decided to forego giving long descriptions about shows and characters when I do these lists, the way I used to do. I figure, unless you're a fan or you know enough about the show, you might not stop to read this. Although, as always, I may be giving spoilers and talking about things that only those who watch Community know, so check it out first, then come back. It will get more views for me and this cool, cool, cool show. Yeah, that's one of the things you need to watch the show to understand. Anyway, let's get started with my personal favorite episodes of Community.
Honorable Mention: "Regional Holiday Music"(Season 3) - Not only do we get to hear the musical stylings of the cast, for better or worse, this episode could have been called, "Hey, Glee! You guys suck!" Good times. Or am I the only one seeing it that way?
#10. "Heroic Origins"(Season 4) - Okay, 'elephant in the room' time. Also, harsh honesty time. If I had to pick a worst,or least good season of Community, I would go with season 4. Why? Mostly, because this was the year without Dan Harmon, the genius who created the show in the first place. And he got fired, because...I don't know. Maybe the person in charge had the same philosophy as the person who let Edward Norton go from his Hulk role. In other words, "Hey, what's the best thing we've got here? That? Okay...kill it". Look, I'm not saying that this season was 100% horrible. It had its moments, especially considering we still had our amazing cast. And, though Dan had nothing to do with this one, it reminded me of him a bit. Seeing the story of how these friends had always been connected and somehow found their way to Greendale gave me a good feeling of Harmon-y. Yeah, I went there.
#9. "A Fistful of Paintballs"/"For Few Paintballs More"(Season 2) - This is not a tie. This is a two-parter episode, so I had to include both. In Season 1, there was a paintball episode called "Modern Warfare", where the prize was first choice at classes for the next year. Well, the stakes have been raised this time with a prize of $100,000. Not suspicious at all. Anyway, the first half is done in the style of a spaghetti western, hence the title, and the second half switches over to having a Star Wars theme, hence the...well, okay, they kept the joke going with the titles from the first part, but whatever. It works. Also, if you are a fan of Lost, you're gonna get a little surprise.
#8. "Basic Intergluteal Numismatics"(Season 5) - First of all, the middle word in this title got called into question by my Spell Check, so I think someone made it up. Anyway, season 5 was pretty good and interesting, behind the scenes as well. We got back Dan Harmon, but, sadly, Chevy Chase as Pierce left and so did Donald Glover as Troy, eventually. It was sad, because they were both so great. Still, we got Jonathan Banks, and he brought a lot to the show. Okay, this episode. It's another one of those stylized ones, which I love, and they do a take off on all those really dark, crime genre shows. And the criminal they are dealing with is the, ahem, Butt Crack Bandit. Okay, yeah, they use the other word, but I just can't! I'm sorry. Aside from the main plot, the end of this one gives us a very important event in the series. Just watch.
#7. "Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas"(Season 2) - Oh, Abed. Sometimes I think you're my imagination soul mate. So, as a child of the 80's, I loved this episode, because it was all in stop motion animation. Or, as we always called it, claymation. It was a tribute of sorts to those old Rankin/Bass Christmas specials, which, as the Nostalgia Critic put it, had more stop than motion. He's not exactly wrong, but I still watched them. Anyway, since Abed's imagination is working quite potently this time, his friends are concerned about his mental state, and they get help from Duncan, played by the great John Oliver, to perform Christmas-nosis. Just go with it. And Snowman Chang? I mean, come on. Awesomeness all around, and Ken Jeong makes an adorable little snowman. A tad feisty, but adorable. It's just one of the most creative things they've done, and that is saying a lot for this show. I know it took a lot of time and work to produce, but it was worth it. And, even in this form, Danny Pudi excels at playing the wonderful weirdo. I call him that with love, by the way.
#6. "Pilot"(Season 1) - As far as character introduction goes, I'd say this is one of the best pilot episodes I've ever seen. Sure, they eventually build on the characters, but, on a show that's very driven by the world around them, they got the foundation out, right off the bat. Jeff's a manipulator, Abed is strange, Annie is a sometimes psychotic overachiever, so on and so forth. Got it. And now let's get this party started. Isn't that what a pilot supposed to do anyway? Well done. And hats off to Joel McHale. I think a lot of the pressure to get this series off the ground was resting on his shoulders, since he was kind of the central character in this first episode. No worries. He did a fantastic job.
#5. "Home Economics"(Season 2) - There's a lot going on in this one. First, Jeff is revealed to be living in his car after some condo fee issues and ends up living with Abed, adapting all too well to his carefree lifestyle. Britta tries to convince Jeff to get his life together, all the while she's dealing with her ex, a hippie guy named Vaughn, played hilariously by Eric Christian Olsen. He's bitter about their breakup and goes all Alanis Morrisette/Adele/Taylor Swift by writing songs about her with his band. Pierce tries to "help" and ends up in that band. And then, there's Annie trying to "help" Troy impress a girl. Weird, because she was kind of in love with him. But it's Annie, so, of course. Amazingly enough, though this episode is quite full, it does not feel bloated. See, it is possible.
#4. "Digital Estate Planning"(Season 3) - After the death of his father, Pierce must go to a warehouse with his closest friends and ends up having to play a special video game in order to, literally, win his inheritance. Much like the claymation episode, we are going nostalgic for this one, with a tribute to old school video games. Why the old school kind? Probably because it's cheaper graphics. I don't fault them for that. Anyway, there are a ton of comedy gems in this episode, including our guest actor, Giancarlo Eposito. I personally know him best due to his role on Homicide: Life on the Street. I've rarely, if ever, seen him do comedy, but he should do it more often.
#3. "Remedial Chaos Theory"(Season 3) - Hmmm, chaos theory. Insert Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park joke here. As a writer, I am overwhelmingly impressed with this episode. The plot is that, while at Abed's and Troy's housewarming party, a die is cast to decide who will go to the pizza delivery guy. A die with six sides, creating, as who else but Abed tells us, six different timelines. And it does! We get to see what happens depending on what number is rolled. Every one has obviously different events, but they manage to give us some running gags, which are funny every time. The whole thing is just genius. And God bless Gillian Jacobs and her "Me so hungry!" dance. Wait, me so...hungry? I feel like that could have gone in a less appropriate direction. Keeping it classy, Community.
#2. "Cooperative Calligraphy"(Season 2) - So, remember how I said that Annie can be a little psychotic? Um, yeah. After a study session where the group works on yet another diorama, they are all looking forward to the puppy parade. How could they not be with all the sporadic announcements from Dean Pelton? God bless you, too, Jim Rash. But, alas, Annie cannot find her pen, and she subsequently accuses and interrogates every member of the study group, determined to find it. So, therefore, they are all stuck in the study room, missing the puppy parade. Why? Because this is a "bottle episode". And one of the best ever. Oh, and speaking of best ever, Alison Brie is THE BEST SCREAMER EVER!!!
#1. "Basic Lupine Urology"(Season 3) - So, I sure do love me some Law & Order, as I may have mentioned. And I clearly love Community. I wonder how I would feel if someone combined these two. Oh, look at that! Someone did, and I feel amazing about it. I was so excited when I heard about this one, and I was not disappointed. This is a full on tribute to the long-running series, Law & Order, complete with a thanks to Dick Wolf at the end. The plot is that the yam being used by the study group for a biology project has been murdered...or whatever, and they must find the guilty party. And do they EVER get into this? We've got Abed and Troy playing the detectives, dressed just as they should be, and Jeff and Annie as the male and female prosecutors. It probably takes a hardcore L&O fan to notice this, but they paid a lot of attention to detail here, as they always do. But, I have to say, everything and everyone kind of got blown away by Yvette Nicole Brown's performance. She became Lt. Van Buren. The way she talked, her mannerisms, even the way she moved her hands. It was perfect. By this time, two years after cancellation, I had really been missing my Law & Order. What a nice little present for me. Oh, and Michael Ironside. I don't think I have to say anymore about that.
And so, those are my favorite episodes from Community's time on traditional television. You know, some people have referred to this show as being "too weird". If that means that it's creative and unique and like nothing else you'll be seeing on TV, then I will take it. I do love it when people are willing to take risks in order to be artistically innovative. That is about the rarest thing these days in the entertainment industry. I'm happy that someone chose to be a little different, so that those of us who appreciate creativity can have something to watch. And I wish them much success in the future.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
