Top Ten: Episodes of Community

Hey everyone!

So, Community was canceled this week.  Seeing how much of a fan I am of the show, I'm surprisingly OK.  The last two seasons of the show have shown that, with or without creator Dan Harmon, the writers have lost a sense of direction for the show, stranding it in a kind of loosey-goosey limbo that tries to build to a conclusion and ends up with handfuls of nothing.  So, the announcement is met with a kind of bittersweet feeling.  On one hand, I feel like the dying show is being put out of its misery and, on the other, I keep hearing Abed shouting "Six Seasons and a Movie!" in my head.  And, darn it, I really wanted that.  So here today are my top ten favorite episodes of Community for its entire five season run.

Disclaimer: So, all of these episodes are from the first three seasons.  And, when I think it over, I don't think that's unfair.  Sorry, if you disagree.

THE LIST

10. Digital Estate Planning

• Interesting episode concept and great writing to match
• Visual art style is great and the humor is perfectly matched
• Any episode that humanizes Pierce is fine by me
• The satirization of video game culture is sidesplitting
• Unique and memorable stand alone episode in a plot-heavy part of the season

9. Contemporary American Poultry

• One of the shows first and most successful film parodies
• Great introspection on the characters of Jeff and Abed
• A great gateway episode to introduce new fans to the show
• The story is a bold move from the show's early sitcom formula
• Makes a great use of the show's deeply comedic supporting class

8. Basic Lupine Urology

• A nearly screen-by-screen parody of a standard Law and Order episode done to perfection
• "I transferred or 'downloaded' the picture from Troy's phone."
• The way the episode portrays police and court procedure without police or a court
• A snappy stand alone episode that is subtle smart and infinitely hilarious
• No study group drama just satiristic fun

7. Conspiracy Theories and Interior Design

• Community is at its best when it keeps it simple
• The incredible acting keeps the plot twists from giving viewers narrative whiplash
• Surprising revelations about the status of Jeff and Annie's relationship
• An equally entertaining subplot that builds up to one of the show's best episodes
• Top notch writing and a master class in creating fantastic tension

6. ModernWarfare

• The episode that made Community "that show where they play paintball"
• A challenging and dramatic departure from the show's basic formula
• Danny Pudi's character acting... just all of it
• Balls to the walls hilarious and action-filled insanity
• Comes to define the show's offbeat and unique television presence.

5. Cooperative Calligraphy

• Bottle episode at its finest
• Fantastic meta humor and meta commentary
• Breaks down the thin facade of the study group's true feeling towards each other
• Makes the insignificant significant and the significant insignificant
• Instantly memorable and iconic episode that will stand the test of time

4. A Fistful of Paintballs/ A Few Paintballs More

• Fantastic extension of the show's paintball fun
• Parodies both westerns and Star Wars in the same go
• The action and tension between characters is kicked up several notches
• A thought-provoking end to the second season
• The influence of the main story arc of the season on the paintball action

3. Paradigms of Human Memory

• A clip show with all original clips... Why can't all shows do this?
• A strangely unnostalgic trip through the show's history due to resolved character tension
• Fractured storytelling reveals the new storylines one bit at a time
• Jeff's epic monologue spanning multiple study group adventures
• Superb writing brings a strangely uplifting ending even though very little is actually accomplished

2. Pillows and Blankets

• A near perfect imitation of a Ken Burns documentary with the integration of social media
• An interesting and much-needed challenge to the Troy-Abed dynamic
• Community absolutely shines in a documentary format and this is the clear winner for the best one
• Jeff's surprising reveal in the ending recording
• Leonard likes this post

1. Remedial Chaos Theory

• The finest example of fractured storytelling I can think off
• Begins the "darkest timeline" story arc and ridiculously long-running joke
• A fluid and balanced examination and growth of each individual character
• The ending is fantastically satisfying
• This episode is pretty much the reason I want to write for television

Thanks for reading everyone!  And, Community, you will always be six seasons and a movie in our hearts.