Community is a show built on a few distinct strengths. It features a perfectly balanced ensemble cast, electric dialogue, and impeccable narrative flow. It also leans heavily on certain television tropes, including the “themed” concept. TV-themed episodes focus on a specific topic, event, holiday, or similar central element. Themed events can be a fun break from a show’s normal rhythm, but Community goes further by integrating strong themes into dozens of its episodes.
The show effortlessly weaves in crucial character development and seamlessly moves stories forward through a variety of thematic settings. These span the gamut from nostalgic television callbacks to Claymation specials, Ken Burns-style documentaries, and much more.
So, what are the best themed episodes from Community’? Never fear, we have a handy list of stories that balance thematic excellence with storytelling and character development.
Note: The episodes featured here have some of the highest rankings on IMDb, which therefore speak to its overall popularity with viewers.
“Contemporary American Poultry”- (Season 1, Episode 21)
Season one doesn’t have much in the way of themed episodes. But it does break the ice with some heavy-hitting classics, including “Contemporary American Poultry.” The episode features a mob-style takeover of Greendale cafeteria as the still-forming Greendale Seven come together in pursuit of the one thing that matters most: fried chicken.
Frustrated with a lack of chicken finger access, Jeff schemes to install Abed as cafeteria manager, only to watch the power go to the mafia-movie-obsessed study group member’s head. Things spiral out of control until Abed realizes the danger and orchestrates the downfall of his own chicken finger syndicate.
“Epidemiology” – (Season 2, Episode 6)
NBC
As season two ramps up, Community starts to steer harder into the themed episode structure. This quickly leads to a Halloween episode for the ages: “Epidemiology.” The light-hearted horror knock-off features a costume party hosted in the Greendale library. It is where some unsettling hors d’oeuvres set off a zombie-style apocalyptic event.
The survival story that ensues deftly shows key moments of Abed and Troy’s blooming friendship, Jeff’s failing struggle to distance himself from the group, and the unexpected curve ball of Shirley and Senior Chang hooking up in a bathroom. Presented to the delightful backdrop of Dean Craig Pelton’s Abba playlist, this confident and quirky take on the zombie genre is an instant classic that locked many viewers in as Community lifers.
The only holiday-themed episode to make the list, season two episode “Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas”is another masterclass in telling a larger story through a one-off theme. The episode, based on a classic Christmas Claymation special, centers on Abed as he experiences a mental breakdown and processes the erosion of his family and its traditions.
Along with that, there is the sheer impressiveness of the Claymation itself. Make no mistake: This one is the real deal, folks. No clay-looking digital CGI here. The episode was made fully in stop motion and took four months and 70 animators who created 19 sets and 66 puppets. The resulting episode went over budget and was only ready the day before it aired. Now that’s some serious commitment.
All of the Paintball Episodes – (Various Seasons)
Alright, we’re cheating here, but in reality, how do you choose just one of the Community paintball episodes for a list like this? The season one episode “Modern Warfare” is a very highly-rated classic that channels laughable post-apocalyptic desperation like nothing else.
Season two returns to the theme with a vengeance via the two-parter “A Fistful of Paintballs” and “For a Few Paintballs More.” The Spaghetti Western and Star Wars-themed episodes, respectively, take the production stakes to all-new levels. They also were the episodes that led Marvel boss Kevin Feige to ask the Russo brothers (who directed them) to lead up Captain America: Winter Soldier and future films (which explains why so many Community alumni show up in those movies, too).
“Pillows and Blankets” – (Season 3, Episode 14)
In many ways, season three of Community is where things go off the rails (mostly in a good way). Stakes get higher, characters go crazy (see: Dictator Chang), and the show generally pushes the envelope, including its themed episode “Pillows and Blankets.”
The eccentric, over-the-top story is one of the greatest installments in the show’s six seasons. This time, the thematic element isn’t about the story but rather the framing device. The documentary approach breaks up the sitcom narrative. And doing that in a historical, Ken Burns style makes it even more entertaining. Using the war parody format to provide a key resolution in Abed and Troy’s relationship also shows that Dan Harmon and company never waste an opportunity.
“Basic Lupine Urology” – (Season 3, Episode 17)
NBC
This Community themed episode is one of those rare instances where an adaptation outdoes the source material. The episode follows the Study Group through a presumably easy assignment in the biology lab. However, when sabotage occurs, everyone goes Law & Order (literally) in pursuit of the perpetrator of the crime.
While it takes a certain kind of fan to watch (and enjoy) a serious legal crime show, it isn’t hard for most people to revel in a slapstick parody making a huge judgmental fuss over a bloated yam. Add in the clever plot structure and flawless buy-in performances from the cast, and this one’s a gem.
Who doesn’t love Giancarlo Esposito? It’s easy to forget that the actor who has made his bread and butter with big franchises like Breaking Bad and The Mandalorian also pops up as Pierce Hawthorne’s half-brother Gilbert Lawson in this season three episode.
Along with Esposito’s nefarious presence as vengeful brother Gilbert, the episode is a priceless entry in the themed Community catalog as it fully steers into the Atari/Nintendo-style old-school computer game trope. The episode is laced with gamer jokes and is a perfect nod to an early digital age that is quickly becoming historical.
“Geothermal Escapism” – (Season 5, Episode 5)
The further you go into the six-season (and a movie?) run, Community ratings drop, which meant some of the later themed episodes, like GI Jeff, fell off the list. However, one stand-out event still made the cut: “Geothermal Escapism.”
The episode channels some of that paintball energy, this time in the form of an apocalyptic campus-wide The Floor Is Lava game. Along with clever thematic dialogue and desperate tensions that anyone four and up can relate to, this episode serves as a heart-breaking farewell to Abed’s other half, Troy Barnes.
This articles is written by : Nermeen Nabil Khear Abdelmalak
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