16. Contemporary American Poultry (Season 1, Episode 21)
The Story: Jeff schemes to take control of Greendale’s kitchen so as to ensure endless supplies of chicken fingers for the study group. When Abed takes on the position of fry-cook, he ascends to a position of power on campus, and the study group is quickly corrupted by newfound riches.
Why It’s Earned Its Place: This impressive send-up of mafia movies like Goodfellas and The Godfather is one of the first ‘concept’ episodes of Community, as well as a strong outing both in terms of character development and comedy. The entire episode has an unmistakably ambitious feel to it, but it’s so masterfully structured that ambition never negates a smooth flow. “Contemporary American Poultry” was one of the first episodes that really made Community fans prick up their ears and listen.
Best Quote: “From then on, we stopped being a family, and became a family, in italics.” – Abed, eagerly buying into the idea of a mafia parody.
15. Virtual Systems Analysis (Season 3, Episode 16)
The Story: While Troy and Britta go on a lunch date, Annie cajoles Abed into showing her how the Dreamatorium works. What starts out as innocent play-acting, however, becomes something much more worrying as Abed’s personality splinters so he can embody different versions of the other study group members.
Why It’s Earned Its Place: A lot of people hated this episode for giving Abed a soap-box and exploring the darker side of his personality, but I feel that “Virtual Systems Analysis” is a very important, if difficult to discuss, episode of Community for exactly that reason. Abed typically serves as a quirky comic relief character, but he’s a deeply flawed and troubled individual at his core. Annie, ever the show’s moral compass, reaches out to him in a way we’ve come to expect of her character, and the episode shifts to analyze her as much as Abed. My biggest take-away from “Virtual Systems Analysis” was that Dan Harmon has, throughout three wonderful seasons, built one of the strongest and most emotionally complex ensembles on television. That an episode delving into deep, dangerous analysis of two of them can appear as innovative as “Virtual Systems Analysis” says a lot.
Best Quote: “I love butt stuff, I hate spiders, I stole a pen from the bank, I cried during About a Boy…the soundtrack. I don’t wash my hands before surgery. I can see why women find Clive Owen attractive to the point where I might just as well be attracted to him. I use comparisons to Hitler to win arguments on the Internet at the drop of a hat. I know nothing about wine. I’m more turned on by women in pajamas than lingerie; I just wanna know they feel comfortable. I didn’t get Inception. I didn’t get Inception! There’s so many layers!” – Abed, mimicking Troy.
14. Introduction to Finality (Season 3, Episode 22)
The Story: The third season finale. Jeff faces off with the lawyer who got him disbarred as Shirley and Pierce bicker over the sandwich shop they had opened together. Meanwhile, Abed struggles to fight off the Evil Abed created in “Remedial Chaos Theory” and Troy investigates the secretive Air Conditioning School and confronts its teachers about rumors that he has been chosen to lead the institution.
Why It’s Earned Its Place: Looking at the insane plotline above puts into perspective just how nutty Community got in season three. And “Introduction to Finality” does something truly remarkable in just twenty-two minutes – it weaves together all of the season’s themes, story arcs and character developments to create a fluid, very funny and incredibly moving finale. It’s not hard to tell that Dan Harmon intended “Introduction to Finality” to serve as a possible series finale for Community – after all, the show was more on the cancellation bubble over at NBC than ever before. Luckily, his would-be swan song doesn’t disappoint. Expertly blending heart and humor, “Introduction to Finality” serves as a terrific reminder of what makes Community one of the strangest and best shows on television.
Best Quote: “Do you know what kind of person becomes a psychologist, Britta? A person that wishes deep down everyone more special than them was sick. Because healthy sounds so much more exciting than boring. You’re average, Britta Perry. You’re every kid on the playground that didn’t get picked on. You’re business casual potted plant, a human white sale. You’re VH1, Robocop 2, and Back to the Future III. You’re the center slice of a square cheese pizza. Actually, that sounds delicious. I’m the center slice of a square cheese pizza. You’re Jim Belushi.” – Evil Abed, callously dismantling Britta when she attempts a therapy session with him.