Created by Dan Harmon, the sitcom Community featured an ensemble cast of characters that spawned numerous platonic and romantic relationships. New pairings were constantly introduced throughout the series, pairings that developed and changed throughout all 6 seasons of the show.
Whether it be failed romantic relationships, friends that are clearly soulmates, or imagining what could have been for a couple who never officially got together, the relationships in Community are some of the most detailed on television. This complexity sees these relationships contributing to the development of each character's personality.
Craig Pelton And Jeff Winger
One of the longest-lasting relationships in Community is between study group leader Jeff Winger and the Dean of Greendale Community College, Craig Pelton. The two had their fair share of great moments together, including singing Seal's "Kiss From a Rose" on karaoke and being the last two standing in Greendale's final paintball war.
The downside of this relationship is that it is fairly one-sided. The Dean is inappropriate with Jeff due to his clear obsession with him while Jeff rejects his fixation, being quite mean to the Dean on multiple occasions. Their relationship comes full circle in the season 6 episode "Laws of Robotics & Party Rights" when Jeff finally tells the Dean he considers him a friend.
Annie Edison And Abed Nadir
Study group members Annie and Abed are one of the greatest platonic relationships in the series. Despite the occasional romantic moment, such as their kiss during paintball, or Abed's Don Draper impression, the two arguably work best as friends as they live together and clearly love one another, platonically.
While one of Annie's worst traits in Community, her being a control freak, occasionally causes friction between her and Abed, the two always work through their issues- even when Abed is being particularly difficult. Not only did Annie assist Abed in learning how to be empathetic towards his friends, but she also was there for him during Troy's departure.
Britta Perry And Troy Barnes
Britta and Troy are a couple that, from the outside looking in, are clearly suited to one another. They share a passion for dance, and evidently develop feelings for one another toward the end of season 2. They eventually get together, but it does not work out as expected.
It is possible that Britta and Troy are the biggest failed relationship in the series. As their official relationship begins and ends in the much-maligned 4th season of the series, it is difficult to know for sure if they would have worked as a couple under creator Dan Harmon's supervision. Arguably though, their differences from one another were too much of an obstacle to their happiness.
Troy Barnes And Abed Nadir
As a friendship that had countless great moments in Community, Troy and Abed were clearly better friends with one another than any other pairing in the group. They were mostly perfect for each other, for example, taking a shared interest in geek culture, and building pillow/blanket forts- which actually wound up being a source of their first major fight.
The two got through this, with their friendship becoming stronger following it. It was not until season 5 when Troy's departure revealed a flaw in their pairing. Troy's decision to leave was based on his desire to become his own man, something that he could not achieve while being Abed's "sidekick." Despite this, the two shared their lives together and were undeniably great friends.
Jeff Winger And Michelle Slater
The first proper romantic relationship in the series was Jeff and his statistics teacher, Michelle Slater. They were together for a brief period of time and fought with one another about Jeff's level of maturity and seriousness about their relationship. The couple broke up in the 1st season.
Michelle broke up with Jeff, then attempted to get back together with him and apologized for getting scared when their relationship got serious, ironically. It is arguable that their entire relationship was fabricated to drive a wedge between Jeff and study group member Britta, who some argue is Jeff's true love in Community.
Annie Edison And Vaughn Miller
A short-lived relationship that began and ended in season 1 was Annie and Vaughn. The two getting together was vocally disagreed with by Jeff and Britta- Jeff because he had an unspoken infatuation with Annie and Britta because she used to date Vaughn, not long prior to him dating Annie.
The tragic thing about their break-up at the end of season one is that it was a genuinely positive relationship that Annie seemed happy in. The two broke up because Vaughn moved away, and Annie immediately went to Jeff, when they shared their first kiss. This is an example of how Annie got worse in Community, as her romantic relationship with Jeff was not a source of happiness.
Shirley And Andre Bennett
Despite being separated at the beginning of the series, Shirley and Andre got back together in the show's 2nd season and got remarried, despite objections from the study group, Britta in particular. Britta believed that Shirley should never have gotten back together with Andre as she argued that she deserved better than him.
Andre did mistreat Shirley by cheating on her, yet she forgave him and gave him the opportunity to prove himself to her. While they were the only married couple in the show, the two eventually separated again as it is revealed in season 5 episode, "Repilot," that Shirley devoted all her time and energy to her business and neglected her family.
Abed Nadir And Rachel
Rachel, played by future Avenger and Captain Marvel star Brie Larson, was one of the best characters introduced late in the show. She and Abed were deeply alike, sharing a common interest in movie tropes, even fulfilling some themselves, coincidentally. Rachel only appeared in three episodes, but she certainly made an impact.
A major issue with their relationship was the behind-the-scenes issue of Brie Larson's limited availability, leading to Rachel becoming a great character that was underused on Community. Despite this, her few appearances and occasional mentions afterward proved that she was a perfect romantic companion to Abed, due to their similar personalities.
Annie Edison And Jeff Winger
Jeff and Annie's "will they, won't they?" relationship was so successful because of Joel McHale and Alison Brie's undeniable chemistry. The two characters paired up several times throughout the series, either teaming up to solve mysteries or butting heads about certain decisions.
What becomes clear by the end of Community is that Jeff and Annie were never going to work out despite their sexual tension. The potential romance between the two ultimately ended in the final episode of the series when it was finally addressed that despite their chemistry, the two were at completely different stages of their lives because of their age gap and could not be together.
Jeff Winger And Britta Perry
Arguably the true couple of the show, Jeff Winger and Britta Perry were consistently romantically entangled throughout Community. They slept together numerous times, came close to being in a relationship on several occasions, and it is undeniable that they had a love for one another.
Jeff and Britta were similar in age and their stage in life, unlike another potential couple- Jeff and Annie. The characters almost got married on two occasions throughout the series- perhaps, as Jeff and Britta are two of the few left at Greendale by the end, it could be the third time lucky for the pair.