Now that Rick and Morty has made Dan Harmon a recognized name in TV comedy and the streaming age has made watching dense, detail-ridden sitcoms easier to digest, Community is quickly becoming a cult hit. It struggled in the ratings during its run on NBC (and briefly on Yahoo!’s failed streaming service), but it’s finally found the audience it always deserved.
The great thing about streaming is that viewers can pop on their favorite episodes of their favorite shows at the touch of a button, consuming only the best a certain show has to offer. With that in mind, here are 10 Community episodes that’ll never get old.
Epidemiology (Season 2, Episode 6)
Following the traditional structure of a zombie movie and featuring a handful of ABBA hits on the soundtrack, season 2’s “Epidemiology” is one of Community’s best holiday-themed episodes, and one of the best Halloween episodes in TV history.
From the Halloween-themed opening credits (which Dan Harmon apparently paid for out of his own pocket) to George Takei’s vocal cameo, “Epidemiology” really pushes the boat out.
Documentary Filmmaking: Redux (Season 3, Episode 8)
Season 3’s “Documentary Filmmaking: Redux,” the second installment in Community’s “Documentary Filmmaking” trilogy, sees Abed attempting to replicate Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse by documenting the Dean’s descent (or Dean-scent) into madness.
Luis Guzmán is used as well as any guest star in any TV show ever has been, while the script by Megan Ganz (one of the greatest comedy writers working today) is airtight.
Paradigms Of Human Memory (Season 2, Episode 21)
Before doing the same thing in Rick and Morty with “Total Rickall,” Dan Harmon did a fun riff on the clip show format in the second season of Community with “Paradigms of Human Memory.”
Like many clip shows, it begins with the characters reminiscing about all their most memorable experiences before cutting to short clips of them. But the twist is that none of the clips are from actual episodes of the show; it’s all brand-new material.
Pillows And Blankets (Season 3, Episode 14)
In a parody of Ken Burns’ harrowing documentary The Civil War, season 3’s “Pillows and Blankets” charts how a trivial disagreement over pillows and blankets led to a full-scale war across the Greendale campus.
It’s a top-tier installment of the show, exemplifying just how spectacular it could be at the height of its powers.
Debate 109 (Season 1, Episode 9)
Is humanity inherently good or bad? That’s the question that Greendale’s debate team attempts to answer in season 1’s “Debate 109,” slyly named after its production code, and the question that the episode itself attempts to answer.
There are a ton of great character moments for Jeff and Annie, as well as a great subplot in which the study group worries that Abed’s student films are able to predict their futures.
Digital Estate Planning (Season 3, Episode 20)
In season 3’s “Digital Estate Planning,” the study group helps Pierce with a video game that will grant him access to his inheritance, while Breaking Bad’s Giancarlo Esposito gives an unsurprisingly brilliant guest performance.
Retro gaming fans will appreciate the episode’s 8-bit homages, synth-based score, and countless references to classic video games.
Emotional Consequences Of Broadcast Television (Season 6, Episode 13)
After series creator Dan Harmon was fired and rehired and a bunch of beloved cast members left the show along the way, not to mention the stilted run of the show landing it on Yahoo!’s no-name streaming service for its final season, it seemed impossible that Community could have a satisfying ending.
And yet, by some miracle, “Emotional Consequences of Broadcast Television” turned out to be a sincere, satisfactory conclusion to the series.
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (Season 2, Episode 14)
In season 2’s “Advanced Dungeons & Dragons,” the study group plays a game of D&D with a classmate who’s down in the dumps. However, their plans to lift his spirits backfire when Pierce lets his jealousy get the better of him.
In the back end of Chevy Chase’s tenure on Community, the moments where he actually seems to care are few and far between, so it’s always a joy to see an early episode where the comic legend from Caddyshack really shines.
Remedial Chaos Theory (Season 3, Episode 3)
The chief selling point of Community was its complex writing. It had hilarious actors with fantastic chemistry and well-written jokes, but those can be found in any sitcom worth its salt. Community’s mind-boggling storytelling sets it apart.
Season 3’s “Remedial Chaos Theory” is the clearest example of this, pushing a heady exploration of alternate timelines and the multiverse through a mundane sitcom plot.
Modern Warfare (Season 1, Episode 23)
Better known simply as “the paintball episode,” season 1’s “Modern Warfare” brings the visceral thrills of action cinema to the Greendale campus in spectacular fashion, courtesy of Justin Lin, director of four Fast & Furious films (and two upcoming ones).
All the familiar beats and tropes of an action movie are woven expertly into a traditional sitcom structure that makes terrific use of the show’s stellar ensemble.