Community Season 1 Review, or It's Not Harvard, But Community College Still Rocks

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I've heard a lot of great reviews about Community, so I decided to check it out for myself. And I wasn't disappointed.

Although this series is about the college experience, there is nothing nerdy or geeky about this series. No Star Wars references, no Lord of the Rings quotations. This is community college. Which is basically post-high school. I think.


1. "Pilot"

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The gang. Or in Spanish, "la pandilla".

The premise: community college. The star: former lawyer Jeff Winger (Joel McHale). The chick: Britta Perry (Gillian Jacobs), who in my opinion isn't really as pretty as she promises to be. Just cute, maybe. Definitely not that hot. The weirdo: Abed Nadir (Danny Pudi). And the rest of the cast you'll get to know as we go through the season.


2. "Spanish 101"

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Try me.

Ken Jeong is hilarious as the Asian Spanish "genius" Professor Chang. I seriously believe Ken Jeong would make a great actor, and I'm talking drama.

And my favorite part in this episode:

3. "Introduction to Film"

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"Cut it, Abed. Cut it."

Abed's films are... um, they're... um... okay. They suck. Which is why his dad never wanted to pay for his film classes. His dad, by the way, is Iqbal Theba, the principal from Glee. The other half of this episode is a rip-off from Dead Poets Society. And it's all about seizing the day. Which is why Jeff and Britta ended up kissing.


4. "Social Psychology"

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No funny caption available.

I am seriously loving the show's epilogues. I'm guessing it's just mostly Abed and Troy (Donald Glover), with some Jeff thrown in sometimes. But anyway, I digress. This show is about gossip, and stoners playing hackysack (I've seen it played before, but I didn't know what it was called), green tea, and sonic hearing. That last bit is redundant, I guess, since "sonic" actually means sound.


5. "Advanced Criminal Law"

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Ken Jeong's hilarious leg cross.

Chevy Chase is a great team player. He knows when to downplay his acting, and he knows when to shine. And this episode is his (or his character Pierce Hawthorne's), with all his singing, songwriting, and stealing. Well, this episode is also Ken Jeong's. I used to hate him before. But I love him now.


6. "Football, Feminism and You"

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"Just imagine all the panties being hurled in your general direction."

The best part of this episode: the Greendale football team. And they're called the "Human Beings". Seriously. Also, Britta is getting cuter and cuter every episode.


7. "Introduction to Statistics"

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The best Batman impression I've ever seen on TV.

Halloween party. Abed does Batman. Pierce drops some extasy. And Jeff Winger misses a chance to sleep with that hot Professor Slater (Lauren Stamile). Just another typical college party. And Ken Jeong is always a pleasure to watch in action.


8. "Home Economics"

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Interracial flirting.

Jeff Winger has finally sunk so low that he's doing what my brother and uncle once did─live in the car. I, on the other hand, would choose living with Abed over living in a car any day. And also, if you still haven't shipped Troy and Annie (Alison Brie), even in your minds, then now is the time.

Also features a non-Troy-Abed end credits sequence. Pretty weird at first.


9. "Debate 109"

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Why hello there.

Okay, I knew Annie was pretty, but I didn't know she'd be that pretty. I think I like her more than Britta now. So does Jeff Winger end up with Annie? We'll just have to ask Abed, who seems to have precognitive powers or something. Also, they did that "Donde Esta La Biblioteca" thing at the end. Not as good though.


10. "Environmental Science"

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Winger and Chang v. The Gang

This now becomes one of my favorite episodes. Not because of Señor Chang's always outrageous antics. Not because of Señor Chang's hot wife. I love this because of Abed and Troy's duet of "Somewhere Out There". Priceless.


11. "The Politics of Human Sexuality"

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Yes, Abed can do Stallone.

A.k.a. "The STD Episode". Or "The Abed v. Troy" episode. I believe this show speaks out to those of my generation, especially with their Over the Top reference.


12. "Comparative Religion"

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Winter wonderland wackos.

I believe this is episode is their Christmas special, and it tries its best to appeal to every conceivable denomination: Christians, Muslims, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, Agnostics, Atheists, and Buddhists. And I love how there is such a thing as a Buddha bong.


13. "Investigative Journalism"

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LOL

Apparently, after Christmas break, community college starts a new semester. And the gang is back with... new additions! And these new additions come in the form of... drumroll... Jack Black! And also... another drumroll... Owen Wilson, with only just a few minutes of precious screen time. Wish Jack Black could've become a mainstay.

Also, "Donde Esta La Biblioteca" seems to be the most popular thing to come out of this show's end credits sequence.


14. "Interpretive Dance"

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Yes, that professor is hot.

Aside from Britta and Troy doing a dance number, this episode becomes memorable because it features Jeff finally finding a girlfriend. And she's Professor Slater, the hot teacher from episode 7. But the most startling revelation here is that Britta actually cares about Jeff. And we all thought she didn't give a fuck shit damn.


15. "Romantic Expressionism"

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Kickpuncher. His cyber punches have the power of kicks.

So now Vaughn's going out with Annie. In case you forgot, Vaughn (Eric Christian Olsen) is that New Age guy who used to be Britta's kissing friend, but they broke up because Vaughn's nipples were too small. Seriously. But on the other hand, Annie is getting really pretty. I like you, Alison Brie. Your character kind of reminds me of Amanda Bynes. But I think you're physically hotter.


16. "Communication Studies"

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A pretty lame 80s dance montage.

Oh, ho, ho. It's Valentine's Day. Jeff and Abed get drunk while doing stuff from the montage of The Breakfast Club. Troy and Pierce (who takes Abed's place at the end credits sequence) think they have no women who care for them. Oh, how wrong they are. I think I should give Troy a good slap upside his head, just to make sure he's not blind. How can he not see the hotness that is Annie?


17. "Physical Education"

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Which balls are they looking at?

Alternate title for this episode: "Britta's Baggles". Or "The White Abed". Or "The Naked Pool Face-Off". Or "Abed and Troy Do Bert and Ernie".


18. "Basic Genealogy"

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More complicated than it looks like.

It's Family Day in Greendale. Pierce shows us that he has a hot stepdaughter. Jeff shows us that he can bang said hot stepdaughter. Because Slater broke up with him. Sad? Not if he ends up with cute, doe-eyed Annie. Sorry, she's no longer cute. She's hot.


19. "Beginner Pottery"

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Like Master and Commander. Only on a yacht. In a parking lot.

This makes me want to try pottery. Are there any pottery classes here? At first I wanted to do glass blowing. So I could make bongs. But I guess pottery is good, too. I'd love to try sailing as well. That's the first thing I'm going to buy once I get filthy rich─a damn boat.


20. "The Science of Illusion"

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What a weird scene.

It's April Fool's Day in Greendale, and it turns out to be a riot. Annie and Shirley (Yvette Nicole Brown) team up to become bad cop-bad cop, and they try to find the person responsible for a cadaver falling through the window. It's actually Britta's fault, but they pin it on Jeff. Meanwhile, Pierce looks extremely stupid in his wizard costume. I wish he gave me the cookie wand, though.

P.S.: I would really want to watch a complete show of Troy and Abed in the Morning. Make it happen.


21. "Contemporary American Poultry"

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No show about school is complete without a cafeteria scene.

This episode tries a different narrative approach. The prevailing theme here is gangster. As in Mafiosi-gangster. Basically, chicken fingers and organized crime. And the Godfather reference, the one with the door being closed─brilliant.


22. "The Art of Discourse"

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Pulling down pants. Part of Abed's bucket list.

Who would've known that high school kids can be total douches? It's the grownups who notice things like that. When you're in high school, you have no concept of self-douchebaggery. In your opinion, you are the coolest specimen of human life in the universe. But in reality, all high school kids should have their asses whooped.


23. "Modern Warfare"

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Ken Jeong, baby.

This is another one of those weird episodes. It's like a zombie paintball apocalypse, with less blood and more nonsense. Oh, and also, Jeff and Britta finally have sex.


24. "English as a Second Language"

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No instrument symbolizes the 80s more than the keytar.

What happens when you find out that Señor Chang, the favorite character of a lot of viewers, wasn't really a Spanish teacher, would you lose all respect for him? Maybe. But that respect will be regained as soon as you see Ken Jeong on the keytar. Yes, that's key-tar. Not guitar. Keytar. Deal with it.


25. Pascal's Triangle Revisited

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Wait, what?

Now this is a season ender. First, remember Slater? That hot teacher Jeff Winger used to date? Well, she's trying to get back with Winger. But then, Britta drops the "L" word, telling Jeff that she loves him, in front of practically the entire school. Slater then joins in, and confesses her love for Winger as well. But what did Jeff do? Look at the picture above.


One thing I noticed is that the titles of the episodes sound like subjects. What a great way to make sure that they never run out of episode titles. Brilliant.

The great thing about half-hour episodes is that they're bite-sized. Easy to digest. So easy, in fact, that I want more. So on to Season 2.



Community (Season 1). USA. 2009-2010



Rating: Eight and a half out of ten.



*some info from Wikipedia