10 Best Community Episodes

Community began as a cult affair with a killer cast and a bevy of pop cultural references, and turned into something beloved. While it never reached a wide audience during its time on the air, against the odds it made it to six seasons, and the chance of a movie to follow.

Times weren’t always great for the show - creator Dan Harmon was shown the door after the third season, and while he returned in the fifth, things were never the same - but in its heyday, at a truly great time for the American sitcom, it was one of the standout shows.

A remarkably ambitious comedy, Community delivered some of its standout episodes by experimenting with form and genre. It did things few sitcoms would try, and while the results varied, when it hit its mark, it was a knockout.

It should be remembered as more than just a culturally literate, high concept show, though - as a good old fashioned sitcom, it was more than capable of putting out superb content.

Whichever style tickles your fancy, Community can offer some of the best comedy episodes in recent memory.

While there were aspects of character and approach that the show took a while to fully figure out, some elements of Community came fully formed. One of these was the performance of Chevy Chase. While he may have been a difficult person to work with (depending on whose account you read), the comedy legend proved over four seasons that his instincts were as sharp as ever.

Pierce would be a typical out of touch old man character if not for the childish glee Chase gives him. In the show’s second episode, “Spanish 101”, he pulls some strings to partner up with Jeff on a Spanish project. In showing off for the group’s leader, Chase peels back the layers of the character to reveal a sadness at the core.

The first episode rushes to get the group together, but from episode two, Community flies. Some of the characters aren’t quite there, but between Chase and Ken Jeong (before he became frankly unbearable) there are tons of laughs to be had. The glory days of the show are yet to come, but the early, less pop culturally savvy iteration should be celebrated too.