10 Most Emotional Community Episodes

Season 1's Environmental Science features the first of many fights between Jeff and the study group. In an attempt to ask Chang to calm down with his demanding assignments, Jeff accidentally befriends the psychotic Spanish teacher and ends up as the only student exempt from the homework. The study group feel betrayed and give Jeff the cold shoulder. When Jeff discovers that Chang's wife has recently left him and he misses her, he starts to feel for the lunatic.

Meanwhile, Shirley struggles with an assignment from her public speaking class, and Pierce's rough tutoring isn't helping. Abed and Troy also have some difficulty training their rat to respond to a duet of "Somewhere Out There," especially because of Troy's fear of rats. When their rat runs away, conflict between the two arises when Troy doesn't care if they find their animal.

These three plotlines come together perfectly with an emotional climactic scene. When Abed finds the rat, he sings a beautiful cover of "Somewhere Out There" to see if the creature will respond, and Troy joins in. The episode then cuts among the duet, Shirley's successful presentation in public speaking, with Pierce watching on, and Jeff reuniting Chang and his wife, who dance together. The episode's musical ending is a great way to end each of these plotlines, and it definitely pulls a few heartstrings.

Plus, when Jeff and the study group make up just as Chang and his wife get back together, it solidifies Community as a show that will occasionally make its audience feel, in addition to laugh.