4. Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas (S2, E11)
The best part of sitcom shows aren't necessarily the comedic moments. Sure, the comedy helps to build up the characters, but when you've grown to like those characters, it is much easier to become emotionally attached to them and their issues. Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas wasn't that much of a comedic episode (though it still had its moments) and was more focused on the personal issues of Abed. Abed had essentially become preoccupied by Christmas suddenly, and the study group wanted to know why. Part of the charm of this episode comes from the stop-motion animation that is used throughout the episode. While initially this seemed jarring, it fit into the plot nicely and by the end of the episode, stood out. It was a unique episode and is still the only stop-motion animated episode from the show. Once you realize Abed's reasoning for his behavior, one can only feel for the character even more.
Highlight: Stop-motion animation.