Best "Community" Episodes

Even though our time at Greendale Community College is over, there is still a debate about the best episodes of “Community”. A show that is not just an innocent sit-com about the interaction between the students at Greendale, but a show that broke every TV rule. I listed what are in my opinion the best episodes of “Community”.

15. Basic Lupin Urology (Season 3, Episode 17)
The group has a biology project, with a yam as the subject. Their yam gets crushed and they try to find our who did it. Off course they do it the “Community” way and parody the crime show “Law and Order”.

14. Epidemiology (Season 2, Episode 6)
A Halloween episode, where a rabies outbreak turns the campus into a post-apocalyptic zombie movie. It’s the originality of their take on the zombie genre that makes this episode fun. Winks to films like “28 Days Later” or “Shaun of the Dead”. And to be honest, this episode is better then what “The Walking Dead” has been doing lately.

13. Digital Estate Planning (Season 3, Episode 20)
What if the study group was in an 8-bit videogame? Well, this episode flings the cast into a delightfully authentic 8-bit videogame experience via the promise of Pierce’s dad’s fortune through his last will and testament. Whoever beats the game gets the money.

12. Pillows and Blankets (Season 3, Episode 14)
“Pillows and Blankets” is one of the most creative episode in sit-com history. A simple pillow fort made by Troy and Abed turns into a war between them and their towns: Blanketsburg and Pillowtown. The episode turns into a documentary civil war style. Lines are read as old combat correspondence and historical pictures of Leonard and Abed dressed as pillow generals. And remember, this episode gave us the Changlourious Basterds and Pillow Pierce.

11. Conspiracy Theories and Interior Design (Season 2, Episode 9)
Dean Pelton is trying to bust Jeff for a phony night school credit, which only unveils a series of conspiracies, plots, and double-crosses between Jeff, Annie and the Dean. You gotta love the twists.

10. Paradigms of Human Memory (Season 2, Episode 21)
Allthough this episode has the structure of a sketch show and shows parts of previous episodes, “Community” is parodying itself here. After Chang crawled down the vent to follow Troy’s monkey (Annie’s boobs), he finds a lot of items that belong to the studygroup and bring back memories. They take a trip down memory lane, to situations and events wer never witnessed.

9. Cooperartive Caligraphy (Season 2, Episode 8)
Chaos and mistrust tear the study group apart as they try to figure out who stole Annie’s pen, causing them to miss the Greendale Puppy parade. This is a so-called bottle episode, where the entire episode is set in one location. And it’s a good one.

8. Intermediate Documentary Filmmaking (Season 2, Episode 16)
After and overdose of medication, Pierce ends up in the hospital. Here he decides to cause some psychological damage to his study buddies, because they never take him seriously. It’s Chevy Chase at his best here. The episode is from Abed’s perspective, since he is filming a documentary. It feel more intimate. And that moment where Troy meets his hero LeVar Burton. He was very clear about never to want to meet him and just wanting a picture. Because you can’t disappoint a picture Pierce!

7. Advanced Dungeons and Dragons (Season 2, Episode 14)
This episode was directed by Joe Russo, one of the people behind “Avengers: Endgame”. In this episode the study group plays a game of Dungeons and Dragons, to make one of their fellow students Neil feel better.

6. A Fistful of Paintballs & For a Few Paintballs More (Season 2, Episode 23 & 24)
They are two separate episode, but I decided to put them together, because I can’t choose which of the two is better. The first part of the two-parter season 2 finale is a parody of the film “A Fistful of Dollars”. And as the title suggest, it’s again a paintball episode. Josh Holloway has a fun guest role as a mysterious professional paintballer. It’s stupid and over-the-top, but it makes sense in the “Community” universe. The second part of the season 2 finale takes on a “Star Wars” style, where Troy and Jeff collide on who is the leader, Abed woos Annie with his Han Solo actions and the entire school fights against an ice cream company.

5. Critical Film Studies (Season 2, Episode 19)
This episode was director by Richard Ayoade from “It-Crowd”. It focuses on Abed’s obsession for film and TV series. The gang is waiting for Abed’s “Pulp Fiction” themed surprise party, but Abed invited Jeff for a one-on-one dinner, in the style of “My Dinner with Andre”. This part is maybe the most personal the show has ever felt.

4. Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas (Season 2, Episode 11)
This episode is told as a charming stop-motion story, where Abed is trying to get his way during Christmas. It’s one of “Community’s” most creative and memorable episodes an shows how much creator Dan Harmon loved his show.

3. Modern Warfare (Season 1, Episode 23)
An abandoned campus, study books spread all over the place. The first paintball-themed episode of “Community”. The episode transforms into a modern war movie, while students fight for a change for priority registration for next semester. From Troy’s “Jeff Winger, I thought you were dead”, to the lazy Terminator jokes by Abed. It all works.

2. Contemporary American Poultry (Season 1, Episode 21)
Jeff thinks of a plan to get Abed a job in the school cafeteria, so they have quicker access to the beloved chicken fingers that they always seem to run out of whenever they arrive. Abed narrates this episode, with winks to mob movies “Goodfellas” and “The Godfather”. Another way “Community” has proved to take on different forms and still keep their own identity. Unique character moments and a great homage and references to pop culture.

1. Remedial Chaos Theory (Season 3, Episode 4)
In this episode we find all seven members of the group at Troy and Abed’s apartment when they host a housewarming party. When the pizza arrives, Jeff suggests to throw a dice to decide who will get the pizza downstairs. That’s when the episode shows us several timelines, which show that different things happen depending on who is getting the pizza. The results are just as varied as hilarious. This episode is creative, stands out, is surprising and hilarious. And that’s why it’s the best episode of “Community”.

Best "Seinfeld" Episodes

While the show ran from 1989 to 1998, it’s still one of the best sitcoms (if not THE best) that was ever on television. Our favorite show about nothing introduces us to a group of friends and everyday situations, but then presented the “Seinfeld” way. I created a list of favorite episodes, and since 10 was a bit too hard I made a top 20.

20. The Serenity Now (Season 9, Episode 3)
Most characters on “Seinfeld” could use some good old-fashioned relaxation, and as this season nine episode proves beyond a shadow of a doubt, chanting ‘serenity now’ over and over again is not that therapy. The technique does not work for Lloyd Braun or Frank Costanza, and it certainly doesn’t work for Kramer, who ends up destroying a bunch of computers. Unfortunately those computers belong to George, who was hiding them from his father after claiming he sold them to non-existent customers.

19. The Rye (Season 7, Episode 11)
A recipe for disaster. George’s parents come over for dinner at Susan’s parents’ apartment bringing a loaf of rye bread as a gift. When they realize the bread was not served, the Costanzas take it back, causing George to look bad by association. Eager to make it appear as if the loaf never left the apartment, George and Jerry concoct a scheme involving a fishing rod and Kramer’s horse. What could go wrong?

18. The Parking Garage (Season 3, Episode 6)
No surprise, but the entire episode is set in a parking garage when the gang is looking for the car they came in. While trying to remember where the parked, Jerry gets caught publicly urinating, and Elaine’s goldfish dies. At the end of the episode, they finally find the car only to discover that the engine won’t start.

17. The Pen (Season 3, Episode 3)
Jerry and Elaine visit Jerry’s parents in Florida. His parents’ friends come over for dinner and Jerry compliments Jack Klompus on his pen. Jack gives the pen to Jerry, that can write upside down. He mentions that this is the pen that astronauts use in space. Jerry’s parents are furious that he accepted the pen. Oh, I love Jerry’s parents.

16. The Bizarro Jerry (Season 8, Episode 3)
“Seinfled” was never shy on ‘Superman’ references, but this one took it to another level. After Elaine breaks up with her boyfriend Kevin, they decide to still be friends. Only then does Elaine realize that Kevin and his friends are the Bizarro versions of Jerry, George and Kramer, essentially they’re exact opposites. Jerry dates a woman with ‘man hands’ and Kramer accidentally landing a corporate office gig, only to be fired shortly thereafter despite never having been actually hired.

15. The Abstinence (Season 8, Episode 9)
George realizes that, having no sex, makes him smarter. For Elaine it does the exact opposite. Like another episode that will come up later on the list, this was a pretty ‘out there’ episode for the 90s.

14. The Opposite (Season 5, Episode 21)
“The Opposite” is one of the best George-centric episode in the entire series. After and increasing bout of bad luck, Jerry suggest that whenever George makes a decision he simply do the opposite of what he normally would. This leads to him getting both a girldfriend and a job at Yankee Stadium. Meanwhile, Elaine’s luck plummets and she realizes she’s become the new George.

13. The Betrayal (Season 9, Episode 8)
The gang travels to India for the wedding of Elaine’s frenemy Sue Ellen Mishky. What’s so special about this episode is that it is played in reverse. If they didn’t do this, it would be a pretty standard episode, but doing it like this makes it unforgettable.

12. The Alternate Side (Season 3, Episode 11)
This episode is most remember for Kramer’s one line in a Woody Allen movie (“These pretzels are making me thirsty!”) and the moment where Jerry is trying to rent a car and has to lecture the cashier about the difference between taking and holding a reservation. And these two alone, make for this episode being as funny as it is.

11. The Chinese Restaurant (Season 2, Episode 11)
“The Chinese Restaurant” episode is the benchmark for ‘the show about nothing’, what the series eventually became known for. The entire episode takes place in the waiting room of a Chinese restaurant as Jerry, George and Elaine become more frustrated by the long wait time.

10. The Limo (Season 3, Episode 19)
Like “The Chinese Restaurant” and “The Parking Garage”, this is also a bottle episode, being only set in one location: a limo. This one sees Jerry and George make an ethically questionable decision and thereafter suffer every imaginable consequence. George lies about his identity at the airport to get a free limo ride to Madison Square Garden, but slowly learns the person George said he was is actually a prominent neo-nazi and the limo is taking them to a protest across the street from the Garden.

9. The Bubble Boy (Season 4, Episode 7)
A trip to a cabin proves disastrous as Elaine makes Jerry visits a fan of his, who lives in a bubble. Along the way, Jerry gets lost and George and Susan end up in a game of Trivial Pursuit with the bubble boy. And we all know that ‘moops’ don’t exist, but that bubble boy was a giant a-hole.

8. The Chicken Roaster (Season 8, Episode 8)
This episode saw Kramer switch apartments with Jerry after a Kenny Roger’s Roasters opens up next door and Kramer can’t sleep due to the massive red neon sign. The switch causes the two men to also switch personalities, with Jerry becoming as wigged out as Kramer ever was.

7. The Voice (Season 9, Episode 2)
Admit it, we’ve all done it after seeing this episode. Jerry makes fun of his girlfriend’s belly button, by saying hello in a funny voice. I know that my brother and I did, for a very long time. Maybe too long… And there is a moment in this episode where Jerry goes to a pier and contemplates whether he wants to stay with his girlfriend or keep talking in the voice that he’s created, while Lionel Richie’s “Hello” is playing. I can’t stop thinking about his scene whenever I hear the song. Surprisingly enough, this episode isn’t on many favorites lists.

6. The Hamptons (Season 5, Episode 20)
Jerry, Elaine, George and Kramer go out to The Hamptons to see a friend’s new baby and enjoy a weekend at the beach. The baby turns out to be ugly and Kramer is the only one to actually say it out loud. And off course there is the ‘shrinkage’.

5. The Marine Biologist (Season 5, Episode 14)
George has told a lot of lies, a lot! Hut him pretending to be a marine biologist to impress a former classmate slash love interest is one of the greatest. And yet, he almost pulls it off.

4. The Boyfriend (Season 3, Episode 15 + 16)
Jerry befriends his idol Keith Hernandez and becomes jealous when he starts dating Elaine. Newman and Kramer state how much they hate Keith Hernandez and Jerry disproves their theory of why, in a JFK documentary style manner. And then there is George’s lie to the unemployment agency about his job at Vandalay’s Industries. That is my favorite scene ever!

3. The Puffy Shirt (Season 5, Episode 2)
This episode is one of creator Larry David’s personal favorites. The episode is centered around a ‘low talker’ who accidentally convinces Jerry to model the titular shirt on the ‘Today Show’. And the phrase “but I don’t want to be a pirate” can never be forgotten because of this.

2. The Soup Nazi (Season 7, Episode 6)
Plenty of “Seinfeld” side characters broke out over the years, but perhaps none is more memorable than the Soup Nazi, the owner of a very popular soup stand. His soup proves so good that Jerry is willing to end a relationship over it. George finds himself banned from the stand for having the audacity to ask for bread with his soup.

1. The Contest (Season 4, Episode 11)
“The Contest’ remains the pinnacle of “Seinfeld” episodes. The group sets a wager among themselves to see who can go the longest without pleasuring themselves. The four begin to unravel as time goes on. Especially when Elaine keeps running into John F. Kennedy Jr. and a woman in the apartment across from Jerry’s insists on walking around nude. Not only is this episode plain funny, but a TV episode dedicated entirely to masturbation was almost unheard of in the early 90s.

Reasons that “Community” is the Best

With this quarantine still going on, I found THE perfect TV series to binge right now. And, as of April 1st, all six season are on Netflix. “Community” is a great sitcom and I listed reasons why you should start binging it right now.

Pop culture references and mocking genre clichés
What distinguishes the sitcom is that it is not easy to pigeonhole. “Community” is filled with references to movies, TV shows and other media. And it likes to mock clichés in certain movie genres. The characters avert, subvert and pay homage to various tropes as episodes commit to certain genres. If there’s a documentary going on, the episode will be in documentary format. If the episode is a musical, the characters will be singing. The self-aware nature of the show is hilarious. I sometimes wish I could live out situations that feel like shows and movies that I love, and “Community” understands that desire as it puts its characters in those situations.

Not focusing on the romance
Almost every sitcom has a will they/ won’t they couple and eventually they do end up together. There are plenty of couples that hinted at getting together or not, but it was never the focus and it didn’t rely on who ends up with whom and who should end up together. This is very refreshing, since we already have a lot of sitcoms that do focus on the romance element of the show.

Troy and Abed
I could have just mentioned Abed, because I love him, but these two together are just magical. Troy was a high school jock before attending Greendale Community College, but since he and Abed became friends, Troy realizes just how geeky he actually is. They watch movies and TV shows together, build forts out of blankets and pillows and have their own talk show. A talk show for no one other than themselves. And don’t forget they were on the cover of Friend Weekly, a pretend magazine of their own design. Everyone needs a Troy to their Abed or vice versa. In my case, I need a Troy.

The ensemble cast
This groups is formed because they are all some sort of outsider. And to create a diverse group like this, you need a diverse cast. And that’s what we got. Comedy legend Chevy Chase and the break for Alison Brie and Donald Glover. Joel McHale is the perfect combination of a douche and nice guy and Danny Pudy is the perfect socially awkward and pop-culture referring bestie you need. And then there is Ken Jeong, who is at his crazy best, and the very uncomfortable Jim Rash as Dean Pelton. Just a quirky bunch, that make this show work as well as it does.

Running gags
The show has some really funny running gags. Like the awwwws, by Annie and Shirley, after something sweet, emotional or heartfelt is being mentioned. Or Leonord, the oldest student at Greendale, who often gives his advice, thoughts and opinion without anyone every asking for it. And they always answer with “shut up, Leonard”. The fact that they always say the Britta is the worst and the Changuage & Deanotation. These are two nonsense words that refer to how Señor Ben Chang and Dean Greg Pelton talk. Both faculty members have the habit of inserting their own name or title into an everyday word or sentence. But also the mention of the size of Jeff’s head and how the gang hates “Glee”.

It's daring
The show is fresh and original, but it also has a lot of guts and dares to take different comedy paths as any other standard sitcom. Like the claymation Christmas episode, where all characters turned into claymation puppets telling a story in Abed’s imagination. The several semi-brutal paintball episodes, the so-called ‘bottle episode’, the zombie episode and the one with the computer game. It’s gutsy enough to take on different formats, portray not your everyday characters and think outside the box. And I love that!

The Dean
Besides Troy and Abed, there is another character that is reason enough to watch this show. Dean Craig Pelton is a very upbeat and cheerful person and LOVES his job as Dean of Greendale Community College. He spends an inordinate amount of his time trying to improve Greendale’s prestige. Dean Pelton also goes to great lengths to be accepting or indiscriminate of others. His use of extreme political correctness often inadvertently leads to him being more offensive than intended. Pelton is aware of his shortcomings and berates himself frequently for being a ‘bad Dean’. He is also known for his elaborate costumes and his hate/ love for Jeff.

Best "Friends' Episodes

Since everyone is at home, binge-watching their favorite TV-shows, I decided to make a list of the best episodes of, what probably is, America’s favorite sitcom: “Friends”. And when you have ten season to go through and so many episodes to choose from, it’s a lot of work. Here is what I think are the 10 best episodes of “Friends”.

10. The One with All the Resolutions (Season 5, Episode 11)
The friends all have new year’s resolutions that they want to stick to. Like Chandler trying to stop joking and Rachel not gossiping. Ross decides to do one new thing every day in 1999. Like for instance, wearing leather pants to a date. It eventually becomes to hot, so while still on the date and going to the bathroom, he can’t get the pants back on since it’s to sweaty and sticky.

9. The One Where Ross Got High (Season 6, Episode 9)
Thanksgiving episodes of “Friends” were always a treat. And it don’t mean because Rachel made a memorable (yet terrible) trifle. Ross and Monica’s parents visit and they never really seem to like Chandler, because they think he got high once. When it was actually Ross.

8. The One with Unagi (Season 6, Episode 17)
Ross is at his best when he is neurotic and silly. So comes his dedication to Unagi, a state of total awareness. He tries to teach Rachel and Phoebe this by scaring them, so they learn they have to be aware of danger at all times.

7. The One with the Prom Video (Season 2, Episode 14)
This episode is a flashback. The gang watches a video of when Monica, Rachel and Ross were getting ready for prom. And Rachel finds out that Ross did a really sweet thing for her.

6. The One with the Blackout (Season 1, Episode 7)
An oldie but a goodie. When the power goes out across the city, the romantic setting persuades Ross to tell Rachel how he feels, be then there is Paolo. And Chandler is trapped in ATM vestibule with a famous model and thinks gum is perfection.

5.The One with the Football ( Season 3, Episode 9)
One of the many Thanksgiving episodes. It digs deeper into the rivalry that Ross and Monica always had, when the gang is playing a game of football.

4. The One with the Jellyfish (Season 4, Episode 1)
Now it’s hard to imaging, but there was a time where we were totally excited about whether Ross would stay with his current bald girlfriend Bonnie or get back together with Rachel. The last wins, after writing Ross a 18 page letter (FRONT AND BACK!) in where he takes full responsibility for what happened (we were on a break!). And then there is the subplot of Monica being stung by a jellyfish and that Chandler has to pee on her leg.

3. The One Where Everybody Finds Out (Season 5, Episode 14)
The episode where everybody already knows that Monica and Chandler are dating, but they don’t admit it yet. Phoebe and Rachel set up a plan where Chandler eventually has to admit, by letting Phoebe go out with Chandler and seducing him.

2. The One where No One’s Ready (Season 3, Episode 2)
Ross has an important event from work and all the friend are coming. But no one is ready. Ross is trying, but Joey and Chandler are having an argument about a chair. Monica is listening to Richard’s messages and overhears one of a woman. Phoebe messes up her dress and Rachel doesn’t know what to wear. And the clock is ticking. I’m definitely Ross in this situation, I hate being late.

1. The One with the Embryos (Season 4, Episode 12)
Forget about the embryos, this episodes is about the quiz. Rachel and Monica are sick of Joey and Chandler’s chicken (who turns ou to be a rooster) and duck. In a bet where Chandler and Joey think they know the girls better then they know them, they decide to have a quiz. Ross creates it and the stakes are high: If Rachel and Monica win, the duck and chick will leave. If Chandler and Joey win, they get the girl’s apartment. I’ve seen this episode so many times, I know every single question, answer and response.