I love that this episode is basically saying that becoming an adult isn't something arbitrary like drinking alcohol or owning an apartment, it's realizing that adults are just as clueless as you

Personally, I love the one where the Dean tries to make a commercial and goes insane in the process.

Couple Notches Above? Do u mean streets ahead...

Can't believe you didn't even mention the line: "Abed. No one likes a tattle tale."

I love that this show let's Troy become a man on his own terms. In any other sitcom when Troy walked Annie to her door there would probably be a kiss but instead there is only a genuine desire to protect. This show is okay with saying that manhood can be about principle and doing the right thing. This is also a real game changing moment for Troy from a character development standpoint. Troy came in as a character who was traditionally masculine but insecure. The jock character however just never felt as genuine as what Troy would ultimately grow into. After Troy turns 21 he becomes far less concerned as a character with how others perceive his masculinity and more concerned with how older characters still perceive him as a child. Edit: Grammer and typos.

I love the way alcohol is treated in this episode, so easily Community could have run with its eccentricity and I have no doubt it'll have been great but they decide to tell a more realistic story of a night we've all had, when alcohol makes it worse.

Finally, the algorithm gives me something good

The quality of this video is crazy for a channel of this size.

more comedies should take the characters this seriously.

Great video, although I think i disagree with the point that Shirley's plot is left unresolved. I think when she is leaving and sees Peirce being pathetic stuck in the entrance and he asks "Can you please help me, pretty please?" She realises there is nothing wrong with being vulnerable in front of your friends and asking for help. Sure there is no resolution with Jeff and Britta laughing at her but I don't think that was the real issue, Shirley had to come to terms with her own view of herself.

I love the Annie and Troy moment. Is so wholesome

This episode hits so hard. Drinking is so miserable so much of the time and this episode portraits it perfectly.

Hey you shouldn’t sleep on the episode “The Politics of Human Sexuality”, the one with the STD fair, jeff realizing “he can do better”, changes brittas name in her phone. Abed teaches troy a lesson about competitiveness. pierce has actual insight. It’s my personal favorite episode. Whole thing leads up to that fratellis track and Abed telling students not to use condoms over the intercom. Great writing, great character development, great episode. Probably my favorite in the series and one of the most overlooked

I'd say wedding videography is in my top five. Something about the chaotic energy and short quips gives it great rewatch value.

I thought Troy looked around at the end and he saw that everyone was drunk so no one could drive. I thought that this made him leave his drink so he could get his friends back home safely

I don't know why but I get really sad when Abed gets the drink thrown in his face

Troy leaving the group, starting a rap career and TV show, winning awards and being the most successful of the group after Community is the ultimate storyline.

Honestly blown away by how well presented this video is. An essay worthy of the show it's covering. Great job, man!

I don’t think cooperative polygraphy gets enough credit. It’s one of my favourites and quite possibly the funniest episode

This video actually helped with my fear of getting older,

Mixology Cert is also my favourite episode but I think you articulated why far better than I could. And it's interesting because it's precisely one of those episodes which is so hard to explain the appeal of; there's no gimmick, no twist, no gotcha - but it communicates on a deeper level. I think part of it too was that after the first half of Season 2 you go into this episode expecting a wild, crazy, magical birthday adventure for Troy, and we don't get it - but it's precisely the lack of payoff which is the entire point. We build up all these milestones and expectations for arbitrary things like 21st birthdays and when they come there's no hope of meeting the version we had in our heads - but the best we can do is to be satisfied with what we do receive. I know that people usually hate on Season 4 but I think the next episode which comes close to doing this successfully is the Jeff side of Cooperative Escapism of Familial Relations. Or maybe Origins of Vampire Mythology. But I always hoped that Community would return to these slightly-philosophical concept episodes but they never really brought it back to the same level.

Fun fact: the dude Abed talks to in the bar is the actor that voices Mr Peanutbutter in Bojack Horseman - which Alison Brie (Annie) is also in.

We’re getting this one to a million views baby

Just watched it thinking that someone had to talk about how great this episode was. Good timing

I really like talking about Community.

This show is incredible. It is my favorite comedy. The casting was perfect, the writing was incredible, and the premise is perfect

The best part about the episode is that Pierce was basically absent but not replaced. The kids were allowed to have fun without being watched by an authority figure or have to put up with the “friend” they just let come along.

Here's my top 5: 1.Epidemiology: I honestly think that this episode is underrated. I wouldn't say that it is the most deep one, character-wise, but it's amazingly well done. There's an ambiance that really gives goosebumps while still being funny. Plus, the soundtrack is ABBA's best hits, so it couldn't get better. Also, I think Troy and Abed's relashionship moves forward in this episode 2.Remedial Chaos Theory: Everybody knows why this episode is awesome. It shows us how smart, original, funny and deep character-wise Community can be 3.Mixology Certification: You defended it very well. I think it's the episode that has the most heart, and gives Troy a moment to shine and grow. 4.Pillows and Blankets: I love Troy and Abed relashionship, and this episode finds a way to give us a closer look to it, but in a great original way. I was really feeling like I was watching a real documentary on a real war. 5.Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas: Abed is a character that doesn't seem to have many layers, but he does, and this episode shows it. He copes with his problem by bringing all his friend in an imaginary place with him, trying to hide his feelings, but also trying to find them

This is my favorite episode along with you, but my I loved it so much bc of Annie’s arc that felt so raw and real. And then Troy’s arc and then his talk with Annie is so genuine and heartfelt. That’s my favorite scene in the whole show. Probably bc my top two characters are Troy and Annie.

I do absolutely love this episode it's one of their more low key episodes but my favourite is remedial chaos theory because the concept is perfect to show what each character adds to the group whether positive or negative

Nice essay on a not so popular best episode choice! Also a good case for GI Joe too. In my personal opinion my favourite (maybe not best) is Documentary Filmmaking: Redux, but my essay is pretty short on it. Jeff-Dean and almost every line is hilarious. And then Luiz Guzman actually appearing with Abed saving the day :)

i clicked on this thinking “what?! there is no way this is the best episode” but after watching this, i realize how right you are. very well said and, unrelated but, the production quality is amazing

My personal favourite would probably have to be Conspiracy Theories and Interior Design

My top 5 are 5. Cooperative Caligraphy 4. Documentary Filmmaking: Redux 3. Remedial Chaos Theory 2. Modern Warfare 1. Advanced Dungeons and Dragons What are your thoughts on Advanced D&D being removed from streaming and syndication?

I remember the first time I watched this episode I thought, “Wow. What a different episode. But I really like how much it focused on Troy and showed he can step up when needed.”

this is a hot take hey, one of the best most underrated episodes. I like the moment where troy tells abed not to be a tattletale, one of the first moments of Troy acting as a stern older brother/adult in his and abeds relationship. I liked that its played jarringly straight

i’ve been saying forever that this is a top 5 community episode

"A character that I'd argue is the heart of the show" The beautiful thing about the show is any fan could make the same statement about any of the main characters... And most of you would be wrong because it's Annie.

I've always thought that the episode that this episode and the one that came before it [Conspiracy Theories and Interior Design] provided a perfect two-part thesis statement about adulthood. Early on in 'Conspiracy Theories', we see Troy and Abed be mocked for being childish and wanting to build a blanket fort. They, of course, ignore that criticism and go on to create a magical blanket world that the entire campus (including Britta) embraces. In 'Mixology Certification', as you pointed out, Troy decides that he doesn't want to become a drinker, even if doing so is considered by some to be a rite of passage into adulthood. The message I get from pairing these two episodes together is that becoming an adult is much more about taking responsibility for others than it is about adopting and abandoning certain cultural touchstones. Don't feel pressured to drop the parts of your childhood that make you happy and don't feel pressured to include elements of adulthood that don't. Be someone that others can rely on.

I genuinely love Community. That’s coming and from someone who wants to just hate everything because its easier. I’ve seen it in it’s entirety at least 3 times and I just wish I had the depth and range to articulate my love for the show as you do in this video.

I’m so glad you made this. I always felt it was one of the few overlooked episodes that rarely gets mentioned in the upper echelon with Chaos Theory or Modern Warfare. The scene between Annie and Troy towards the end having that heartfelt conversation was great with the “Greendale is Where I Belong” theme playing in the background

I also like Basic Rocket Science that the episode where they are trying to launch a simulated space program for the school

This episode made me fall in love with the show. The bar joke between Britta and Jeff is one of my favorite parts of the show of all time

Great video! This episode seems to get slept on a lot, and it's definitely one of my favorites! Also, you touched on the "hurricane" exchange, and this isn't necessarily relevant to the point you were making, but it serves as an early hint of Troy's attraction to Britta. Say what you want about the actors' chemistry or the way the writers took that relationship, but it certainly had ample setup throughout the first two seasons. Anyway, some of my favorite episodes that I haven't seen brought up in my not-thorough skim through the comments: Conspiracy Theories & Interior Design: This is pretty much strictly comedy, but it's just so smart, so well-acted, and packed full of great bits. The way the two main plot threads come together is brilliant. You have "maybe I'll blow off talking language," "did you just mispronounce etcetera?" Britta finding something "more adult" to do, the Latvian Independence Parade, and the "I don't know!!!!" scene (probably my favorite scene in the entire series). Intermediate Documentary Filmmaking: Using the documentary format to explore characters while roasting the use of that format to explore characters! Like Mixology, this one does a lot of peeling back and examining characters' flaws, and still manages to be hilarious throughout. And like Mixology, this one doesn't get talked about quite as much as I'd expect. Favorite little moments: the parade of "bequeath" variants spoken throughout the episode, and even in the middle of his ruse, Pierce being unable to resist insulting Jeff's masculinity: "You look too much like your mother!" Studies in Modern Movement: I admit, the Kiss from a Rose montage does a lot of heavy lifting in this episode's winning my love. Like Mixology, it's an opportunity to see the crew interacting in a mundane, non-school, Craigular setting. It doesn't get as heavy as Mixology, but that's okay. Annie's struggles with having to accommodate Troy and Abed's quirkiness is a superb character beat. While Britta and Shirley's fight to morally one-up each other is smaller, it's still nicely played out in a comedic, but not overly cliched way. But yeah, that montage! And HorseBot 3000. Wedding Videography: Another fun chance to hang out with the group outside of school, Elroy's greatest bit (and one of the best bits in the history of the show), Chang gets a moment with actual pathos, and a reveal that just keeps shifting between hilarity and drama (and keeps going into the end tag). Give Season 6 a fair shake (just speaking to Community viewers in general)!

Not sure if it's my favorite episode, but this is definitely the one I re-watch the most. I just find it so comforting.

I like adv. dungeons and dragons but I do love the beginning of remedial chaos theory TROY AN ABED NEW AAAPAAAMENT *Abed’s smile intensifies*

Absolutely brilliant video-essay, at the end of the road that's what Community is all about, personal growth and becoming self-aware of it. Episodes with Messages like this is why this Tv show changed My life. Great video man, cheers!

Loved the in depth take on this episode. So interesting to hear how other people understand episodes of shows you watch

Pillows and Blankets is probably my favorite, the comedy was just on another level

Finally, someone made a "best episode of Community" video that talks about the ACTUAL best episode of Community.

Ive rewatched this show twice in the past year. My favorite episode i think is remedial chaos theory but every time i watch it new things stick out to me. This episode really stuck out to me on my most recent watch through. Any abed or troy centric episodes really pull at my heartstrings.

This episode has always been my favorite. It’s mature and toned-down, while still having the charm of community’s characters and writing. It feels like a realistic day that could actually happen while also feeling like an important day for both Troy and Annie. The scene after they leave the bar might be my favorite in the entire show. I don’t know how to describe it, it’s just that feeling you get when you’re sad and happy at the same time but instead of freaking out you’re just calm, like a sigh out after a long day.

Dude great video. I started watching this show a couple months ago and gone thru every episode three times now so this is all fresh. And I’m grateful to know I’m not the only one who looks so deep into the nuance of every episode. Well done.

I’m still only partway through season four, but so far my top five are Mixology Certification, Remedial Chaos Theory, Epidemiology, Horror Fiction in Seven Spooky Steps, and Cooperative Calligraphy in that order. I also really like A Fistful of Paintballs, mainly because everything about Annie in that episode is amazing and I love Annie, and Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas is also up there. But yeah, this episode is my absolute favorite.

Cooperative Calligraphy makes me so happy because of the linguistic humor they are forced to exert. It’s something that as someone who adore the study of language makes me so happy because as strange as the concept is being stuck in such a small space they can’t go all out with the bizarre notes. All of Community has such strongly written jokes revolving around linguistics but CC I think showcases it so well. I ended up writing a 7 page paper about it cause i think how the episode covers humor is so amazing

Comedy and emotion......a great mix. Usually the times we hang out of the nothing and get out of our way for a couple of hours until it's time to go back home.

Arguably one of the most underrated episodes in the whole series. I've always had an appreciation for how grounded this episode is while still being Community at its heart.

It's honestly amazing how many "Oh, wow," moments this video gave me! I felt like I had a pretty solid understanding of this episode, since I had thought this episode was fairly underrated, but the presentation of this video truly made so many more things clear. This is definitely one of the more captivating videos that I've seen about Community, and I truly think that you explained it perfectly. Awesome video, man!

this is my favourite community episode, and it made me cry the first time i watched it. Thank you for giving it the spotlight!

This has been one of my favorites for a while and I never really put a finger on why, but this video puts it into words. thank you

Incredible explanation of an episode I clearly have not appreciated until now. Will have to rewatch Mixology asap. The beauty of Community is that not matter how many times I watch it, I am constantly seeing new things. Great video. Thanks for posting!

This vid is amazing ngl I teared up cause I'm on that phase in life now too, becoming an adult. Existential crises is so hard but you brought a new light to this episode that I now hold dear. Definitely rewatching the ep and rewriting my favorite Community eps

found this in my recommended. KZfaq recommending good things? that's new.

been rewatching this episode on netflix lately and just realized how amazing it is. great video! :)

So glad to finally see this episode get the credit it deserves! Easily a top 4 episode. The perfect blend of the shows emotional depth, character development, and humor

Oh my, I started watching Community on Netflix this year during the quarentine, and it quickly became my favorite TV show. I've turned 21 on April 14, just about the time I've started the show. This episode hit hard in a lot of different ways and is one of my absolute favorites, I always cry when i watch it... and I cried during the video, thank you!

Okay I'm mind blown wow - this show continues to surprise me everyday after 5+ rewatches. Thank you for making this video

This episode brought me to tears when I watched this because it’s beautiful

I always liked, but not loved, this episode while watching and re-watching, but after watching this video, I have a newfound appreciation for it. Most of what you said was stuff I may have already known, but never really thought about. Great write up and great video.

I really LOVED this episode! I'm so glad someone else is taking about it!

Incredible video. This episode has always been one of my favorites, and your video just was so insightful about the episode and the show, you nearly brought me to tears. Thank you

I've only seen community once, but when I watched this episode, it immediately stood out to me. Really loved it

I love how (at least for the first three seasons) every episode has so much content. Every episode can be talked about at length, and each one has special, favourite moments. Ang yeah, this episode... no cliche, but still tells a powerful form of the classic "coming of age" tale. It's like the indie movie of sitcom episodes.

I personally love this episode and it has stuck with me through the years, especially now as I'm around the same age as Troy (a couple years older) and while I already have a personal comprehension of the idea being conveyed through the episode, it makes me feel somewhat comfortable about growing up knowing everyone is just as lost as I am. It's kind of heartwarming really. By the way, great work on the video, you should have so much more views on this!

My favorite underrated episode is the one where Abed and Troy switch bodies- a la Freaky Friday. We all love episodes that highlight the connection between Troy and Abed, but that one feels special to me for some reason!

I totally agree. With its simplicity and wholesomness, it’s one of the best episode for me, just 6 friends hanging out to the bar, exactly like us common viewers

So I haven’t done a rewatch like you have, Mr. Cook. The episode I’ve long held as my favorite is Remedial Chaos Theory because of its gimmick, the running jokes, and just the overall joy I get from that episode. I don’t recall watching this episode, but damn, you give this one a great pitch. I’ll take a barebones, character-driven episode, and you know what, maybe after I watch this, this will also be my favorite episode. And also: Go Troy!

Intermediate Documentary Filmmaking is my favorite and in my opinion the most underrated episode. It’s not only hilarious and the dialogue is genius, but it does (I think) the best job of utilizing the documentary medium, and it really highlights every character and forces them each to face their own insecurities both individually and as a group. In the end it shows more than anything Pierce’s insecurities, it shows that he listens, it shows that he doesn’t want to die alone surrounded by the walls he puts up. It further highlights his parallels with Jeff. The fact that it has emotional payoffs in season 5 with Annie’s tiara and Troy sailing of with Levar Burton is the icing on the cake.

That was absolutely fantastic. This episode also hit me the second time watching this show. I didn't really realize why, but it's probably because watching a tv show, especially one like community, makes me feel certain emotions . With time, I get familiar with the emotions. I get in some way in a comfort zone. Its that feeling, that makes me rewatch episodes from tv shows in general. You know what to expect and you like it. Seeing an episode, that does the same, but suddenly makes it way more relatable and real, really got to me somehow. It made me even more emotionally invested in this show as before. Thanks for the video!

Yeah I've never been able to put my finger on it but this episode has always been my favourite. Thank you for doing this!

This is such a painfully underrated episode

great video! i absolutely adore community and the unique way they developed the characters. the tropes were played in not obvious ways, typical situations were inverted and had unexpected outcomes. this show is a masterpiece in comedy because it's not always a comedy, it's a commentary on people. i really love it, definitely one of my favourites.

This is an excellent video. You opened my third eye by pointing out all the roles Troy serves within the group (helping abed relate to the group, balancing Jeff's character, surrogate/proxy son for Pierce), I never quite made the connection. Now I can put into words why the show felt so wrong with him gone. Waiting on that "worst episode" video!

I've never regarded this episode as deep as you perceived but now I think that you're absolutely right about your points. A very wholesome video and great analysis 👏

this is legit my favorite episode and seeing it get some shine over the paintball eps is really really tight great video!!

This is incredible. So well done and eloquent!! My favorite show of all time and you speak about it so tenderly like I do

This video really made me realize that the theme of community is about facing reality and how to deal with. What a great video!

This is definitely my favorite episode! You literally put my thoughts into words

This is so high quality! I loved the video, you’ve got another subscriber! Can’t wait for more content!!!

So happy I stumbled upon this video, such an underrated episode. I went through the same thing as you my first viewing of it when I was 16-17 I didn't think much of it, but seeing it again in my mid 20s made me tear up.

I'm kinda late to this video but I just wanted to say that I really liked it! I have seen a lot of "this is the best episode of community" videos but never one on this episode and I really like your take, I think this is one of the best examples of the show having great hart and prioritizing characters along with being funny.

Thank you for putting my thoughts on my favorite episode into such clear words! Amazing video man keep up the good work!

i've been waiting for a video essay about this episode for so long, thank u for this

The algorithm has blessed me today with a fantastic video from a channel I've never heard of, about a show I adore. This was so thoughtful and heartfelt, I'll definitely be checking put your other videos

I love this episode too because I found Troy's journey in the episode very relatable. I hope you'll make more community videos.

Damn this video was eye opening. I always knew there was something special about hanging out with school friends outside of school for the first time but I never knew how to put it into words, you really hit the nail on the head

This was brilliant. Thank you for such a great analysis

Great production quality and great analysis!

Great analysis, this channel is going places.

this has always been my favourite episode too and one that i often rewatched but i was never really sure why. thanks for putting it into words