So Community may be done for good. But then again, the show has been suspected of ending for good every season since 3. So it may go on. But since it's about Six Seasons and a Movie, I thought I'd look back and see how the show was. So I thought I'd rank the seasons since the show is unique in how each season feels so distinct from one another.
If I were to pick a great Seinfeld episode, for instance, I'd usually have a hard time telling when it was from for most episodes. There's some eras the show has, but it's all the same Seinfeld at the end of the day. Community is different. Each season has its own theme based on what class is taken, its own approach to humor, and how the characters interact with each other. So ranking them feels like ranking a series of games or movies more than pieces of an entire show.
6. Season 4
Season 4 doesn't work. Dan Harmon was fired and the writers were trying to get by without him, but they couldn't really make it work. It's sad too, because you can tell they were trying, but it's just not there. Malcolm McDowell is wasted as a teacher, the group loses so much chemistry it had before, and the less said about "Changesia," the better.
However, there are some high points, though few. Jim Rash REALLY stepped up to the plate this season, giving us the Dean who was pretty much the only one just as funny as he's ever been. To make things better, he also wrote the episode "Basic Human Anatomy" (a Freaky Friday spoof) which I'd put in my top three episodes in the series. It even helped that season 4 felt like it might go too far in the weird category, which made it feel like they may have actually switched bodies. But the bad still really outweighs the good here which just feels sad.
Best episode: Basic Human Anatomy
Best character: Dean Pelton
5. Season 6
You know how I said you could really tell they were trying in season 4? I didn't really get that in 6. It's still better as a whole, save "Queer Studies and Advanced Waxing" (which I'd say is the worst episode in the series), none of these episodes are bad. They're just mostly serviceable. There's some really good ones and some that don't work that well. But you really feel like the group isn't the same without Troy, Pierce, AND Shirley, with Paget Brewster giving a pretty great new addition and Keith David giving a hit or miss one. Though neither were close to as good as Donald Glover or Chevy Chase.
And one really weird aspect about this season: The writers are aware it's not as good. Abed is constantly referencing how much better years 1-3 were which can get a little too meta at times. I feel this season had him get too meta and he didn't really work. I'd actually argue that only Jeff and the Dean were the only characters that really worked that well, save "Queer Studies and Advanced Waxing" for the latter. I'm glad season 6 happened, but it could have been better.
Best episode: Intro to Recycled Cinema
Best character: Dean Pelton
4. Season 5
The hardest ones to rank were this and my next pick. Each has its strengths and weaknesses, though in really distinct ways. At the end though, I put this lower because of reasons I'll go into with the next season. 5 has a really strong start. The plot to save Greendale from going bankrupt is a fantastic direction. Abed has a mental breakdown trying to figure out if Nicolas Cage is a good or bad actor. A bandit drops coins in people's ass cracks. Pierce's will turns the group against each other There's a school wide game of the floor is made of lava.
Then Troy leaves. And it's not the same. I wouldn't say that it's because of Troy, because it doesn't feel that way immediately. But there is a quality drop. Having back to back Shirley episodes (basically Community's version of a Lisa episode on The Simpsons) didn't help, but there was something missing. I don't want to say it was Troy at first, but his presence and one liners are missed as the show goes on. There's some good episodes after still, but I wish it could have kept the quality it started at. Oh well, at least the Dean was still incredible.
Best episode: Introduction to Teaching
Best character: Dean Pelton
3. Season 1
Season 1 at times is good and others is pretty boring. But there's just something there that....I don't even know how to describe it. But it makes the show feel so unique in a way that even later seasons lost. You can tell it's the start of something great and what's here isn't like anything else on television but isn't going to revel in how weird it is or even be that weird. It's just different. And different is good. It may not always be the best thing on television, but you're glad you watched it and there's some episodes that are so incredible.
I think what makes it so distinct is Abed. He's not as weird or meta as he is later. He's not pointing out how this is a show all the time. He doesn't get people and seeing him try to communicate with everyone else (also the season's theme) is really interesting. There may be boring subplots as they try to juggle all the characters unnecessarily (Jeff and Abed are the only ones consistent with consistently good plots), but it's worth watching. And the Troy and Abed credits bits are the best in the series.
I was lukewarm on this season at first, but rewatching it, there is plenty here to like. And it's a pretty big step in quality behind the next two. But damn, there really isn't anything like this season on television-and that includes other seasons of Community.
Best episode: Contemporary American Poultry
Best character: Abed
2. Season 3
Season 3, though having a few episodes that don't quite work, is really freaking great. It's the weirdest season yet, but still remembers to (mostly) keep in as many jokes and gags as it can unlike later seasons. This one also delves into how the group is mentally unbalanced. Their past quirks are shown to actually be dangerous to themselves and others, they're not quite improving but getting worse, and everything is falling apart.
And it's glorious. It feels like a deconstruction of Community, showing that these people need to evolve (why they take biology) or else they'll, well, turn into Chang. Or the Dean. Two characters initially shown to be nowhere close to ideal, but could make things work. Now, not so much. It also vastly improved Britta, calling her out on how she acts progressive and self-righteous, but is really being a moron.
Plus it has by far the best of their teachers
Best Episode: Remedial Chaos Theory
Best Character: Troy
1. Season 2
This is it. This is why this show has such a rabid fanbase. The other seasons all have their high points, but lack the consistency to be up there with the cream of the crop like The Simpsons. Season 2 has that. Every episode is hilarious and feels so unique. One episode can have Pierce dealing with his mother's death while another will have Abed becoming Jesus or a zombie outbreak and none of them feel out of place.
Season 2 is about making you wonder, "Are they actually going in this direction?" and being glad they did the whole time. But most importantly, it's just really funny. The jokes land frequently and always deliver some good laughs. I can't think of any time I groaned or rolled my eyes at a joke or plot, something which can't be said for any other season.
Best episode: Conspiracy Theories and Interior Design (aka the best in the series)
Best character: Annie (every character is fantastic, but Allison Brie really brought it this season)
Rick and Morty is still the better of Dan Harmon's shows.
Comments
bullet656
06/06/2015 at 08:07 AM
I would rank them the same way, and for pretty much the exact same reasons. I too was lukewarm on Season 1 intially. When it first came on the air I found it interesting, but for the first several episodes I wasn't sure if I was going to keep watching it or not. It was sometime towards the middle of the season (or maybe the end?) when I realized that the show was genius and that I loved it.
I'm looking forward to more Rick and Morty, but so far that show hasn't really clicked for me yet. I found it funny enough and will keep watching, but haven't quite grasped why there are so many people on the internet who think it's better than Community.
Casey Curran
Staff Writer
06/06/2015 at 11:24 PM
There's several reasons I prefer Rick and Morty. I feel the sci-fy premise gives more freedom to be meta. Compare Remedial Chaos Theory (one of my all time favorites) to the end of Rick Potion Number Nine or council of Ricks. RCT just touches on the implications of multiple timelines, while R&M really hammers on them, showing how Morty is scarred by the implications while Rick discovered them long ago and turned to alcohol and a jaded attitude. Community would love to have something like that but it's grounded too much into reality to pull it off.
I'd be lying if I said preferring R&M had nothing to do with my love of sci-fy and emphasis on a multiverse. But I still think it's smarter and funnier than Community and as time goes on will become one of the greatest comedies
Blake Turner
Staff Writer
06/06/2015 at 07:58 PM
I would have put season 1 ahead of Season 3 just because it's more consistent. Season 3 has some of the strongest episodes in the series, but it also has some REALLY weak episodes, and a huge problem with structure. Not to mention they kinda butchered Chang completely.
But yeah I feel the same way about this season. It's alright, but not amazing, nor even that interesting. The paintball episode seemed a touch desparate too, although the incest episode was fucking hilarious.
Casey Curran
Staff Writer
06/06/2015 at 11:15 PM
I feel that while Chang was overall worse in 3, he still had some great bits. Britta rebelling against him, being Jeff's understudy as he understudies the Dean, and the Changlorious Bastards were all fun. I liked his school takeover too, was stupid, but involved an awesome heist episode. Season 4 was where they REALLY butchered Chang. Fucking Changesia.....
And season 1 was kind of more consistent in no episodes were complete duds, but most of its episodes are very noticeably flawed, good or bad. Mostly in terms of side plots (ie ones not involving Jeff or Abed as I mentioned above).
Blake Turner
Staff Writer
06/06/2015 at 11:45 PM
True, I feel that whether you like the ending of season 3 determines where you rank it. I didn't really like the heist episode, nor did I enjoy the chang/britta stuff. Plus, the only time Britta was really an interesting character was in season 1, before Jeff literally fucked her brains out.
Don't get me wrong, season 3 has a streak of 5 or 6 brilliant parodies in a row, but season 1 and 2 get place character above all else, and in my opinion, are better for it. Yes, season 3 has some great character beats, but it ultimately just isn't as good as the first two in terms of that.
Casey Curran
Staff Writer
06/07/2015 at 02:47 AM
See, I thought season 3 kept up the character stuff great. I think you're underselling how character focused 3 was as well, it versus 1 is kind of a quality over quantity thing IMO. 1 had more episodes dedicated to character specific stuff, but 3 had much deeper stuff. Stuff like Dean Pelton's mental breakdown on the commercial, Pierce's father dying, Annie realizing why Jeff is wrong for her, and how the season completely deconstructs Abed as a whole. They took advantage of how we were familiar with the characters and used it for more interesting ideas than 1 could have.
And we'll have to agree to disagree on Britta. Her self-righteous stuff pre-season 3 was tolerable at its best and more often, pretty damn annoying. There's a reason the phrase, "You're the worst," popped up in 2 while in 1 it focused too much on her and Jeff, to the point where the show even had Abed point out how the two had no chemistry. Annie and Jeff had much better chemistry, though I am glad the two never even dated and the show explained why that would be bad for both, especially Annie.
goaztecs
06/10/2015 at 12:08 PM
I like your ranking of the Community Seasons. While reading through your blog I realized I like a lot of scenes where Annie sells the fact that she's crushing on characters. From the one you posted to the episode where Abed goes Don Draper on her (I always dug this because she's also Trudy Campbell.) and her freakout when she finds out that Britta and Jeff had sex
I feel Community did special episodes really well. Their early Paintball episodes like when Chang has the slow motion entrance into the study room, to the History Channel like presentation of the pillow fight, they made those episodes feel like they were a step above, almost like an event. If they do create a movie I hope they can bring back some of the early season magic.
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Comments