Why I miss 'Community' while it's gone: Because Abed and Jeff bonded over chicken fingers
The series' first major high-concept episode also told a great character story
Joel McHale and Danny Pudi in the chicken fingers episode of "Community."
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And so it's come to this: NBC's Thursday night comedy bloc kicks off right now on the East Coast, and "Community" is not a part of it. I'm glad to have "30 Rock" back, and to give "Up All Night" a chance to pick up viewers after being adrift on the Wednesday lineup, but dammit... I want Troy and Abed on my TV.
Once again, my plan is to spend every Thursday from now until NBC announces the show's return to the schedule (if not until the show is actually back on the schedule) revisiting a favorite moment or storyline from the series. If we can't have new "Community," at least we can bask in memories of the old ones.
For two weeks in a row of this project, I went with scenes from season 1's "Physical Education," which many of you cited as the series' funniest non-conceptual episode. Today, I'm going with the finale scene of the series' first really notable high-concept show: "Contemporary American Poultry," an extended "Goodfellas" parody about chicken fingers.
The scene below is actually not incredibly funny, but that's the point: it's a sincere, poignant moment between Jeff and Abed that justifies all the Scorsese spoofery that came before it by talking about how Abed views the world, and how much trouble he has connecting with people who don't view it that way. While not all of the show's conceptual episodes have worked, the ones that have tend to have a real character story at the center of it, whether it's Jeff and Britta finally hooking up during the paintball tournament or Abed's holiday depression during "Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas."
So enjoy the scene and, as always, feel free to talk about any and everything "Community"-related.
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Login or create a HitFix account Login SignupStormshadow4life
January 12, 2012 at 9:32PM EST Reply to CommentI miss Community :(
Stormshadow4life Maybe if it had a laugh track people would watch....UGH. I HATE CBS's comedies
January 12, 2012 at 9:34PM ESTZacharyTF
January 12, 2012 at 9:40PM EST Reply to CommentMy brother said he gave up on Community because he didn't like how you never knew what you were going to get. I had to restrain myself from punching him. The unpredictability is why it's my favorite show on television.
klg19 I commend your restraint.
January 13, 2012 at 8:39AM ESTIt seems, though--alas--that your brother holds the majority view of American television viewers...otherwise we wouldn't be in this miserable predicament.
I miss this show so much.
Andrew Camp
January 12, 2012 at 9:41PM EST Reply to CommentI consider this episode to be the best ever. Case in point: the introduction to Annie's Boobs (::clears throat::) the monkey. Also, this is the first show to give us the wonderful new addition to the American Lexicon, "streets ahead."
Also, any parody of Goodfellas is ALWAYS a good parody. It's a win every single time.
Stuart
January 12, 2012 at 9:44PM EST Reply to CommentAdam did you get a screener for 30 Rock? Are you going to post your thoughts on the ending?
Stuart Err...Alan...long day.
January 12, 2012 at 9:58PM ESTaaahhhhhbed
January 12, 2012 at 9:49PM EST Reply to Commentcool. coolcoolcool.
Chris
January 12, 2012 at 9:59PM EST Reply to CommentTonights 30 rock was really good. I can't be the only One glad that we don't have to sit through the extremely corny community to get to Parks and Rec anymore, can I ?
Mike If you want to say you don't like Community, that's your right, I disagree, but I get it, it's a bit of an avant-garde show and isn't for everyone, but to call it corny in the same sentence as you praise 30 Rock seems a bit ambitious considering Kenneth Parcell is still a character on that show.
January 12, 2012 at 10:23PM ESTGeorge god 30 Rock is the worst
January 12, 2012 at 10:39PM ESTmike ramón 30 rock is NOT a substitute for community.
January 12, 2012 at 10:40PM ESTits funny but ultimately EMPTY
Chris True Kenneth sucks and Tina fey isn't really funny but Alec Baldwin and Tracey Jordan usually make it tolerable. Community on the other hand has only the talented mchale everyone else comes off like a nickelodeon cartoon character
January 12, 2012 at 11:07PM ESTthe minister Sepinwall, moderate this troll please.
January 13, 2012 at 1:02AM ESTpamelajaye I love Community and I enjoyed 30 Rock - what I don't like is not this troll (we can ignore) but the obscene posting which is #3 on this page. Hopefully Alan will read his comments...
January 13, 2012 at 1:25AM EST
January 13, 2012 at 1:41AM EST-Daniel
chairthrower
January 12, 2012 at 10:39PM EST Reply to CommentA shoutout to Nathan Fillion, who proudly exclaimed on Twitter his new love for the show, and complimented Joel McHale and Donald Glover directly. I'm rooting for guest appearance.
jon dunn
January 12, 2012 at 10:39PM EST Reply to Commentyou can have jeff-britta, jeff-annie, or troy-abed - for my money the best relationship on Community is that of Jeff and Abed.
That's why three of my favorite episodes are 'Contemporary American Poultry', 'Communication Studies', and 'Critical Film Studies'. I also really really like 'Home Economics'
Jeff is the only one that really 'gets' Abed and vice versa. Abed is also one of the few to understand what a insecure dork Jeff really is under it all. Remember Jeff is the only one who wants the group to leave Abed alone when they think someone likes him in 'Physical Education'. He doesn't try to 'help' Abed by finding him a girlfriend because he knows Abed is more comfortable with himself then anyone.
I also loved their interplay in 'Investigative Journalism' as Hawkeye and Radar.
of course there's also the moment in 'The Science of Illusion' when the entire study group is crying and jeff says to Abed "why are we the only sane ones in the group, Abed?"
my wish for post-hiatus - another jeff-abed centric episode!!
(we already know about the epic two parter with the troy/abed fight!)
pamelajaye 'Home Economics' is the one I most recently watched and I agree - Jeff/Abed is a great pairing for character insight.
January 13, 2012 at 1:43AM EST"Abed is also one of the few to understand what a insecure dork Jeff really is under it all."
I don't seem to have anything to add - even "More Jeff/Abed stories!" was covered.
I watched all of season 1 and season 2 last... season and I'm surprised at all I've forgotten.
The part about being brought up by TV makes me think of Dream On. (I didn't have HBO but Scott Bakula was in a two-parter and I got tapes plus a background on Richard Stone(?) from my best friend)
I'm trying to decide whether Jeff is like Josh on The West Wing - who showed lots of signs of being annoyingly cocky but it seemed just a cover for the insecurity.
Watching too much Josh made my brother insufferable. Thankfully this does not happen with him watching Jeff.
lztouchthedream
January 12, 2012 at 10:40PM EST Reply to CommentTROY AND ABED ON YOUR TEEEEEEE-VEE!
dia
January 12, 2012 at 11:13PM EST Reply to CommentI really, really, really miss it.
Xsikal
January 12, 2012 at 11:16PM EST Reply to CommentAt least we all have Whitney and Are you there Chelsea? to help us through this difficult Community-less time.
Sigh.
the minister Lose the "Sigh" & you have a high-quality internets postings there.
January 13, 2012 at 1:05AM ESTHaik Mendelovich
January 13, 2012 at 12:09AM EST Reply to CommentIf the current management at NBC had been in charge in the early 80s, we'd have had seven years of Manimal instead of seven years of Hill Street Blues...
pamelajaye and St. Elsewhere. I wish I could remember more than the lovely joke where they are painting the walls cause someone told them they need to brighten it up.
January 13, 2012 at 1:52AM ESTI don't remember that at all. I read it in a book. I remember the Mary Tyler Moore psych patient who thought everyone was a character on the show - and then in walked Betty White. Of course this patient was actually insane and Abed doesn't have a fixation on MTM.
Which reminds me - watching Abed and Jeff watching The Jeffersons (wasn't it?) was giving me some real JD and Turk flashbacks.
Those two producers from Scrubs whose names I can never get right must really have been into sitcoms...
(you all probably discussed this phenomenon back when I wasn't watching Community)
Grant
January 13, 2012 at 12:16AM EST Reply to CommentWhen NBC decides to being back Community, they should promote it by putting Troy and Abed on the 4th hour of the TODAY show and there can be some real, "Troy & Abed In The Morning". They can even have Joel McHale stop by, similar to this: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/40007981
pamelajaye LIKE
January 13, 2012 at 1:53AM EST(no, I *don't* spend too much time on Facebook!)
jae
January 13, 2012 at 12:36AM EST Reply to Commentfor some inside community info (as well as some spoilers as to upcoming shows) you can check out the IAMA reddit that megan ganz did (writer of cooperative calligraphy among other favorites).
http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/o6zsk/iama_writer_for_the_nbc_show_community_and_former/
pamelajaye
January 13, 2012 at 1:16AM EST Reply to CommentMy plan is to rewatch the entire series. But today I had one of those infrequent visits from my brother, so between watching him edit and running for food during the commercials, I had to watch Big Bang (not that BillPrady really cares, but I said I would since Community was not on - and also since it's one of the 3 shows Jay watched "how many eps behind am I?" "10" ::checks TVRage:: "Nope, 12") then 30 Rock, then Grey's and I might as well do Private Practice (they are bed hopping *again*??) and 30 Rock had pauses for sibling commentary.
I forgot Up All Night totally (but the DVR did not) and I didn't get to read this till just now. Or right after I press enter. (next week will be better)
Sboob Seinna
January 13, 2012 at 1:55AM EST Reply to CommentThis is why i miss community
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFED8xInwpc
amg
January 13, 2012 at 2:25AM EST Reply to CommentI watched all of Season 1 and 2 on DVD this summer. I really liked Season 1, and then the chicken fingers ep of season 2 was the first one where I thought "ah, this is what people are talking about when they say the show started getting weird." I wasn't crazy about it, either. (And not being a Godfather fan surely didn't help me.) But I always watched the eps a second time before mailing it back, to catch any jokes I missed, and I think thats what slowly turned me into a fan of the "high concept" episodes. I now can watch this one and appreciate it's greatness. I think I had to "learn" how to watch these sorts of eps differently--they're not all magnificent on second viewing (I'm still not wild about that space one) but I still enjoy "catching" little bits of meta and referencing that was lost on me the first time, particularly in eps like these. Sadly, this may be what keeps larger audiences away, but is what makes the show so rewarding for those of us who invest in it.
Don
January 13, 2012 at 3:17AM EST Reply to CommentStrangely that was the episode I watched last night.
Lisa
January 13, 2012 at 11:47AM EST Reply to CommentExcellent choice, Alan. This is such a great episode. For those who own the DVDs, this is a good commentary episode. I agree with all of the posters who are rooting for another Jeff/Abed episode. They are good together. I loved this callout to Sixteen Candles. So great!
ambria
January 13, 2012 at 2:05PM EST Reply to CommentAfter seeing last night's ratings (and American Idol is not back yet), I feel even better about Community. NBC should acknowledge that perhaps it made a mistake, and that they will need to embrace the audience it has and build on it or sell their souls to music reality shows.
War Chief Shake Zula
January 13, 2012 at 2:41PM EST Reply to CommentThis reminds me...I have an entire season of Community that's pretty much entirely a mystery to me. I need to get Hulu Plus...
War Chief Shake Zula I also need to w/draw from the Department of Redundancy Department...
January 13, 2012 at 2:41PM ESTBobo
January 14, 2012 at 6:26AM EST Reply to CommentBoo, America only clip.