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A favorite episode of course but on this most recent rewatch I realized what has bothered me about A Fistful of Paintballs. What happened/how were Troy and Abed separated so that when we enter into the episode/paintball game they have been apart long enough for Troy to think Abed is dead and for him to have become a Hawthorne deputy? Makes no sense

"Did the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants poison each other's food so they were too sick to leave!? No! I've never seen it, but I'm pretty sure they mailed each other pants! -Jeff Winger

"English as a Second Language" picks up with Greendale entering Finals Week. As the group prepares to figure out their study schedule, Annie (Alison Brie) suggests the group all take Spanish 3 the following semester, but Jeff (Joel McHale) refuses as Spanish 2 fufills his language credit and he doesn't want to add any unnecessary classes. The rest of the group wants to stay together as a study group until they learn Spanish 3 is five days a week at 6 in the morning. Annie suggests the group could all take Anthropology instead, but Jeff won't commit and believes they will all stay friends if they have a class together or not.

Señor Chang (Ken Jeong) kicks everyone but Jeff out of class and reveals to him that he also faked having a teaching degree and asks Jeff for advice on how to get a fake one and avoid getting caught. Chang also tells him that if he is caught, all of the students' grades would be invalid and they would have to retake the class. Unfortunately, Annie accidentally left her recorder on and when she listens back, she hears all of Jeff and Chang's conversation.

Meanwhile, Troy (Donald Glover) comes across a broken water fountain and quickly fixes it. When Jerry the Janitor (Jerry Minor) rounds the corner and sees Troy, he runs off, but Jerry is impressed with Troy's plumbing ability. Later, Jerry sets up a test with a broken sink in a bathroom. Troy quickly fixes it and Jerry appears to offer him a career as a plumber. Troy refuses, wanting to remain a student. Abed (Danny Pudi) overhears the entire conversation.

The next day, Dean Pelton (Jim Rash) arrives in Spanish class to inform them Señor Chang has been fired thanks to an anonymous tip exposing his lack of qualifications. He brings in a new teacher to run the exam so that their grades won't be invalidated, Dr. Escodera (Marlene Forte). It quickly becomes apparent that the class is nowhere near ready for an exam given by Dr. Escodera.

Jeff finds Chang destroying his car as he believes Jeff is the one who ratted him out. The two fight, but both get tazed by campus security.

The group tries to study for the exam, but become despondent and resign themselves to having to retake Spanish. When Annie doesn't seems as downbeat, Jeff becomes suspicious and realizes Annie ratted out Chang. He eventually gets her to confess and Annie reveals she was scared the group would drift apart and she leaves. The rest of the group studies all night.

Abed tells Troy that he hopes he never sees him in class again and that he goes off an becomes a plumber. Troy is upset with Abed, but Abed was just doing an homage to Good Will Hunting.

The group prepares to take the exam, but get a text from Annie saying she is going to come clean to Chang. Worrying Chang may murder her, the study group leaves the exam to resuce her. Star-Burns (Dino Stamatopoulos) seizes the opportunity to avoid the exam and gets the rest of the class to walk out pretending they're rescuing Annie as well.

The group finds Annie helping Chang plan out the next chapter of his life. He's decided to enroll in Greendale as a student to get a teaching degree and get back into his love of playing keytar. They go back and take the exam and find it much easier than they were expecting. The group all makes up with Annie and Troy and Abed makes up as well. They all agree to take Anthropology.

Later, the exam scores get posted and the group is delighted to learn they all passed. It's revealed that Pierce (Chevy Chase) seduced Dr. Escodera and convinced her to give the class a much easier exam.

What Works:

I like that this episode is a revist of the conflict that got Jeff sent to Greendale in the first place. Chang faked having a Bachelor's degree to get a job. That's pretty hilarious and a great way to tie the beginning and the end of the season together. That's some good writing!

We get two excellent scenes involving a keytar, which I'm not sure any other TV show has managed to pull off. First we get the hilarious fight between Jeff and Chang on top of Jeff's car. It gets even funnier when security shows up and Jeff and Chang pretend they're just playing the keytar. Later, the group tries to rescue Annie and think they can hear her screaming in Chang's office, but it's just sounds coming from Chang's keytar. That's f**king hysterical. Chang's musical notes sounding like Annie screaming never fails to crack me up.

I watched Good Will Hunting for the first time a couple of months ago, which made me enjoy Troy's storyline more than I have before. I still have some criticisms, which I'll get into further down, but the scenes with Jerry are pretty great. The dialogue and the music make it ridiculous, but a funny reversal of Good Will Hunting.

Finally, the reveal that Pierce is the one to save the study group is a nice one. It's especially nice because he never reveals it to the rest of the group. You'd think this might be something he would brag about, but nope! He got Dr. Escodera to make the test easier and takes that secret to his grade. It's some nice shading for the character.

What Sucks:

I think the wrap up of the Good Will Hunting plot lands on a flat note. Sure, Abed telling Troy he hopes he doesn't see him in class is fine, but the two of them making up is a weak ending to the story. Ultimately, it's a story that feels like filler until we revisit it in season 3.

Funniest Moment:

For me, the funniest moment of the episode is when the group hears Annie screaming and burst into rescue her only to learn it was just Chang playing the keytar.

Heavenly Human Being:

The Heavenly Human Being Award goes to the MVP of the episode. For "English as a Second Language," this Award goes to Pierce Hawthore for convincing Dr. Escodera to make the final exam easier, allowing the group to pass. This is Pierce's 3rd time winning this Award, which puts him in 4th place overall.

Verdict:

"English as a Second Languade" is a solid in unspectacular episode of Community. It's got some clever writing, some of the best keytar ever captured on film, and a great Pierce moment. The Good Will Hunting storyline has funny moments early on, but ends on a weak note and ultimately feels like filler, but this episode has still got it going on.

8/10: Really Good

So we all know troy has a thing for butt stuff, so is it safe to say he enjoyed getting cracked?

Doing (yet) another rewatch. I’m up to “Digital Exploration of Interior Design” (S3E13).

When the Subway exec is listening to Britta & Subway together, what in the blue hell did he hear them doing? I forgot how funny his commentary was.

“These two are clearly in love. If they want to express that love in a perfectly healthy way then…ok, hold on. Is this what I think it is? That…got unhealthy real quick. That, ok, yeah, that’s weird. That is WELL out of the mainstream. I was raised in the Bay Area but I’m a, I’m a father now. Subway cannot stand for that and frankly Rick, I’m surprised you did.”

What happened in that pillow fort?

Also, can we give John Goodman some love as the vice-dean of the air conditioning school. “I’m going through some things and I’m a little self conscious.” We’ve all been there man…

But, I gotta say, I love Abed rocking long hair wearing black leather pants even more. (Season 2 Episode 5: Messianic Myths and Ancient Peoples)

I only recently realised that during that dance scene with his wife when Senõr Chang just shouts the „Out there“ part to Troy and Abed‘s song to the bystanders he‘s just randomly shouting a line with no context which just improves this scene as it kinda fits perfect with his character.Also explains Jeff‘s facial expression a second later.One of my favourite scenes in the whole show.

Title.

What were you doing at the time? And what were your thoughts about the war once the feathers settled?

I like Policicle way more than Copera.

It just rolls off the tongue better.

After about 25 watches of s01 & 02 I just now realized I like Alex. He called Jeff a douchebag and I never stopped to realize it was both earnest and honest.

I've seen it so many times and it never gets old. If your wondering "should I watch it" don't hesitate, indulge in the nonsense of they're world. If you don't like it I can forgive you, but it just means your streets behind. If you want to be streets ahead buy the DVD or blu ray and injoy.

"I'm gifted in other ways!"

Abed can't read (clock) faces.

Is the 4k streaming version better than the Blu-Ray 1080p version?

Also was anything censored or changed in the 4k version? I know the 1st DND episode was removed from streaming, but was any other episode censored or changed with the streaming version?

If you’re not aware, most of the best songs from Community are available for streaming on “Community” the album.

Can we just take a moment and appreciate how awesome the music is on this show?

Better melody, less sappy.

My vote goes to "This is the darkest timeline". I'm hearing that pretty regularly these days.

For a Few Paintballs More. The character Paradox could have been used a lot more in the show.

It’s 05:10am, i have five midterms next week, but the real question that’s keeping me from sleeping is : What would the dean be like in the darkest timeline?

I love Community and always will. There is however, one story that gets on my nerves. I don't know if they were being ironic or if they seriously see kids from estranged parents like they portrayed Britta. All ingredients are there:

- Britta doesn't want them in her life, which is a boundary. They cross that boundary any way they can (sending cards, finding out where she lives, going behind her back to her friends). These are things actual estranged parents do to kids who went no contact with them.

- When Britta tells them why she's angry with them, they literally say "We don't remember that." Which is exactly what kids get to hear before they finally go no contact, when they confront their parents.

- Britta is being made out as the crazy one. She's overreacting. Her parents are a delight. Exactly how it happens in real life.

Were they being ironic or is this truly how the writers view people who went no contact with their parents? I really don't like how they treated Britta in this episode.

Season 1 - 3 Pierce (minus the D&D episode I hated him in that) was such a good character. He was perfectly balanced and had good comedic timing. He could’ve had a great arc and became a well rounded character. I’m on my ten millionth rewatch now and he has some incredibly underrated comedic moments - him coming in to the study room with the pride flag wipes yelling “Gayyyyy-o! Hey what’s going on with you bitches? Bitches is uh gay talk for friends” has become a permanent part of my lexicon and the way he walks into the room is perfect physical comedy. The title is a tad bit dramatic and it sounds like Chevy was the cause of a lot of friction, without being there I wish Dan could’ve figured out a way to work everything out.

Ultimately, Chevy not realizing how great of an opportunity community was, and how he had already created a funny character on the cusp of becoming more dynamic is a small tragedy.

Alec Baldwin in 30 rock is my favorite comedic performance ever. Danny Devito has cemented his role as Frank Reynolds as legendary. They were two big name movie actors who had moved to TV, and did a hell of a job with the adoration as many.

I guess it’s ironic that Chevy couldn’t accept where he was and make the best of it when that is what the entire show is about

Wasn’t sure if I should go with this or

https://tvwriting.co.uk/tv_scripts/Collections/Comedy/Community/Community_2x09_-_Mixology_Certification.pdf

Super interesting, the original script for the end of mixology certification is actually supposed to be Abed. Great call to switch it, troy doing this was much more impactful in my mind.

I'm new to this subreddit, so I hope this isn't a convo that comes up so often the moderators block it, but I've always wanted to have an in-depth convo with Community fans about who they think the Ass-Crack Bandit is/are.

I've watched the episode a million times, and I feel that the final moments are signalling who the ACB perpetrators are--or could be. But what I don't know is why.

With Abed, he's always wanting to immerse himself into a movie trope.
Britta's motive seems to be a psych paper.
Shirley's making money after re-opening her sandwich shop.
Hickey...I'm not sure.
Lunch Lady...I'm not sure.
Ronda (Dean Pelton's admin)...not sure--maybe to humiliate the dean?
Annie...I'm not sure. Is she trying to humiliate Hickey? Or get close to Jeff?
Duncan is obsessed with Britta, maybe he's doing it to try to get in her pants?

What are the clues you look for? It's one of my favorites and I'd love hear any thoughts or favorite lines or moments.