10 Community Moments That Made Viewers Quit The Show

The hit sitcom Community had plenty of hilarious moments and engaging storylines, but it also had some disappointing moments that made viewers quit the show entirely. The cast of Community included huge names like Donald Glover as Troy Barnes and Joel McHale as Jeff Winger and kept audiences entertained for six seasons from 2009 to 2015. Amazingly, as Abed (Danny Pudi) predicted, the show will fulfill its “#sixseasonsandamovie” storyline set up in the upcoming Community movie.

Community’s brilliantly funny stories and characters continued to keep many entertained long after the show’s end. Troy and Abed’s end tags in Community were particularly notable, bringing each episode to an end with a quirky and hysterical beat. However, not every moment in the show was met with a positive reception. Sadly, like many other long-running TV shows, Community was the victim of instances so frustrating, nonsensical, or out-of-character that audiences turned it off.

10 Shirley Discovering Chang Might Be Her Baby’s Father

Season 2, Episode 12 – “Asian Population Studies”

The first shocking moment in Community that discouraged many from returning to the show involved Shirley (Yvette Nicole Brown) and her third pregnancy. When Shirley was first introduced in the pilot, she was newly split from her husband, with whom she shared two sons. However, in the Community Halloween episode “Epidemiology,” the entire party had been drugged, and Shirley had sex with Ben Chang (Ken Jeon) but didn’t remember it the next day. So when Shirey announced that she’d reunited with Andre (Malcolm-Jamal Warner) and was expecting again, bells started ringing in Troy and Pierce’s (Chevy Chase) ears.

It was wild that Shirley was walking around, pregnant, but had no clue that her unstable ex-professor was possibly her child’s father. What made this moment worse was Pierce’s reaction to the situation. He and Troy knew that this would break Shirley and that it should be handled gently. Although Chang was also drugged and didn’t remember it, there was technically no consent from either party. Rather than asking somebody mature to tell Shirley, Pierce blurted out the news to be petty about the vote over the newest study group member.

Season 3, Episode 10 – “Regional Holiday Music”

While still an enjoyable episode, “Regional Holiday Music” was so cringeworthy that it was uncomfortable to watch. Following the success of the TV show Glee, many sitcoms aired an episode that focused on its cast in some form of musical group, and Community was no different. The Community Christmas episode saw the study group fill in for the Glee club after the former members were hospitalized, but not every musical number was necessarily on stage. There were some songs in the episode that worked, like Troy and Abed’s rap “Christmas Infiltration.” However, others were just awkward, like “Baby Boomer Santa.”

Although TV show musical episodes were always supposed to be cheesy and over-the-top, it wasn’t the best fit for Community. Annie’s (Alison Brie) performance of “Teach Me How To Understand Christmas” was particularly painful, especially when she mounted Jeff’s lap and tried to be seductive. The episode also had one of the show’s most irritating guest characters, Mr. Rad (Taran Killam), whose sudden bond with the study group was nonsensical. While “Regional Holiday Music” wasn’t the worst episode of Community, it was nowhere near the best either.

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8 The Study Group As Celebrity Impersonators

Season 3, Episode 12 – “Contemporary Impressionists”

In “Contemporary Impressionists,” the study group dressed up as various celebrities to help Abed pay off his debts. However, there were a lot of things in this story that made no sense. For example, there were plenty of other ways that Abed’s bill could have been paid. Pierce was incredibly wealthy, and although he was too selfish to offer anything, someone Britta (Gillian Jacobs) could have easily forced his hand. Jeff was always vain and obsessed with his looks, but even by his standards, it was odd that he’d agree to be involved with such an embarrassing scheme.

Even though he was taking anti-anxiety medication in this episode, it was maddening how quickly his ego ballooned in size. Jeff’s later rampage caused Abed’s debts to be cleared after the party guests believed him to be The Hulk, but this was simply too coincidental for a conclusion and felt manufactured and unbelievable. Sadly, the idea of celebrity impersonators also felt like a way to prove Abed once again as an obsessive cinephile, and the entire plotline established him to be far more naive and disconnected from reality than he actually was.

7 Annie Pretending To Be “Mrs Winger”

Season 4, Episode 3 – “Conventions Of Space And Time”

“Conventions of Space and Time” was one of Community’s best episodes, which was surprising, given it was a part of the season 4 “gas leak year.” However, one subplot from the episode was disappointing and a little pathetic. Jeff and Annie’s will-they-won’t-they relationship in Community was overly forced throughout the show. Despite many moments in which the pair showed attraction toward one another, the bizarre story arc never struck a chord with viewers because Annie was so young. In this episode, Annie took the opportunity to play “Mrs. Winger.” Initially, Annie did this to take advantage of Jeff’s hotel room.

However, she took the facade to the extreme when she spotted him flirting with an Inspector Spacetime fan. This moment was truly sad for Annie, who was so much better than the man decades older than her she was crushing on. She knew he wasn’t that kind of person, but Annie allowed herself to slip into this childish fantasy in which she was Jeff’s wife. Despite the Community characters’ ages being so different, Annie was old enough to know and deserve better, and it was a shame that she became so weak for someone with whom she had no chance.

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Here’s why everyone tries to forget about Community’s lousy fourth season, affectionately dubbed “the gas leak year” within the show’s mythology.

6 Changnesia

Season 4, Episode 4 – “Alternative History Of The German Invasion”

Ben Chang was the ultimate frenemy in Community, and while his storylines were generally fun and endearing, the “Changnesia” plot was simply too far-fetched. Chang mysteriously returned in “Alternative History of the German Invasion” after his dictatorship of Greendale was put to a stop. However, upon his arrival, Chang started referring to himself as “Kevin” and claimed he’d somehow lost his memory after scurrying away from Greendale. Chang was always ridiculous in Community, but this was a new level for the character.

This storyline resulted in some strange, out-of-character moments, especially for Dean Pelton (Jim Rash). Chang kidnapped Pelton and replaced him with a lookalike, destroyed his school, and was all-around a terrible person, yet Greendale’s Dean didn’t question “Kevin” or his “Changnesia.” Although he was angry, Pelton accepted that Chang had lost his memory with little argument. Chang always went to the extreme in Community and loved adding his name to puns, so it was baffling that “Changnesia” was attempted, let alone believed.

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Jim Rash’s portrayal of Dean Craig Pelton on Community provided viewers with many memorable and hilarious quotes throughout the show’s six seasons.

5 The Dark Timeline’s Conclusion

Season 4, Episode 13 – “Advanced Introduction To Finality”

The conclusion to The Darkest Timeline in “Advanced Introduction To Finality” was widely considered to be a disappointing end to the Community story arc. The Darkest Timeline in Community was a creation of Abed’s in the episode “Remedial Chaos Theory” and contained an evil interpretation of each of the study group’s members. The evil versions appeared a few times in the show until they finally reached “the prime timeline” in “Advanced Introduction To Finality.” Although Community dipped its toes in sci-fi now and then, this episode made The Darkest Timeline overly ridiculous, an impressive feat for the show.

The evil versions of the study group provided a fascinating insight into Abed’s mind and enhanced the other characters’ personalities. However, after an action-packed sequence with the two groups fighting each other, it was revealed that the events of the episode were a dream sequence as Jeff went to roll the die. This was a hugely disappointing moment, and it felt rather cheap, especially as Abed was always vocal about the worst tropes in TV shows and movies. Considering how much effort was put into The Darkest Timeline, it was a shame that its ending wasn’t to the same standard.

4 Pierce’s Last Will And Testament

Season 5, Episode 4 – “Cooperative Polygraphy”

Although the season 5 episode “Cooperative Polygraphy” was generally funny, the reading of Pierce’s last will proved just why the character needed to depart. Behind the scenes, the reason why Chevy Chase left Community was due to his use of inappropriate language during a rant on set, but the character wasn’t killed off until season 5. However, Pierce was never the most likable character, although he was that way by design. Pierce was a bigot – racist, homophobic, misogynistic, and everything else in between. Pierce loved attention and made sure the study group was listening after his death.

From beyond the grave, Pierce ensured to cause one last catastrophic fight between the study group, but Jeff was the only one to see his manipulation. Pierce’s posthumous gifts, canisters of his sperm, were given to everyone except Annie. Although it made sense that Pierce would do something like this, it felt that Community was making a cheap joke and encouraging a character whose views were harmful. Pierce’s gifts were predictable, but because it was such an obvious ploy, it was hard not to groan at the moment.

3 The “MeowMeowBeenz” Episode

Season 5, Episode 8 – “App Development and Condiments”

The season 5 episode “App Development and Condiments” was camp, stupidly funny, and ridiculous, but these qualities were so overplayed that it went from good to bad rather quickly. As the “MeowMeowBeenz” app went viral across Greendale, the institution soon started to feel like an episode of Black Mirror, with each student becoming increasingly obsessed with their popularity rating. The “Fives,” a group of those with the highest ranking, took over and became an all-mighty power over their peers, but it resulted in some strange character development.

For example, this was one occasion where Shirley’s wholesome and open persona slipped in favor of popularity. Naturally, Abed seemed to be the only one who saw through the facade of the societal system. This wasn’t the first time that a Community episode magically shifted Greendale’s typical daily setup, like with the paintball episodes or Troy and Abed’s game of the floor is lava, but “App Development and Condiments” didn’t create the same impact. At this point in the show, Greendale’s sudden embracement of a school-wide event was overplayed, much like the theme of the dangers of social media.

2 Britta Treats Her Parents Awfully

Season 6, Episode 2 – “Lawnmower Maintenance And Postnatal Care”

Despite being considered a TV character ruined by their character development, Britta amazingly made herself even worse in the season 6 episode “Lawnmower Maintenance and Postnatal Care.” Britta’s subplot in the episode focused on her confronting her parents, who were secretly financially supporting their daughter. However, Britta was an awful person to her mother and father and didn’t appreciate their help. Rather than trying to discuss it like an adult, Britta was wildly inappropriate, rude, and out of character, even by her standards.

When she tried to storm out of her parent’s home, her car failed to start, so she stole a child’s bike. While this moment was hilarious, it also highlighted how pathetic Britta was being. By the end of the episode, Britta acknowledged that she needed to forgive her parents for their past mistakes. However, the main issue with that was Britta never really divulged just what they did to her. If there had been more context to her estranged relationship with them, then her actions might have been perceived as more than just sheer pettiness.

1 The Last Paintball Episode

Season 6, Episode 11 – “Modern Espionage”

“Modern Espionage” was the last of the Community paintball episodes, but it was nowhere near as good as the show’s previous attempts. Although it made sense that Community season 6 would try and squeeze in one more paintball episode before the show came to an end, it felt forced. Too many of the original cast had departed, and replacement characters like Frankie (Paget Brewster) and Elroy (Keith David) lacked the context of the previous games to understand the situation.

Community tried to compensate for this with even more action-packed sequences and drama, but the loss of group dynamics and fast-paced humor was too apparent. Community’s most iconic episode, “Modern Warfare,” was a game changer for not just the show but sitcoms overall, but the last try at the concept didn’t have the same charm. It introduced the mystery of “Silverballz,” too. However, it overwhelmed the episode’s storyline too much, which could have been warranted if it received a justifiable and satisfying conclusion.

Community

Created by Dan Harmon, Community is a comedy series that follows a study group at an unorthodox community college where zany antics occur daily. When disgraced lawyer Jeff Winger is forced to enroll in a local college to get a degree and reinstate himself, he gets roped in with fellow students from different backgrounds, races, religions, and ages and reluctantly forms a study group. Together, these lovable misfits will navigate their school lives in some nigh unbelievable situations as they all try to figure out where their futures lie.

Release Date

September 17, 2009

Seasons

6

Writers

Dan Harmon