The Day Community Was Born

[@EntertainTheElk]

Grab AtlasVPN Special deal for 82% OFF -- get.atlasvpn.com/EntertainTheElk (What should I explore next in my Day ___ Was Born series?)

[@ashtviceland]

The Day Seinfeld was born and died, the day New Girl died and The Day The big bang theory died

[@StudioArancini]

I'm thinking of doing this idea myself, but I'd be interested in watching you explore the Day Frasier Was Born.

[@EntertainTheElk]

All great options.

[@EntertainTheElk]

Man I do love Frasier and have been looking for an opportunity to talk about it.

[@Skilan506]

Is Advanced Dungeons & Dragons available to stream on Netflix in the US? I love Community but I've never seen this episode because Netflix removed it in Germany.

[@andyholloway5062]

Mel Brooks put it best when he said "the audience knows this is a comedy, your characters don't". Community's biggest strength has always been its ability to commit to the bit!

[@EntertainTheElk]

Exactly right!

[@andyholloway5062]

@@EntertainTheElk VINDICATION!!!!

[@L1ghtweaver]

Except Abed, who doesn't get the jokes anyway.

[@SignificantNumberOfBeavers]

@@L1ghtweaver yet at the same time knowing he's on a TV show...

[@bottombarrelbudgetfilms1854]

@@SignificantNumberOfBeavers abed doesn't know he's in a show, he thinks him and Troy are in a talk show

[@Canadamonkeyman]

I've always loved the coincidence that the character that left during the Darkest Timeline was Troy, which inadvertently foreshadowed how the show would never feel the same once Troy left.

[@catlover-fp5ig]

It also makes sense given that it's presumable Abed who is imagining all of this, so for him, losing Troy would be the darkest timeline.

[@spagghetti_.n3x]

@@catlover-fp5ig WOAHHH I NEVER THOUGHT OF IT LIKE THAT?

[@captainjefferies9047]

Yeah, it got better.

[@LesyasHowTos]

YES

[@sean7885]

@@captainjefferies9047 no tf it didn't. I didn't dislike the last couple seasons but for the most part, they were not better

[@damagecontrol7991]

Community has to be one of the most creative comedy’s I’ve ever seen, it’s insane to think it was on network television at some point. Glad to see some Contemporary American Poultry love too, probably my favorite episode besides Advanced Dungeons ad Dragons

[@EntertainTheElk]

Just rewatched Advanced Dungeons and Dragons last night. Damn that's fantastic.

[@damagecontrol7991]

@@EntertainTheElk Indeed kinda sad they took it off Netflix tho (but I understand why ofc)

[@EntertainTheElk]

I was happy that I was able to find it on Amazon Prime.

[@damagecontrol7991]

@@EntertainTheElk Sweeeet, I’ll have to do that

[@sadfrog2575]

@@EntertainTheElk Yeah, me and my friends were rewatching Community and we were very happy to find that it was on there. I missed it, but I understand why it was pulled.

[@greendaleforever]

Personally, I've always felt like Community found its footing with the third episode, Introduction to Film. This was when we really got exposed to Abed and how he ticks; how he became the character we all know and love as well as really being the heart of the show. Plus, Dead Poets Society references with a wacky Prof. and you've got the absurdity of a fictional community college that eventually has most of the academia thrown out the window for hijinks and shenanigans. I would also like to acknowledge that this is the first time we really see Jeff's insecurity for everyone on campus to see (not just within the study group). "I will have....A BIRTHDAY CAKE!" is such an underrated moment in the show and makes me crack up every time.

[@johdousha]

I can't think of actual birthday cake without thinking of that moment. I virtually can't pronounce "birthday cake" without imitating that guy.

[@sapphicvampire8504]

I really like abed’s film he made it was genuinely sad and moving at the same time. Its one of my favorite season 1 episodes ngl

[@marianacastrillon8185]

Also the exchange - but I don't wanna be your dad - good you already know your lines Was the first time the show made me scream

[@sagara4e]

Thank you for sharing this episode! I agree with you, it's the best one because it's so deep. Something you won't expect in a comedy, so soon

[@quantumstormgames2741]

So true, If I had to guess which episode this video was about before opening it, that’s what I would have said. The scene after Abed shows Jeff, Britta, and his dad the film he made is just perfect

[@ryndanriley5348]

Joel McHale said when they were filming the freeze frame Goodfella's quote was the first time he thought to himself "I think I'm on the greatest TV show ever made." So I'd bet he agrees with your pick.

[@Myrope]

I could seriously watch Community essay videos forever. If there was a Community class akin to the Who's The Boss class and Nicholas Cage class episodes, I would attend the heck out of that class.

[@hamc9477]

What if it clashed with Ladders, which would you choose?

[@Myrope]

@@hamc9477 Dang, I really can't afford to miss Ladders if I want to finish my six year plan for my Associate's in Learning

[@gidiess7880]

Me too - And they offer Ladders every semester so I would def prioritize this

[@brittasnow64]

for me it's "Comparative Religion" every joke lands so well, giving each study group member a different religion adds more to their characters, and its just a good time throughout.

[@nassili]

exactly, EXACTLY

[@nategwright]

And it established aspects of each character that had major payoffs later on, the biggest being Pierce’s Neobuddhist cult in Cooperative Polygraphy.

[@SerHaunted]

"Agnostic, the lazy man's atheist." One of my favorite throw away lines.

[@Dommbuscus]

​@@SerHauntedThis speaks to me, being agnostic myself. I don't necessarily think it's 100% impossible for there to be at least one divine being

[@chrishill317]

A small correction: Abed didn't lose his mother in "Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas"; she just chose to spend Christmas with her new husband's family.

[@TheDanishGuyReviews]

This is Kipo all over again: "Yumyan isn't dead! He's just gone! He went up beyond the canopy and never came back down!"

[@JoshuaBattenMusic]

Yes - what he said isn't technically innaccurate, as he "lost" his mother to his new family, but yeah it could have been written slightly differently

[@justc1re617]

That scene in beginner pottery where Pierce and Jeff have that convo is one of my personal favorite scenes in the whole show.

[@Keesha_Hardy]

It really is for me as well!

[@ottoandersson2216]

I had that chat on my mp3 list as motivation.

[@jedshaffer5956]

While the genre parodies and homages are a hallmark of the show, I’d say they wouldn’t work without the core group’s individual and group contributions. Their chemistry is what drives the show and makes the crazy genre parodies work, because we get to see the characters both slotted into roles that fit their archetype and defy it. But the parodies are nothing without that. And that’s why I’d say the first perfect episode is Investigative Journalism. It’s the first episode where the group feels like a cohesive unit, all because they’re threatened the possibility of someone else invading the group. We see everybody at their best and worst when this random element tries to barge into the group. It’s not as laugh out loud funny as something like Remedial Chaos Theory, or as inventive as Digital Estate Planning, or as genre-bending as the episode you picked, but I think it’s what best shows the heart of the show.

[@HarryBuddhaPalm]

I agree. I think the show started to lean too heavily on the parodies later on and I started to get tired of them.

[@EntertainTheElk]

Love it. Yeah, you have to establish the core and the dynamics in order for the insane episodes to work.

[@jorgesantander7454]

Agreed, the real value comes from the regular episodes doing the heavy lifting so the flashy episodes can focus on concept exploration. If every episode tried to be a wham episode it would get out of hand real fast.

[@HarryBuddhaPalm]

@@jorgesantander7454 Case in point: Season 4

[@razakhan23465]

Agreed on Investigative Journalism. One of the first episodes I thoroughly enjoyed.

[@demaxi1]

This is kind of surreal. I was watching community when it was on air, back when it was just another obscure show no one really knew about it. Now it's becoming as well known as the office. Its crazy to see the longevity, and im glad the world is finally starting to notice how wonderful this show is. I just hope we dont ruin it. #andamovie

[@GummyDinosaursify]

I also tuned in every week to watch it back when it aired. The funny thing to me is, i'm not into Sitcoms. But for some reason, Community stuck to me like glue and I couldn't stop watching. I was so sad to see that, even online, there really wasn't much of a fanbase for it. So i'm glad to see it getting a resurgence in popularity.

[@stackhat8624]

@@GummyDinosaursify There was a huge fanbase online. The scene in the fake clipshow episode where Annie says "what about the Annie of it all" and the musical montage starts playing. Harmon recreated that from something a fan make, shot for shot. Even licensed the same music. It was also the fans that kept NBC renewing the show. NBC didn't want to renew the show but the replacement sitcoms they tried failed miserably so they game Community seasons 4 and 5.

[@mr.papagorgio4683]

New sub here. Troy and Abed...one of the best friendships in all of TV. The hook for me was the rap at the end of episode 2. It was so smooth and catchy...I ended up binging the first 3 seasons.

[@EntertainTheElk]

Welcome aboard!

[@sianjpg]

epidemiology is my absolute favourite episode! the combination of horror and camp completely solidifies community's status as the perfect cult sitcom for me - whoever came up with a tense zombie outbreak drama scored to ABBA's greatest hits is a genius - but it also has such a sweet story underneath about troy embracing his true nerdy self. troy and abed doing the empire 'i love you' / 'i know' scene is genuinely so heartfelt and its just community at its absolute peak, grounding its absurd silliness and high concept genre homage through these really believable and well-developed character dynamics that are so easy to invest in. i agree that contemporary american poultry is the first perfect episode of the show though, although physical education and beginner pottery are also early contenders! great video :)

[@lttrbox]

For me Community really started with "Introduction to Film". In the film Abed makes the genre we commit to is crappy undergrad autobiographical documentary, and we think we spend an episode watching everyone try to deal with Abed, until the movie is finally shown and we find out we actually spend an episode watching Abed deal with everyone else, and it is devastating. I think the groundwork for all these later film episodes; as well as many of the point you raise in this video, actually start here.

[@pietropietro5466]

I'd say something that greatly contributed to the show's success has to be the school/college setting, people are generally bored while attending a place like that and like to fantasize about something cool and out of the ordinary happening to them, so the show gave us exactly this feeling of escape from school related boredom which is something I think everybody has felt the need to

[@andyzhang7890]

Just finished the series last night and I can’t believe how good this show was, the writers were writing in several dimensions above us

[@japalocoturbo]

No, they were just streets ahead.

[@MoxieMcMurder]

"Would that this hoodie were a time hoodie." 😂 I love Community and you mentioned so many great episodes.

[@EntertainTheElk]

Haha. I love the dean.

[@MoxieMcMurder]

@@EntertainTheElk The Dean and Britta are my favourite characters in Community. Endearing and endlessly quotable.

[@livelaughstuck]

"the creators listened to that chemistry instead of going against it just because that's what was planned at the beginning" *stares at himym trying to have its cake and eat it too*

[@stev6963]

Me and my friends watched Community religiously in college every week there was a new episode (we started watching Live during season 2 in 2010). It was the biggest emotional rollercoaster seeing the show get put through a hiatus S3 and always on the verge of cancellation. No one watched Community back then, but it was always special when I could get someone to fall in love with it. I’m glad the show has gotten so much more appreciation in recent years. If it had been on Netflix from the start then it would have had a larger audience.

[@TheTroystreet]

One of my favorite shows of all time. I remember when it first aired it was on Thursday nights with The Office, 30 Rock, and Parks and Rec all four those shows where on the same channel on the same night which to me is one of the best comedy show lineups in history for tv and we’ll probably never get something like that again because of streaming.

[@mydogsnameislucy768]

Damn this show was fantastic. The stories they were pulling off are just amazing. Wife and I were in our early 20’s when we first watched Community and every new episode in the golden era felt like it accomplished something no other tv shows were doing at the time. I have nostalgia tingles right now writing this. What a show.

[@MrCTruck]

To me “Community” stands out among other hit sit coms like friends, that 70s show, etc because of its meta commentary on television itself. IMO, it’s why “it’s always sunny” has thrived all these years, the characters “take the form of whatever the plot called for”, but “community” stands out because as you said they become canon and part of the character development

[@HarryBuddhaPalm]

For me, the show was born with the pilot. It's one of the best pilots I've ever seen and the elements that made the show great were mostly there. Sure, Annie and Troy got changed a bit but not drastically. I really liked the relationship between Jeff and Pierce in the first season. I thought it was interesting. I really dislike what they did to Pierce later on just because Dan Harmon didn't like Chevy Chase. I also hate how Britta gets kicked to the curb so they can focus more on Annie. I liked Annie a lot, but Britta was a good character, too, and I think the writers really did her dirty in later seasons by turning her into an idiot.

[@legendaccount3247]

Actually, Britta becoming a goofy dumbass is one of the few cases of Flanderization that I can get behind. She was really, really, really boring in Season 1, and although she probably has less depth in her later form, I much prefer it just because I find it a lot more entertaining.

[@nick.king4]

the thing is, bro, Britta was always an idiot, but she was hiding it. At first the group actually listened to her and as time went by, they realized she was as bad as any, I mean, it was all there lol (she used politic to look at the very second episode and she was hookin up with random hot guys like Vaughn). Take Jeff, who we knew was full of sht but the characters didn't, opposite of Britta, who we though was smart and cool but the characters didn't. She went from a boring up tight romance interest of the plot to a silly flawed and real human being, one of my fav characters of the series.

[@stephengrigg5988]

I think Britta was a character they never really figured out. Early on she was smart and supposed to be the straight man, but she wasn't that funny. She got funny in s2 and s3 but was too goofy and all over the place. S4 was just her and Troy, and I always felt bad for her character that season, troy was also less likeable imo that season just because he was so blatantly rude to her in a couple. S5 seemed like they course corrected and made her intelligent again while still being funny. S6 is hard for me to judge because all of the characters are kinda inconsistent that year and I'm not sure what they were going for half the time.

[@HarryBuddhaPalm]

Yeah, I never understood the Britta/Troy relationship. I never understood why she would be attracted to someone that was so immature.

[@nathaniellobaugh6458]

@@stephengrigg5988 about midway through season one I think we already started to see the changed Britta character. Not necessarily dumb, but already concerned with activism

[@johne6106]

Community was magical. You wish you could be with the group. I honestly don't think there will ever be a show as creative as Community

[@sokratissuckacockalus2408]

It's not even Dan Harmon's most creative show...

[@Vivi_9]

@@sokratissuckacockalus2408 Rick and Morty was great for 3 seasons only

[@moxxy3565]

I was there with the group... Maybe you didn't notice me cause I tend to blend into the background

[@Realmfaker]

@@sokratissuckacockalus2408 it's way more creative than Rick and Morty though

[@Realmfaker]

They're all awfull people, you were not meant to want to join them.

[@SpensaVenture]

We can never have enough video's about Community !! Love the show

[@EntertainTheElk]

Agreed!

[@craigdaily4510]

Digital Estate Planning is my favorite episode. The time put in to make a Nintendo style game and have their characters be made into game pieces was brilliant.

[@caoimhemp8241]

I’d vote for debate 109 at the day community was born- it’s where I recommend people start when they watch the show but I can totally see where you’re coming from

[@EntertainTheElk]

Another great episode.

[@99baji99]

A, B AND C plots all running on all cylinders. Very rare. Scrubs was the only other show that pulled that off on a regular basis. Most shows have a great integrated B plot once in a blue moon.

[@LostRoswellian]

Yes! Debate 109 is up there in one of my all time favourite episodes of anything ever. It also helps it was the first episode I laughed uncontrollably at the end while watching it by myself ...that's how you know you have a great show.

[@MrCj98765]

I love this show so much and I love the episode you picked but my 1st perfect episode is Intro to Statistics. The show started great with the Pilot, then jumped with Statistics, jumped again with Poultry, and again with Modern Warfare. Then that unbelieveable stretch in season 2 from Cooperative Calligraphy to Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas just shot it through the roof. Edit - I thought Advanced D&D was in this group but it was a couple episodes later, but it definitely belongs here.

[@EntertainTheElk]

Yeah I think I'd agree with you. Those were all steps in the right direction and towards elevating itself.

[@gh0rochi363]

I think the same

[@paullewis69]

Loved this series, even moments of the “Gas Leak” season.. Thanks for keeping the show out there for hopefully potential new fans to discover..Great job as always!

[@EntertainTheElk]

Thank you!

[@landovendetta8516]

The first episode I ever saw was from the Gas Leak year and it still got me to watch.

[@peterlewis2178]

@@landovendetta8516 Because even the shadow of something brilliant can still be good

[@wvu05]

I definitely think that the gas leak year gets too much grief. There was a lot of stuff that didn't work, but the stuff that did really nailed it.

[@Vivi_9]

@@wvu05 agreed, I loved that season, it was just more Community and I'm always down with more Community

[@Blakezilla13]

Been looking forward to this one. Now I'm nostalgic af not only for community but this type of late 2000/early 2010 type TV show.

[@marianoclerici3986]

To me, the first truly great episode of the show is Introduction to Film, which is IMO the first episode that shows that Community also has a lot of heart in addition to the humor.

[@averyeml]

The thing I like the most about Community is that, for the most part, the wild difference in where characters like Troy and Annie started to where they ended up tracks. There’s never a moment where they go “actually Troy shouldn’t be jocky, he should be a weird sidekick/partner to Abed now.” Instead they moved him naturally from one to the other. So yeah there’s a moment where Community was “born,” and a moment when it “died,” and it definitely shifted in tone and style pretty intensely over the seasons, but when taken in episode by episode it all fits. It’s not like Parks and Rec where I wouldn’t be upset to skip the first season and a half or so because they hadn’t found themselves; Community works the whole time even if it isn’t itself yet.

[@thedarkesttimeline5463]

My favourite show!! Thank you so much for covering Community again, my first thought would be Debate 109, Physical Education or the Science of Illusion :)

[@EntertainTheElk]

All of those are great options. As well as Introduction to Statistics and Beginner Pottery.

[@karimnosaijo]

Same! Debate 109

[@vanessaheine8093]

I love Contemporary American Poultry but for me the series really came into its own even earlier, in Investigative Journalism. All the MASH references, Jack Black being amazing, the dynamic between everyone. And it’s laugh out loud funny.

[@nategwright]

Your reasoning is the exact reason that Contemporary American Poultry is the first episode I showed my dad to give him an idea of what Community is about. It’s the first full-episode homage and it explores what makes each character tick without the larger stakes that other episodes have, like the Season 2 finale. At the end of the day, it’s just a bunch of college friends trying to get lunch.

[@otisw.8687]

My heart is happy seeing this. I think I might put "Remedial Chaos Theory" as #1 though... but I need to think more about it. Excellent as always, Elk!

[@EntertainTheElk]

Thank you good sir!!

[@OrangeCat1992]

That’s my favorite too.

[@johnfriday5169]

RCT is, I think, the best half hour of storytelling in TV history. There are other episode that I may enjoy more for one reason or another but this episode is absolute brilliance.

[@williamstollery8326]

I actually agree. I never quite got Community throughout the first season, even though my friends kept going on about it... until that episode. That's where I first appreciated what it could really do, and I think you've nailed exactly why.

[@PKFire720]

Honestly, Contemporary American Poultry was the point during my first watch through when I thought "alright, I'm fully sold, this show is incredible."

[@EntertainTheElk]

Yep. That's when it truly elevated itself.

[@CyborgWolf]

I miss this show so damn much. It was so fun, so entertaining and... Positive; helped me when I was super low. Watching them; feeling understood it was just what I needed. I still watch it multiple time a year (not the gas leak season tho) because it just had a good feeling

[@EntertainTheElk]

Yeah, agreed. I'm feeling very nostalgic in my rewatch. Makes me miss it.

[@SirJamesLester]

For me, it was born episode 10 - Environmental Science This was the episode where I wholly and truly fell in love with the show. There was something just special about it - I think how all the parallel plot threads came together with the cover of Somewhere Out There (plus Greene Daeye) just tickled something in me

[@btrewern]

Yes it was brilliant. Somewhere Out There is one of the best parts of all of Community. Chang's scream is awesome and the whole story coming together is just brilliant story telling.

[@KatxIsxBack]

Contemporary American Poultry finally gets the love it deserves! Glad to see it.

[@EntertainTheElk]

:)

[@byakko9808]

I literally started watching like a week ago and really liked season 1 but it was this exact episode that made me realize this could be one of my favorite shows. Still my top 1 for now

[@KatMBurkett]

This show started my freshman year of college and I watched it from episode 1. I think it shaped me as a person

[@vicjames3256]

"Intro to Statistics" is the first time I realized the show was something else, esp Abed's Batman take, but you're right, "Contemporary American Poultry" is the first instance of peak Community.

[@samuel411]

I’ve literally been rewatching this show recently its still one of my favorite shows

[@EntertainTheElk]

I've been enjoying my rewatch.

[@killuafreecs4058]

This is legit my favourite episode. From the setup in earlier episodes to the unexpected voiceover shot into the mafia homage was undefeated on first watch through.

[@sarah_757]

I love the visual gag when the Dean is in costume as a 50s sitcom housewife. Another show would have done a CGI effect. But Community did the makeup effect with Jim Rash, because that's what it would be in real life. The Dean is committed to the bit!

[@Johnoplata]

I always have trouble articulating what makes Community so special. I think as you said it's how earnest and heartfelt the characters were regardless of how ridiculous the situation.

[@bastian8343]

I feel like Environmental Science really comes together with Troy and Abed. The ending montage is outstanding.

[@jenelaina5665]

Came here to vote this.

[@tomribbens4860]

The moment Troy joins in singing the duet remains a goosebumps moment for me. For me that ending montage really is where the show went from good to great.

[@adamgrunther1367]

Should the movie ever come out, they should replace the statue with one of Leonard. It would be the perfect tribute to Richard Erdman.

[@MarjaMariachi]

I'd call that a Buy!

[@JoePants]

I think Debate 109 is the first episode to show the potential Community had, but I 100% agree on this being the true birth of the show.

[@SmileForMeValerie]

I totally agree. I wasn’t really into Community from the beginning, but a friend told me to get through the first season at least, and once I reached this episode, I fully fell in love with the show and knew I would stick with it.

[@thomheil]

Yes! "Contemporary American Poultry" is exactly the episode I guessed. It's also the episode that totally hooked me on Community. I had enjoyed previous episodes (like "Advanced Criminal Law"), but CAP is where the show started firing on all cylinders. Great video! #andamovie soon, right?

[@boyfromoz7]

Wow... great top 3. AD&D probably my favorite. Its a real pity streaming platforms removed this episode as they couldn't differentiate cosplaying a drow and wearing black face.

[@badgerrambler]

Literally my favorite episode and I had to buy it

[@wvu05]

For me, my favorite early episode is "Debate 109." Yes, I did debate in college, but for me, it was the fact that you started to see the elements for the characters start to come together.

[@jeffgagnon1983]

Community is the feel good show I'm always coming back to. To me, its therapy.

[@SESHKekipai]

the second he said what episode he thinks it is i remembered the plot of it and got immediate goose bumps. this show wasnt appreciated enough. It is in my rotation of comfort shows and I dont watch it enough

[@sabin97]

fun fact about modern warfare: when chang enters the study room near the end, the song that is being sung is an actual poem written by the man who did the first assassination attempt on the first emperor of china.

[@hamsandwichson]

As soon as Layla started playing at the end of Contemporary American Poultry I had that moment where I knew this was something special. I'm really glad that was the episode you chose.

[@tnbocon]

I agree... This was the episode that elevated me from a casual fan to becoming invested in the show. It was at the moment that the Clapton song hits that I became a Community junkie for life.

[@PhilFromTheAbyss]

Even though it was still trying to find its feet, I'd say I fell in love with the show in the 2nd episode, when Chang was introduced :) My favourite episode is definitely "Remedial Chaos Theory", which I must have re-watched about 20-30 times. It's definitely in my Top 10 favourite episodes of any show ever.

[@WilliamSung86]

The day Community was born for me was the paintball episode. It wasn't my favourite episode but it was the first episode that in the next few days/weeks/months I'd bump into friends and we'd ask each other if we watched the show Community and if so did we watch the paintball episode. Something like that hasn't happened in a long time.

[@Mirrale]

Knew it was going to be this episode. I don’t think a show ever elevated for me so much in one specific episode

[@Havre_Chithra]

This was and always has been my favourite episode

[@cody_t]

5:18 I love how this is fulfilled when Joel plays Chevy in A Futile and Stupid Gesture!

[@distantcomets]

Everyone has a favorite but Lupine Urology is IMO the best genre adaptation of the bunch. The opener with the Law and Order chords followed by the janitors bantering before finding the yam is so spot on to the original it just kills me every time, and the adapted opening credits music and halftoned photos just grab you and the whole thing is a perfect satire right through to the downbeat ending with Star Burns's "death" coming in via a phone call.

[@yeahthatsright]

Great video like usual, community’s commitment has always been my favorite part !

[@EntertainTheElk]

Thank you!

[@jeanee1228]

This is one of the most perfect community commentaries I've ever watched. Loved it!

[@captainnakou]

Oh my GOD. I am currently rewatching the entire series, and I thought about you while watching "Contemporary American Poultry", because I told to myself : "it would be this episode when Community was born. I wonder if Entertain the Elk did this video already and/or would feel the same". I am so happy you did this video and I literally cheered when you said you reached the same conclusion. (But we disagree on the best episode, my fav is still Pillows and Blankets :3) Anyway, great video, as always. Cheers!

[@ScreamingTc]

For me it was 'Paradigms of Human Memory'. Subverting and re-purposing the idea of a clips show to show snippets of the gang's unseen adventures was genius, and a genuine breath of fresh air.

[@ahmetfahrikucuk]

I was successful 50% of times when I tried getting someone hooked on Community and I am very surprised everytime someone doesn't become a fan

[@matheustran8009]

If they aren’t a fan, they haven’t watched enough community

[@stoney5137]

I really enjoyed this commentary and generally agree with you. With respect to my opinion on "The day Communtiy was Born" for me, that episode was the first Halloween episode, "Introduction to statistcs". After watching that episode I thought (as Jeff said to Abed in the pilot) "I see your value now". After that episode, I was hooked. I knew this show was going to do some special things.

[@earth2eii939]

this was my comfort show when the pandemic started, my mother was really hostile and abused me more often when we were forced to stay home together but community made me so happy every minute of the way and it will remain my favorite show always

[@Ghostookas]

I recently rewatched community and the series finale broke me for the second time.

[@excalipoor]

Yup the poultry episode was the beginning of it. Love that episode.

[@zaydc.6461]

I have nothing to comment so I'll just say it's ridiculous that the algorithm doesn't push this guys content more, these are really well done opinion pieces on great films, franchises, and pieces of media.

[@EntertainTheElk]

Wow thank you so much.

[@richardk54]

It's official, I've seen more videos of you discussing Community than episodes of Community. I'll definitely check it out one day but your videos are can't miss.

[@EntertainTheElk]

Yeah! You should definitely check it out. Community is a lot of fun. Takes a few episodes to find its voice but it's great.

[@thambidave]

Yea this video was bomb and i agree. The first few episodes of the show are really amazing but feels like it would fit in with other sitcoms. Once the homage/themed episodes come in they get really distinguishable from other shows

[@MetaVaria]

Never seen Community but one of my favorite parts of this video series is understanding when I can really tell of I'm into a show if the pilot doesnt catch my interest.

[@nikinovski]

I couldn't agree more. On my first ever watch of Community, I found myself having some fun with the show, but not quite the engagement. When I saw the American Poultry episode, it all changed, I was glued to the tv for the next 20 minutes, and well, the rest is history.

[@BrunoFernandes-ty7mf]

Amazing video. I already re-watched Community this year but seeing clips from the episodes is making me want to re-watch it again 😅

[@YuKheThai]

Feels good to know the movie is FINALLY coming doesn't it?

[@thoyo]

12:15 Hit the nail on the head. I love Community because of its perfect marriage of the Foster-Wallace style search for sincerity and the post-modern unending urge to unpack/dissect the totality of culture. Probably why Abed is my favorite character. He is the most sincere on the show, he almost seems incapable of insincerity or malicious guile, but the only way he can really connect to people is by communicating meaning through pop cultural touchstones. Pop culture isn't so much used as an object of scrutiny (post-modernism) as it is an imagined ever-changing exaggerated medium for the characters to express themselves in and with.

[@humbertoabrego6775]

6 seasons and a movie, we made it.

[@maynorrodriguez2349]

I started watching Community expecting parodies like Scary Movie by what I've seen about the show. I didn't know that the show was so good with its writing that even if you don't know the og reference, you will have a blast with its homages and genre episodes.

[@ez5970]

Fantastic video! Currently rewatching community for idk the amount of times haha. Keep up the great work!!

[@stackhat8624]

One of the best quotes I read about Community was that instead of a typical sitcom that portrayed the story of unrealistic and unrelatable characters in a boring mundane way, multi camera setup and a laugh track (ie Big Bang Theory) it portrayed the story of realistic and relatable characters and real situations in an original and unrealistic way.

[@CaitMcKi]

Community is one of those shows where you know it's special right out of the gate. Dean Pelton's welcome speech sealed that right out of the gate.

[@alex129xx]

I knew the answer before watching the video. This was the first episode that truly hooked me in. I was enjoying the series until that point, but this was the episode that made me a Community fan. Whenever I recommend this series I always beg the person to at least watch this episode and Modern warfare before quitting.

[@dinoklein688]

Loved the video thank you for taking a closer look at community

[@EntertainTheElk]

Absolutely!

[@marchingham]

For my first few runs, I always forgot that the episode was s season 1 episode because it's so perfect it feels like season 2 or 3. So good! I love your community vids! ❤️

[@jeffreysimon3390]

My answer is Debate 109. Every Character (besides Chang) has some nice moments and it sets up several of the overarching storylines which permeate several of the best episodes in the entire series. Jeff & Annie - Pascal's Triangle Revisited, Conspiracy Theories and Interior Design, Remedial Chaos Theory, Basic Intergluteal Numismatics, Emotional Consequences of Broadcast Television City College - Basic Rocket Science, A Fist Full of Paintballs, For a Few Paintballs More, Basic Crisis Room Decorum

[@TibbyII]

I don't know why but KZbin stopped showing me your videos for like two years lol. The bright side is that I can binge watch them now.

[@EntertainTheElk]

Hell yeah! Enjoy. And click that bell so I see you more often.

[@andrewpugh7514]

I remember watching it as it came out. American poultry was when i fell in love and modern warefare was when i told people they need to watch it. Man i love this show

[@jaxxonwilliams1569]

Solid video! I think this has inspired a rewatch of your top 10 favorite episodes!

[@AdrianGell]

Hey, just wanted to let you know, after your outro message, that this video was actually #10 on the front page for me today. Hope you have continued success. This take was so insightful.

[@csalazar1230]

When Contemporary American Poultry came out, I already was a huge fan, but this episode was the first episode of anything I bought and downloaded onto my phone to own because it was just so amazing and different. The homages were so well done and respected the genres and movies it parodied. The second episode of anything I would purchase would be advanced d&d.

[@anandandrews]

Absolutely spot on! I look back at when I really took to Community, and it was Contemporary American Poultry. I was slowly growing into the show, but that episode drew me in immediately.

[@owenbunny]

Love this analysis. Sometimes I feel like my favorite episode is the one I’m watching. But I think the Ken Burns civil war parody one is truly genius.