NBC was known for its hilarious comedies during the first two decades of the 21st century, with acclaimed shows such as The Office, Parks and Recreation, and Community, the hilarious, somewhat-dark comedy centered around a group of misfit students who all found themselves at community college after having gone through rough patches in their lives.
The group would become known as the Greendale Seven and spent six years (seasons) trying to make the most out of their time at college, despite what their reasons might have been for winding up there. The product of Dan Harmon and the Russo Brothers had incredibly high-ratings almost every season (despite some mid-series derailment) and has amassed an incredibly loyal cult following over the years.
6 Season 1 - "Modern Warfare" (9.8)
This was the episode that started it all when it comes to the recurring paintball trope in the show. When Jeff goes to take a nap in his car, he's completely flabbergasted when he wakes up and sees that the entire campus is coated with paintballs and nearly everybody is gone. He eventually makes his way to Abed and Troy, who explain to him that the winner of the paintball assassin game wins priority registration for the next semester.
Jeff immediately understands why everybody went crazy, the guys meet up with the girls, and the Greendale Seven begin their onslaught of winning the game, taking out anyone in their path.
5 Season 2 - "A Fistful Of Paintballs" (9.7)
War is hell. While Community might have several staple tropes, the paintball episodes are arguably the most notorious, with fans looking forward to them (mostly) every season. So it's no surprise that the paintball episode of season 2 was also the highest-rated episode of the entire season (having several highly-rated episodes to compete with).
The Greendale Seven found themselves in another game of paintball-assassin when an anonymous ice-cream company offered a grand prize of $100,000 to the winner, promptly causing the entire campus to erupt in chaos. After some initial fighting, the gang realizes that the game is being set-up by City College in order to make them destroy their own school, causing the entire campus to band together in order to defeat their cross-town rivals.
Eventually, Jeff and Britta are the last ones remaining against Chang, getting locked in the study room as they await their fate. So, naturally, the two of them decide to have sex for the first time before Jeff finally takes home the grand prize. However, in a twist, Jeff gives the prize to Shirley so that she can spend more time with her children. This episode was better than watching paintballs dry.
4 Season 3 - "Remedial Chaos Theory" (9.8)
The only other contender for "best-staple" when it comes to Community (if it isn't paintball) is the concept of "The Darkest Timeline," a storyline that was introduced in this season 3 episode when the entire gang shows up at Troy and Abed's new apartment to play Yahtzee. Sadly, the group never ends up playing Yahtzee - instead, the pizza delivery guy shows up, and the gang rolls a die to see who will go downstairs to let him in.
This seemingly simple event sparks a series-long story-line wherein Jeff creates six alternate timelines in their universe due to the die having six possible outcomes. Each alternate-universe has a hilarious outcome, but Abed ultimately stops any of the alternate-universes from truly happening by catching the die, mid-air, instead.
3 Season 4 - "Heroic Origins" (8.2)
Season 4 is generally agreed upon as the lone blemish in an otherwise near-perfect series. Despite the firing of Dan Harmon and a tone that just didn't quite feel the same as the prior three seasons, Community still managed to put together episodes that fans could enjoy.
This included the (somewhat stretched) origin story episode in which Abed, in true comic-book hero fashion, discovers that everybody in the group met before arriving at Greendale and actually caused quite a bit of trouble for one another. The seven friends threaten to break-up over the revelations, but ultimately decide that sticking together through tough times is what true friendship is all about.
2 Season 5 - "Geothermal Escapism" (9.4)
What do you do when paintball episodes have become overdone? You turn the floor into hot-lava, of course. The highest-rated episode of season 5 had Troy preparing to leave for his expedition around the world, so naturally, Abed began a school-wide game of "Hot-Lava" to win a prize of $50,000 to celebrate Troy leaving.
A truly emotional character, the game is just a ruse by Abed to avoid confronting his true feelings about losing his best friend, but the game ultimately ends with Troy and Britta being able to help Abed finally face his fears of detachment and loss (by cloning him). Clone Troy and Clone Abed say their goodbyes, part ways, and never get to do their classic handshake again.
1 Season 6 - "Emotional Consequences Of Broadcast Television" (9.5)
It's okay to cry. The aptly named emotional final episode of the comedic series was certainly comedic, but it also felt the need to pull at the heart-strings of all its loyal fans. The episode found the entire group (minus a few of the original main cast members) "pitching" their ideas for what a potential season 7 could be. Everyone comes up with a different idea (some, hilariously awful) until Jeff finally speaks up and pitches the best idea yet - everybody should come back to Greendale to be teachers.
The group loves the potential and thinks it could work ... but then real-life kicks-in and Abed and Annie announce they've taken jobs across the country. The emotions start when Jeff says goodbye to Annie and Abed at the airport, then returns to his other Greendale friends that still remain.
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