In 2009, Community premiered on NBC. At first glance, there wasn’t anything special about it. The focus was on a diverse group of people who attend a community college for a multitude of reasons. The cast, including the likes of Joel McHale, Alison Brie, and Donald Glover, was certainly talented but the concept didn’t blow people away.
However, just a few episodes into the show’s first season, it became clear that this was something special. Audiences were watching one of the most creative and unique series on all of television. We’re looking at the highs and lows of season one, according to the ratings on IMDb.
Worst: The Politics Of Human Sexuality (7.9)
Greendale hosts an STD fair in this, the eleventh episode of the series. In typical Greendale fashion, it goes poorly. Dean Pelton serves alcohol and hands out condoms with holes in them, defeating the entire purpose. The main focus was on Annie and her lack of sexual experience.
A subplot included Troy and Abed competing in a series of events to see who the better athlete is, while another saw Pierce and Jeff on a double-date at the fair. Though this didn’t receive overly negative reviews, it was seen as mediocre and not something that delivered on the show’s potential.
Best: Introduction To Statistics (8.8)
In a recent sit-down conversation with most of the cast, they pointed to “Introduction to Statistics” as the time when the show truly clicked. The seventh episode, this was the first of their consistently strong Halloween themed installments. This show always nailed holiday episodes.
Jeff blew off the study group for a chance to date his statistics professor but returned to help them in their time of need. We got hilarious costume moments like Pierce as the Beastmaster and Abed as Batman. Plus, this marked the first time that Troy and Abed seemed to bond.
Worst: Advanced Criminal Law (7.9)
The fifth episode, “Advanced Criminal Law” has more reviews than our previous “worst” entry, giving it a slightly higher ranking despite the same 7.9 rating. This installment saw Señor Chang threaten to fail everyone when he discovers someone cheated. It is revealed that Britta is the culprit, so she goes on trial.
Jeff steps up as her lawyer, which ultimately showcases that their friendship has moved beyond him wanting to hook up with her. A subplot where Annie recruited Pierce to write a school song didn’t offer up enough laughs to make this a stronger episode.
Best: Debate 109 (8.9)
Many fans hold “Debate 109,” the ninth episode in history, in high esteem. In it, Jeff joins the debate club alongside Annie to battle an arrogant rival from another school. They flirt and eventually kiss for the first time, sparking a potential romance that many fans pined for.
You can’t help but love the story of Abed predicting the future with his films due to his knowledge of how each person acts in any given situation. There was also Pierce trying to hypnotize Britta to help her quit smoking and actually having it be unexpectedly successful.
Worst: Spanish 101 (7.9)
Another 7.9, yet this one had over 2,000 reviews. The second episode ever, “Spanish 101” took us inside the class that the study group came together for in the first place. That meant this was our introduction to Señor Chang, who would become a staple of the series going forward.
Shows often find struggles with their first few episodes. Characters and a format haven’t been figured out. For example, Troy and Abed don’t do a whole lot (other than their iconic rap scene), while the focus is on a storyline for Pierce and Jeff. Even the Britta/Annie/Shirley side story sees limited screen time for them.
Best: Physical Education (9.0)
Always one to look for a blowoff class, Jeff discovers one about billiards. Unfortunately, the teacher (in a strong performance from guest star Blake Clark), only allows him to play in tiny shorts that don’t look cool. It leads to a one-on-one game where the two strip until naked.
“Physical Education,” the seventeenth episode, also has some iconic Abed moments. The group finds a romantic drawing of Abed in a book and believe someone has a crush on him. They attempt to get him to woo her, only to find that the drawing was of an identical white version of him.
Worst: Football, Feminism And You (7.8)
Another case of the series not finding its footing early. The sixth episode, “Football, Feminism and You,” saw Jeff and Annie playing tug-of-war over Troy. Annie wanted him to focus on school so they could spend time together, while Jeff got him to go back to football.
Britta and Shirley had a quality bonding plot involving the bathroom, while Pierce worked with the Dean to come up with the idea for the memorable Greendale Human Being mascot. Though the episode features some key moments for the show, it wasn’t up to Community’s best work.
Best: Contemporary American Poultry (9.3)
This was a case of Community showing just how strange and brilliant it could be. “Contemporary American Poultry” is the twenty-first edition and took a simple idea to the next level. Everyone in Greendale loved the cafeteria’s chicken fingers, yet they always ran out of the product.
The study group took over by putting Abed in as the fry cook. They used this power to run the school and the story was told in the form of a classic mafia movie. It was heavily praised and featured references to Goodfellas, The Godfather, and even Sixteen Candles.
Worst: Pilot (7.8)
As noted earlier, a series can often have some of its lesser episodes right out of the gate. “Pilot” was along those lines for Community. It succeeded in introducing us to many of the characters and learning who they would be going forward. However, they still weren’t fleshed out.
Considering the 7.8 rating, it’s clear that this is far from a bad episode of television. There’s just not much about it that feels like the Community we would eventually grow to love. Other than a good soundtrack and a rousing Jeff Winger speech, it feels like a different show.
Best: Modern Warfare (9.8)
Six seasons completed and there’s a good chance “Modern Warfare” is still the best episode in Community history. The twenty-third installment was directed by Justin Lin, who went on to helm Star Trek Beyond and some Fast and the Furious films. That’s partially because he showed his penchant for action scenes in this episode.
Greendale became a warzone when a game of paintball became serious after priority registration was announced as the prize. The episode gave fans tons of action, references to classic movies, and stellar character moments. It was everything that made this series so special.
