The “gas leak” year was over and Dan Harmon was back as the showrunner for Community season five. Fans were excited to get back to the show that they knew and loved for three seasons. However, there were still some hurdles to jump. For one thing, Chevy Chase did not return.
A bigger issue was the impending departure of Donald Glover, who was exiting the show midway through the season to focus on other projects. Could Harmon bring the series back to its glory? Let’s see what the users over at IMDb thought about season five of Community.
Worst: VCR Maintenance And Educational Publishing (8.1)
This is the Community we’ve gotten used to. One of the lowest-scoring episodes still manages an 8.1/10. “VCR Maintenance And Educational Publishing” is the ninth installment of the season. It featured one of the coolest guest stars with Vince Gilligan appearing as a character in a VCR based-game.
The reason this appearance is so fun is that Gilligan created Breaking Bad and this season introduced Jonathan Banks as a series regular, who is famous for his role on that show. Outside of Abed and Annie’s plot involving that game, there was a storyline about old textbooks that were potentially worth a fortune.
Best: Introduction To Teaching (8.6)
The premiere episode focused on Jeff’s new law firm closing and coming back to Greendale. He took a job as a teacher, with this follow-up edition showcasing how he handled the role. He planned to be lazy but Annie took his class and forced him to put in the effort.
Elsewhere, the most memorable stuff from this episode happened. Abed took a course, taught by the returning professor Sean Garrity, on whether or not Nicolas Cage is a good actor. He overdid it, watched too many Nic Cage films in one night, and went into a wild rant in class the next day.
Worst: Repilot (8.1)
With an 8.1 rating, “Repilot” is clearly not a bad episode. That just speaks to the high quality this season. This premiere episode picked up where season four left off. Jeff failed in his second sting as a lawyer and was brought back to Greendale, where he happened to meet up with the study group.
It turned out that each member saw their lives in a rut since the end of season four. They all ultimately re-enrolled with new majors in mind. This also featured a surprise cameo from Chevy Chase in holographic form after departing the series during the fourth season.
Best: App Development And Condiments (9.0)
Community looked to say their piece on the world of social media and how it can control our lives. Developers came to Greendale in the eighth episode, “App Development and Condiments,” to beta test a new application. It allowed users to give each other ratings based on their interactions.
It’s similar to the successful Black Mirror episode, “Nosedive,” starring Bryce Dallas Howard. The ratings caused the school to turn into a dystopian society run by those with the highest ratings on the app. Critics seemed to love the commentary on society as well as the character moments throughout.
Worst: G.I. Jeff (8.0)
Once again, Community takes a swing at a high-concept episode and mostly hits. This eleventh installment of the season may be on the “worst” list but still scored an 8.0/10. About 99% of this episode was done in the animation style of the 1980s G.I. Joe series, all taking place inside of Jeff’s head.
They poked fun at the fact that no one ever seemed to die on G.I. Joe despite the constant stream of gunfire. They included live-action commercials that feel like they came right out of the decade. Fans appreciated the cultural references though a few thought it relied too heavily on the nostalgia.
Best: Basic Intergluteal Numismatics (9.0)
The third episode of the season saw Community give us its take on a crime mystery. The “Ass Crack Bandit” starts wreaking havoc all over Greendale, with Troy getting a coin dropped down his pants and into his crack. He spent the rest of the episode hobbled in a wheelchair.
The whole concept was a reference to a little-known line during season two’s “Into to Political Science.” The acting, mystery, and music were all praised. This episode gave us the return of Star-Burns and ended with the revelation that Pierce Hawthorne had passed away.
Worst: Basic Story (7.9)
“Basic Story” is the penultimate episode of the season and considered the first part of the finale. In it, the Save Greendale Committee nearly ran out of crises to take care of, only for one to pop up at the last minute. An appraiser arrived to value the school and Greendale was purchased by Subway.
In an attempt to save Greendale from becoming Subway University, the study group found a weird treasure hunt of sorts to go on. It led them to a hidden part of the school and the first dean. Throw in a fun end-tag where we discover that Professors Duncan and Hickey might be related and you’ve got a winner.
Best: Cooperative Polygraphy (9.2)
Following the news that Pierce died, the study group got together for the reading of his will. Pierce requested that they all submit to a polygraph test conducted by Mr. Stone, played fantastically by guest star Walton Goggins. This episode did what Community often does best.
It put the characters together in a small space and let them riff with each other. The polygraph test opened up plenty of wounds and revelations regarding the group. It all came to a head when Pierce left his fortune to Troy as long as he went on an adventure around the world.
Worst: Bondage And Beta Male Sexuality (7.9)
The bottom of the barrel of season five episodes still scores an impressive 7.9/10 on IMDb. The main storyline in “Bondage and Beta Male Sexuality,” the seventh episode of the season, saw Jeff help Professor Duncan score a date with Britta, which he had been after since season one.
Meanwhile, Britta was more focused on how her life had changed since her days fighting for political causes. The Abed/Hickey story, which allowed both characters to grow in interesting ways, was strong. However, Chang’s tale was less than stellar and left fans disappointed.
Best: Geothermal Escapism (9.4)
After the paintball epics in the first two seasons, a school-wide game/competition was hard to pull off. “Geothermal Escapism,” episode four of the season, saw the school take part in a massive game of “hot lava.” It was done as Abed’s going away present to Troy before his trip around the world.
The episode worked for multiple reasons. The concept allowed for plenty of fun but it also gave us the emotional story of Abed struggling with Troy’s departure. Donald Glover got to say goodbye to everyone and leave for a wild trip with his childhood idol LeVar Burton.
