The sad news about the end of Community arrived yesterday, alongside the announced cancellations of many other shows. The future of the cult favorite TV series was always in doubt throughout its run, but managed to get itself renewed year after year for five seasons, even after the rocky behind-the-scenes antics of season 4.
NBC decided yesterday that it's time had run out, though, denying the off-beat comedy its "six seasons and a movie" dream. What began as a throwaway joke in season two grew into a real-life objective, but it wasn't meant to be after all. Another network or streaming service might pick up the show to finish what it started, but there's no real word about that for now.
Instead of continuing to mourn its loss, I'd like to go back and appreciate what made Community special in the first place. The show was full of subtle, clever humor and pop-culture references that never found their place with a mainstream audience, but entertained a passionate fanbase for years.
We saw entire episodes dedicated to spoofing other genres and properties (like the fantastic Advanced Dungeons and Dragons episode), as well multiple overly-serious paintball fights break out across Greendale's fictional college campus.
Holiday episodes like season 3's Regional Holiday Music with amazing scenes like "Jehovah's Most Secret Witness" and a whole episode done in Claymation are simply things you wouldn't see in other shows on TV.
Perhaps one of the most popular (and heavily referenced since the cancellation) is the Remedial Chaos Theory episode, where a roll of a die creates six alternate timelines with increasingly ridiculous sequences of events. Clips of that one are difficult to find, but you can watch a fan-made trailer for it here.
There are dozens of other episodes I could reference, all of which made the show what it is. If you haven't seen it (which apparently applies to most people, given its critical acclaim but low ratings), I really suggest you find a way to watch it. Just the amount of time I spent looking for the best videos to link in this post says a lot about the series and the dedication of its fanbase, and hopefully we'll see a sixth season at some point.
