I love episodes of Community that take the whole gang outside the walls of Greendale Community College, and a hospital stay by everyone’s favorite jackass Pierce Hawthorne was a great way to do it.
Watching “Intermediate Documentary Filmmaking”, I was surprised that the writers hadn’t done this earlier – Abed making a documentary was hilarious! In fact, I liked it a lot better than the episode when Abed made a movie with himself playing Jesus.
Abed was spot-on when he said that the documentary is an easy way to tell a story. Look at mockumentary shows like The Office, Parks and Recreation and Modern Family. There have also been great documentary-style episodes of ER, House and Grey’s Anatomy. Talking heads and voice overs let the viewers know exactly what is happening or what someone is thinking.
Not only did this episode of Community introduce us to the word “complinsult”, but it WAS one, too. It was an example of how mockumentary-style shows work really well, but are also rather easy – almost lazy. If you ask me, the fact that they could pull that off without seeming bitter, jealous or self-righteous is pretty brilliant.
Now, on to the episode. Pierce ending up in the hospital after finally taking too many of the happy little pills that made him see a miniature Andy Dick, and he summoned the whole study group there so he could guilt trip them about his entirely fictional impending death. He would bequeath each person a gift that was designed to screw with them and fracture the group.
First was Shirley. He gave her a recording of the rest of the gang badmouthing her, so of course she spent the rest of the episode trying to rise above and not listen to it, while telling everyone she forgave them for saying horrible things about her.
Next came Britta. He gave her a cheque for $10,000, which she could either donate to the charity of her choice or keep for herself. Hello, internal moral struggle!
Pierce told Jeff he’d tracked down his deadbeat dad, who was on the way. He gave Annie an heirloom tiara because she’s his favorite. Best of all, he arranged a personal visit from LeVar Burton for Troy. Poor Troy. If he had a million wishes, he’d ask for a million photos of LeVar Burton, but he never actually wanted to meet the man. Instead, Troy just sat there looking wide-eyed and crazy while LeVar tried to make polite conversation. It was amazing.
In the end, Shirley found out that no one said anything bad about her behind her back and admitted to using guilt as a weapon. Annie over-thought her gift and took it as a lesson in not being so hard on herself. Britta gave the money to charity, but only because she was being filmed. Troy ran screaming from LeVar Burton when she started to sing the Reading Rainbow theme song, and Jeff tried to beat up Pierce for telling him that his dad was coming when it was really just Pierce in a town car.
There were at least a gazillion hilarious lines and moments from this stellar episode, so here’s a sampling:
- “Since in my absence you’ll be the new black sheep – I’m sorry, that’s offensive – black swan, I want you to have this.” – Pierce, to Shirley
- Nurse: “Mr. Hawthorne is requesting Sour Face.”
Britta: “Knock knock!”
Pierce: “Is that you death?”
Britta: “No it’s me, Britta.” - Pierce: “Britta, you’re the selfless one in the group, right?”
Britta: “Wouldn’t know, haven’t thought about myself in years.” - “I don’t want to die in a place like this. People shouldn’t die in the same place as People magazines do.” – Annie
- “Me and Abed have an agreement. If one of us dies, we stage it to look like a suicide caused by the unjust cancellation of Firefly. We’re gonna get that show back on the air buddy!” – Troy
- “It’s called a Complisult. Part compliment, part insult. He invented them. I coined the term. See what I just did there? That was an explainabrag.” – Britta
- “I was never one to hold a grudge, Jeffrey. My father held grudges. I’ll always hate him for that.” – Pierce
- “I’ve told Pierce a thousand times, I never wanted to meet Levar in person! I just wanted a picture! You can’t disappoint a picture! I hate you Pierce! I hate you so much!” – Troy
- Troy singing the Reading Rainbow theme song to himself and sobbing
- Shirley: “I guess the lesson here is I sometimes use guilt as a weapon.”
Abed: “What are you doing?”
Shirley: “Oh, just shooting a talking head. Or did you want me to be the only one who didn’t have one?” - “If you’re lying to me, if my father isn’t coming, if a car pulls up and anyone other than my father steps out, say an actor or you in a wig, if you pull any Ferris Bueller, Parent Trap, Three’s Company, FX, FX2: the Deadly Art of Illusion bull—-, I will beat you. And there will be nothing madcap or wacky about it.” – Jeff
- “I was nostalgic from a very early age.” – Britta
- “Could you imagine bouncing a check to Kunta Kinte?” – Britta
And of course, there was this outstanding exchange:
Britta: Hey, Hi, I’m Jeff’s dad. (Hugs Jeff)
Jeff: Hi Jeff’s dad, I’m Britta’s dad.
Britta: What? Why?
Jeff: I dunno, got drunk, didn’t have a condom, and her mom gets freaky when she hears Oingo Boingo.
Britta: Oh god, I wish could relate, but much like my son I’m a closet homosexual.
Jeff: Don’t apologize for that. You’re talkin’ to the guy who banged Britta’s mo!. I have no standards.
Britta: Well then, what do you say we take a tumble? I’ll put on a wig.
Jeff: That’s it, you’re under arrest. I’m an undercover cop.
Britta: It’s not illegal to be gay!
Jeff: It is here in Iran.
Britta: Not when we’re in the Green Zone!
Jeff: That’s Iraq, stupid.
Britta: Well what do I know? I’m Jeff Winger’s dumb gay dad!
