Community is one of the greatest comedy shows of all time, thanks to the genius showrunner Dan Harmon, who poured his heart and soul into penning the scripts for all except the fourth season. The show is incredibly original, with several spot-on punchlines that keep you hooked throughout each episode. The performances of the cast are particularly impressive, with actors such as Dani Pudi consistently delivering on lines.
Community
- Release Date
- September 17, 2009
- Seasons
- 6
While this is apparent to everyone who has watched Community, the true charm of the series lies in the subtle humor that runs throughout. Despite being on the verge of cancelation many times, Community consistently delivered these jokes until the very end. With that in mind, we’ve rounded up some of the best background gags in Community that you might have missed while watching for the first time (or several times).
10 Wilde Oil Barrel Reference
Season 2, Episode 3 – “The Psychology of Letting Go”
The Wilde Oil reference is one of the nicest touches the creators have ever added to Community. In the third episode of the second season, “The Psychology of Letting Go,” Britta and Annie try to gather funds for the Gulf oil spill, but the oil barrel they use has the logo of Wilde Oil, a reference to Fox’s Running Wilde series.
Given the frequent comparisons between Community and Arrest Development (created by Mitch Hurwitz, who also worked on Running Wilde), this reference was a chef’s kiss in the episode.
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9 Reference to Parks and Recreation
Season 5, Episode 6 – “Analysis of Cork-Based Networking”
Annie is somewhat of a perfectionist in their study group, as shown in several instances throughout the series. She also has a habit of making to-do lists, as seen in the episode “Basic Crisis Room Decorum” from season six.
Similarly, during one of the scenes where she makes a to-do list to improve Greendale College, viewers notice a big label attached to the wall with the words “fill pit.” Annie is quite similar to Leslie from Parks and Recreation, and there were many hilarious instances involving people falling into the pit in the latter series. This was a funny throwback to Parks and Recreation from Community writers.
8 Annie Citizen of Every Month in Greendale
Season 4, Episode 12 – “Heroic Origins”
Most of the Community‘s hidden humor can be spotted in the backdrops through little drawings and small writings. In season four, episode 12, “Heroic Origins,” viewers learn about the study group members’ backgrounds and how their interactions brought them to Greendale.
In one scene, Britta can be seen in front of a board with pictures of Greendale’s Citizen of the Month. However, different photographs of Annie are displayed in the slot rather than others, indicating that Annie has constantly been the most significant member of their community college. It was a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it scene, but it has very subtle comedy that fans of Community like.
7 Jeff’s Graduation: Six Seasons and a Movie Poem
Season 4, Episode 13 – “Advanced Introduction to Finality”
The most frequently used off-topic dialogue in Community is Six Seasons and a Movie. Other characters of the study group frequently use it to remind Abed that they will stay together until six seasons and a film. Dean Pelton and the study group decide to celebrate Jeff’s early graduation in Season 4’s Thirteenth Episode, “Advanced Introduction to Finality.” During the ceremony, viewers can find a poem on the board that states, “Six Seasons and a Movie.”
6 Troy and Abed in a Vending Machine
Season 5, Episode 9 – “VCR Maintenance and Educational Publishing”
Troy and Abed’s friendship is the heart of the series, and often, they can be seen trying various things at the end of each episode, like debating about popular topics, doing impressions of classics like Robocop, and getting stuck in a vending machine. You heard that right. During the end credits of episode 18 in season one, Abed and Troy are stuck in a vending machine.
While there is no clear explanation for how this happened, when they later move into an apartment together, there is a minor Easter egg in the form of a poster. The poster features the image of the vending machine incident, a fond memory of their weird antics, as well as a subtle underlying joke from the creators.
5 Troy Is Captured by Pirates
Season 5, Episode 6 – “Analysis of Cork-Based Networking”
When Donald Glover’s Troy left the series, fans were heartbroken. Despite his departure in season five, the cast continued to mention him occasionally. Similarly, two episodes after his departure, a broadcast in the background states, “Levar Burton and his non-celebrity companion are captured by pirates in the Gulf of Mexico.”
This scene takes place while Professor Buzz Hickey and Abed wonder where Troy could be after embarking on a world trip with his favorite TV star, Levar Burton. It was barely noticeable but incredibly hilarious and clever writing.
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4 Abed Delivers a Baby in the Background
Season 2, Episode 3 – “The Psychology of Letting Go”
In season 2, episode 3, “The Psychology of Letting Go,” Abed embarks on his own adventure while the study group engages in their usual activities. During the entire time, Abed can be seen in the background with a pregnant woman, checking her status and being bullied by her boyfriend for being too curious.
Ultimately, he helps the couple with the delivery of the baby on campus. All of these scenes run in the background while the study group deals with their own difficulties. When Shirley asks Abed where he has been and what he has been doing, he replies, “Not much.” Given Community‘s reputation for incorporating little background acts, this episode represents the peak of the series in terms of that.
3 Luis Guzman’s Statue
Season 1, Episode 5 – “Advanced Criminal Law”
Community has always had a soft spot for guest appearances, such as Jack Black, who invites himself to Jeff’s study group, and LeVar Burton, who meets Troy at Pierce’s request, since he (Troy) is a huge fan of the Star Trek actor.
However, Luis Guzman was one of the most fascinating guest actors to make an appearance in Community, although his cameo was foreshadowed in the fourth episode, “Social Psychology,” before being revealed in the fifth episode “Advanced Criminal Law.” Furthermore, even before Luis Guzman appears, we can see his autograph on the wall as Troy and Abed make announcements in Dean’s room in Episode 6.
2 Abed’s Don Draper Impression
Season 1, Episode 7 – “Physical Education”
In the seventh episode of the first season, Physical Education, Troy wishes to help Abed communicate better with a girl he hopes to date. So, he asks Annie to pretend to be a girl he is interested in and wants Abed to do his best to flirt with her. As a result, Abed summons his inner actor to perform an impression of Don Draper from Mad Men, which Annie finds unexpectedly attractive despite him being the least romantic character in the entire study group.
However, most viewers are unaware that Alison Brie, who played Annie on Community, also played Trudy Campbell in Mad Men. Furthermore, many people believe that Don Draper and Trudy Campbell would have been an excellent couple in the series, which is why this is an iconic background gag from Community.
1 The Beetlejuice Joke
Season 3, Episode 5 – “Horror Fiction in Seven Spooky Steps”
The Beetlejuice Joke is the most brilliant background Community gag ever since, even though it was unintentional, they had it set up beforehand and recognized that it must be utilized. It’s common knowledge that saying Beetlejuice three times summons a poltergeist. In the first two seasons of Community, the cast spelled the word twice (first by Professor Michelle Slater and later by Britta).
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In the third season’s Halloween episode, Annie accidentally repeats Beetlejuice, and we can see a figure in white and black stripes wandering in the background. While a Michael Keaton cameo would have been considerably more impressive, given that he played Beetlejuice in the original movies, it is still by far the most incredible background gag we’ve seen in the show.
