5 Awesome Things from Community ‘Course Listing Unavailable’

In “Course Listing Unavailable” Greendale suffers the unexpected fallout from Starburns’ untimely demise in last week’s Law & Order themed episode. Heading into the final episodes of the season, unsurprisingly, perhaps as it seems to occur once or twice a season, Greendale gets destroyed; floors, walls, ceilings, all affected. “Course Listing Unavailable” continues in the trend of strong continuity between throughout the season playing with story-lines and themes established throughout the series.

Here are my Top 5 Awesome things from “Course Listing Unavailable”

1) Annie drops the mic. Alison Brie completely commits and own every scene she’s in. Need I say more? Edison out.

 2) Smashing Subway. Subway’s product placement was not only successfully integrated into the story of one episode, but an entire season long arc exploring Shirley’s entrepreneurial dreams that were then stolen and sold to Subway. Bonus points for Subway, the sponsor, being so game allowing their brand to play the role of villain in this story line and become the first victim of the Greendale Seven riots.

3) Dean Pelton. Someone get Jim Rash an Oscar… oh wait, they did. He is so wonderful as Dean Pelton that I find myself looking forward to what his character’s role will play before each episode. Of course he sings as he staples (and a week later I’m still hearing that song in my head), it was such a nice character moment.

Watching him choose an outfit to deliver the bad news, attempt to save the day and get in a group hug “I’m between Jeff and Troy”, even watching him get pushed around by Chang and get sad when he realizes that he’s a bad dean, are all tiny delicious pleasures that make an episode of Community extra special.

4) Britta’s unsolicited, unlicensed grief therapy. Britta’s little grief counseling session complete with faux-star burns set up a ton of rapid-fire one-liners at the beginning, and even paying off through the end of the episode. My favourite include Jeff quizzing her on the other stages of grief (excluding denial and acceptance) What are you my final? to Abed asking Britta-Burns why he always smelled like salami, Britta declaring that heaven is glittery, and set up the running gag where Peirce inquires about his comb.  This bit continued to pay off at the end of the episode when Britta declares herself the worst prompting a very sweet exchange with Troy who tells her that she is in fact, the best.

5) Revisiting the Time-Lines. “Remedial Chaos Theory”  is one of Community’s greatest accomplishments. It was an amazingly episode, flawlessly executed and introduced the darkest timeline to Community’s mythology. It only seemed fitting that on the dark day of the expulsion of the Greendale Seven, gathered around Troy, Abed and now Annie’s table, this day was revisited complete with skeevy looking pizza delivery guy.

It was a really touching moment when Troy points out that despite everything that happened, everyone is okay, and they will be okay. revisiting this episode and closing out on the classic happy family meal scene in lieu of something much darker, and with facial hair.

Chang Watch 2012: I appreciate that his arc as an overzealous security guard has come to a logical conclusion paying off in the chaos of the riots this episode. It worked well within the context of this episode, though I’m not sure I can pin point where I lost him, but I just don’t enjoy his character anymore.

Runners Up (a.k.a Bonus  Awesome): The Starburns Tribute Video, The Dopple-Dean, Garrett getting pepper-sprayed “It’s so peppery!!!”, Troy’s reaction to “getting pepper sprayed”, Troy’s pen-pal, even Pierce who hasn’t been given much material lately gave a killer speech at Star Burns’ memorial and had a moment of sanity when he pointed out that this whole riot business should really be pinned on Chang. 

“We aren’t even the best community college in our community”

“Awww, tiny riot gear”

“How one armed was he? Tell me where to stop”

“You seemed smarter than me when I met you”

“Promise you’ll use restraint”, “Every kind I’ve got”

I would love to have seen more of Troy & Abed’s performance.

What were your favourite moments of “Course Listing Unavailable”? Let me know what you thought of the episode in the comments!