Community: All 4 Christmas Episodes Ranked
NBC's cult sitcom "Community" is no stranger to thematic episodes. Over its six-season run, the show adopted countless storytelling topics and constructs, from fake Ken Burns-ian documentaries to G.I. Joe-style animation, Dungeons & Dragons adaptations, paintball Westerns, and countless other entertaining fare. Some of these are dramatic, multi-episode events, and others are some of the simplest and best bottle episodes ever written.
"Community" also has its fair share of holiday episodes. Although it's interesting to note that only the show's first four seasons had enough episodes to feature festive Christmas installments, even then, Season 4 barely makes the cut (more on that in a minute). Over the course of these first four seasons, we get a quartet of very different end-of-year celebrations. Some start quietly, others are splashy from the jump, but all of them are packed with the quirky and uncontrollable fun that is a staple of every "Community" experience.
The dramatic variations in substance from one season to the next make ranking these four episodes a fun exercise. So, without further ado, let's break down all four Christmas episodes of Dan Harmon's modern comedy classic, listing them from worst to first. To quote the inexorable Dean Pelton (Jim Rash) in his innovative persona as nondenominational Mister Winter, Merry Happy, everyone!
Intro to Knots' kidnapping shenanigans just don't channel that holiday charm
By Season 4, "Community's" initial slide toward its first cancellation had already begun. Dan Harmon had already been fired (don't worry, he'd be back for Season 5). The Russo Brothers had made their migration over to the MCU to direct "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," and Chevy Chase was in the midst of leaving the show. The season was also truncated, and its scheduling was changed so that its "holiday" episode aired in April of the following year.
Add it up, and it's no surprise that Season 4's tenth episode, "Intro to Knots," comes in last on our "Community" Christmas episode rankings. The offbeat bottle episode takes place in Jeff Winger's (Joel McHale) apartment, where the study group hosts history professor Noel Cornwallis (Malcolm McDowell in his last appearance on the show) in an attempt to convince him to boost a recent bad grade.
The episode is rife with typical intergroup arguing as Jeff reveals that he tanked his part of the project while Annie (Alison Brie) and Shirley (Yvette Nicole Brown) spar in their race for valedictorian. The intensity is cranked up a notch when Chang (Ken Jeong) kidnaps Professor Cornwallis, who amuses himself by offering an A to whoever lets him go while everyone else gets an F. In the end, it turns out that Cornwallis is bluffing. He tied himself up since he was bored and wanted to entertain himself by antagonizing the group.
All of this is quality "Community" stuff, but if you're ranking Christmas episodes, well, there just isn't that much in the way of holiday frivolities. Sure, the group exchanges gifts — although Pierce (Chevy Chase) is in sensitivity training and notably missing — and there's a Christmas tree in the background. But that's about it.
Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas is unconventional but fun
Nothing says Christmas like an intervention, right guys? That's why Episode 11 of Season 2 centers on an intervention for everyone's favorite misfit, Abed Nadir (Danny Pudi). The episode, called "Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas," follows the titular character as he processes the emotional crisis of not being able to spend the holidays with his mother for the first time. The blundering Professor Ian Duncan (John Oliver) gracelessly attempts to intervene (with semi-selfish reasons of his own) to help his struggling student out, and he recruits the rest of the study group to aid in the attempt.
While the subject matter is, once again, hardly on theme for the holidays, it's the format that gives this one a boost here. "Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas" is entirely filmed in stop-motion animation. Both the "real-life" portions in Greendale College and the fantastical sequences in Abed's head are animated, giving the entire experience a "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" effect. This allows for some fun additions to the plot, including an unplanned trip to Planet Abed, the ability to freeze people into ice blocks, and the threat of forced expulsion by the Christmas Pterodactyl.
The adaptation of each of the study group members into a holiday-appropriate toy or other fantastical being is also instantly memorable. Professor Duncan stakes his claim early on as the Christmas Wizard. He's backed up by Jeff-in-the-box, Britta Bot, Ballerannie, and Troy Soldier — each of whom is spot on. Baby Doll Shirley and Teddy Pierce are particularly entertaining additions. Toss in the fact that Abed is able to process his feelings and build new traditions with his friends, and the entire episode is a feel-good story that provides uniquely poignant insights into some of the inner struggles that neurodivergent individuals face on a regular basis.
Comparative Religion channels the true Community holiday spirit
If there's one episode that truly delivers a "Community" Christmas experience, it's Episode 12 of Season 1, "Comparative Religion." This is the episode that introduces the aforementioned "Mister Winter" persona as portrayed by the overly and awkwardly politically correct Dean Pelton. It's also the first foray that the show makes into the holiday season, and it centers on Shirley's attempt to celebrate Christmas with her newfound student family. This leads to the realization that, to a man, the Study Group has disparate religious beliefs — a fact that Shirley spends the rest of the episode reconciling as she processes the recent ending of her own broken family traditions and attempts to build new ones.
All of this is set against the backdrop of Jeff picking a fight with the school bullies. The troublemaking group is led by Mike (Anthony Michael Hall), a ringleader who loves the fray and is ready to show off his testosterone-fueled prowess through overheated exchanges and stapling paper snowmen to his head.
The fighting portion of the episode provides some of the funnier moments in the entire history of the show. The confrontation between Jeff and Mike in Chang's Spanish classroom, Pierce and Troy's fight lessons, Abed's flaunting of Jeff as his bodyguard, and Britta's ongoing heckling that men fight to unleash their pent-up gayness are all classics. This is also one of the first episodes that really brings the group together as a family, united as they beat up the school bullies in a decorated campus winter wonderland. It is a treat loaded with laughs and offers great rewatch value every Christmas season.
Regional Holiday Music is a raucous rewatch for every holiday season
For those looking for the ultimate rewatchable "Community" Christmas experience, look no further than Season 3, Episode 10. In many ways, this episode is a hilariously charming spin on the "Glee" obsession that was taking place at the time, featuring an enrapturing guest performance from "Saturday Night Live's" Taran Killam as Glee Club director Corey Radison. In the intro, Jeff tips off the illegal use of copyrighted material, shutting down the current Glee Club and putting all of its silenced members in psychiatric care. Mr. Rad follows this overly dramatic event by attempting to recruit the Study Group to fill in for the sidelined musical team, vaguely referencing a previous time when the posse performed a similar favor.
The group staunchly refuses, sparking a string of individual interactions between the director and each person as he infects them with the spirit of a Gleeful Christmas. Each conversion experience features gut-busting performances tailored to each character's personality and proclivities. From pandering to Pierce's Boomer mentality to using a chorus of children as Shirley's kryptonite to Annie using a seductive song and dance sequence to reel in Jeff's interests, the episode is a riot from beginning to end.
It wraps up by unveiling Mr. Rad's darker side as he reveals just how far he's gone to help his group get to regionals. The end tag features a quintet of Christmas ornaments projecting the faces of several key characters, including Dean Pelton and Chang, as they sing a unique rendition of "Carol of the Bells." The episode reflects the pure joy and recklessly fun entertainment value of the show's zenith and is a must-rewatch for every holiday season.