The Community Iceberg Explained

Happy Halloween! Here's a video all about Community, Dan Harmon's masterpiece. Is Abed a father? Who's a serial killer? All that and more.

││Me on the web

[charliescheirmann]

Another item that I didn't notice on the list is Troy Barnes left the series (Season 5 Episode 5) by setting off to sail across the world with the actor LeVar Burton. The very next episode Buzz Hickey was watching the news and on the bottom of the screen was a news ticker stating "BREAKING NEWS: LeVar Burton and non-celebrity companion captured by pirates in the gulf of Mexico.". Meaning Troy was abducted by pirates, but no update is ever given about Troy or LeVar's well-being. So they may be dead, but this would make for one hell of a movie plot if you ask me *hint hint nudge nudge NBC, we're still waiting*

[NM-vzyz]

Kind of surprised I haven't seen this one yet: In season 3, episode 07, Troy says, "We spent our whole lives being told that blanket forts are only for special occasions, like sleepovers or when uncles die." Also, in season 2, episode 10, Troy wants to order a 7 and 7 because it was his uncle's favorite drink, who passed away recently. In the previous episode, "conspiracy Theories and Interior Design" Troy and Abed make their first blanket fort. I think it was a coping mechanism for Troy to deal with his uncle's passing, although it's not mentioned on-screen.

[CiN]

I have one..

Shirley finds a book, where the pages have been cut out to hide a gun. (3x19)
Todd, the army guy, has been shown putting books back on the shelves and acting as a librarian. (3x17)

I think it's Todd's gun

[domusdebellum]

chevy was so pierce, he didnt realize he actually was pierce

[raylinguanotti]

on the STD episode, we can see the couple that had a baby in the background.

When Abed asks to the students to not wear the comdons, the guy through his away and they leave to have sex, so in a way Abed was "responsible" for the pregnancy.

[Baruch.Goldstein]

God, remember how Abed was the only one that wasn't a psycho according the tests Britta gave everybody?

[alyssabrodsky]

One of my favorite details in community is in the episode where Abed recreates “My Dinner With Andre” with Jeff. Abed talked about how he had an opportunity to go to the set of “Cougar Town” and then to be in the background of and episode. He said he freaked out because he couldn’t be a fan of the show and be IN the show. Behold, 2 months later, and episode of “Cougar Town” premieres and you can see Abed freaking out in the background.

[clarisselu]

one thing i always wanted more on was the relationship between dean pelton and dean spreck. it feels like they have lots of history, and i think dan harmon mentioned on a commentary track they had romantic history, so i just think it would’ve been interesting to get that explored more

[susserylesussers]

Leonard was in all the episodes that Jeff had a character arc. He went back in time to watch relive his moments of redemption.

[SolarMechanic]

The IT lady being cursed must be a reference to the Season 6 episode where Frankie says all of her e-mails to the IT department get "bounced back in Aramaic" and any time she calls all she can hear is "an undulating, high-pitched whistle that makes my nose bleed."

This is obviously a reference to both characters being played by the same actor but could be misinterpreted as just the IT lady being cursed, or a demon or something by people who don't get the joke.

[sarahroddey]

Community is, on the surface, a funny and meta sitcom... But underneath it is a character study about flawed individuals feeding an unending toxic cycle of narcissism through their codependence. And honestly that's why I love it. The main characters are seemingly presented as a flawed but ultimately decent people, but every other character on the show besides the main ones are constantly talking about how self-absorbed and obnoxious their friend group is. It's my absolute favorite running gag and not something you notice until a few rewatches later.

[claymiller]

A note about the Beetlejuice thing: It was not fully planned and patiently executed as you'd think. When they wrote the third Beetlejuice, the writers noticed it was the third time they'd said Beetlejuice, so they added the costume gag in.

[templeknight]

A funny story: a couple of my ex-coworkers and I watched this show pretty religiously. The two of them are dating and on one of their last days, I drew a die on her going away card and wrote, "Just so you know Hannah, you are now creating six different timelines."
Towards the end of our shift, Roxanne played on our speaker in the kitchen, and since then, I have become convinced that either this is the darkest timeline, or the second darkest, as after that night, the whole world has gone to shit (except our lives, which actually haven't been too bad).
I'm so sorry everyone

[rk-jnmp]

Duncan's origin at Greendale is fully explained in the very first episode.
Everyone at Greendale has a hard time getting hired elsewhere because of some blip in their past or a behavior they can't shake.
Duncan's is alcoholism.

[thirstfast]

I've heard people I'm fairly certain have never seen "Community" use the phrase 'streets ahead' in the proper context, and I *LOVE IT!*

[bgakjldvs]

"Did I cry listening to come sail away by Styx again"

His exit on the show playing a cover of "come sail away" makes that joke finish beautifully.

[lilenwasnothere]

abed possibly being a father isn't based on him delivering the baby. earlier in the episode, the woman goes up to him and you can see him pointing at her belly and then at himself, implying they both think the baby might be his. that would mean she probably cheated on her boyfriend with abed, which would explain why the boyfriend is chasing him later.

[bizzielynch]

a lot of my favorite iceberg bits have already been said in the comments but there were two that you didn't mention! one was the boat that troy left on being named the "childish tycoon;" the other being how when jeff left the room in the remedial chaos theory episode everyone was fine, showing that he needs the group more than they need him

[templeknight]

Knowing the 8th seat was for us makes me feel warm inside

[coolgirl]

also gay annie in the dungeons and dragons ep where she describes a very passionate sex scene w abed's female elf character <3 (troy writing it down is stil the funniest part to me lolol)