Image Credit: Trae Patton/NBCWe watched the best parts of every major action movie from the past 30 or so years last night on Community. And the scenes were as good — if not better — than when I first watched them at an inappropriately young age. Add to that a paintball war and some major Jeff and Britta action, and what you get is a really fun half hour that you can literally watch a few times in one night…and I would know.
Much like the characters battling it out for the chance at priority registration, the episode became a game of name that movie. From Jeff awaking from a car nap to find the university in a state of chaos and destruction to his wounded soldier love scene with Britta, it was a cliché buffet, and I ate it up like a plate of from-the-oil cafeteria chicken fingers. Mmmm. But there was heart and meaning masked in the overtone of movie mockery, like when Britta told Jeff that he was a good person and when Jeff proved her right by giving Shirley his priority registration victory prize. Jeff and his shockingly rippled muscles (CGI? kidding…I think) might have won the heated paintball competition, but Community won the night with this episode. I guess I owe Ken Tucker a coke.
So let’s get on to this week’s best lines (before we play a little game):
“My boys are going to make me breakfast in bed for mother’s day. Well, actually I’m goin’ to make the breakfast and get in bed, but they’re going to bring it to me” — Shirley
“To be blunt, Jeff and Britta is no Ross and Rachel. Your chemistry and sexual tension are putting us all on edge, which is ironically, and hear this on every level, you’re keeping us from being friends.” — Abed
Shirley: Oh, just like Sam and Diane. [Deadpan] I hated Sam and Diane.
Annie: Who are Sam and Diane?
Shirley: Okay, we get it. You’re young!
Pierce: Want my advice? Pork her and be done. We did it all the time in my day.
Jeff: You also put hydrogen in blimps, and that was bad.
“There’s also going to be a game of paintball assassin, with a prize for last man standing. Or last man in a wheelchair with no paint on him.” — Dean Pelton
Troy: I want TBD. Is that new?
Pierce: If it’s what I think, I had it for about a month in the ’70s.
Jeff: There’s no “Britta and Jeff.”
Pierce: …he said, fully erect.
“And tell the drama club their tears will be real today” — Jeff
Troy: You thinkin’ what I’m thinkin’?
Shirley: Mmhmm. Our team’s walking with God.
“Real nice, Troy. That’d be great PR for the black students” — Shirley, after Troy suggests an alliance
PopWatchers, like a douchebag who brings their own gear to a game, I’m armed and ready to go. So let’s play: Name that Movie Reference (and throw in your comments about this week’s episode, if you wish). Let’s see what we can come up with together. Ready, set, go!
I’ll start with my favorite: Señor Chang = Tony Montana (”Scarface”) …or was it Chow Yun-Fat (per Mike in comments)? Your call.
AWESOME episode!
I agree! It was THE best episode of the season. I think you missed a great line though, right after Shirley made her comment about walking with god Troy got shot and Shirley ran away saying “Troy made god mad!” I was dying at that.
Absolutely hilarious…but my wife hated it. You have to get the references to appreciate it.
excellent episode! and just well directed to… i hope it gets an Emmy nom for that at least
Can someone tell me where the Parks and Rec recaps went???
Also, thoroughly enjoyed this episode!
Totally awesome? Why write actual jokes and scenes when you can have a show full of “references”? Tiresome after about 10 minutes…
I guess you’re entitled to your crappy opinion.
Community is still funny even if you don’t realize they are referencing something.
Great episode! Better action than most “real” action movies.
I’ll go for the obvious one- Abed as The Terminator in Terminator 2.
Joel was looking HOT. And the show’s writers really hate glee clubs, huh?
not glee clubs, I think the show glee on FOX. merciless, but true (and I love both shows).
I’ve let the Glee Kool-Aid leave my system. So, I’m all for someone poking holes in the Glee balloon. It’s about time!
I agree with Nick! I think poke all the fun you want at Glee. It’s a good concept, executed with terrible cliched storylines.
Community and Glee film on the same set, so it’s an inside joke I guess
thought the glee ref was to the oddesy and the land of the Sirens,
Okay so I’m only 5 minutes into the show so far. Abed looks like Roddick (Vin Diesel’s character). But he may end up like Terminator later I suppose.
it was when he saved jeff in the hall . . . i said, “come with me if you want to live” and then abed said that almost exact line and i laughed . . . then my wife said, “have you seen this? i thought it was new?” to be fair, she join the ep in progress, but caught on quickly
Abed’s line “Come with me if you don’t want paint on your clothes” was my favorite. That is, of course, from Terminator.
I love it how Jeff always wears striped mini-briefs (at least in his two appearances in his underwear so far this season) *swoon!*
And I agree, BEST EPISODE EVER!
TOTES. So great!
joel was super super sexy last night omg best episode yet
Jeff in the striped briefs is STREETS AHEAD!
yeah, he was looking hot!
I actually thought to myself, how much does poor Joel McHale have to work out (and how little is he allowed to eat) in order to look that GOOD?
@jess, STREETS AHEAD! Love it!
The Roller disco gang came right out of a scene from the Warriors, along with the line “Study group come out and playay. Awesome episode favourite of the season hands down.
I’ll go for the other obvious one with Chang dying and laughing while his “bomb” went off – Predator… Absolutely the show of the night for me!
this was hands down the best episode of any sitcom this year!..and yes that includes “Modern Family” which I love!, but this was classic!!
Ditto. I love Glee and The Office…but this was hands down the funniest half hour of tv I have seen. I loved the paint bomb.
which was a predator reference . . . and hilarious
Yes!!! Easily the funniest 20 minutes this year. And with The Office back to form, a great Thursday night
The Warriors – disco on skates
Warriors, come out to pla-ay.
Yes! I LOVED this reference! I think it was my favorite.
I love glee and I loved the parody they did. Plus using Pierce as the diversion was fantastic.
another obvious one-Jeff was John McLane from Die Hard.
Yes with the wife beater on as well
I also liked Annie with the trash can lid hat. It reminded me of the crazy guy that tries to rob Bruce Willis in the hallway in Fifth Element.
I was wondering when someone would mention that. It was my favorite bit. Would have liked a sunglassed scene of the whole group ala Reservoir Dogs.
“no bullets. whatta ya think i’m stupid?” – Die Hard
“It’s the chess club.”
“He’s a pawn!”
Nice chess boards that they were wearing.
I saw it as Senor Chang = Chow Yun-Fat in any number of John Woo’s films.
I dug the Jeff as John McClane bit at the end.
I kept waiting for the doves!!!!
Totally – maybe he was Tony Montana when he first walked in, but once he pulled out the two handguns, he was Tequila in Hardboiled, no doubt!
You are streets ahead, Mike.
Love the reference, Sandra
It was most certainly a Chow reference for me. Never even thought about Scarface, especially when that John Woo-esque music hit.
Chang’s Chow Yun Fat moment, whipping out those 2 golden paintguns, was the moment my neighbors had to have heard me busting out laughing.
Classic episode. Watched it a few times already.
For the game
The gun taped to his back = Die Hard
A number of people said Die Hard but in the end sequence there was also a reference to Rambo when he shot up the office.
Yep – my husband got that one. It was excellent – haven’t laughed this much in a long time.
Once Jeff woke up from his nap and the college was abandoned = 28 Days Later
That whole scene was also similar to Dawn of the Dead as well
It was also similar to a scene in Resident Evil
there was another 28 days later reference when they came upon starburns and pierce raiding the vending machines, one of them commented about sugar v. protein in regard to the snacks – it was minor, but it was a nice beat
The perfect half hour of television. I loved Shirley’s “death scene,” and the post-coital gun play. Am I the only one who noticed that Chang’s guns were painted gold? My only complaint: Abed wasn’t the final winner.
I liked Abed’s “death” though. “My legs!” I thought it was a perfect end to his game.
golden guns – james bond
They were gold desert eagle 0.50 cals…Face Off. John Woo
“I’m the douchebag who has his own equipment!”
Señor Chang laughing while the bomb counts down = Predator
Spot on! Complete with the Jeff/Swarzenegger slow-mo dive to avoid the explosion.
Perfect episode of community. Perfect episode of TV. More Joel McHale shirtless. That is all.
DITTO!
when Joel wakes up in his car to find an abandoned world, it reminded me of 28 days later or resident evil.
Also, the ending was a reference to bruce willis in die hard.
Finally, the gun scene b/t britta and Chang was three references, Face off, any John Woo Flick, and Scarface.