The Ultimate Hilarious Community Parody Episodes That Will Leave You in Stitches

Community, similar to Dan Harmon's other projects, heavily incorporates pop culture references and parodies. Without a doubt, each episode includes a nod to another movie or TV show, even if it's just a brief line delivered by Abed.

Occasionally, Community goes beyond mere references and devotes an entire episode to cleverly mocking a legendary work. Typically, Abed is the first to recognize it, while Jeff Winger initially resists but ultimately succumbs to the enjoyment. In the end, every member of Greendale Community College joins in the amusement.

"Contemporary American Poultry" (Season 1, Episode 21)

In this season 1 episode, Greendale's cafeteria is facing a shortage of chicken fingers, which happen to be a fan favorite. However, the study group discovers that the culprit behind this shortage is Starburns, who works as a fryer and has been stealing the majority of the chicken to give to his friends. Fed up with the situation, Jeff comes up with a plan to remove Starburns from the kitchen and replace him all at once, allowing the study group to gain control over the chicken supply.

Abed compares Jeff's plan to something straight out of a mafia movie and provides a voiceover reminiscent of Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas. Abed's voiceover begins with the iconic line, "As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be in a mafia movie." This is a parody of the opening scene from the 1990 mobster film, where Ray Liotta's character, Henry Hill, utters the same line. In this episode, Abed takes on the role of Henry Hill, replacing Starburns in the cafeteria.

Abed begins striking deals with various individuals at Greendale, including Señor Chang, exchanging chicken fingers for favors, in a manner reminiscent of a mafia operation. Concerned about the potential for things to get out of hand, Jeff tries to intervene but is rejected by the study group, resulting in Abed taking on the role of the new leader, or "Don," in control of the chicken supply. However, Abed's subordinates soon become selfish and unappreciative, prompting him to destroy the gifts he had previously given them, such as Annie's backpack, Troy's pet monkey, and even Shirley's crush. Accompanied by the song "Layla" by Derek and the Dominoes, the episode humorously parallels the destructive tendencies of the mafia in films like Goodfellas, showcasing the simplicity and relevance of this concept within the setting of a community college cafeteria. While the individuals involved in the mafia often engage due to financial desperation, in Community, their desire for the scrumptious chicken fingers drives their actions. Ultimately, however, their ambitions crumble, resulting in ruined backpacks and missing monkeys.

"Documentary Filmmaking: Redux" (Season 3, Episode 8)

Abed's passion for movies extends beyond discussing them; he genuinely enjoys creating them. Typically, Abed opts for documentary-style films to capture reality. In this particular episode, Dean Pelton is handed a seemingly straightforward and cost-effective task of directing a school commercial. However, considering the Dean's nature, this endeavor is bound to be anything but simple or budget-friendly. Naturally, Abed perceives this as an opportunity to emulate Eleanor Coppola's approach in the documentary "Hearts of Darkness." The documentary showcases the challenges faced by Francis Ford Coppola while making the groundbreaking Vietnam film, "Apocalypse Now."

Similar to Coppola, Dean Pelton gradually loses his sanity during the process of creating the commercial. He significantly exceeds the budget and, after shooting for nine days, loses the entire cast, including actor Luis Guzman. During the production of "Apocalypse Now," Coppola encountered numerous obstacles, such as severe weather conditions and even lead actor Martin Sheen suffering a heart attack. In contrast, Pelton is a comically indecisive and insatiable individual who aims to revolutionize the world through a mere thirty-second advertisement.

The real-world seriousness of both documentaries is what sets them apart. While Coppola aimed to redefine a well-established cinematic genre despite facing significant hurdles, Pelton's intention was to create a college ad that addressed global racism. Clearly, only one of them succeeded in achieving their goal. Viewers owe their gratitude to both Eleanor and Abed for documenting these esteemed directors. Make sure to check out "Documentary Filmmaking: Redux" instead of the actual Greendale ad, as Hearts of Darkness is, according to Abed and Luis Guzman, "way better than Apocalypse Now".

"Basic Lupine Urology" (Season 3, Episode 17)

When a yam intended for a biology project is deliberately tampered with at Greendale, the study group's detectives are called upon to uncover the disturbing act. This particular episode revolves around the group's attempts to unravel the enigma surrounding the toppled yam, which is discovered by the janitorial team during the late hours of the night. Troy and Abed take the forefront as the leading investigators, while Annie and Jeff assume the roles of attorneys. Britta, unfortunately, proves to be an ineffectual technical analyst, and naturally, Shirley assumes the position of the police chief.

The episode cleverly transitions between scenes using title cards that indicate the time, location, and day of the week, mimicking the style of the popular crime drama "Law and Order." This includes the iconic opening title and theme song sequence. Throughout the episode, the characters relentlessly pursue leads, interrogate suspects, and meticulously analyze evidence, mirroring the format of "Law and Order."

Surprisingly, the perpetrator turns out to be someone previously interviewed by Troy and Abed, who initially appeared to have no motive that was obvious to the detectives. This plot twist is reminiscent of numerous episodes of "Law and Order." It is possible that the episode successfully parodied the show because the creator, Dan Harmon, received assistance from Dick Wolf himself. This allowed Harmon to incorporate elements such as the theme song, title cards, and other recognizable features. However, the episode also offers a compelling mystery. Ultimately, it is revealed that Fat Neil, the administrator in charge of room keys, was the one responsible for sabotaging the yam. His motive was to ensure that he and Vicki could pass without having to attend summer school. Interestingly, Todd appeared to be the most suspicious character throughout the episode, which is why the study group, considered the "professionals," took charge in this dire situation.