The straight guy is a staple of most comedy shows; the poor character is bound by logic, thoroughly confused, and sometimes upset by the shenanigans and malarky occurring around him. He exists because most comedy shows are bound by some semblance of logic. Despite the wacky cast of characters, there still must be someone in the real world who sees how ridiculous everything is. 

The 2009 show Community took one look at this set of rules and promptly threw them out the window.

Instead of investing in a straight guy, Community chooses to leave reality behind altogether, plunging headfirst into a series of crazy, out-of-pocket adventures. From an apocalypse-style whole-school paintball fight to a crime family centered around the smuggling of chicken fingers, this show will not hesitate to dive into the deep end – and to take its audience along with it.

Community is a sitcom that takes place in a community college called Greendale and centers around a Spanish study group, which includes everyone from a former anarchist to a straight-A student. The school is run by the lovable but somewhat incompetent Dean Pelton, who makes a habit of appearing in the study room dressed in all sorts of crazy costumes. 

Dean Pelton is far from the strangest character. 

Let’s go around the table.

Jeff Winger plays the part of the leading man – but, in true Community fashion, he is no kind, selfless soul, hoping to help those around him and maybe get the girl along the way. Instead, he’s an ex-lawyer who lied about his bachelor’s degree and now must earn one for real in order to (re)gain his license to practice. He creates the study group to win the affection of Britta Perry. No matter what the study group is up to – from Freaky Friday to the zombie apocalypse – he always manages to be texting, even though, as Annie Edison pointed out: “Everyone you know is here!” Though he may be a little rough around the edges, he has a habit of saving the study group from self-imploding with his patented “Winger speeches.”

Britta Perry plays the part of the love interest…sort of. A former anarchist, she was forced to leave that life behind when her group disbanded. Perhaps as a consequence of her past, she constantly goes on long rants about the government, feminism, and anything she believes to be a social construct – much to the study group’s chagrin. Britta is the perpetual train wreck, and the group soon transforms her name into a verb, telling each other that they really “Britta’d that one.” She really does try her best though, and she never fails to take a stand for what she believes in – even if it’s not completely necessary.

Abed Nadir is acknowledged by the study group to be the strangest among them, which is saying something. Due to his inability to truly understand people, he uses film and pop culture as a means of expressing himself and forming connections with others. He has an extremely obsessive personality and finds himself thoroughly invested in all sorts of complicated sci-fi TV shows, especially Inspector Spacetime, a show that exists only in this universe and is based on Doctor Who. He drives many of the group’s shenanigans, constantly trying to make things more outlandish to fit certain tropes. Troy Barnes once asked him, “Do you just constantly have your own little side adventures?” Abed replied with a simple “Yep.” 

Troy Barnes was the most popular boy in his high school and the star quarterback of the football team. Now he attends Community college, and he must grapple with his new identity – but not in the way you would think. Rather than clinging to his high school glory and bullying nerds like Abed, he and Abed become inseparable, with Troy referring to him as “my other half.” Troy is arguably the sweetest character on the show, who – after his transformation – always tries to help his friends and take care of the others. He also unexpectedly has the most innocent demeanor, leading to many awkward conversations with other characters such as Shirley Bennet.

Though there are still four more characters to discuss, I would be amiss if I didn’t pause and address Troy and Abed’s relationship, which is perhaps the most iconic part of the show. Community is known for its clean break from reality, as well as the variety of outrageous hijinks that occur – most of which are driven by the fandom’s favorite duo. From switching bodies on “Tricky Tuesday” to roping the whole school into a ‘floor is lava game,’ Troy and Abed always deliver. They are perhaps the most beloved by Community fans, and their relationship is very popular.

Pierre Hawthorne is the old man of the group, and his outdated opinions are clear from the jump. Formerly in the industry of moist towelettes and the C.E.O of Hawthorne Wipes, Pierce now spends his time at Greendale as one of the many “old people keeping their minds active as they circle the drain of eternity,” as the Dean so eloquently put it. He’s often excluded from the various activities of the study group on account of his often childish attitude and offensive opinions. Despite this, the study group grows to care for him, constantly helping him get out of tough situations… that are often his fault to begin with.

Shirley Bennet decides to attend Greendale after her divorce. She often plays the part of the housewife and mother in the group. She’s also quite intimidating- for the exact same reason. Though sweet, her moral righteousness and preachiness often get on the study group’s nerves. Her two catchphrases (so to speak) are “Oh, that’s nice” and “Careful!” which sums her character up perfectly.

Lastly, Annie Edison is a class valedictorian turned recovering drug addict who’s determined to start anew at Greendale. Troy and Annie knew each other in high school – though ‘knew’ may be a bit of a strong word – and Annie seems to harbor a crush on Troy for much of the first season. Smart, dedicated, and just the slightest bit unhinged, Annie keeps the study group afloat and is the primary force behind any of the work they manage to get done. Though immature at times, Annie proves to be intelligent, capable, and tough as the series continues.

The study group is composed of these “Greendale Seven,” but there is one more key player at work: Señor Chang, the study group’s deranged Spanish teacher. From faking his own death to pretending to eat peoples’ skulls, Señor Chang is unpredictable and unreliable, but he definitely keeps the show interesting and is a driving force behind many of the show’s longer arcs. He’s an integral part of the show, but that doesn’t mean the study group has to like it.

Community has slowly risen in popularity since its beginning in 2009, and despite the TV show – which ran for six seasons – having come to a close, the story is not over yet. As Community continued, it adopted the motto that resonated with its audience and gave them hope for the show’s future: “Six seasons and a movie.” The fans took this as a promise – Community would not come to a close until it had granted its longtime fandom six seasons and a movie. The cast, crew, and producers have made good on this promise – the movie was predicted to debut in 2024; however, the 2023 Writer’s Strike seems to have pushed back the production. 

Community has found a place in the hearts and minds of many devoted fans who fell in love with its crazy cast of characters and its frequent departures from reality. Whether you’re an incompetent dean of a community college, an aloof ex-lawyer, a former anarchist, a geek, an athlete, an old man, a morally righteous mother of two, an unhinged valedictorian, a wild card, or just someone looking for some fun, Community could be the perfect show for you.