Streets Behind: A Community Fanpod

You know what this one is. It's the chicken fingers episode, the Goodfellas episode, the one where the study group runs a cafeteria cartel. But did you know it's also the episode that gave us "streets ahead"? We didn't! We so did not remember that, and we have a whole podcast named after it. This episode has other hidden gems too like Abed's mafia diagram that lists everyone's functions and wants. Come check it out with us and find out which member of the study group is into birds and banjo music.

In this episode, the group grapples with how they perceive each other and themselves. Pierce has reached a pivotal moment with his Laser Lotus cult, and Jeff does not waste any time messing with him. In an attempt to prove she does in fact have a sense of humor, Britta orchestrates the weakest April Fool's prank of all time, which quickly cascades into criminal territory. To deal with the April 1st atmosphere of heightened shenanigans, the dean deputizes Annie and Shirley as temporary campus security. Abed takes full advantage of this terrible idea and casts them in a good-cop-bad-cop scenario where they're both trying to be the bad cop. Hang onto your tiny sombreros because this is going to be a bumpy golf cart ride.

Sandi recommends two other sitcoms that have a lot in common with Community.

Yes, that's right, the pottery episode and the sailing episode are the same episode! So, buckle up, my precious blueberries, this is going to be a weird one. Shirley captains a parking lot sailing crew on the S.S. Nose Candy. Pierce fake drowns in a parking lot...twice. Jeff makes a bad pot, which wouldn't matter except his classmate Rich makes a great pot, which sends Jeff into an insane spiral. This episode is full of a million memorable moments, including one of Sandi's all-time favorite scenes, but the real star is Tony Hale and his wardrobe of thrift-store blouses. Perfection.

In honor of Family Day at Greendale, your intrepid podcast hosts get together in person to record this one, and it's a doozy! In this episode, the chosen family of the study group brings their actual relatives to Greendale, and things go about as well as you'd expect. Like many actual families, this episode is chock full of terrible decisions. Pierce tricks his estranged step-daughter into visiting, she tricks him out of a ton of money, and Jeff tricks himself into thinking he's not hurt when Professor Slater breaks up with him. Britta tries to convince Troy that his awful grandmother is actually charming. (Spoiler alert: Britta is wrong.) Abed's dad shows up to tell Shirley she's a bad mom. The whole thing goes sideways at a Pictionary tournament, and of course, it all ends with a school dance.

In this mini episode we take a deep dive into the billiards poster in Coach Bogner's office as well as some of the other amazing stuff hiding in the background of Season 1 Episode 17 - Physical Education.

Matthew and Sandi had different initial reactions to this one. Matthew thought it was pretty meh but Sandi goes outside of her slang comfort zone to call this one an absolute banger. Who was right? Who was wrong? Tune in to find out and to hear all about Jeff's epic billiards battle, Abed's quest to win over his secret admirer, and Britta's bagel problem. If you're a Danny Pudi fan, do not miss this one. Abed plays so many amazing roles, including a surprisingly convincing Don Draper. Also, stay tuned for an upcoming mini bonus episode where we take a deep dive into the billiards artwork in Coach Bogner's office.

In this bonus episode your co-hosts try an experiment - is it possible to talk about politics without getting political? Do we cover every issue? Heck no, but we chat about how it feels to have a midwestern teacher on the national political stage and why we'd like to see more of a Community school spirit in politics. Hopefully, anyone at Greendale, no matter what their politics are, would feel welcome to join the conversation.

It's Valentine's Week at Greendale, and you know what that means - it's a dance episode, people! The theme is ostensibly romance, but really this episode is all about friendship. While the Cupid Being wanders around campus delivering valentines (oh, now it has arrows, that's safe), the study group members are all finding ways to get out of their comfort zones and come through for each other when things get weird. Britta and Jeff exchange drunk dials, which almost tanks Jeff's relationship with Professor Slater until Britta swoops in with the save. Abed stops being a detached observer and steps up when Jeff needs a drinking buddy. After Chang humiliates Pierce and Troy, Annie and Shirley decide to prank Chang in return. It goes horribly wrong, of course, and just when they're about to confess, Pierce and Troy take the fall instead and face the punishment - accompanying Change to the dance in elegant ladies' pant suits. This is a can't-miss episode of Community, and dare we say, of this pod? Share it with the friend you'd want at your side if you had to go on a date with Chang.