Community

Season 1

Pilot

1. The pilot marks the first time Abed utters, "Cool. Cool cool cool." He says this while writing on the sign-up sheet for the "study group".
2. In what would soon become Shirley's catch phrase, Yvette Nicole Brown admitted in an interview that her first utterance late in this episode of "That's nice!", as a response to a line spoken by Jeff Winger, was not actually scripted. In fact, she didn't even say it in character; cameras were still rolling between takes when the actress herself responded to something Joel McHale (not Jeff) had just uttered. Apparently, the editors thought it would make a charming cutaway within the scene, and the writers would add the line to future scripts.
3. A cover of the song "Don't You (Forget About Me)" by Simple Minds plays during the final scene. The band performing the cover is L.A. based rock band The 88, the same band that plays "At Least It Was Here," the theme song of the series.
4. Danny Pudi is half-Polish and 1/16th Filipino, as he himself stated for a Community promotional ad that aired on Fox Philippines.
5. When Abed mentions that it feels like "Stripes", this is a reference to the name of Joel McHale's character on the show, Jeff Winger. Bill Murray's character was named John Winger and was the inspiration for Dan Harmon to name the character.
6. Pierce Hawthorne introduces himself as one of the Hawthornes responsible for Hawthorne Wipes. In real life, Chevy Chase - who plays Pierce - is in the Crane family. Chevy's ancestor, Richard T. Crane, started the Crane Co., a major manufacturer that today makes everything from fiberglass to vending machines, though it originally began as the provider of plumbing fixtures.
7. Troy says, "Man, you just wrinkled my brain", referring to the once-held belief that learning something new caused wrinkles in the brain. This was debunked long ago and it's now known that the "wrinkles" (really grooves and ridges called sulci and gyri, respectively) we're born with stay the same throughout our lives.
8. The 88's cover of "Don't You (Forget About Me)", which plays at the end of the episode, is a reference to "The Breakfast Club" (1985), which uses the original version of the song by Simple Minds at its ending. This is because of Abed likening his life to the movie throughout the episode.
9. Britta was born on October 19, 1980 which makes her 29 at the start of the show. In real life, Gillian Jacobs was born on October 19, 1982.
10. Chevy Chase makes a reference to knowing the Dalai Lama. This is a call back to "Caddyshack" starring Chase.

Spanish 101

1. Contains the first of many hilarious post-credits scenes featuring Troy and Abed. They run from 30 to 90 seconds long and became a favorite feature among fans of the show.
2. Troy and Abed's conversation is as as follows:"Hola. Me llamo Abed." (Hello, my name is Abed.)"Hola. Me llamo Troy." (Hello, my name is Troy.)"¿Donde está la biblioteca?" (Where is the library?)"La biblioteca esta en la ciudad." (The library is in the city)."Gracias" (thank you)
3. Troy jokes that Pierce "is like 30" years older than Jeff. His estimation is close; Chevy Chase (Pierce) is actually 28 years older than Joel McHale (Jeff).
4. When the students pull the cards from under their desks, the envelopes and card back bear 3 stripes: green, white, and red, respectively. The Mexican flag is green, white, and red, but has a large emblem of an eagle biting a serpent, flying above a cactus and laurels, that occupies the center of its white section. As the white section is empty, that means Professor Chang used the Italian flag for their cards and envelopes.
5. Jeff's entrance is a homage to Happy Days as he mimics the 'Ahhhhh' and stance of Henry Winkler's 'the Fonz'.
6. In a scene near the end, Chevy Chase's character is called "Amigo" (friend). Chevy Chase starred in "The Three Amigos" back in 1986.

Introduction to Film

1. Abed's father telling Jeff to "Go host American Idol (2002)" is one of many Ryan Seacrest jokes that will be made at Joel McHale throughout the series.
2. Pierce expresses surprise that Shirley isn't Troy's mother. Yvette Nicole Brown (Shirley) is only 12 years older than Donald Glover (Troy).

Social Psychology

1. The statue of actor and Greendale alumnus Luis Guzman is visible in the background during this episode even though its official unveiling does not take place until the next episode, Advanced Criminal Law.
2. Professor Duncan's (John Oliver) incompetence as a psychologist is even more apparent with his explanation of his experiment. By talking about the Id and the Ego, etc, he reveals that his "Duncan Principle" is founded on Freudian theory, which is largely discredited in modern psychology, which is founded primarily in Behaviorist theory. Basically, even if he tried to publish his experiment, it would amount to almost nothing and get him almost zero recognition anyway.

Advanced Criminal Law

1. Troy tells Abed that he's related to Danny Glover. Troy is played by actor Donald Glover and although not related to Danny Glover, it's often assumed.
2. Chevy Chase can play piano, drums, and saxophone.
3. Jeff says that compared to community college, he's Alan Dershowitz. Alan Dershowitz is a famous attorney who was part of the "Dream Team" that got O.J. Simpson acquitted of murder; he also got Claus von Bülow acquitted of murder and defended Patty Hearst, Jim Bakker, and Mike Tyson. He's also part of the defense team for Harvey Weinstein who - as of 2019 - faces dozens of allegations of rape, sexual harassment, and sexual abuse.
4. Abed shares many traits with Autism Spectrum Disorder, such as not being able to read social cues, which makes understanding sarcasm difficult.
5. When Abed says that Troy invented rap music this was a subtle hint towards Donald Glover's (Troy) career as a rapper known as Childish Gambino.
6. Pierce's song about Greendale includes a line about students learning air conditioning repair. The Greendale Air Conditioning Repair Annex eventually becomes part of a major story arc in season 3.
7. The trial takes place in Borchart Hall. In the season 5 episode 'Basic Story' it is revealed that Russell Borchart was the man who founded Greendale. This character is played by Chris Elliott in the following episode.

Football, Feminism and You

1. First episode where the Dean walks into the study room with the group.
2. Jeff tries to talk Troy into playing for Greendale's football team. Joel McHale was a walk-on player at the University of Washington football team in 1992. His position was tight-end.
3. Alison Brie (Annie) says to Joel Mchale (Jeff), " you made me, an 18 year old girl, cry in front of people!" Brie at the time of this episode was in fact 26 years old, 8 years older than her character.
4. In the teaser, Abed says that he overplayed his gimmick the previous week and can probably "lay low for an episode". He later walks by in the cafeteria eating a banana, then isn't seen again until the end credits.
5. Troy comments that the Dean looks like Moby. In season 3 the Dean is replaced by a Moby impersonator as part of Chang's plot to take over Greendale.

Introduction to Statistics

1. Shirley mentions a movie with Gerard Butler "where he holds a heart over his wiener", referring to The Ugly Truth (2009). Yvette Nicole Brown, who plays Shirley, played Dori in that movie.
2. Bunny Levine plays Chevy Chase's mother. In real life she's only 15 years older than him.
3. When Pierce (Chevy Chase) hears his mother's voice on his phone, she mentions she has "seen his father's ghost." Later in the series, (Season 3, episode 8, "Advanced Gay") Pierce's father appears, very much alive.

Home Economics

1. During this episode, Abed, played by Danny Pudi, speaks Polish with his Polish floormate. In real life, Pudi is half Polish and speaks it fluently.
2. When Pavel comes into Abed's dorm room, Abed says, in Polish, "Czesc kolega, to jest Britta," which translates to "Hi buddy, this is Britta". Later on in the scene, Abed says "siadaj" which means "sit down". Later on in the episode, Jeff says he is heading back because Pavel's making "babka," which is a traditional Slavic sweet yeast cake, usually served during Easter.
3. Jeff (Joel McHale) attempts to make money by apparently selling Spider-Man comic books; McHale appeared in Spider-Man 2 (2004).
4. The movie posters in Abed's room are Back to the Future, Back to the Future 2, Short Circuit 2, Batteries Not Included, Stand by Me, It Came from Beneath the Sea, and Vibes.
5. Britta says that slovenly, college-bum Jeff has "a real Phil Spector vibe going". Spector was one of the most influential producers in 1970s rock and roll. In 2009 during his second trial on charges of murdering actress Lana Clarkson, Spector looked truely unhinged and demented, and was generally perceived as a habitual and dangerous abuser of women.

Debate 109

1. The debate scenes were shot at a local high school gym. During filming, the school was put under lock down for a possible active shooter situation and the crew and cast were held in the gym for several hours.
2. A subplot where Annie shows signs of attraction towards Simmons was dropped when the high level of chemistry between Annie and Jeff made itself apparent during filming.
3. The episode title "Debate 109" is a bit of an in-joke, as it's the ninth episode of the first season, or episode 1.09.
4. The debate coach tells Jeff that he is offering a chance to drink from the cup of life, "rather than romancing your nether regions in front of the E! Channel." Joel McHale, who plays Jeff, has hosted The Soup (2004) on E! Channel for many years.
5. Due to the limited time the production was able to use the gym, most of the close up shots were done later at the studio.
6. Troy asks if his character in Abed's movie is crying because he listened to Come Sail Away again. In Season 5, Troy leaves Greendale to sail away across the world.

Environmental Science

1. When Jeff (Joel McHale) and Señor Chang walk out of the class room, they run into Britta (Gillian Jacobs) in the hallway, while laughing and saying, "cherry daiquiri". Cherry Daiquiri is the name of the stripper Jacobs played in the movie Choke (2008).
2. The storyline involving Troy & Abed's rat includes numerous references to the 1986 animated classic "An American Tail." They named their rat after the main character in the film, a mouse named Fievel. Also, the movie centers around Fievel getting lost and his family trying to find him, just as Troy & Abed have to find their lost rat. Finally, the song they sing to him is "Somewhere Out There," which is sung in the film and received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song.
3. Dean Pelton is seen watching an online video of someone dressed up as a dalmatian and says "This better not awaken anything in me". Since this we have seen the Dean collect, use, and wear many dalmatian themed items.
4. In this episode, Pierce helps Shirley with public speaking by using a sandwich-themed method. Later in the series, Shirley and Pierce open a sandwich shop in the school.

Politics of Human Sexuality

1. As Abed warns about the defective condoms on the PA, a couple in the background hears him and throws away the condom they are holding. Nine months later, in the "The Psychology of Letting Go", Abed helps that same couple give birth in the background.

Comparative Religion

1. Troy says that he is a Jehovah's witness. In real life, Donald Glover grew up as a Jehovah's witness.
2. Folks are bringing food to Shirley's 'Christ uber alle' party and she says, 'Oh, hash browns and applesauce, that's nice'. Annie has brought potato Latkes with sour cream and applesauce, perhaps the most traditional of all Hanukkah treats.
3. Throughout the episode, references are made that it's not Christmas Day, but rather December 10th, which is the day this episode aired.
4. While the guys are having lunch, Pierce says regarding Anthony Michael Hall's character "I know guys like this Mike, used to be a nerd now he's a meathead." In numerous 80s John Hughes films (National Lampoon's Vacation, Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, & Weird Science) Anthony Michael Hall was repeatedly cast as a nerd, but bulked up and was eventually cast in more muscle head, bully type roles (Johnny Be Good, Psych, and now this role in Community).
5. Guest star Anthony Michael Hall played cast member Chevy Chase's son in National Lampoon's Vacation (1983).
6. In real life, Danny Pudi is Roman Catholic.
7. In this episode, Shirley urges the others to sing along to "Jesus is a Friend of Mine," a 1981 song by Roman Catholic pop band Sonseed, made ever more popular in 2008 when an old video of them performing the song became a hit on YouTube.
8. At the beginning of the episode when the cast is discussing their respective religions, Britta asks Pierce if he's sure he's not in a cult, to which he replies, "Just by asking me that you've put me back down to a level 4, you now owe me 2000 Energon cubes". Energon is the primary power source for the Transformers franchise, often depicted in cube form.
9. In the Pilot, Abed references and quotes The Breakfast Club (1985). Anthony Michael Hall, who guest stars in the episode, plays Brian in The Breakfast Club.

Investigative Journalism

1. When Britta and Annie square off in their cheerleader outfits, the Spanish vocabulary words on the chalkboard behind them ("pelear, pecado, pecho, pechuga, peligro") translate as "to fight, sin, chest, breast, danger." The word above them, "strazio," is Italian and means "torture" or "torment."
2. Abed mentions how Hawkeye of M*A*S*H kept his humor and charm "even in the 11th year of the Korean war". While the TV show M*A*S*H lasted 11 seasons, the actual Korean War barely lasted 3 years.
3. When Buddy starts reading out Spanish phrases in the study room, he says "Dónde estás la biblioteca" and "Dónde estás al restaurante" instead of "Dónde está la biblioteca" and "Dónde está al restaurante." As opposed to the common textbook phrases "Where is the library" and "Where is the restaurant," what he says actually translates to "Where are you, library" and "Where are you, to the restaurant." Although this may seem like an accidental error, the mistakes may well have been intended to show Señor Chang's inability as a teacher to impart even the most basic elements of Spanish grammar to his students.
4. The shirt that Buddy wears depicting Kung Fu is a nod to the actor, Jack Black, who starred in a Kung Fu film around the time this episode aired.
5. When Buddy (Jack Black) says, "I'm strong. And I can kick," he is imitating the actions of Crispin Glover during a notorious appearance on David Letterman.
6. The Greendale Community College campus map behind the desk in Jeff's office bears an uncanny resemblance to the actual campus layout of Los Angeles City College, site of several scenes that were shot at that location for this series.
7. Only appearance of Owen Wilson.

Interpretive Dance

1. The end of this episode features a song by Kate Nash. Kate Nash and Alison Brie would both go on to costar in the Netflix series GLOW (2017).

Romantic Expressionism

1. Dan Harmon's "story circle" can be seen on the chalkboard behind Pierce as he's work-shopping Kick Puncher jokes. The "story circle" is used by the writers to outline every episode of Community. Harmon even uses it for the throwaway jokes. The circle consists of eight steps: 1) A character is in a zone of comfort, 2) but they want something. 3) They enter an unfamiliar situation. 4) Adapt to it. 5) Get what they wanted. 6) Pay a heavy price for it. 7) Then return to their familiar situation, 8) having changed.
2. The writing team that help Pierce (Chevy Chase) have worked with Donald Glover (Troy) in other projects like Mystery Team and College Humor videos.
3. WILHELM SCREAM: Heard as Abed, Prof. Chang, Pierce, Shirley, and Troy watch the movie "Kick Puncher".
4. Chang is drinking a can of Olde English 800 that has been changed to Olde British 800.

Communication Studies

1. As Abed joins Jeff in drinking, he says "na zdrowie!", which is Polish for "to your health!"
2. The dancing that Jeff and Abed do while drunk is a parody of the same dancing done in "The Breakfast Club".
3. First time the word "Beetlejuice" is said!

Physical Education

1. Britta's pronunciation of "bagel" is also how Dan Harmon pronounces it in real life.
2. When Abed pretends to flirt with Annie, he impersonates the character Don Draper from Mad Men (2007). Alison Brie, who plays Annie, also appears as a regular on Mad Men.
3. When Jeff knocks over the bagels, Abed says 13, instantly counting the bagels, similar to Raymond in Rain Man (1988). This scene and several comments throughout the episode, as well as the group's subplot, furthers implies Abed is on the Autism Spectrum.
4. "Werewolves of London" by Warren Zevon playing during the pool sequence is a direct nod to the film The Color of Money (1986) where the song plays during one of the billiards competitions as well, keeping with the theme of 80s pop-culture references.
5. Troy says to Abed, "You should be more like Calvin. His best friend was a tiger and he went on dope adventures..." In season 4 episode 2, "Paranormal Parentage," Abed and Troy would dress up like Calvin and Hobbes for Halloween.
6. The credits Troy and Abed segment is a homage to Bert and Ernie from Sesame Street

Basic Genealogy

1. Jeff comments on the TV show Glee (2009). Guest star Iqbal Theba plays a regular character on Glee.
2. According to the DVD commentary for this episode, guest star Fran Bennett was in reality an influential acting coach for series star Alison Brie.
3. Nana (Fran Bennett) was the only member of Troy Barnes' family to be portrayed in the show.
4. At the end of the episode, Jeff confesses to Pierce that he really hates the show Glee. One big reason that cast members make disparaging remarks about Glee throughout the series was both shows were in the same competing time slot.

Beginner Pottery

1. When Abed says Jeff is "Goldbluming", referring to actor Jeff Goldblum, Jeff unintentionally impersonates Goldblum. This is a reference to Goldblum's 1986 movie The Fly (1986).
2. Jeff notices Rich's license plate is New Mexico and remarks 'long way from home' - while the show takes place in Colorado, the state directly north of New Mexico.
3. Lee Majors, who plays Admiral Slaughter, once guest starred on The Love Boat (1977).

The Science of Illusion

1. Pierce's napkin drawing of the Greendale Human Being can be seen hanging up behind Dean Pelton's desk.
2. First "Troy & Abed in the morning".
3. Shirley calls Annie "Hannah Montana". Alison Brie guest starred on Hannah Montana (2006) in 2006.
4. When Leonard says "baba booey" into the intercom, it is a reference to "The Howard Stern Show".

Contemporary American Poultry

1. Annie's Boobs, Troy's pet monkey, is introduced. Annie's Boobs is played by Crystal the Monkey. Crystal the Monkey was named one of tv's highest paid actors in 2012, commanding $12k per episode, and starred in films such as Hangover II, Dr. Dolittle, and the Night at the Museum trilogy.
2. When Abed says "As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be in a mafia movie." This is a reference to the famous line "As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster" from Goodfellas (1990).
3. This episode is the first instance of the phrase 'streets ahead' being used, said by Pierce Hawthorne, portrayed by Chevy Chase. The phrase is common among fans of the show.
4. The scene where everyone is kissing Abed's hand is a parody from the The Godfather (1972), where Michael Corleone's caporegimes are seen kissing his hand.
5. One of the episode's many mobster movie references is when Troy closes the door on Jeff, which mirrors the moment in "The Godfather", when Al Neri shuts the door on Kay.
6. Annie Edison's Star-Gate article about Star-burns' chicken fingers is written in Latin.

The Art of Discourse

1. Lisa Rinna guest stars in this episode and Jeff says something about her being on the reality show "Real Housewives". She is now on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (2010), although she wasn't when the episode aired.
2. When talking about how the group has lost their "scapegoat," Pierce, Abed says "We've lost our Cliff Clavin. Our George Costanza. Our Turtle. Or Johnny Drama. Or E." Cliff Clavin was a character on Cheers (1982), George Costanza was from Seinfeld (1989), and Turtle, Johnny Drama, and E were all from Entourage (2004), hence Abed's comment "Man, that show is sloppy."
3. The fraternity that Troy and Abed pledge is Omega-Theta-Rho, O-Th-R, or other.
4. At the closing sequence it says "Britta Perry proud owner, used iPod Nano, 2014". Britta actually got an used iPod Nano as a legacy from Pierce in 2014 in episode "Cooperative Polygraphy."

Modern Warfare

1. The highest rated episode of Community along with Season 3 Episode 4, "Remedial Chaos Theory".
2. The first of many paintball-centric episodes, each shot in a much more cinematic, action-film format than the typical episode. Directed by Justin Lin, acclaimed director of high-octane action films such as Star Trek Beyond (2016) and several installments in the Fast & Furious franchise. He directed two other episodes prior to this one.
3. Chang's "death" is a direct parody from "Predator" (1987)
4. Parodies "Die Hard", "The Warriors", "The Terminator", "Predator", John Woo and zombie movies.
5. When Chang enters the study room to attack Britta and Jeff, a Chinese-language song plays. The lyrics are from a famous Chinese poem entitled "Yi Shui Ge" ("The Song of the Yi River") written around 227 B.C. The English translation is: "The wind soughs and sighs, alas / The Yi River is chilly / The hero leaves, alas / And will not return."
6. "Sam and Diane" was a reference to Cheers, which began airing before Annie was born.

English as a Second Language

1. Troy mocks Abed for using a line from Good Will Hunting about wishing that his best friend would suddenly disappear. In the film, the line is spoken by Ben Affleck who also co-wrote the script. Earlier in the season, Jeff mentions that Ben Affleck winning an academy award for screen writing (which was for Good Will Hunting) was absurd.
2. Troy's ability to fix plumbing problems, despite no training, is a parody of the film "Good Will Hunting" in which Matt Damon plays a character who has a brilliant mind for math despite having no formal education.
3. After Shirley (Yvette Nicole Brown) says "Dile, Troy" (Tell her, Troy!), Pierce (Chevy Chase) says "Tierra Del Fuego" (Land of fire). Tierra Del Fuego is a Province from Argentina. Its capital is the southernmost city in the world (Ushuaia).
4. Pierce mistakenly calls Annie recording all the Spanish classes a "spoiler alert" instead of saying "nerd alert." However it is a spoiler alert, in that it alerts everyone to the fact it was Annie who was able to hear about Chang not having a degree and turn him in.

Pascal's Triangle Revisited

1. When Dean Pelton is announcing the nominees for "Transfer Queen", he mentions the name Danielle Harmon. The creator of the show's name is Dan Harmon.
2. Starburns yells "Bring Conan back!" during the dance. Dino Stamatopolous, who plays Starburns, was a writer for Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993).