Community & more Gillian Jacobs
It's Saturday, and the majority of our TV viewing time over the past two weeks has involved rewatching Community, after the series recently appeared on Netflix. Our household is split in terms of how much of the show we've seen. My brother has seen all of it except the final season. My brother's girlfriend has never watched the show before. I've seen most of the first three seasons (although in this rewatch, it all feels fresh and new because it's been YEARS). My boyfriend has seen parts of season one. And my parents have been going to bed before the four of us even start watching. The show is a fun, fantastical and friendship-filled escape. Here are some of my favorite episodes from the first season and a half that we've watched so far (so this list does not include the best episode ever, Remedial Chaos Theory), as well as two other Gillian Jacobs-inspired picks.
My favorite Community episodes from the first season and a half
Pilot: The series starts strong with an excellent pilot episode that sucks you in and introduces you to the characters, their flaws and their desperate desire for a sense of community (see what I did there). Also get ready to be re-surprised because John Oliver is in this show.
Debate 109: This is one of the first episodes where we real dive into Annie's personality, as she and Jeff are forced to team up for a debate competition. And because I ship the two of them together, I love it.
Modern Warfare: It's the first of many paintball themed episodes! Expertly directed by Justin Lin, who goes on to direct movies in the Fast & Furious franchise, its action-movie style makes it TV perfection.
Accounting for Lawyers: We hear Jeff reference his past life as a lawyer, but this is the first time we actually dive deeper into that world. It's fun to watch his current study group pals interact with his awful former colleagues, and there's a funny bit of Annie, Troy and Abed breaking into someone's office.
Basic Rocket Science: When almost the entire study group gets locked in a space flight simulator, they have to work together to find a way out and travel back to Greendale in time for the launch party. It features an homage to Apollo 13 and allows Donald Glover to take the lead and steer the group back to safety. He is consistently impressive throughout the show.
Epidemiology: Probably best not to watch this one right before bedtime... in the second Halloween episode of the show, Greendale students end up eating some sort of mysterious drug that turns them into zombies. There's an incredible ABBA soundtrack flowing through all the scenes, as the show spoofs the horror genre, and it's amazing.
Conspiracy Theories and Interior Design: Featuring one twist after another, the episode involves conspiracy theories come to life and some fake bullets. And that's all I can say.
Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas: This episode is ENTIRELY stop-motion animated, and once you've let that sink in, it's a snarky and heartwarming holiday episode that takes place in Abed's head. His friendship with Troy is one of my favorite parts of the series and they get several cute moments in this one.
A darker Gillian Jacobs comedy also on Netflix
After watching Gillian Jacobs consistently shine in Community, I also began rewatching the Judd Apatow-produced Love. Gillian plays Mickey, a drug, alcohol and sex/love addict, who meets Gus, a "nice guy" who works as a tutor on the set of a ridiculous CW-esque drama. They fall for each other. They clash in arguments that make you struggle to decide who is right in each situation. And the show picks apart each character's flaws, digging into Mickey's manipulative tendencies and Gus' tendencies to excuse all of his bad behavior because he's a "good" guy. Despite the show's dark undertones and serious subject matter, it's also very funny, thanks to a stellar cast (shoutout to my favorite character Bertie, played by the hilarious Claudia O'Doherty) and smart writing that pokes fun at the TV industry and the dating world.
A movie about two best friends, starring Gillian Jacobs, Leighton Meester and her real-life husband Adam Brody
Yes, such a movie does exist! It's called Life Partners and it seems to be available Paige (Gillian Jacobs) and Sasha (Leighton Meester) are best friends who do everything together. When Paige falls for someone (Adam Brody), she and Sasha drift apart. It's a realistic and heartbreaking look at the effect of falling in love on friendships. And it's fun to see Leighton Meester and Adam Brody's characters spar and then bond, as the two most important people in Sasha's life.
