Cooperative Calligraphy

If there was one episode I would highlight that embodies all of Community, this is it. Bottle episodes tend to feel boring and pointless to the greater plot line. Community embraces that fact to create one of the funniest episodes on television. That is exactly what Community is about, and it happens to be fantastically enjoyable to watch. 10/10. Go watch it!

(This is the thirty-third installment in an ongoing series. I am in the process of writing brief reviews of each and every episode of creator Dan Harmon's beloved cult-comedy series "Community." This project was originally conceived as a response to NBC's cancellation of the series before it was renewed for a sixth and final season on Yahoo. As this is a hobby, updates will come incrementally and it may take some time for me to complete this.)

It's intriguing how such a simple premise can yield such impressive results. But then again, this is "Community" we're talking about... so I should have expected as much. A brilliant satire of the good-old trope of the 'bottle episode', "Cooperative Calligraphy" is an absolutely refreshing blast of pure fun. It's concept is deceptively straightforward- but its execution is razor-sharp. And it easily leads to a complete laugh-riot that fans of the series will surely adore.

As the study-group disbands one day, Annie (Alison Brie) puts her foot down and stops everyone in their tracks with an ultimatum. She has been losing pens at an alarming rate, and believes someone in the group is stealing them... and she won't let anyone go until she finds the culprit! And thus, an odyssey of mayhem begins, all set within the simple confines of the study-room, as the study-group begin to turn against one-another and descend into depravity and chaos... all because of a couple missing pens. All the while, Abed (Danny Pudi) begins to make keen observations, noting the situation is all too familiar to him, as it closely mirrors a common cliché in sitcoms- the infamous "bottle episode."

For the uninitiated, a "bottle episode" is an episode of television that is often thrown-together due to a lack of budget, time or because another script has fallen through. Due to the restrictions, these episodes commonly only include main cast-members and generally take place in one or two settings. And that very much is the case here- only the entire thing is a clever satire, that for lack of a better word "makes fun" of this old stand-by. Whether it be through Abed's cheeky references to the idea, or the almost asinine reason why everyone is stuck in one place, "Cooperative Calligraphy" has a ton of fun with the idea.

It's also a great episode for comedic and character purposes, as startling revelations occur when the group begin to butt-heads, while amusing character-beats play out. Brie is just a blast and a half here, and chews the scenery in the best of ways. We also get some great moments from Yvette Nicole Brown's Shirley and Chevy Chase's Pierce, which are welcome as they are oft-underused in the grand scheme of the show.

It's a difficult episode to really delve into because of what plays out, so I won't say any more as to avoid spoilers. But suffice to say, I absolutely love this episode, and it comes highly recommended. I have no choice- it's a 10 out of 10 for me.

Annie's pen is missing and the entire episode is one plot in one room. It's okay, but hardly the second coming of Abed. It's Community at its bare minimum - literally.

How did they manage to make a mundane situation seem so intense?! I'm so glad they showed the puppies at the end!!