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Community Season 2 Episode 14

Advanced Dungeons and Dragons

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AIRED: Feb 03, 2011

7.5

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Episode Summary

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Jeff and the group are concerned for a classmate under ridicule -- "Fat Neil". In order to lift his spirits, they organize a game of Dungeons & Dragons and each take on a role. Pierce finds out he wasn't invited to play, so he forces his way into the game to spite the group.moreless

TV.com Episode Review

Community Strikes a Critical Hit

And with the gang's role-playing adventure against the evil Pierce Hawthorne, a legendary episode is born...

By Tim Surette, Feb 04, 2011

Fan Episode Reviews (9)

Final Fantasy

10

By sh811a, Feb 06, 2013

I'm a fan of fantasy and RPG's, RPG's are facinating because their a game of storytelling, where you really have to make up the story and what your character does as you go along. It's really not so much about action but both imagination and interaction. Yeah, this episode is another fav of mine, it's one of those ones that I never thought in a million years would be made on TV, but finally someone had the guts to finally do this.

It kinda reminds me of the amatur indie films "The Gamers 1 and 2" from Dead Gentlemen. Only in those films they kept jumping from the real world to fantasy, here it's purely focused on the real world. This episode one again almost feels like a bottle episode since everyone is simply in one room and their all just sitting on a table talking; you wouldn't think anything like this would work but it does and it was great it was almost like hearing an audio play.

I really loved how the RPG game aspect was handled, this episode was defenantly well researched and all have the elements in RPG's. The pacing, music, and sound effects were great. But most importantly the dialog which was hillarous and engaging, just how it was delivered and simply what they said to one another. All these things really made what we were seeing feel like an epic adventure even though no one in the real world is actually going anywhere.

I liked how they handled the Neil character making us actually care about someone we don't really know (though he did become somewhat of a cult hero latter on). I couldn't help but completely sympathize with him because he just seems like that outsider we might have passed by and not gave a second thought to. A person that has been a target of undeserved scrutiny. And I like the fact that Jeff is trying to help him, once again despite his flaws he supprisngly does have a strong sense of humanity and that deep down he really doesn't want to be selfish. Abed was great as the Dungen Master leading everyone, he has some of the best lines and I just love the fact he's playing different roles depending on the sittuation in the game.

Pierce is good as the villian, it makes sense he would turn to villiany, due to his selfish and crude nature it was bound to lead him on a bad path. He's funny but also comes off a bit unlikeable to the point I almost want to knee cap him.

Anyway the gaming portion is excelent, I just love the dialog and how everyone reacts as things are going . There are a lot of great moments, I'll just say a couple of them, Jeff actually acting pasionate about the game and determined to get the sword back for Neil along with the rest of them. But my favorate and hillarous moment was seeing Annie or should I say her charcter Hector seducing the female elf played by Abed. I'll admit it was funny, starange, a little erotic since Annie and Abed look as though they get into more detail then necessary, as well as awkward (well not really since Annie plays a boy and Abed a girl, more of a gender and orentation condrum).

The only bad thing about the episode is Sherley, she has nothing to do, it's like her purpose is to simply just be there which I think is lame. But oh well I can easily overlook this.

But overall a great episode, sometimes an epic journey can be a lot closer than you think.moreless
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Loved seeing a DnD episode, but there were some major flaws

9.0

By Mischa, Dec 16, 2011

Highs:

- Study group playing DnD.

- Chevy Chase's evil plans. He was excellent as the antagonist of the game.

- Abed as the DM was pretty cool. I'd love him as a DM with his extensive tv knowledge I think he'd be particularly good at creating an engaging narrative.

- Not much Chang. I'm not a fan of him as a student and I was glad he didn't get much time in this episode.

Lows:

- The premise was about helping "Fat Neil" because Jeff felt guilty about starting the nickname. Jeff is mean to everyone, I didn't think it was very plausible that he'd go so far out of his way for someone he really doesn't know.

- Chang's night elf... not really offensive, but not worth it eithermoreless
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This episode wasn't funny.

2.0

By DebraMcClure, Dec 09, 2011

This is true of what passes for comedy on most of the network's sit-coms. I watch Community occasionally because of the talented comedian, Ken Jeong. He wasn't in this episode long enough, but the decision to put him in "blackface", was borderline offensive. Comedies that have as their premise the ridicule of the morbidly obese are just cruel. It would be like making fun of a retarded person. And Chevy Chase trying to be funny while simultaneously being mean is not a good comedic device - at least not for him. A "Bill Murray" may have been able to pull it off. And Dungeons and Dragons, except for a very few, is neither interesting or humorous.moreless
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I got the point of the episode BUT I think Pierce was too nasty and I think Chevy Chase's acting skills have gotten pretty bad.

6.0

By babygreens, Nov 25, 2011

I understand the point of the episode, but there was no reason for Pierce to get so nasty with Neil. Yes, Pierce felt left out for not being invited to the game, but the show went overboard with repeating "Fat Neil" over and over, and putting Neil down in many other ways. I don't understand why no one in the study group won't kick Pierce out. He offers little if anything to the group, and honestly, Chevy Chase offers little if anything to the show.

Chevy Chase used to have excellent timing and he was very funny. Aside from the material being cruel and mean, he just cannot deliver lines like he used to. I don't understand why he's on "Community." It's an established show and trust me, viewers are not tuning in to see him!moreless
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Instant classic of epic proportions!

10

By friendsrulez, Nov 21, 2011

Can you believe 90% of the episode involves characters sitting around some pushed-together tables to TALK could be so unfailingly funny and heartwarming? One of the riskiest things ever done in a primetime comedy...oh man, did they just pull it off so spectacularly.

As a teacher in training, I am acutely aware of bullying and emotional health issues in an educational setting, and so it was awesome to see how the characters dealt with issue.

Yes, we were presented with the most extreme bad side of Pierce ever (and it'll be interesting to see how this is addressed in future episodes), but would the episode have worked as well if there wasn't just a high stake for playing Dungeons and Dragons?

The social issue was a personal highlight for me, but of course it was the comedy platinum that made it instant classic of epic proportions.

Here are comedic highlights in no particular order (I'm just naming them as I think of them)

1)Cold opening/woman's narration who turned out to be a janitor

2)Drow aka Blackface Elf Chang

3)Britta and her Hermione Granger turn about inequality of social status

4) Of course, the funniest thing ever shown on TV, Annie's seduction of Abed

4) Abed's Dungeon master, maiden elf, and various other characters he had to take on

5) Troy's oblivinious, and insistence on board game and Jenga

6) Jeff still trying to be cool playing the game

7) Although Shirley didn't get a moment to shine, her presence and reactions and small utterances would have been sorely missed in her absence

One final ponderment: how much different was the pre-production table read of the first draft compared to what we saw on TV? i mean, come on, all the characters did was deliver lines around a large table?moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Joel McHale	Jeff Winger
Gillian Jacobs	Britta Perry
Alison Brie	Annie Edison
Danny Pudi	Abed Nadir
Donald Glover	Troy Barnes
Chevy Chase	Pierce Hawthorne

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Charley Koontz	Fat Neil	Recurring Role
Erik Charles Nielsen	Garrett	Recurring Role

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Episode Photos

Danny Pudi as Abed on Community from the...

© 2011 NBC Universal, Inc.
Joel McHale as Jeff and Alison Brie as A...

© 2011 NBC Universal, Inc.
Charley Koontz and Joel McHale on Commun...

© 2011 NBC Universal, Inc.
Danny Pudi as Abed and Gillian Jacobs as...

© 2011 NBC Universal, Inc.

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (0)
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- ADD TRIVIA from this episode.
QUOTES (1)
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- Shirley: Can you just give Neil a new sword?
  Fat Neil: That sword is one of a kind. It was forged by my ancestors.
  Pierce: I hump it.
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NOTES (2)
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- The Seattle Symphony Orchestra played a special arrangement of the show's theme song for this episode.
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- Original International Air Dates:
  Canada: February 3, 2011 on Citytv,
  Sweden: October 1, 2011 on TV6,
  Czech Republic: January 30, 2013 on SMICHOV,
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ALLUSIONS (1)
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- Abed explains that he created "Hector the Well-Endowed" for Troy. In Greek mythology, Hector was a Trojan prince and a respected warrior.
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