I love Abed, but I also kind of hate him. He was the cause of much of Community‘s problems during the dark days — his incessant references to Inspector Spacetime, for instance, became less a form of escapism for a character who felt lost and alone and could only relate to others through pop culture, and more HASHTAG SIX SEASONS AND A MOVIE SO META. That’s what I hate about him, when the show treats him as a flawless semi-savant. But he’s actually kind of depressing, and that’s what I love about him. And what I loved about “Bondage and Beta Male Sexuality,” too. Among other things, it was a sad, poignant reminder that no one’s at Greendale because they want to be at Greendale, save for maybe Magnitude (he seems happy enough). They’re either there because they royally messed up, or they don’t know what the hell else to do.
But it’s also about how they need Greendale.
Britta is a failed activist who isn’t ready to sell out, but also can’t take herself seriously enough to define who she wants to be. Buzz is an ex-police officer, Jeff a disgraced lawyer, and Abed, well, Abed thrives at Greendale because his friends indulge him. But not everyone in the real world is so willing — there are guys like Buzz, a real cop, out there, too, and they won’t walk around on egg shells while you walk around in a fake cyborg cop costume without saying something, especially if you mess up. Actions have consequences, and sometimes a little harshness, like getting chained to a filing cabinet, can do a lot of good.
Abed can be a great character, just as Police Justice can be a great protagonist. So long as you add some heart, and not just have them function as cold avatars for the real thing. This episode did that and was full of heart…and great Chang moments, a friendship-defining scene between Jeff and Duncan (who’s been there since the beginning), cartoon ducks (“What the hell?”), and a brilliant tag. Judging by Internet reaction, it wasn’t funny enough for some people, but I loved it, because I didn’t hate Abed.
(Very few GIFs were made from this episode, so I included some screencaps, too.)
1. Making drinking scotch in the teacher’s lounge look handsome since 2014.
2. They’re as bad as a Dane Cook movie.
4. Publishers are interested.
5. Fight the power.
6. And now crazy Abed is crazy.
7. Scotch is a motif on Community.
9. Could it be…?
10. No, it could not.
