film / tv / substack / social media / lists / web / celeb / pajiba love / misc / about / cbr
film / tv / substack / web / celeb

Screen Shot 2014-01-24 at 8.08.40 AM.png

How Last Night's 'Community' Totally Britta'd Troy's Goodbye. That's Right. We're Taking It Back.

By Joanna Robinson | TV | January 24, 2014 |

By Joanna Robinson | TV | January 24, 2014 |


Last night was perfect, wasn’t it? It had all the joy and zingy pop references of “Modern Warfare” with much higher emotional stakes. What I appreciated most about the episode was that it not only highlighted what we’ll miss (Troy and Abed…also just Troy), but also what we can look forward to. If the show just focused on the dissolution of the show’s strongest pair, we’d leave it feeling a little shaky about the future of Season Five. How can the show survive without both Chevy and Glover? But the show smartly accomplished two things. a) It gave us a deeper appreciation for Prof. Hickey who makes contraptions and has a son who is getting gay married and is not above shoving a girl when this is all over. b) It gave us the old Britta back. I was just whinging last week that Britta had become a parody of herself. That her very name had become code for “the worst.” But in this episode Britta got to be right and strong and the damn hero. It was a relief to see that role belong to someone other than Jeff.

But of course, since this is Golden Age Harmonian Community, the episode accomplished all of that while also being insanely fun. Though it revisits some of the themes we’ve seen before from paintball episodes, Lava World felt fresh and exciting. Here’s a complete glossary of terms from the episode to help navigate your rewatch.

To Britta: To be the best. We’re taking it back.
tumblr_mzwt1riI481r6w4h8o1_250.giftumblr_mzwt1riI481r6w4h8o2_250.gif

Burny Touch: Garrett’s term for lava.

Burton, Lavar: Troy’s guide on this journey, the Al to his Dr. Sam Beckett.
tumblr_mzvz03u6T71r11goho1_500.png

Centipede-ing: A very slow way to move about using chairs.

Chair Walkers: A much more efficient way to move about using chairs and duct tape chiefly employed by Hickey and Britta’s people.

Clone Abed: Just like Original Abed but missing his wild emotionality.
tumblr_mzvtw1QFtG1rd1qi0o2_500.png

Clone Hug: The part where I started to cry.

Clone Troy: Just like Original Troy but lacking fear of Lavar Burton and possessing some traits of the garden variety homing pigeon.
tumblr_mzvtw1QFtG1rd1qi0o1_500.png

Come Sail Away: A beautiful call back. That, of course, was Aimee Mann covering Styx and giving everything that additional emotional Magnolia kick.
tumblr_mzwmphxUok1r7fahjo2_r1_250.giftumblr_mzwmphxUok1r7fahjo1_250.gif

Cirque Du So Long You High-Stepping Acrobastards: The very best pun-laden taunt of the night.
tumblr_mzwaay9T2I1qfjduoo1_500.gif

Floor, The: The answer to “who’s there?”
tumblr_mzvzc1xUNv1qawxnko5_250.giftumblr_mzvzc1xUNv1qawxnko6_250.gif

Floor Strider: Chang’s term for Troy and Abed. Anyone, I suppose, who is not a Locker Boy.
tumblr_mzvyyfEf381rdgk7xo1_r1_250.giftumblr_mzvyyfEf381rdgk7xo2_r1_250.gif

Four-Legged Diamonds: aka Chairs.

Hey Seat Feet, Chair To Dance?: The second best pun-laden taunt of the night.
tumblr_mzvyv2whaf1qcmbd6o1_250.giftumblr_mzvyv2whaf1qcmbd6o3_250.gif

Inch Worm-ing: A medium-slow way to move about on chairs.

Jib-Jabbing: What you do not want your cloning machine to do.

Lava Joust: Unclear. Jeff and Annie had no lava lances.
tumblr_mzvsjtpaNN1ru72puo1_400.gif

Locker Boys: Chang’s allies. A terrifying cross between the Lost Boys and The Rogues from Warriors. They’re motivated by M&Ms.

Nathan Fillion: Chang’s same-sex crush. Yours too, if you’re being honest.
tumblr_mzvv9s7ai01t8wt7mo1_250.giftumblr_mzvv9s7ai01t8wt7mo2_250.gif

Now Now Time, The: Garrett’s term for, um, now.

Orb, The: aka Shirley’s Island. In a cool, Keyser Söze way.
tumblr_mzvyeo94vH1svw14do1_r1_500.gif

Planet Trek: The much more appropriate name for Star Trek.
tumblr_mzwh52E8Jc1r7fahjo3_250.giftumblr_mzwh52E8Jc1r7fahjo4_250.gif

Plastic Gold aka Chairs.

Pop Pop: An expression used by Magnitude, British exchange student.

Reverse Danny Thomas: I don’t know! And I watched Make Room For Daddy on Nick At Nite all the time!!! The reverse Dick Van Dyke? That one I’d get.

RUUUUFFFIIIIOOOOOO: Chang’s obvious fash-inspiration.
rufio.jpg

Scootenany: aka scooting.

Shirley Island: aka The Orb…not in a lame Jewel Of The Nile sort of way.
tumblr_mzw1jm2g6b1rsve92o1_500.gif

Sofa Hopper: Annie’s term for Britta’s strategy. Derogatory.

Stick Feet: aka Chair Walkers.

Sweet Momma Mahogany, Feast Your Feet On That Stack Of Sticks: The third best pun-laden sentence of the night. Sorry, Annie.

Vapors Of Magmorath: I have no f*cking clue. I love this show.