Community: 10 Unpopular Opinions (According To Reddit)

Though it never had the high ratings that some other popular sitcoms enjoyed, Community has nevertheless earned a reputation as one of the most beloved shows of the 21st century. The quirky characters and ambitious storytelling allowed it to become a cult hit with a passionate fanbase.

Like all fanbases, when fans start sharing their opinions of the show online, there are some opinions that are shared by the majority as well as those less popular opinions. Taking a look at Reddit, it’s easy to find many unpopular opinions about Community, from characters to specific episodes to the series as a whole.

10 Shirley Was The MVP

The show was always very much an ensemble piece that relied on its very talented main cast. But even though the spotlight was shared, there are always certain characters people think are the best of the bunch. For some, they preferred the arrogant and sarcastic charm of Jeff Winger while others liked Troy Barnes’ adorable immaturity.

However, there are some fans who think the real MVP of the show is also its most underrated character – Shirley Bennett. One Reddit user, u/ReflexImprov, admitted Yvette Nicole Brown’s performance was the main reason they stuck with the show in the beginning, and Shirley is the most consistently funny character.

9 Buzz Hickey Should Have Stayed

As the show continued, many of the original cast members began to leave the show, which meant new characters were brought in as replacements. When Chevy Chase’s character of Pierce Hawthorne left, Buzz Hickey was the older character who served as his replacement.

Only sticking around for one season, Buzz is not a memorable character in the eyes of most fans. However, some saw him as a perfect addition to the cast and one of the best characters on the show. People like u/BlackoutWB, lament that Buzz’s time on the show was so brief.

8 Dictator Chang Was A Bad Storyline

Dan Harmon, the creator and showrunner of Community, was fired following its third season. The show went on without him until Harmon was hired back for the fifth season. His return was celebrated by fans who felt the show got back on track with its ambitious storytelling.

One of the main storylines of the fifth season involved the character of Chang taking over Greendale Community College as a dictator. But while most were happy to have Harmon back, others like u/hlg64 felt this was one of the show’s worst storylines.

7 “Intro To Felt Surrogacy” Isn’t So Bad

Though there are plenty of episodes in the series that fans love unconditionally, there are the occasional duds as well. One particularly derided episode is the season 4 entry, “Intro to Felt Surrogacy” which features the main cast as puppets.

Many considered this episode to be a forced attempt and is ranked as one of the worst episodes in the series. But the episode does still have some champions, including u/running-tiger, who maintained the hate for the episode is misplaced and praised its gimmick as effective.

6 Vaughn Is An Underrated Character

Along with the main cast, there are also a lot of side characters floating around the college that have become fan-favorites. Some of the most beloved supporting characters including Starburns and Leonard.

One side character that doesn’t get a lot of love from the masses is Vaughn. Introduced in the first season, Vaughn is the love interest of Britta who later dates Annie. Despite being forgotten by many, u/EkajArmstro and others consider him one of their favorite characters.

5 Chang Was Better As Supporting Character

When he was introduced in the first season, Professor Chang, the Greendale Spanish teacher, quickly became one of the most popular supporting characters. He was a wild and hilarious chaotic character who often added an extra specialness to an episode.

Over time, the popularity of the character grew to the point that he was made a member of the main cast. However, some fans like u/TheFacelessForgotten thought that was a mistake. They insisted the character worked far better in small doses.

4 Troy And Britta Was A Good Pairing

Like any sitcom, it was inevitable that some of the main characters would start forming romantic relationships. First, it was Jeff and Britta, then it was Jeff and Annie. Both of these relationships worked out to a certain degree, so the show tried to make Britta and Troy work.

Fans were not pleased with this couple and the show seemed to sense that quickly leading to an abrupt end to the romance. While u/HoraceJ-PowerRanger admits the execution wasn’t great, they and others felt it was a couple with a lot of potential.

3 Jeff And Shirley Should Have Been A Couple

While some fans discuss their favorite couples that appeared on the show, others contemplate the couples that might have been. There are a number of possible pairings that never came about, but Jeff and Shirley as a couple is one not many people had in mind.

Despite there being no hint of a romance between these two characters throughout the series, fans like u/Reevesy14 were rooting for them. Some fans noted the chemistry between the characters was strong and made for some of the best moments in the show.

2 The Show Was Better With Low Stakes

Community was known for its insane storylines that allowed the show to play around in different genres. Most famously, a campus-wide paintball fight results in an action movie-inspired episode. As the show went on, those gimmicks started to get larger and more ambitious.

While most people enjoy high stakes in their entertainment, some Community fans felt it was misplaced. Folks like u/BalonyDanza thought the lower stakes made the comedic elements seem more outrageous and the show eventually got bogged down in trying to go bigger.

1 Season 4 Deserves More Credit

When Dan Harmon left the show, many fans felt it took a drastic nosedive in quality. Many of the lowest-ranked episodes of the series come from season 4. It is widely regarded as the worst season and felt like a poor attempt to copy the show’s unique humor.

But not everyone is so against the fourth season. Some fans think the hatred for it is unfair and bewildering. While most fans were thrilled when Dan Harmon returned for the fifth and sixth seasons, u/quokka29 is one of the few fans who prefer season 4 to those later seasons.

About The Author

Colin McCormick
(2032 Articles Published)

Colin McCormick is a Senior Writer with Screen Rant and has been a proud member of the team since 2019. In addition to his work as Screen Rant, Colin is also a writer of News, Feature and Review pieces at Game Rant. Colin has had a long passion and obsession with movies going back to the first time he saw The Lion King in theaters. Along with movies, Colin stays up-to-date on the latest must-see TV shows. While he loves to find interesting projects in any kind of genre, he has a special movie of crime stories that are infused with a little dark humor much like the work of his favorite author, Elmore Leonard.

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