| "Contemporary Impressionists" | |
|---|---|
| Community episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 3 Episode 12 |
| Directed by | Kyle Newacheck |
| Written by | Alex Cooley |
| Production code | 310 |
| Original air date | March 22, 2012 |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"Contemporary Impressionists" is the twelfth episode of the third season of the American television series Community . It originally aired on March 22, 2012 on NBC.
This episode was intended to air as the eleventh episode, before "Urban Matrimony and the Sandwich Arts", but was aired as the twelfth episode because, according to Dan Harmon, "coming out of hiatus they wanted to air an episode that was more accessible to a general audience". [1] It also creates a small continuity error as a small thread of the Troy and Abed story from this episode continues in "Urban Matrimony". [2]
Jeff (Joel McHale) has started seeing a new therapist and has been prescribed anti-anxiety medication. Britta (Gillian Jacobs) worries that, without anxiety to keep his ego in check, Jeff's narcissism will grow out of control.
Abed (Danny Pudi) has been hiring celebrity impersonators to reenact scenes from his favorite movies. The other group members wonder how he is getting the money to pay them and consider telling him to stop, but Troy (Donald Glover) chastises them, reminding them that Abed has made all of their lives easier and more fun. At that point Vinnie (French Stewart), a French Stewart impersonator and the representative of the celebrity impersonator agency, arrives to collect $3,000 that Abed owes. Abed does not have the money, but Vinnie proposes to forgive the debt on condition that Abed's friends appear at a bar mitzvah dressed as celebrities. If they fail to perform, Vinnie will have impersonators of Ving Rhames and Michael Chiklis break Abed's legs.
Meanwhile, Chang (Ken Jeong) is berated by Dean Pelton (Jim Rash) for recklessly shooting a tranquilizer gun on campus. He begs the Dean for more authority and is grudgingly granted the right to hire "security interns" in exchange for college credits.
The study group arrive at the bar mitzvah in their costumes: Jeff as Ryan Seacrest, Troy as pre-cosmetic-surgery Michael Jackson, Britta as post-cosmetic-surgery Michael Jackson, Shirley as Oprah Winfrey, Annie as Judy Garland, Abed as Jamie Lee Curtis, and Pierce as "Fat Brando"—though he attempts to be perceived as Burt Reynolds instead. Chang, whose brother is the rabbi, schemes to recruit some boys as his "security interns" and the DJ, a Moby impersonator, as a substitute Dean Pelton. Many women flirt with Jeff, inflating his ego despite Britta's attempts to humble him. When Howie Schwartz, the guest of honor, receives a series of sham awards including "Most Handsome Young Man," Jeff explodes with rage, tearing his tuxedo and storming the podium to seize the award statuette. Chang shoots him with the tranquilizer gun and he blunders out of the party. Howie and the other guests mistake his outburst for an impersonation of the Incredible Hulk and are suitably impressed. Vinnie agrees that Abed's debt has been paid.
After the party, Britta finds Jeff sleeping off the tranquilizer dart on the side of the road. He apologizes for his behavior and asks if he can be her test subject for psychology class. Britta declines, saying she wants someone more normal, like Abed.
When Troy gets home, he finds Abed has hired more impersonators. Troy kicks them out, and Abed asks if Troy is mad at him. Troy equivocates, but confesses that he is mad, and insists that Abed trust his judgement in the future. Abed reluctantly agrees, and leaves to play alone in the Dreamatorium, where Evil Abed appears and encourages him to embrace his darker side.
The line in which Abed mentions that he and Troy agreed that friends never lie to each other is a reference to episode 5 of season 1, when Troy was "messing" with Abed.
A portion of "The Lonely Man," the theme from the television series The Incredible Hulk , is heard when Jeff wakes up shirtless on the side of the road after being shot with a tranquilizer dart for "Hulking out" at the party.
Chang's militaristic speech during the credits mostly parodies a scene from the film Patton , but his arm gestures resemble those of Adolf Hitler.
The episode was watched by 3.87 million American viewers with a 1.7/6 rating/share among adults 18-49, placing third in its timeslot. [3]
"Epidemiology" is the sixth episode of the second season of the American comedy television series Community, and the 31st episode of the series overall. It originally premiered in the United States on NBC on October 28, 2010 as a special Halloween-themed episode. In the episode, the Dean throws a Halloween themed party on campus. During the party, a few of the partygoers become sick from eating a hazardous substance that the Dean mistook for taco meat bought at an army surplus store. The sickness causes those affected to turn into a violent, zombie-like state that can be passed on through bites. As the study group try to escape, the Dean locks the doors, trapping them inside with the infected.
"Advanced Criminal Law" is the fifth episode of the first season of the American comedy television series Community. It aired in the United States on NBC on October 15, 2009. The episode follows Jeff attempting to help Britta after she confesses to cheating on a Spanish test, as Pierce helps Annie by composing a school song and Abed attempts to convince Troy that he is an alien. It garnered 5.01 million viewers in its first broadcast and was met with mixed critical reception.
"The Politics of Human Sexuality" is the eleventh episode of the first season of the American comedy television series Community. It originally aired in the United States on NBC on December 3, 2009.
"The Science of Illusion" is the twentieth episode of the first season of the American comedy television series Community. It aired in the United States on NBC on March 25, 2010.
"Accounting for Lawyers" is the second episode of the second season of Community. It originally aired on September 30, 2010 on NBC. In the episode, Jeff meets up with an old friend and colleague from his law firm, Alan, a spineless unprincipled character. He temporarily abandons the group to join Alan and other former colleagues at an office party, which he is invited to by Alan who wants to use him to get promoted. The study group suspects that Alan was the one who got Jeff disbarred, and set out to find the truth at the party.
"Biology 101" is the third season premiere of Community and the 50th episode of the series overall. The episode originally aired on September 22, 2011 on NBC. The episode was written by Neil Goldman and Garrett Donovan and directed by Anthony Russo.
"Competitive Ecology" is the third episode of the third season of the American television series Community and the 52nd episode of the series overall. It was originally broadcast on October 6, 2011, on NBC.
"Horror Fiction in Seven Spooky Steps" is the fifth episode of the third season of the U.S. television series Community. It first aired on October 27, 2011 on NBC and is the series' 2011 Halloween episode.
"Studies in Modern Movement" is the seventh episode of the third season of the American sitcom Community. It was originally broadcast on November 10, 2011, on NBC.
"Urban Matrimony and the Sandwich Arts" is the eleventh episode of the third season of the American television series Community. It originally aired on March 15, 2012 on NBC, with the series returning after a three-month hiatus. In the episode, Shirley's ex-husband Andre whom she has reconciled with proposes to her again. While planning her wedding, she also considers a business proposition from Pierce. The rest of the study group help Shirley plan the wedding, while Troy and Abed attempt to suppress their weirdness and act normal at the rehearsal to no avail.
"Pillows and Blankets" is the fourteenth episode of the third season of the American television series Community. It originally aired on April 5, 2012, on NBC.
"Origins of Vampire Mythology" is the fifteenth episode of the third season of the American television series Community. It originally aired on April 12, 2012, on NBC. In the episode, Britta must resist the temptation to meet up with her ex-boyfriend Blade, and Jeff tries to figure out how Blade is able to attract women.
"Course Listing Unavailable" is the eighteenth episode of the third season of the American comedy television series Community and the sixty-seventh episode overall. It was written by Tim Saccardo and directed by Tristram Shapeero. It originally aired in the United States on May 3, 2012, on NBC.
"The First Chang Dynasty" is the twenty-first and penultimate episode of the third season of the American comedy television series Community. It aired in the United States on NBC on May 17, 2012. In the episode, the group must pull off an Ocean's Eleven-style heist in order to free Dean Pelton and reveal Chang's plan. It received mostly positive reviews.
"Advanced Documentary Filmmaking" is the sixth episode of the fourth season of the NBC sitcom Community, which originally aired on March 14, 2013. The episode was written by Hunter Covington, and directed by Jay Chandrasekhar. In this episode, Abed makes a documentary about Changnesia in order to receive a research grant, with Jeff attempting to prove Chang is faking his disease.
"Basic Human Anatomy" is the eleventh episode of the fourth season of the NBC sitcom Community, which originally aired on April 25, 2013.
"Heroic Origins" is the twelfth and penultimate episode of the fourth season of the NBC sitcom Community, which originally aired on May 2, 2013.
"Celebrity Pharmacology" is the thirteenth episode of the second season of the American comedy television series Community, and the 38th episode of the series overall. It aired in the United States on NBC on January 27, 2011. In the episode, the group stages a play to discourage drug use, but Pierce's attempts to give himself a larger role derail the performance.
"Advanced Safety Features" is the seventh episode of the sixth season of the American comedy television series Community, and the 104th episode of the series overall. It was released on Yahoo! Screen in the United States on April 21, 2015. The episode also features product placement by Honda throughout the episode.
