Community/Recap/S2/E11 Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas: Difference between revisions

[[File:abeds_uncontrollable_christmas_9929.jpg|frame|<small>From left to right: Teddy Pierce, Baby Doll Shirley, Troy Soldier, Abed, Christmas Wizard Duncan, Ballerannie, Britta-Bot, and Jeff-in-the-Box.</small> ]]

 

 

It's Christmas time again for the study group when Abed announces that everything's in [[Stop Motion]] animation. The group, suitably worried, take Abed to Professor Duncan for therapy. Though Abed at first rejects this, he's tricked into going to the study room for a group therapy session...which he immediately turns into a magical trip through the mind, Willy Wonka-style.

 

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* [[Alas, Poor Villain]]: {{spoiler|Professor Duncan and Britta. Especially Britta, as she honestly did try to help Abed}}.

* [[All There in the Manual]]: [http://www.tvsquad.com/2010/12/08/dan-harmon-community-christmas-episode/ This interview] with Dan Harmon (warning: spoilers for upcoming episodes) explains the reasons why Abed chose those toys to represent his friends:

* [[Break the Haughty]]: Abed does this to Duncan, making him relive his tenth Christmas with his dad nowhere to be found.

** [[Break the Cutie]]: {{spoiler|Duncan later does it to Abed, using his mother's absence.}}

* [[The Cast Showoff]]: Somewhat averted; Alison Brie, who sings a bit in real life, was asked to tone down her performances because people would find it unrealistic that Annie is a good singer. Played straight with Yvette Nicole Brown, who belts her section of the song.

* [[Christmas Episode]]

{{quote| '''Britta-Bot:''' If ''only'' he could find the power to not be a smug douche.}}

* [[Deconstruction]]:

** It also deconstructs the "true meaning of Christmas" by saying that the true meaning is that Christmas has whatever meaning we impose on it - thus meaning there is no "true" meaning.

* [[Designated Villain]]: Britta mostly, but Duncan too. Granted, he was trying to help Abed for his own purposes, but he ''was'' trying to help him. And what Abed was doing ''isn't'' healthy.

* [[Disappeared Dad]]: Apparently, Professor Duncan had one.

* [[Dwindling Party]]: Only {{spoiler|Pierce}} manages to make the trip with Abed to the North Pole. [[Battle Royale With Cheese|Everyone]] comes back in the end though.

* [[Food Porn]]: [[The Tag]] involves Troy imposing stop-motion on reality again for the sake of delicious-looking fake food.

** The episode's last scene shows the group watching a Christmas special on TV. In the final shot, the screen on the set goes blank and we briefly see a reflection of the characters in live-action form, signifying that Abed's breakdown has finally ended.

* [[Funny Background Event]]: As Dean and Duncan drink together, the gang breaks into the holiday-zone and steals the tree. Then Shirley comes back and takes the menorah.

* [[Jerkass]]: Duncan is less interested in helping Abed than in getting a paper published on his delusions, making the enabling of Abed's delusions less worrisome and more heartening instead. And towards the end of the episode, even these self-interested-yet-mildly-benevolent intentions appear to be replaced by simple spite towards Abed {{spoiler|for reminding Duncan how crummy his own Christmases were as a kid}}.

** [[Jerkass Woobie]]: He becomes a lot more sympathetic once we see how unhappy his own Christmas' were after his dad left.

* [[Medium Awareness]]:

** Abed sees that they are all in stop motion. Nobody else does - until the end credits, when {{spoiler|Troy}}goes into it.

* [[Missing Mom]]: The reason that Abed's trying to find the meaning of Christmas.

* [[Musical Episode]]: Abed breaks into song several times. The entire gang gets in on it by the end. Reluctantly.

{{quote| '''Abed:''' I'm on the roof of the train!<br />

'''Duncan:''' Oh, great! Well... I'm teleporting there! Because I can do that! I'm a wizard! }}