Thursday, June 27, 2013

Jenn's Pick: Top 10 Episodes of "Community"


It is a truth universally acknowledged that I love Community. If you have ever doubted, even for a moment, that I do… well, picture me wildly gesturing to the entirety of this blog, mmkay? What’s difficult about a series like Community, however, is the process of narrowing down one’s favorite episodes. My top three favorite episodes of the-little-show-that-could are pretty much set in stone, but others fluctuate more wildly. There are so many wonderful stories and threads of stories that weave throughout the course of four years. And when you sit and contemplate which of these are “favorite”-worthy, it becomes quite difficult to narrow those choices down and squeeze them into ten slots.

I always have a tendency to over-think and over-analyze nearly everything in my life. It’s a great trait in certain circumstances, but rather detrimental in other aspects (such as attempting to choose your favorite episodes or moments of a television series). Nevertheless, I am ready for the challenge and will explain, throughout the remainder of this post, why I chose the ten episodes that I did! So if you’re ready, don that Greendale t-shirt and find your purple pens to make your own lists. Because we’re about to embark on a journey through MY ten favorite episodes of Community!


10. “Cooperative Calligraphy” (written by Megan Ganz)



Bottle episodes, I imagine, are one of the most difficult kinds of episodes to write. For me, they would be near-impossible. But Megan Ganz (with her first writing credit on the series) managed to intricately balance the dialogue, jokes, stakes, and tension necessary to successfully execute a bottle episode. And that’s why “Cooperative Calligraphy” cracks my top ten favorite episodes.

I’ve always admired Ganz, mostly because she seems to have a strong grasp on each individual character. And nothing, truly, exemplified this more than her work in “Cooperative Calligraphy.” Bottle episodes isolate characters and force them into a concentrated area together. “The One Where No One’s Ready” from Friends is an oft-cited example of a bottle episode, and a darn good one at that. In it, Ross is attempting to get everyone ready to leave for an important event at his museum. No one is behaving the way that he desires and as the minutes tick away, the tension between the characters begins to build until finally Ross just snaps at Rachel and his friends.

What drives a bottle episode? Two things come to mind, really: dialogue and tension. When characters are free to roam a campus or a city, their fights – while existent – are usually less severe than they would be if they were crammed into a tiny apartment or locked study room. The combination of a small, enclosed space and rapid-fire dialogue is what truly makes a bottle episode what it is at its heart. Characters ALWAYS confront one another during these types of episodes. Habits and quirks that were previously un-annoying become downright unbearable when forced to remain in a small space. Characters say and do things that they usually wouldn’t, which makes for both a hilariously interesting half hour of television, but also a rather telling on in terms of characterization.

Ganz did everything right with “Cooperative Calligraphy” – rapid-fire jokes, snark, witty banter, and a beautiful Winger speech to take us home. And that’s why she makes it onto my top ten!

9. “Basic Lupine Urology” (written by Megan Ganz)



Funnily enough, Ganz claims both the tenth and ninth spot on my top ten Community episodes list. This time, she makes it onto the list because of her season three episode “Basic Lupine Urology.” What makes for a successful homage, I have found (and this will be reiterated throughout this post) is a combination of emotional stakes and dedication to the film/series being homaged. Ganz chose to frame “Basic Lupine Urology” around the demise of the study group’s Biology experiment. In doing so, she constructed an homage to one of her favorite series, Law and Order.

Here’s why, in a nutshell, “Basic Lupine Urology” was so successful and why it lands in my top ten: 1) it presented the study group characters as themselves. Too often, writers attempt to stretch their characters to fit those in an homage. But Jeff, Annie, Troy, Abed, and Shirley fell naturally into their respective roles. While Troy and Abed were playing characters the entire episode (a testament to their characters, might I add), Shirley assumed the tough, commanding officer role that she had adopted in “The Science of Illusion.” Similarly, Jeff naturally returned to his role as a quick-thinking lawyer, with Annie falling into step with him as his partner. What I loved about the Jeff/Annie aspect of this story was how illuminating “Basic Lupine Urology” in terms of these two as individuals. Jeff, constantly seeking to lawyer his way out of trouble and usually unafraid to throw others in his path, actually defends Starburns, a guy he cannot STAND. Jeff, under Professor Kane’s advice, sticks to his moral code. Annie, conversely, is the one who nearly falls off the wagon – she is willing to sacrifice Todd’s reputation for an A in the class. In a turn of events, rather than Annie acting as Jeff’s moral conscience, Jeff acts as HERS and reminds her of the type of person she is, of her character and convictions. He is the one grounding HER throughout the episode. That’s something quite intriguing and pretty spectacular.

When you add in Law and Order sound effects, hilarious lines, brilliant opening credits, and an ending that sucks the breath out of your lungs, it’s hard to understand why anyone WOULDN’T put this episode in their top ten.

8. “Modern Warfare” (written by Emily Cutler)



“Modern Warfare” is perhaps the most consistently recommended episode of Community and lands in a lot of “top” lists. Truly, Community had been a wonderful little show up until this episode aired. There was nothing really WRONG with it, but – I’d argue – the show hadn’t done anything groundbreaking in its episodes.

… Until this episode. “Modern Warfare” kicks off a trifecta of episodes that could have all been the show’s season finale. I remember reading or listening to commentary where Dan Harmon and company discussed the fact that they were unsure whether the show would return, and thus created three different types of finales (which is why every one of the last three episodes feels as if it COULD be the last one): an action-packed, groundbreaking finale in “Modern Warfare”; a study group-centric episode in “English as a Second Language”; and an emotional, romantic cliffhanger episode in “Pascal’s Triangle Revisited.”

“Modern Warfare” took a HUGE risk in its conception and execution. But it was an action-packed paintball war episode that captivated its audience and had every element that a fantastic action movie would. The writing was solid, peppered with humor in spite of the shoot-outs and dramatic camera angles, so that we truly believed that each of our study group characters could be transformed into an action hero as they battled one another for priority registration.

Plus, a note in the script says, specifically, that when Jeff removes his shirt he displays the “arms that make women watch the show,” and that ain’t half bad neither.

7. “Pascal’s Triangle Revisited” (written by Hilary Winston)



The reason that I began watching Community in the first place was because Jaime had freaked out, via Twitter, over “Pascal’s Triangle Revisited” as she watched it live. I didn’t understand the game-changing moment that she was referring to, but she encouraged me to marathon the series and then I might understand her excitement. I agreed, because Jaime was my best friend and she hadn’t steered me wrong yet. (Imagine if she hadn’t pestered me – you would likely not be reading this right now!)

“Pascal’s Triangle Revisited” is the first season finale of my beloved sitcom, and it’s a doozy. Jeff is caught in a love triangle between ex-girlfriend Slater and one-time-lover and god friend Britta while Troy tries to convince Abed to let him move into his dorm, Pierce laments being left out, and Annie decides to move to Delaware with hacky sack-playing boyfriend Vaughn. Jeff – poor, unsuspecting Jeff – gets two declarations of love from Slater and Britta at the end of the night in the cafeteria and cannot return either of them, so he runs away… and straight into Annie. The young woman admits that she, too, ran away: she just couldn’t actually “live in the moment” and ride off into the sunset with Vaughn. After a heart-to-heart in which both admit that they really don’t know WHAT they want, Jeff says that he is glad Annie is staying at Greendale. The two embrace and then… well, Annie kisses Jeff. It’s quick and when Annie pulls away, Jeff is staring at her, dazed, and Annie is looking very unsure of herself until Jeff just goes for it and kisses Annie with more determination and passion than we had seen throughout the entirety of the episode.

That kiss remains tied for my favorite television kiss (sorry, Jeff/Annie but “Cooler” happened this year and, well, Nick/Jess) because it was unexpected, passionate, and made sense for each of the characters. “Pascal’s Triangle Revisited” was truly a spectacular episode all-around – it impeccably balanced three important storylines, giving weight and gravity to each character and their decisions as they ended their first year at Greendale. The jokes were solid, the episode featured the return of some of our favorite supporting characters (Duncan, Leonard, Garrett, etc.) and threw a brilliant cliffhanger wrench into our expectations. And that is why it falls so high on my list of favorite episodes!

6. “Regional Holiday Music” (written by Steve Basilone and Annie Mebane)



A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away, I loved Glee. I’ll freely admit that I was enraptured, first season, with the show. The songs were solid, the acting was fantastic, and the characters were unique and intriguing. I felt empathy for them. I don’t have to tell you what happened next – the quality of writing declined (it really took a nosedive, actually) and Glee went from “Must-Watch” to “Would Rather Bang My Head Against a Desk Repeatedly Than Watch” faster than you can hum the chorus of “Don’t Stop Believin’.”

So when I heard that Community would be doing a Glee-style parody for their Christmas episode, I was elated. And truly, “Regional Holiday Music” did not disappoint at ALL. It pinpointed everything about Glee that was absurd, while still making sense to the story as a whole. In the episode, Abed is intent on making the group’s Christmas less dark than their year has been, and that includes recruiting the group to join the winter musical led by a charismatic choir director named Mr. Rad (played by the amazing Taran Killam), a parody of Mr. Schue from Glee. What I noted a few paragraphs above regarding homages rings true for parodies as well – writers cannot simply write a parody for parody’s sake; there need to be stakes and real emotional investment in order to make the episode fully click on every level. Basilone and Mebane created a beautiful and HYSTERICAL parody episode, but they did more than that – they made us feel invested in the lives of these characters throughout, made us ache for Abed, and made us cry when the study group came through for him at the end, singing “The First Noel.”

This episode was the final episode before a long and dark hiatus, and it holds a very special place in my heart because of that – because it was an episode we laughed at together and cried at together, not knowing exactly when Community would return. But “Regional Holiday Music” is more than just sentiment – it is heart, it is friendship, and it is love. That is why it makes my list of favorite episodes.

5. “A Fistful of Paintballs” (written by Andrew Guest)



Part one of the two-part, paintball-fueled second season finale, “A Fistful of Paintballs.” kicks off my top five favorite episodes of Community for a variety of reasons, most of which revolve around Annie Edison. I absolutely and positively love Annie’s portrayal throughout the episode. She is heralded as the “Ace of Hearts” for a reason – she, as it turns out, is the one hold-out in the study group when they voted whether or not to allow Pierce to remain in the group. SHE is the one constantly defending him against Jeff and against everyone else. And Annie is Pierce’s favorite, too – he cares about her more than anyone else in the study group; she’s the only one to whom Pierce bestows an ACTUAL thoughtful gift in “Intermediate Documentary Filmmaking.” And Annie begins the episode defending him, arguing with Jeff that by excluding him, they are causing him to act out.

When Annie is nearly shot in the group’s Anthropology classroom by The Black Rider, she tries to defend herself, using the weapons that Pierce returned to her, Jeff, and Abed. When Jeff and Abed heroically rescue Annie from the mystery villain, Annie realizes something integral about her gun and Jeff’s gun – it’s filled with blanks. That sends Annie – normally calm, rational, and collected – into a tailspin, which culminates in a standoff between her and Pierce in the cafeteria. That moment, to me, was so powerful because up until then, Annie had believed in Pierce and saw the best in him. She wanted to protect and defend him because no one else would. And that is SUCH an important part of Annie’s character that was highlighted in this episode. She may be sentimental, but that doesn’t make her weak. She may be caring and kind, but that doesn’t mean she’s dependent on others to do things for her. And she may be trusting, but that doesn’t mean she’s stupid.

“A Fistful of Paintballs” was so spectacular because it was Annie’s episode – she truly shone throughout it, taking charge of her own destiny and exhibiting just why she is my favorite character in this series.

4. “Debate 109” (written by Tim Hobert)



“Debate 109” is an episode that set the Jeff/Annie train’s wheels in motion, and with good reason, too: it was chock full of tension that culminated in a pretty awesome kiss. And though Jeff/Annie is a big part of why I love this episode, I also realized that I adore it for the same reasons you’ll see noted when I discuss “Football, Feminism and You” – cohesive storylines.

The debate episode features a few major storylines that periodically intersect – Jeff is recruited by Annie to join the debate team once her partner drops out; Britta is trying to quit smoking and enlists the “help” of Pierce as her hypnotherapist; Troy and Shirley spend the entirety of the episode convinced that Abed is a witch who is able to predict the future once the group finds out about Abed’s videos for his film class. All of these storylines intersect organically; it doesn’t feel forced to have the characters cross paths throughout the episode.

Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t actually discuss the epic Jeff/Annie storyline in this episode. I think that everything Community did right in its exploration of romantic relationships it did in this episode. Recognizing the on-screen chemistry between Joel McHale and Alison Brie, the writers decided to kick the Jeff/Annie chemistry up a notch by exploring the physical attraction these characters have to one another. While the kiss is an awesome moment in and of itself, my favorite moments in this episode occur prior to that, in the study room.

Jeff is trying to prep for the debate, after his first attempted speech failed miserably, with Annie assisting him. Both recognize some important truths about themselves – Jeff realizes he has to learn to buckle down more; he realizes, thanks to his failure at the debate the day prior, that he won’t always be able to skate by with his old lawyering smarm. Annie, conversely, is reminded by Jeff that she CAN learn to go a bit “off-book” sometimes, instead of being a “robot debater.” When Annie pauses to reflect on this, she realizes that Jeff is right – she examines the clothes she’s wearing and her hair, which is pinned back like a librarian. She takes her hair down, with Jeff watching (transfixed, might I add) and smiles, asking: “What do you think?” Jeff (STILL TRANSFIXED and – as I only noticed when I saw a GIF of this – Jeff’s eye-line is level with Annie’s. He’s making complete and total eye contact with her until, just briefly, his eyes actually flicker over her hair), can only add: “Yeah.”

Shirley comes into the study room, declaring that they should be careful because Abed (showing Shirley his next video) believes Jeff and Annie will kiss. The pair laugh off the notion as ridiculous, but then make eye contact and the tension resettles, so thick that you would probably need a chainsaw to cut it. Later at the debate, Annie grabs Jeff’s face and kisses him to win the debate. But it’s really quite evident from the eager way Jeff kisses back, dropping Simmons to the ground (proving Annie’s point that man is evil), and moving toward Annie that the kiss was anything but “simply business” for Jeff. As Annie and Dean Pelton celebrate Greendale’s win, Jeff is left standing, clearly dazed at what just happened.

And really, this was the point of no return for Jeff and Annie – things could never be quite the same in their relationship, but for me that is okay. (Until we get to the later seasons in which the way Jeff/Annie is handled is definitely NOT okay but… well, moo point, right?) ;)

3. “Football, Feminism and You” (written by Hilary Winston)



We’re now headed into my top three episodes of all-time for Community, and receiving the solid bronze medal is an episode from the first season – “Football, Feminism and You.” I tell this story a LOT, but I might as well share it again: I didn’t love Community when I first started watching it. I, to be honest, wondered when it would get as “good” as Jaime claimed it was. I waded through the first few episodes, chuckling at some gags and one-liners, but not really connecting with the stories or characters.

But “Football, Feminism and You” changed that. The first moment I ever TRULY laughed out loud at was the conversation between Jeff and Troy on the football field. That moment is when I fell in love with Community and never looked back. This episode forever remains one of my favorites, in spite of the fact that it is not remotely flashy, not an homage, and contains no shirtless Jeff Winger (darn). But it’s an episode that clicks on every level – the jokes are solid, the storylines are numerous but woven and overlapped so brilliantly, and the characters grow and learn from each other by the episode’s end.

This episode contains the following plots: a Jeff/Dean subplot, a Jeff/Annie subplot, a Jeff/Troy subplot, a Shirley/Britta subplot, and a Dean/Pierce subplot. Annie overlaps the Shirley/Britta story, as well as the Jeff/Troy one, as well. Despite the flurry of activity, the episode never feels rushed or hurried. Pierce comedically helps Dean Pelton design the Greendale school mascot, but still interacts with Jeff. Troy and Jeff focus on football, but the athlete still has scenes with Annie. Shirley spends the episode with Britta, and the feminist learns the importance of going to the ladies’ room with other women and with showing vulnerability and respect in there. That lesson comes to a head when she consoles Annie, who has just been slighted by Jeff for her involvement in the Jeff/Troy story.

… Keeping up?

What’s beautiful and brilliant about this episode, too, is that each character learns something. Britta learns the importance of opening herself up to relationships with other women. She’s never had female friends before, so she’s unaware of how to navigate that territory. And while Shirley encourages her to be sweet and soothing toward Annie, Britta instead provides encouragement to the younger woman via a more “tell it like it is” attitude which… actually helps Annie. Meanwhile, Jeff spends the entire episode trying to get Dean Pelton to remove flyers around the school that have his face on them, worried that “someone from the outside” would get a hold of them and realize his failures. The dean blackmails Jeff – he’ll destroy the flyers IF Jeff can convince Troy to join the Greendale football team. Jeff’s motivations throughout the episode are extremely selfish and he hurts people (mostly Annie) in the process. Later, at the football game, Troy talks to Jeff about his behavior. Rather than become stuck in the past and reliving his old life, Jeff should embrace the future – that’s what Troy did. He has no pressure, playing for the Greendale football team. And he loves that.

We also get a nice Jeff/Annie moment at the end – “Milady?”/ “Milord.” – which was the first instance in the series in which I became a fan of their relationship. Yes, romantically I do adore these two together. But much more than that, I genuinely adore their friendship and wish we saw more of that. Elsewhere in the episode, Pierce helped Dean Pelton design the most terrifyingly gender neutral, race neutral mascot for Greendale. And it was amazing. I love stories in which Pierce gets a chance to shine, comedically, and this was one of them.

“Football, Feminism and You” is one of the most well-written and well-rounded episodes, in my opinion. It proved that Community could be funny, heartwarming, and cohesive without being absurd. And THAT is why it lands in my coveted top three.

2. “Conspiracy Theories and Interior Design” (written by Chris McKenna)



I saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 on the same night that “Conspiracy Theories and Interior Design” aired. I remember this quite vividly, because I had texted Jaime after the episode aired, insistent that she watch it as soon as possible. She was waiting in line for the movie in New York and texted me (a lot) during the wee hours of the morning when she finally returned home and had the opportunity to watch.

This episode is nearly entirely Jeff/Annie and Troy/Abed. The opening scene of “Conspiracy Theories and Interior Design” features the study group but quickly dissolves into an episode focusing on two of the show’s primary pairings. In the episode, Troy and Abed decide to build a blanket fort… which quickly takes over the entire school. It is an epic blanket fort city, and nearly the entire campus becomes quickly involved in its construction. Elsewhere in the episode, Dean Pelton claims that he was looking over Jeff’s transcripts and noticed a course that he believed to be a fraud. Intrigued and slightly upset at Jeff for faking a few credits out of sheer laziness, Annie embarks with them to discover whether or not Jeff was telling the truth.

In the next twenty-some minutes, the pair embarks on an elaborate chase throughout the school to try and determine exactly who the mysterious “Professor Professorson” is and what he’s doing at Greendale. The reason that “Conspiracy Theories and Interior Design” receives the silver medal in my heart is two-fold: 1) I love well-written Jeff/Annie stories. This episode was one that focused a lot on their friendship and how well they work as a team (a la “Debate 109”). Additionally, it provided some real, raw moments for the pairing. Annie went off-book (I’m sensing a pattern there) and angrily confronted Jeff about their kiss the year prior. She claims that he “buried [her] like a shameful secret.” Jeff’s face is very telling, then: though he knows their scripted interaction was part of a ruse, THIS moment was real. And his pained expression truly broke my heart. Finally – we all know where this is going – at the end of the episode, Jeff admits that he’s proud of how Annie handled their adventure, especially the parts she improvised. And as the blanket fort tumbles down around them, Annie leans in closer to Jeff and the two lock eyes, faces inches apart. Suddenly, the “Debate 109” tension has returned.

I was really pleased to see Jeff and Annie carry a storyline as well as they did, and was even more impressed that it had humor, heart, drama, and action peppered throughout it. The whole episode felt very Inception-y, with numerous twists and turns so that you actually had to THINK while watching the episode. It was penned by the amazing Chris McKenna who, ironically, also wrote my favorite episode of Community ever.

And my favorite episode of Community, to date, is…

1. “Remedial Chaos Theory” (written by Chris McKenna)



It’s no surprise to a lot of you, I am sure, that “Remedial Chaos Theory” claims the top spot on my list of favorite Community episodes because there’s a good chance that it also claims YOURS. Before the episode even aired, I read a summary of the plot and tweeted Dan Harmon, wondering whether or not the episode was comparable to a “Choose Your Own Adventure” series. He replied: “I think it has that kind of appeal.”

From that moment forward, I knew I would love it. And what “Remedial Chaos Theory” does and does very well is execute this notion that everything we do in life has a consequence, good or bad. And what this episode did successfully is what I feel “Heroic Origins” attempted to accomplish: provide the audience with the lingering question of “what could have been.” For “Remedial Chaos Theory” the premise is relatively simple – what would happen if one member of the study group left the room to get pizza? How would the lack of that member impact the story of the remainder of the group? And what – most importantly – happens when the person who is absent is the one who is supposed to be the leader?

“Remedial Chaos Theory” is an episode that, for about nineteen minutes or so, revolves around events that never actually happen. And that in and of itself is pretty brilliant. The episode focuses on six different timelines, all of which have a “constant” of sorts: Shirley is always baking; Annie is always taking care of Jeff; Pierce always tries to be included; Abed is always referencing other timelines; Troy is always trying to be a grown-up host; Britta is always trying to sing “Roxanne.” These timelines, while never actually existing, our integral in understanding the innermost thoughts and feelings of our main characters. For example, there are numerous Jeff/Annie and Troy/Britta romantic moments throughout each of the timelines. As the episode progresses, these moments become more intense (culminating in a Jeff/Annie passionate kiss and subsequent fight). What’s so intriguing about the concept of other timelines is not just the idea that the decisions we do make affect our lives, but also the idea that the decisions we never make but WANT to also impact us and our subconscious. Those small, thin threads that weave in between the timelines are present because they are true. And Abed notes this at the end of the episode – there are few things that he will always know to be true about his friends: Shirley will always be given; Annie will always be driven; Britta will remain a wildcard, and Jeff will always be conniving.

But Jeff will always need the study group and at the end of the episode – back in the prime timeline – Jeff leaves to get the pizza. When he returns, the study group is singing and dancing together; they’re living and laughing without him. So while it may not be plausible, in Jeff’s mind, for him to live without the study group, they (as we see) function without him. It’s stirring and kind of sad, even though I know that’s not exactly how the scene was intended to be interpreted.

Nevertheless, “Remedial Chaos Theory” is constructed so intricately, so beautiful, and acted so superbly that it absolutely my favorite episode of Community. There hasn’t been anything else on television quite like it, and – to be honest – I don’t think there ever will be again.

So there are my golden ten episodes, darling readers! Do you agree or disagree with my choices? What  does YOUR Community top ten list look like? Hit the comments below and let me know! And, as always, have a wonderful week. :)

2 comments:

  1. I discovered this blog a few weeks ago, by virtue of my always looking for anything Community-related on the Internet, and this is definitely a Community-related blog I will keep finding my way back to. Like you, I am also a fan of Jeff-Annie, and it is nice to discover Community coverage that roots for those two AND offers thorough critical analysis (there is only so much satisfaction that GIFs can give).

    Anyway, on to my own Top 10:
    1. Remedial Chaos Theory - Could it be anything else?
    2. Virtual Systems Analysis - After I saw "Remedial Chaos Theory," I thought, "I never knew Community could be that good." After I saw "Virtual Systems Analysis," I thought, "I never would have thought whatever that was could have ever existed." An episode that gets better and better the more I think about.
    3. Critical Film Studies - An homage to My Dinner with Andre. AN HOMAGE TO MY DINNER WITH ANDRE.
    4. Paradigms of Human Memory - Probably the funniest half hour of Community thus far.
    5. Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas - The most likely episode of Community to make me cry.
    6. Conspiracy Theories and Interior Design - An episode that just does not let up.
    7. Regional Holiday Music - Perhaps it strains credulity a bit, but the songs are terrific, and there are some moments that are as sexy as they are funny.
    8. Documentary Filmmaking: Redux - A love letter to Greendale, and a beautiful analysis of Dean Craig Pelton.
    9. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons - One of the best portrayals of depression on television I've ever seen - in an episode that was a game of D&D!
    10. Cooperative Calligraphy - The best - and most entertaining - fights are the ones you have with the people you love, trapped in a room you can't leave.

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    1. Aww, welcome to the blog Jeffrey! Thank you for reading and for the compliments. I truly enjoy (perhaps a bit too much) analyzing episodes of "Community" and the Jeff/Annie pairing in general. I've discovered a LOT more about the show by looking at it with a critical eye, so it's been a real joy to be able to have this outlet to do so.

      That's a fantastic list! All of those episodes are so wonderful and so inventive, too. :) Thanks so much for sharing!

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