Reed Kavner

The Internet Makes TV Better

This is kind of awesome. Even if you’re not a “Community” fan, check this out.

1. On Thursday an episode of “Community” aired. The episode, “Remedial Chaos Theory” explored several different parallel timelines.

2. A really perceptive viewer Tumbled his theory that events in the prior episode are clues that timeline we are lead to believe is “real” is not.

Last night’s Community featured seven different timelines based on the roll of a die.  They led you to believe that the final timeline was the real one, but I don’t believe this to be true.  Here’s why.

1. The episode begins with a brief argument about whether Troy and Abed live in apartment 303 or 304.  This episode was season three, episode four.  What this hints at is that this episode takes place before the last one.

3. “Community” creator/executive producer Dan Harmon responds to the theory (and puts any speculation to rest) with a thoughtful Tumblr post of his own, revealing just how much respect he has for the show’s viewers.

The production code of “Remedial Chaos Theory” is 303, because it was the third episode to be written and shot.  We intended to air it third.  Troy and Abed’s apartment is 303 because, hey, we needed an apartment number, so we gave it the production code’s number.

…

As much fun as we want to have, we never want to confuse you or lie to you.  We just don’t consider that a right that we have.  I hated that stupid “The Killing” show on AMC after the first five minutes; don’t show me someone discovering a body but then reveal that the camera was somewhere else and it was a pig.  That’s dumb.  That’s not storytelling, that’s a parlor trick and an abuse of power.

4. Dan Harmon Tweeted the text exchange between him and writer Megan Ganz that began the development of the episode.

…And posted pictures of the writers room whiteboards after mapping out the parallel timelines.

I love television.