(This is the thirty-sixth installment in an ongoing series. I am in the process of writing brief reviews of each and every episode of creator Dan Harmon's beloved cult-comedy series "Community." This project was originally conceived as a response to NBC's cancellation of the series before it was renewed for a sixth and final season on Yahoo. As this is a hobby, updates will come incrementally and it may take some time for me to complete this.)
Ah, Christmas. That beautiful time that comes but once a year. A season of giving. A season of appreciation. And, in the case of "Community"... a season for delightful holiday specials!
"Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas" quickly became a personal favorite on its original air-date in 2010. Boasting a delightful throwback style, wonderfully quirky tunes and a surprisingly emotional climax, it's arguably one of the best sitcom holiday specials... well, of all time as far as I'm concerned. And it's another fine example of this series' rampant creativity!
Abed (Danny Pudi) finds himself in a strange situation when he begins to see the world as though it was an old-fashioned Rankin-Bass stop-motion TV special. And he quickly deduces that it's his mission to find the true meaning of Christmas. Concerned, the rest of the study group, under the supervision of Professor Duncan (John Oliver), agree to play along as they "enter" a fictional world in their shared imagination. But they will quickly learn that all is not what it seems, and there's a devastating truth to why Abed's worldview has changed so much...
While it's not overly complex in its story, the true magic of "Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas" lay in its execution. The entire episode is accomplished through stop-motion animation, and it's just gorgeous to look at. All of the characters are delightfully designed, and the "Christmas World" they enter is a wonder to behold. The cast all excel in voice-over roles. Particularly Pudi and co-stars Chevy Chase and Gillian Jacobs, who are both given quite a bit of meat to work with. I also loved the musical numbers. Yes, this is a musical episode, and it's as fiendishly funny as you could hope.
"Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas" is without doubt my personal favorite holiday themed episode of "Community," and in a grander sense, one of my favorite holiday episodes of any show or sitcom. It's whimsical and wonderful, and easily earns a perfect 10 out of 10!