Out of the many colorful and quirky characters that make upNBC’sCommunity’s main cast, the socially awkward Abed Nadir (Danny Pudi) is arguably the heart and soul of the show. And Abed is a fan favorite for a reason. As the most meta character of the cast, a lot ofCommunity’s tongue-in-cheek humor is delivered by Abed.
But that’s far from his best quality. From his emotionally immature beginnings to his well-rounded and completed character arc by the end of the series, Abed is a dynamic character who, despite his awareness of being in a TV show, is able to grow as a person – and these eleven hilarious but heartwarming episodes prove it.
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“Community” (Season 1, Episode 1)
Though the main character of the series is undoubtedly Jeff (Joel McHale), Abed is the next character to receive attention and characterization in this pilot episode. He is the first person who Jeff is seen speaking with on Greendale’s campus, and their conversation quickly becomes an excuse for Jeff to learn more about his then-romantic interest, Britta (Gillian Jacobs). At first, Abed’s oversharing nature and desperation to connect with people using TV references causes Jeff to discount him as a weird fellow student with little value besides the ability to gather and parrot information. However, Abed showcases an ability to adapt slightly to situations that he doesn’t fully understand, demonstrating his desire to connect with people. This is Abed’s starting point, and it is as good a place as any to begin his Greendale journey.
“Introduction to Film” (Season 1, Episode 3)
When Abed’s father refuses to pay for film classes, Britta steps up to help him achieve his dreams. But Abed’s approach to film-making involves skipping classes, spending Britta’s money on fancy camera equipment and lattes, and insisting that Jeff and Britta play the roles of his parents. But even though he nearly drives Britta crazy with his own version of “show business” and his short film isn’t exactly a masterpiece, he uses the medium to get a message to his father that would otherwise wouldn’t have been understood. This episode highlights both Abed’s eccentric side and his insightful side as he demonstrates a level of self-awareness and an ability to communicate what he’s feeling using film as a translator.
“Contemporary American Poultry” (Season 1, Episode 21)
In one ofCommunity’s first themed episodes, Jeff convinces the study group to start a crime family of the cafeteria in order to have first dibs on the fried chicken. Because Abed has experience thanks to his family’s falafel restaurant, he is chosen to be the center of the operation but slowly usurps Jeff’s role as leader. He provides everything the study group could ever want, like an entourage for Pierce (Chevy Chase) and a pet monkey for Troy (Donald Glover). As it turns out, Abed becomes a far better mafia boss than everyone expected – and too effective for his own good. This episode serves multiples purposes: showing Jeff’s ego and Abed’s misguided attempts to make the people around him happy, as well as how they can learn from each other.
“Aerodynamics of Gender” (Season 2, Episode 7)
Unable to pick up on the girls’ social cues, Abed enrolls in the same class as them, encroaching on their girl’s day. But Britta, Annie (Alison Brie), and Shirley (Yvette Nicole Brown) find a way to enjoy Abed’s company when he starts accidentally insulting the mean girls in class. Soon, their encouragement of his bullying behavior gets out of hand, and they even unwittingly identify themselves as potential targets of his insults. Thankfully, by this point Abed has learned to understand that he’s doing something wrong, even though he finds a solution that hurts himself to repair the damage he’s caused.
“Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas” (Season 2, Episode 11)
In an ambitious Christmas special, Abed wakes up to find that the world is stop-motion animated to match the holiday season. When Britta and the study group trick him into attending a therapy session, he leads the group through a winter wonderland that exists in his mind. The viewer gets to see what Abed sees firsthand, even though the study group doesn’t entirely understand. As Abed struggles to come to terms with his changing family situation, his friends teach him how to combat the sadness with some good, old-fashioned Christmas cheer – and friendship.
“Critical Film Studies” (Season 2, Episode 18)
Jeff is unsettled when Abed behaves very unlike himself and chooses a normal dinner for his birthday activity. As the study group plans a surprise themed birthday party, Abed gets Jeff to open up a little too much to him – and ends up regretting it when the truth comes out about their “normal” dinner date. In yet another attempt at replicating what he’s seen in film, Abed acts selfishly without regard to the very real feelings of those around him. Thankfully, his friends are the forgiving type, and Abed finds a way to make it up to them.
“Regional Holiday Music” (Season 3, Episode 10)
Now that the study group and the viewer have a clearer image of Abed as someone who cares deeply about his friends and wishes they cared more about each other, performing as stand-ins for the glee club seems like the perfect way for Abed to bring the group together for Christmas cheer. Unfortunately, the glee club director, Mr. Rad (Taran Killam), is far more aggressive in his recruitment process. Thankfully, Abed is able to recognize that what he wants (to spend a lot of time with his friends during the holiday and beyond) might not be what’s best for them.
“Pillows and Blankets” (Season 3, Episode 14)
The biggest and most vicious pillow fight on Greendale’s campus marks the rift in arguably the strongest relationship of Community. Troy is tired of Abed’s control over their friendship and feels like a sidekick, so the students of Greendale break into two armies and begin the days-long war between Pillowtown and Blanketsburg. Shot as a documentary chronicling the pillow fight as though it’s a major historical event, the episode focuses on the two sides of the overly ridiculous argument and the chaos it causes. As soon as everyone tires of the fight, however, only Troy and Abed keep going, both unwilling to stop because this is the final fun activity they’ll ever do together. Even though the episode highlights the pain of a bromance breakup, it also shows the care it takes to mend one.
“Virtual Systems Analysis” (Season 3, Episode 16)
When Troy chooses to go on a date instead of hanging out in the Dreamatorium with his friend, Abed settles for Annie as a companion but finds that she lacks his brand of wacky imagination. Frustrated that his normal routine with Troy has been interrupted with a poor substitute, he tries to walk out, but Annie isn’t so happy with the situation either. She tampers with the mechanics of his Dreamatorium to try and give him perspective on what she sees as his selfishness – which launches them both into a reality where Abed doesn’t exist. Through this albeit frustrating experience, Annie realizes that Abed’s “selfishness” is really insecurity and that a little understanding on both their parts can strengthen their friendship.
“Heroic Origins” (Season 4, Episode 12)
The members of the study group are more connected to each other’s lives than they thought at first. Excited at the prospect of all their fates being entwined, Abed maps out the histories of each member of the study group, only to uncover dark secrets in everyone’s pasts that suggest the group would have been better off if they’d never met at all. Abed’s acute self-awareness comes with a downside, in that he can start feeling guilty easily when he blames himself for his friends’ problems. But the study group begins to realize that the worst parts of their lives actually did lead them all to an accepting place when they found Greendale.
“Geothermal Escapism” (Season 5, Episode 5)
As someone who has had an existential crisis from something as small as daylight savings time, Abed isn’t exactly someone who handles change well. And Troy’s departure from Greendale one of the biggest changes in the lives of the study group. With as close as Troy and Abed have been, Abed’s fear of being without his friend takes on a physical manifestation, and he declares a school-wide game of Floor Is Lava to cope with these feelings. Though this last Troy and Abed adventure is full of wacky, crazy circumstances that Britta thinks are childish, the way that Community’s two best friends come to terms with their separation is mature in its own way, a huge step forward for them both.
