Remedial Chaos Theory
Encyclopedia
"Remedial Chaos Theory" is the fourth episode of the third season
of the U.S. television series Community
. It originally aired on October 13, 2011 on NBC
. The episode features a housewarming party for Troy and Abed panning out in seven alternate timelines. Each timeline explored the effect of the absence/presence of a character on other characters in similar situations.
The episode was written by Chris McKenna and directed by Jeff Melman
. It received positive reviews, with many critics lauding its unconventional structure and noting a significant improvement from the first three episodes of the season.
) and Abed (Danny Pudi
) invite the study group to their housewarming party. When everyone arrives, they begin playing Yahtzee
. The pizza delivery man arrives, and someone has to go downstairs to collect the pizza. Everyone agrees to Jeff's (Joel McHale
) plan to roll a dice to determine who has to get the pizza.
The episode then splits into different timelines—as noted by Abed throughout—with each alternate timeline playing out the every possible outcome of the dice roll. Every timeline features running gags which end differently depending on which characters are present or absent.
In the first timeline, Annie goes to get the pizza. Troy is too distracted by finding a gun in Annie's bag to open Pierce's present. Abed confronts Britta about the smell of marijuana in the bathroom, which offends her.
In the second timeline, Shirley has to go. She reminds the group not to let her pies burn before leaving. Troy opens Pierce's present and freaks out. When Shirley returns, she finds that nobody bothered to take out the pies from the oven; the pies come out burnt. She berates the group and leaves.
In the third timeline, Pierce has to go. Jeff belittles Troy, which causes him to leave the table and join Britta in the bathroom. She consoles Troy by mocking Jeff's guarded personality. Annie demonstrates her first aid skills when tending to Jeff. When Pierce returns with the pizza, everyone is happy.
In the fourth timeline, Britta has to go. Annie tends to Jeff in the bathroom since Britta isn't using it. Jeff expresses his concern for Annie; just as they are about to kiss, they are interrupted by Troy screaming. Pierce is terrorizing him with the troll, and reveals that he is upset that Troy has moved out from his mansion. Britta returns with the pizza guy and announces they are engaged.
In the fifth timeline, Troy has to go. He leaves in a hurry, so as not to miss anything interesting, and slams the door, which causes the diorama boulder to slip and roll onto the floor. Annie trips on it and falls on the coffee table. Her bag lands on the floor, which causes the gun inside to fire, hitting Pierce in the thigh. Britta's marijuana joint ignites the spilled liquor. Troy returns to a scene of chaos, with the troll staring directly at him from amidst the flames.
In the sixth timeline, Abed has to go. Britta inadvertently reveals that she smoked marijuana, much to Shirley's dismay. Troy has a few kind words for Pierce, which causes Pierce to attempt to rescind the gift. In the ensuing struggle, the troll is flung out of the box. Jeff and Annie kiss at the kitchen counter, but Jeff gets turned off when Annie mentions being reminded of her dad. Abed returns to an awkward situation.
In the final (prime) timeline, Abed stops the die from rolling, and urges the group to stay united regardless of whatever happens to them. The group then realize that Jeff manipulated the die roll such that he would never be selected. In the end, Jeff has to get the pizza. After he leaves, the group sings and dances to "Roxanne"; Pierce decides not to give Troy his gift and throws away the troll. Abed invites Annie to move in with him and Troy.
In the end tag, it shows the universe where Troy left to get the pizza. Pierce is dead, Annie is in a mental ward due to guilt, Shirley is an alcoholic, Troy injured himself trying to destroy the troll and can only speak with the assistance of an artificial voicebox, Jeff is missing an arm and Britta has a blue streak in her hair. Abed suggests that they must become "the evil study group" and kill their good versions in the prime timeline. They all leave, depressed, but Troy stays behind and the two of them decide to team up. Suddenly, the scene changes to the original Abed and Troy watching TV, where Abed mentions that something felt strange for a moment, then decides it was nothing.
When Jeff is not around, the group lets loose and has fun. Jeff can't bring himself to do the same because he enjoys being cool and detached. Annie wishes that everyone would be less worried about her and view her as an adult.
Troy prevents chaos; when he is gone, the situation devolves into madness. He also wishes that Jeff would view him as an adult. Shirley feels left out because she is the only one happily married. She plays a motherly role; quick to anger with everyone as she simultaneously tries to guide and nurture them. However, the other group members often refuse to take responsibility and mock her judgement even though they secretly like her mini-pies. Meanwhile, Pierce is upset that Troy moved out and seems so happy.
. A number of jokes from this episode were earlier referenced in "Competitive Ecology
", due to a re-ordering of the episodes. The revised order is referenced in the episode's opening joke, and was suggested by Gillian Jacobs.
Series creator Dan Harmon
had previously said that the writers intended to make an episode along the lines of Rashomon
, Run Lola Run
and Sliding Doors
, with multiple revisitations of the same timeline. Malcolm in the Middle
and The X-Files
have also done similar episodes.
, "Remedial Chaos Theory" helped Community bounce back with universally positive reviews. Critics praised the episode's structure and the show's return to a high-concept episode.
Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club
gave the episode an 'A,' calling it one of the ten best episodes the show will ever make. He added, "I think when Community is at its best, it hits all three of those marks [silly, moving, and revelatory], and that can only mean this is one of its best episodes yet. For those of you who worried the show was done or worried the mostly new writing staff had killed some of its momentum or even worried that it would never do a concept episode again, this one was for you." Kelsea Stahler said the series' concept episodes are the best, including "Remedial Chaos Theory": "Finally, Community came back to what we love about it: experimental, high-concept television laced with absurd comedy."
Cory Barker praised the episode's unique structure and said: "This effort presents all the different sides of Community within just one episode, buttons it off with a ridiculously funny final sequence and still informs a number of character positions that should be integral to the rest of the season." Alan Sepinwall called it a "great episode," and praised it for delving deep into the relationships between each of the characters. He added that it was the "the kind that reminds me of all the different things 'Community' can do when it's at its best... it's at times ridiculously funny and at others simple and elegant and touching." TV Fanatic's Leigh Raines gave the episode 4.5/5 stars, saying that it "bounced back in the grandest of ways" following a disappointing episode. IGN
's Robert Canning awarded "Remedial Chaos Theory" with a 10 out of 10, saying that the episode "succeeded on every possible level. It told a great story, it satirized a specific aspect of pop culture and it, above all else, was full of laughs."
Community (season 3)
The third season of the television comedy series Community premiered on September 22, 2011, and airs on NBC Thursdays at 8:00 pm ET as part of the network's "Comedy Night Done Right" programming block.-Starring:*Joel McHale as Jeff Winger...
of the U.S. television series Community
Community (TV series)
Community is an American television comedy series created by Dan Harmon that airs on NBC. The series is about a group of students at a community college in the fictional locale of Greendale, Colorado. The series heavily uses meta-humor and pop culture references, often parodying film and television...
. It originally aired on October 13, 2011 on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
. The episode features a housewarming party for Troy and Abed panning out in seven alternate timelines. Each timeline explored the effect of the absence/presence of a character on other characters in similar situations.
The episode was written by Chris McKenna and directed by Jeff Melman
Jeff Melman
Jeffrey L. Melman is an American television director and producer. Melman has directed for several present-day network television series. More recently Melman has directed episodes of ABC's Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice and Desperate Housewives...
. It received positive reviews, with many critics lauding its unconventional structure and noting a significant improvement from the first three episodes of the season.
Plot
Troy (Donald GloverDonald Glover
Donald McKinley Glover is an American actor, writer, comedian, and musician. Glover first came to attention for his work in the sketch group Derrick Comedy, and is best known for his role as community college student Troy Barnes on the NBC comedy series Community...
) and Abed (Danny Pudi
Danny Pudi
Danny Pudi is an American actor, best known for his role as Abed Nadir on the NBC comedy series Community.-Early years:Pudi, who is of Indian and Polish descent, was born and raised in Chicago and grew up speaking Polish...
) invite the study group to their housewarming party. When everyone arrives, they begin playing Yahtzee
Yahtzee
Yahtzee is a dice game made by Milton Bradley , which was first marketed by game entrepreneur Edwin S. Lowe in 1956. The game is a development of earlier dice games, such as Yacht and Generala. The object of the game is to score the most points by rolling five dice to make certain combinations...
. The pizza delivery man arrives, and someone has to go downstairs to collect the pizza. Everyone agrees to Jeff's (Joel McHale
Joel McHale
Joel Edward McHale is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, television producer, television personality, and voice artist. He is best known for hosting The Soup and for his role as Jeff Winger on Community....
) plan to roll a dice to determine who has to get the pizza.
The episode then splits into different timelines—as noted by Abed throughout—with each alternate timeline playing out the every possible outcome of the dice roll. Every timeline features running gags which end differently depending on which characters are present or absent.
- Britta (Gillian JacobsGillian JacobsGillian Jacobs is an American film, theatre and television actress, best known for her role as Britta Perry on the NBC comedy series Community.-Personal life:...
) plays "RoxanneRoxanne (song)"Roxanne" is a hit song by the rock band The Police, first released in 1978 as a single and on their album Outlandos d'Amour. It was written from the point-of-view of a man who falls in love with a prostitute.- History :...
" on the iPodIPodiPod is a line of portable media players created and marketed by Apple Inc. The product line-up currently consists of the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the compact iPod Nano, and the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle...
stereo system; she begins to sing it but is cut off by Jeff. - Pierce (Chevy ChaseChevy ChaseCornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase is an American comedian, writer, and television and film actor, born into a prominent entertainment industry family. Chase worked a plethora of odd jobs before moving into comedy acting with National Lampoon...
) attempts to introduce his story about having sex with Eartha KittEartha KittEartha Mae Kitt was an American singer, actress, and cabaret star. She was perhaps best known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 hit recordings of "C'est Si Bon" and the enduring Christmas novelty smash "Santa Baby." Orson Welles once called her the "most exciting woman in the...
in an airplane bathroom into the conversation. - Britta excuses herself to the bathroom, only to smoke marijuana.
- Annie (Alison BrieAlison Brie-External links:...
) has a gun in her bag. - Pierce gives Troy a housewarming gift, a NorwegianNorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
trollTrollA troll is a supernatural being in Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore. In origin, the term troll was a generally negative synonym for a jötunn , a being in Norse mythology...
(wrapped in a box) which frightened Troy when he lived in Pierce's mansion. - Jeff gets up from the table to get a drink, only to get hit on the head by the ceiling fan. Annie tends to him, while Pierce laughs at him.
- Shirley (Yvette Nicole BrownYvette Nicole BrownYvette Nicole Brown is an American actress and comedian. Brown has appeared in various commercials, television shows, and films throughout her career...
) is baking pies. - The boulder in the Indiana Jones diorama rolls down, but is stopped by Abed.
- Abed says he wonders what happens in all the other timelines, but Jeff says there are no other timelines.
In the first timeline, Annie goes to get the pizza. Troy is too distracted by finding a gun in Annie's bag to open Pierce's present. Abed confronts Britta about the smell of marijuana in the bathroom, which offends her.
In the second timeline, Shirley has to go. She reminds the group not to let her pies burn before leaving. Troy opens Pierce's present and freaks out. When Shirley returns, she finds that nobody bothered to take out the pies from the oven; the pies come out burnt. She berates the group and leaves.
In the third timeline, Pierce has to go. Jeff belittles Troy, which causes him to leave the table and join Britta in the bathroom. She consoles Troy by mocking Jeff's guarded personality. Annie demonstrates her first aid skills when tending to Jeff. When Pierce returns with the pizza, everyone is happy.
In the fourth timeline, Britta has to go. Annie tends to Jeff in the bathroom since Britta isn't using it. Jeff expresses his concern for Annie; just as they are about to kiss, they are interrupted by Troy screaming. Pierce is terrorizing him with the troll, and reveals that he is upset that Troy has moved out from his mansion. Britta returns with the pizza guy and announces they are engaged.
In the fifth timeline, Troy has to go. He leaves in a hurry, so as not to miss anything interesting, and slams the door, which causes the diorama boulder to slip and roll onto the floor. Annie trips on it and falls on the coffee table. Her bag lands on the floor, which causes the gun inside to fire, hitting Pierce in the thigh. Britta's marijuana joint ignites the spilled liquor. Troy returns to a scene of chaos, with the troll staring directly at him from amidst the flames.
In the sixth timeline, Abed has to go. Britta inadvertently reveals that she smoked marijuana, much to Shirley's dismay. Troy has a few kind words for Pierce, which causes Pierce to attempt to rescind the gift. In the ensuing struggle, the troll is flung out of the box. Jeff and Annie kiss at the kitchen counter, but Jeff gets turned off when Annie mentions being reminded of her dad. Abed returns to an awkward situation.
In the final (prime) timeline, Abed stops the die from rolling, and urges the group to stay united regardless of whatever happens to them. The group then realize that Jeff manipulated the die roll such that he would never be selected. In the end, Jeff has to get the pizza. After he leaves, the group sings and dances to "Roxanne"; Pierce decides not to give Troy his gift and throws away the troll. Abed invites Annie to move in with him and Troy.
In the end tag, it shows the universe where Troy left to get the pizza. Pierce is dead, Annie is in a mental ward due to guilt, Shirley is an alcoholic, Troy injured himself trying to destroy the troll and can only speak with the assistance of an artificial voicebox, Jeff is missing an arm and Britta has a blue streak in her hair. Abed suggests that they must become "the evil study group" and kill their good versions in the prime timeline. They all leave, depressed, but Troy stays behind and the two of them decide to team up. Suddenly, the scene changes to the original Abed and Troy watching TV, where Abed mentions that something felt strange for a moment, then decides it was nothing.
Themes
"Remedial Chaos Theory" is another "concept" episode, which is popular among fans. Despite the alternate realities, each story was part of a cohesive narrative. The episode's structure depicted how the characters relate to each other in different situations. How the situation changes each time a character leaves suggests the character's role within the group. Some characters always get along easily, some of them don't, and ultimately the group dynamic requires everyone to work.When Jeff is not around, the group lets loose and has fun. Jeff can't bring himself to do the same because he enjoys being cool and detached. Annie wishes that everyone would be less worried about her and view her as an adult.
Troy prevents chaos; when he is gone, the situation devolves into madness. He also wishes that Jeff would view him as an adult. Shirley feels left out because she is the only one happily married. She plays a motherly role; quick to anger with everyone as she simultaneously tries to guide and nurture them. However, the other group members often refuse to take responsibility and mock her judgement even though they secretly like her mini-pies. Meanwhile, Pierce is upset that Troy moved out and seems so happy.
Production
"Remedial Chaos Theory" was written by Chris McKenna, his sixth writing credit of the series. It is the first directing credit of the show for Jeff MelmanJeff Melman
Jeffrey L. Melman is an American television director and producer. Melman has directed for several present-day network television series. More recently Melman has directed episodes of ABC's Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice and Desperate Housewives...
. A number of jokes from this episode were earlier referenced in "Competitive Ecology
Competitive Ecology
"Competitive Ecology" is the third episode of third season of the American television series Community. It was originally broadcast on October 6, 2011 on NBC.-Plot:...
", due to a re-ordering of the episodes. The revised order is referenced in the episode's opening joke, and was suggested by Gillian Jacobs.
Series creator Dan Harmon
Dan Harmon
Dan Harmon is a writer and performer. He is the creator and an executive producer for the NBC television comedy series Community, and, along with Rob Schrab, a founder of the alternative television network/website Channel 101....
had previously said that the writers intended to make an episode along the lines of Rashomon
Rashomon (film)
The bandit's storyTajōmaru, a notorious brigand , claims that he tricked the samurai to step off the mountain trail with him and look at a cache of ancient swords he discovered. In the grove he tied the samurai to a tree, then brought the woman there. She initially tried to defend herself with a...
, Run Lola Run
Run Lola Run
Run Lola Run is a 1998 German crime thriller film written and directed by Tom Tykwer and starring Franka Potente as Lola and Moritz Bleibtreu as Manni. The story follows a woman who needs to obtain 100,000 German marks in 20 minutes to save her boyfriend's life...
and Sliding Doors
Sliding Doors
Sliding Doors is a 1998 British-American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Peter Howitt and starring Gwyneth Paltrow and John Hannah, and featured John Lynch, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Virginia McKenna. The music was composed by David Hirschfelder...
, with multiple revisitations of the same timeline. Malcolm in the Middle
Malcolm in the Middle
Malcolm in the Middle is an American television sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for the Fox Network. The series was first broadcast on January 9, 2000, and ended its six-and-a-half-year run on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons and 151 episodes...
and The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
have also done similar episodes.
Ratings
In its original broadcast on October 13, 2011, the episode was viewed by an estimated 3.82 million people, up 13 percent from the previous week. It had a Nielsen rating of 1.7 in the 18–49 demographic.Critical reviews
After an underwhelming reception by some critics and fans for the first three episodes of season 3Community (season 3)
The third season of the television comedy series Community premiered on September 22, 2011, and airs on NBC Thursdays at 8:00 pm ET as part of the network's "Comedy Night Done Right" programming block.-Starring:*Joel McHale as Jeff Winger...
, "Remedial Chaos Theory" helped Community bounce back with universally positive reviews. Critics praised the episode's structure and the show's return to a high-concept episode.
Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
gave the episode an 'A,' calling it one of the ten best episodes the show will ever make. He added, "I think when Community is at its best, it hits all three of those marks [silly, moving, and revelatory], and that can only mean this is one of its best episodes yet. For those of you who worried the show was done or worried the mostly new writing staff had killed some of its momentum or even worried that it would never do a concept episode again, this one was for you." Kelsea Stahler said the series' concept episodes are the best, including "Remedial Chaos Theory": "Finally, Community came back to what we love about it: experimental, high-concept television laced with absurd comedy."
Cory Barker praised the episode's unique structure and said: "This effort presents all the different sides of Community within just one episode, buttons it off with a ridiculously funny final sequence and still informs a number of character positions that should be integral to the rest of the season." Alan Sepinwall called it a "great episode," and praised it for delving deep into the relationships between each of the characters. He added that it was the "the kind that reminds me of all the different things 'Community' can do when it's at its best... it's at times ridiculously funny and at others simple and elegant and touching." TV Fanatic's Leigh Raines gave the episode 4.5/5 stars, saying that it "bounced back in the grandest of ways" following a disappointing episode. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's Robert Canning awarded "Remedial Chaos Theory" with a 10 out of 10, saying that the episode "succeeded on every possible level. It told a great story, it satirized a specific aspect of pop culture and it, above all else, was full of laughs."
External links
- "Remedial Chaos Theory" at NBC.com
- "Remedial Chaos Theory" at TV TropesTV TropesTV Tropes is a wiki which collects and expands on various conventions and devices found within creative works. Since its establishment in 2004, the site has gone from covering only television and film tropes to also covering those in a number of other media such as literature, comics, video-games,...