Community said goodbye to Troy Barnes last week and the show is bound to look a little different. Here’s how we think Greendale will change.
Whether NBC and Dan Harmon wants it to be or not, chaos is as inherent to Community as the study room table (and even that burned up this year. R.I.P.)
From continuous cancellation threats to the powder keg of Chevy Chase behind the scenes to the firing and rehiring of its creator, Community has also been ever-changing. But this past week, in episode 5, the show underwent its biggest onscreen change yet when Donald Glover left his role as Troy Barnes for good.
The episode was a proper vintage Community send-off, with an elaborate game of “hot lava.” Now it’s up to Dan Harmon and his writers to lead the show into unprecedented territory. Down two of the original cast in Chevy Chase and Donald Glover, the show is going to look very different going forward. Here are just five ways how.
1. An increased role for Jonathan Banks as Professor Buzz Hickey
Breaking Bad’s Jonathan Banks was first introduced as a guest star for season 5 but now with Glover and Chase gone, he will begin to operate as a full member of the cast. Banks was scheduled to appear in 11 of season five’s 13 episodes and he’s already been absent in two so he will be part of every episode going forward. Thankfully Banks has shown flashes of comedic brilliance beneath his gruff exterior.
He is a natural Pierce replacement as the “old guy” of the cast though, look for Professor Hickey to have an increased role. His role as professor has only really been taken advantage of in one episode so far. If Community wants to expand into stories of the faculty of Greendale (as it should), Hickey is a likely cypher into that world.
2. More off-the-wall jokes for Britta and Annie
Every main character on Community is uncommonly well-written and fleshed-out for a network sitcom. Still, someone has to tell the jokes that the writers want to throw out there. As the stereotypical somewhat less-than-intelligent character, Troy was often the perfect vessel for jokes
Exhibit A:
The natural replacements for Troy’s joke-telling prowesses are Britta and Annie. Britta has already seen an uptick in funny dialogue (“That’s like me blaming owls for being bad at analogies.”). And Annie has the perfect naiveté for some well-placed lines.
3. A love interest for Abed
One of the few aspects of Community season 4 that Dan Harmon was an avowed fan of was Brie Larson as Abed’s potential love interest. He plans on bringing her back at some point in season 5.
Abed and Troy were always uncommonly close and many characters rightfully observed that they may have been holding each other back from more adult pursuits. Abed will undoubtedly be looking for a Troy replacement and a romance could warm his Spock-like, analytical heart.
4. The Greendale community will pick up the slack
It’s natural for any show going into its later seasons to want to expand beyond the original main cast for inspiration (see: the increasingly bizarre supporting cast of Scrubs near the end of its run). And now that the main cast is down two original members, the supporting players should begin to receive more attention ahead of schedule.
This is an excellent direction for the show to take, regardless of the impetus. If Dan Harmon wants Community to live up to its lofty, all-inclusive name, Greendale should start behaving more and more like a community.
Get ready for plenty of “Pop-Pops!”
5. When in doubt, more Troy
No, Donald Glover likely won’t be returning to Community any time soon, if at all. But that doesn’t mean that Troy’s presence won’t be felt. Pierce exited the show before the end of the fourth season and arguably the best Pierce episode ever was this season’s “Cooperative Polygraphy,” in which Pierce doesn’t even appear.
Community will never completely forget Troy and his absence will be be a character of its own. It may be in the form of an off-hand comment, a rousing rendition of “Donde Esta La Bibliotecha,” or just an empty chair next to Buzz Hickey at the study room table, but Troy will always be a part of Greendale.
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