Community Report Season 5 Episode 8 “App Development and Condiments”

After last week’s passive-aggressive comment, we finally got a Shirley-focused episode. Kind of. It was also another “Greendale goes completely insane over something and becomes a dystopian future” episode, which was a welcome turn after last week’s excellent but low-key character driven episode.

It starts with Jeff and the group talking about dinner plans, and Jeff didn’t invite Shirley, because he knew she wouldn’t be able to make it. She tries to manipulate the rest of them into changing the date of their plans to suit her, and she’s not too happy when Jeff calls her on it.

Then, the Dean brings in two app developers who want Greendale to do a beta test for a people-rating app, called MeowMeowBeenz,

Which reduces social interaction to hard numbers.

So, the entire campus quickly becomes obsessed with MeowMeowBeenz, and Britta’s not happy with how the app skews the rating power towards those with higher ratings, even though Annie thinks it makes sense.

Jeff notices that Shirley is manipulating everyone into keeping her at the top of ratings, while everyone else thinks she’s just being nice. He finally decides to start using the app so that he can unseat her from power, which she’s not happy about.

“I’m watching you.”

By the time we get back from the first commercial break, the entire campus has gone insane (again), and the different rating numbers have created an entire class system from ones to fives. After gaining friends and finding social interaction in the lower rankings, Abed isn’t happy with the isolation of being a five, but they keep voting him up there anyway for being so humble.

Arrested Development series creator Mitchell Hurwitz guest stars as Koogler, “The Koog,” one of the fives, and he convinces them to hold a talent show and to keep the lower ranks content by promoting the winner to a five and showing everyone that it’s possible to rise to their level, even though it’s not. Man, there are some heavy social issues going around in this episode.

So, they hold the talent show, and Jeff launches into a comedy routine about the different class ratings that everyone loves, which brought us this gem:

Shirley is going to vote him down anyway, but the Koog approves and bumps him up to a five before Shirley gets a chance.

So, Jeff enjoys a brief stint as a five before he and Shirley start trying to turn everyone against the other, and it blows up in their faces when the rest of the fives vote them down to ones, and they’re banished outside of the school.

Meanwhile, Britta convinces all of the lower ranked students to rise up against the system and all become ones together, which she can only do with mustard on her face, because it takes the edge of off her zeal. Or something. I don’t know; just go with it.

So, Jeff and Shirley are allowed back in as Britta has the whole student body arranged in a court where they all vote everyone down to ones, so that everyone can be the same, which Abed is pretty happy about.

Then, Jeff delivers his Jeff speech for the episode and convinces everyone that MeowMeowBeenz is evil, because it can’t rate itself and is exempt from judgment. …And because it’s gotten him a bunch of spam email.

Everyone deletes the app, and Britta mourns her loss of power with dignity.

When things are back to normal, Jeff and Shirley have made up, and Jeff arranges a take-out dinner in the study room so that Shirley can attend.

Oh, and then we get an 80s movie trailer for “The Koog.”

(images via Community)

Meanwhile in related links

• Joel McHale and Jim Rash’s True Detective parody is perfect
• Here’s what happened last week with “Bondage and Beta Male Sexuality”
• Or listen to the full “Ass Crack Bandit” song from “Intergluteal Numismatics”