There’s been some shuffling around in NBC’s Thursday night finale schedule, as the Futon Critic reported last weekend that Community will end its third season on May 17, with three new episodes playing in one night (with the 30 Rock finale thrown in for good measure). With only a couple weeks left, and so much Community to experience – not to mention the anxiety of that fickle season four renewal hanging over our heads – here’s a breakdown of the final schedule of our favorite Greendale comedy.
May 3
8:00 pm || “Course Listing Unavailable”
May 10
8:00 pm || “Curriculum Unavailable”
May 17
8:00pm – 8:30pm || “The First Chang Dynasty”
[8:30pm – 9:00pm || 30 Rock season finale]
9:00pm – 9:30pm || “Introduction to Finality”
9:30pm – 10:00pm || “Digital Estate Planning”
As you can see, this is a lot of Community packed into a short amount of time – a bonus for fans who had to at one point suffer through a two-and-a-half month mid-season break. But what does this updated finale schedule mean for Community‘s chances for renewal? It’s hard to say precisely, but the new May 17 finale date does mean the series will be included in the May sweeps ratings period, which could be a good sign for the comedy’s precarious fate. Either way, NBC will be announcing its renewals for next season by Monday, May 14 at the latest.
Before the May 17 Community fest, the next two episodes both feature a therapy theme. First, in “Course Listing Unavailable,” the study group grapples with [SPOILER for those who haven’t seen the most recent episode!] the death of Starburns, allowing Britta to utilize her “psychology skills” to counsel the others. Then, in “Curriculum Unavailable,” Abed is forced to see a school therapist (guest star John Hodgman of The Daily Show) after he’s caught trying to prove a conspiracy theory on campus.
In the final three episodes of the season, we see the study group try to infiltrate Greendale after it has been taken over by Chang, Jeff goes head to head with his former lawyer colleague (guest star Rob Corddry), and the study group makes a visit to Hawthorne Enterprises, where they play a video game to help save Pierce’s inheritance from guest star Giancarlo Esposito (of Breaking Bad).
There’s a lot of absurd hilarity to be had, so tune in for the final five episodes of the season to help ensure our beloved comedy gets that season four renewal!
(Image courtesy of NBC)
Staff Writer, BuddyTV
Jenn grew up in Ohio before moving to Seoul, Korea, where she attended international school and failed to learn Korean. From there she went on to earn a BA in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania before settling in Seattle, where she now spends too much time pondering the power of narrative in TV shows and novels. While she loves a good smart comedy (a la Community or Parks and Recreation), her favorite current show is Breaking Bad; all-time mentions include Arrested Development, Lost and Friends. When she’s not consuming television or literature, she’s savoring pastries and searching for the city’s ultimate sandwich.
