Community amassed a cult-like following over its run, but something was off with season 4, episode 7, earning it the lowest IMDb score of the show.
Community went through plenty of highs and lows in its six-season run, but its worst season has to be season 4. The series established a cult-like following with its sharp wit, cast of colorful characters, and wacky events against what was otherwise a potentially mundane setting: a community college. Community creator Dan Harmon, now famous for his incredible success with Rick and Morty, was integral to the show’s specific tone, but it wasn’t all smooth sailing.
The relationship between Harmon and the studio, Sony Pictures Television, resulted in his firing at the end of Community season 3. Sony then went on to replace him with David Guarascio and Moses Port for season 4, but it quickly became apparent that Harmon was largely responsible for the success of Community up to that point as ratings fell. While some episodes performed moderately well, there was a marked difference in the quality of the show, and that was felt in some episodes more than others.
Community season 4, episode 7, “Economics of Marine Biology” holds the title for the lowest-scored episode on IMDb at 6.7/10. While much of the show’s charm exists in the characters’ growth and support of one another, this episode is a departure from that structure. While the Dean (Jim Rash) convinces most of the study group to help him manipulate a wealthy young student to choose Greendale Community College, Shirley (Yvette Nicole Brown) and Troy (Donald Glover) sign up for what turns out to be a Physical Education Education class, and fan favorite Abed (Danny Pudi) is off-screen for most of the episode running a fake fraternity. The episode highlights the worst aspects of many of the characters while doing almost nothing to have them develop positively.
Commonly referred to as the “gas leak” season due to the in-show reference that seemingly writes off Community season 4 as the result of a broken gas pipe at Greendale that caused everyone to act out of character and hallucinate, Harmon was put back in charge for season 5 onward. Season 4 failed for many of the same reasons that “Economics of Marine Biology” did: it lost its way. Without a firm direction, Community seemed to drift off to obscurity. Storylines that had been building for a while before season 4, like Britta and Troy’s relationship, played out in the most disappointing way. They barely behaved like a couple, and when they did, their relationship lacked any of the warmth that led to the romance in the first place.
In addition to this, Community season 4 promised big moments it never delivered on. In episode 7, Jeff (Joel McHale) and Pierce (Chevy Chase) have a moment of sincere connection, which leads to Jeff standing up for him at the end of the episode. While this could have been a turning point for Pierce’s relationship with the group, after that episode, the dynamic picks up where it left off, with Pierce viewed as an irritating inconvenience that no one wants around. It’s almost as if the entire season doesn’t matter, and even the gas leak explanation failed to make viewers feel better about it.
