Originally broadcast on NBC before moving to Yahoo! Screen, Community was set at Greendale Community College and featured an unlikely study group of students and faculty turned friends. Over the course of its six seasons, Community helped bring mainstream attention to future big names, such as the producer-director duo Joe and Anthony Russo, who went on to helm significant entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Here are how critics on Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes ranked all six of the seasons and why.
Season 4 – 67
Season 4 of Community is the lowest-rated season with a 65 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and a 69 from Metacritic for a combined score of 67. It is not surprising that the season was less successful than the others considering the original showrunner, Dan Harmon, was not involved. Harmon’s erratic behavior was cited as the main source for his termination after the successful third season. Still, the show just wasn’t the same without him, and his absence was clearly felt over the course of the fourth season. Also absent from this season was the Russo brothers, who became preoccupied with Captain America: The Winter Soldier. After a disappointing season, NBC rehired Dan Harmon to take over the series and return it to its previous success.
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Season 1 – 79.5
The first season of Community was a fairly strong first entry, but it struggled to find its footing as the episode quality varied throughout the freshman outing. After the pilot episode, David Hinckley of the NY Daily News pointed out that some episodes didn’t quite land perfectly, but investing in the season was “well worth a shot.” Especially since the series displayed engaging and entertaining characters, which really is what makes or breaks a great comedy series. Overall the season was generally well-received by critics, helping to make Community a sleeper hit.
Season 6 – 83.5
The final season of the series, Season 6, was a revival of the show by Yahoo! Screen after NBC canceled it following Season 5. It was fairly well-received by critics with a Metacritic score of 78 and a Rotten Tomatoes score of 89 percent for a combined score of 83.5. Matt Zoller Seitz wrote for Vulture that while the series format and structure are slightly different due to the transition from NBC to Yahoo! Screen, the series holds onto its essence. Although Season 6 was not officially announced as Community‘s last, the cast’s contracts expired after the sixth season and Yahoo! formally shut down the original content service.
Season 5 – 86.5
Season 3 and Season 5 of Community have the same combined score of 86.5. Season 5 has a lower Metacritic score of 80 but a higher Rotten Tomatoes score of 93 percent. The fifth season did not feature Chevy Chase and only included Donald Glover’s Troy for a limited number of episodes as the actor elected not to return full time. Critics generally agreed that Season 5 was a favorable return to form after a disappointing fourth season thanks to Dan Harmon’s return.
Season 3 – 86.5
Season 3 has the same combined critic rating as Season 5 at 86.5 but has a higher Metacritic score of 82, and only a slightly lower Rotten Tomatoes score of 91 percent. Hank Stuever wrote for The Washington Post that Community, particularly its third season, can exist as a “new era of satire, but it also doesn’t have to mean anything at all.” In essence, the third season does a fairly good job of what the show does best. It has interesting overarching plots, but it is strongest in its smaller bits and gags while balancing sharp wit with deep-cut television references.
Season 2 – 93
Season 2 of Community is the top-rated season with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 100 percent and a Metacritic score of 86 for a combined rating of 93. The second season elevates its tone and overall premise to its maximum potential. The meta nature of the series is at its most effective. This season includes some of Community‘s most iconic episodes, including “Cooperative Calligraphy,” a stellar episode and commentary on sitcom bottle episodes. Also in this season is the claymation “Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas,” “Advanced Dungeons & Dragons,” and the two-part paintball episodes “A Fistful of Paintballs” and “For a Few Paintballs More.” Season 2 of Community encapsulates all of what makes the series iconic and beloved.
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