Community Series Blog: Cooperative Polygraphy

Community has always been at its best when it deals with the relationships between its main characters. For all its silliness and endless parodying of films and television shows, there has always been a strong beating heart at its centre. “Cooperative Polygraphy” is an episode that wears its heart on its sleeve, proving to be one of the most emotional episodes in Community’s history, as well as being the best episode so far this season.

Following from the news of Pierce’s death at the end of “Basic Intergluteal Numismatics”, this week’s visit to Greendale sees Jeff, Annie, Britta, Abed, Troy and Shirley submitted to questioning by Pierce’s lawyer (guest star Walter Goggins) just to be sure that none of them were responsible for Pierce’s death before being released. The questions, however, seemed designed to reveal secrets within the group and put their friendship to the test.

The means to which Pierce has remained a presence in this series is nothing short of brilliant. And for this to be his final hurrah, manipulating the gang to near breaking point, is entirely in his character. The episode brings to mind highpoints of season 2, namely “Intermediate Documentary Filmmaking”, in which we saw Pierce pretending to be on his death bed in order to torment the study group, allowing for a sense of continuity in the nature of the character.

‘Cooperative Polygraphy’ is one of the most moving episodes in Community’s history

His final torment brings to light dark secrets amongst the characters, making the study group realise once again that they are not necessarily good people. Their acceptance of such a fact provides the episode with a surprising expression of human honesty and moral complexity. Community has never been afraid to go dark, and this episode goes to some surprising depths in which to mine that darkness.

While he did always find sneaky ways to torment and divide the group, Pierce continually managed to act beyond our expectations of him. This once again becomes the case in the character’s swan song (bizarre to say when the character isn’t even physically there), as the final moments of the show tap in to our knowledge of the characters backgrounds, as well as the workings of their individual relationships. This neatly ties up the conflicts that come to the foreground throughout these 20 minutes.

The episode is also noteworthy for revealing the means in which Troy will be leaving the show. I won’t reveal it on the blog until next week’s episode, so those of you yet to watch the episode do not have anything spoiled for you, but the set-up is the kind that can only exist in a sitcom. The conviction of the cast (particularly Donald Glover) sells the high concept and laces the final moments with misty-eyed emotion.

Next week will see the departure of Troy Barnes, and it sure does have a hard act to follow in the wake of this simply brilliant piece of sitcom writing. Either way, it is going to be hard to say goodbye to such a beloved character.