BWW Recap: This Week's Lesson on COMMUNITY is “Queer Studies and Advanced Waxing”

On this episode of COMMUNITY, the Dean has a major announcement to make: he's openly gay-well sort of. The Dean, in order to get a spot on the School Board, has to come out as openly gay, so that the otherwise inept Board can look like they are open to all people (in light of their recent controversy of cancelling a Pride Parade). The Dean really wants the position, but hates having to lie about what he is-- since as he says, gay barely begins to explain him.

However, because he wants to be able to fix the system from the inside out, he goes along with it, and even hires a boyfriend, Domingo, to further prove the point to the press. However, things aren't going as smoothly as planned, because the Dean allowed Abed and Elroy, Greendale's new "IT girl," to not fix the wi-fi at the school, since there was a bird's nest where the damaged wires were. The Dean, in an effort to act normal now that he's the openly gay school board member, forces Abed and Elroy to move the nest. They take the birds and care for them, but unfortunately only one survives. However, the Dean still does not feel like he is being honest with the people, and he comes out of the closet as a politician, which makes him lose his school board job, since no one wants to know that the people in charge are political.

Meanwhile, Chang, with help from Annie, auditions for a stage adaptation of the Karate Kid. He's going out for the part of Michael, but the director has Annie read as Michael instead and has Chang read as Mr. Miyagi. They both get the parts, but Chang is bummed that he was typecast. In rehearsals the director, played by Jason Mantzoukis, is insanely mean to Chang. Annie stands up for Chang, but is shocked to find out that the only reason the Director is being awful towards him is because he sees huge potential in him. Annie Kim replaces Annie since she stood up for Chang, and because the director sees her as replacable and mediocre at best. At the end of the episode the entire study group, and the Dean, go to the show, and Chang's performance moves them all to tears.

I thoroughly enjoyed this episode and its comment on identity. Chang and the Dean have been constant characters on this show since the beginning of it's run, but this episode we got to see very real sides to both of them for the first time. Chang, who is always seen as the insane, destructive character on the show, but in this episode we got to see the realist side of him to date. I loved the end of the episode where everyone was generally moved by his performance, because it was the first time the group could feel genuine positive emotions for Chang. Also, if you read any of my other show recaps you know I am a big fan of THE LEAGUE and a huge Jason Mantzoukis fan, so I excite to see his guest-starring role on the show.

I really liked where they took the Dean's storyline in this episode. For 5 seasons we all inferred that the Dean was gay, since his love for Jeff was anything but hidden, however it was never outwardly said, which made me wonder if they were going to play it off in an Arrested Development/Tobias fashion. However, I thought it was great that the Dean was full aware he was gay, but that it doesn't begin to describe his full self. (He even says gay is only 2/7s of what he is). I liked that they didn't feel the need to label him as just one thing, because so many people don't fit into one box, and it's important to show that a person can be many different things. I also love when Frankie tells Jeff and the Dean that she chooses not to be labeled anything either, and they both discreetly ask each other if they think she's gay, such an silly but real moment between the two for once. All in all, I think this episode was important because it shows viewers it's ok to not identify as just one thing, whether that be gay or straight, and the "Jolene" rendition, "Gay Dean," they do is flawless.

Favorite Lines from the Episode:

-Jeff: "Isn't everyone you'd be suing dead?"

-Elroy: "We have oxygen, we need WIFI."

-The Dean: "I'm not openly anything and gay doesn't even begin to cover it."

-Abed: "You just did a baby bird murder monologue."

-The Dean: "Get ready, America, Dean Pelton is coming out as approximately 2/7s of what he is."

-The Dean: "I make gayness look like Mormonism."

-Director: "You are the worst actor I've ever directed, and I directed both Whalbergs."

-Abed: "I lost a button" Elroy: "maybe we all lost a button"

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Make sure to leave your comments/favorite moments below, or tweet me at @k8linmilligan! I'll see you next Tuesday as I recap the newest episode of COMMUNITY, only on Yahoo! Screen!

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