BWW Recap: COMMUNITY is Back with the First Episode of Season 6, 'Ladders!'

Drop everything-COMMUNITY is back! After cancellation, the 5 stages of grieving, YAHOO! coming in a saving the day, casting changes, and the premiere announcement, it has definitely been a whirlwind for us fans. But, now everything is ok, because Season 6 is here! Human Beings, we so close to the coveted #SixSeasonsAndAMovie and everything seems to be falling into place for the show that's been through more changes than any I've ever watched.

Enough about the past, let's talk about the present-the first episode of Season 6. I never had any doubts that Season 6 would live up to COMMUNITY's former GLORY (minus the gas leak year) and I was right. The first episode of the season, "Ladders," brought everything a COMMUNITY fan would want: montages, Frisbees falling through the ceiling, Chang being completely out of touch, and more.

"Ladders" picks up with Greendale on the up-turn after the study group's "Save Greendale" campaign has saved the school from 534 critical emergencies-but they missed one: cleaning all the Frisbees off of the roof. Unfortunately, Annie doesn't remember in time, and the cafeteria ceiling collapses, spilling thousands of Frisbees into the school.

The study group is meeting, when Annie and Britta have to tell Abed that Shirley had to go and take care of her father in Atlanta where she ended up getting a job as a personal chef to a "brilliant but troubled detective." Just when Chang points out what is happening to the non-white people of the group (Troy and Shirley), Dean Pelton comes in and introduces "New Shirley," the very white Francesca "Frankie" Dart, who the Dean hired as CFO, and he makes it mandatory to add her to the group. Frankie sits down and essentially tells the group she is in charge now, and that she's there to make Greendale a better school. The study group is worried about her presence and thinks she can be a problem.

While Frankie is fixing things at Greendale in an alarmingly quick rate, Jeff points out: "how much can you improve Greendale before it stops being Greendale?"

Abed and Frankie end up having lunch together, and Abed voices his concerns about her presence on the campus. He goes into a short monologue about being afraid its no longer "Our Show" and that things are going to start to be questioned and he's going to lose everything that was familiar. Frankie tells Abed that she's boring, but she helps the less-boring people take their quirks into results. She is surprisingly understanding of Abed and his concerns, which obviously comforts and eases Abed's worries. However, the rest of the group doesn't seem to like Frankie like he does. They form a secret committee and Abed doesn't join. They fail Abed's pretzel test and he realizes they are bad friends.

Britta is failing at running Shirley's Sandwiches while Shirley is away and they need to figure out how to not lose the place. When a student pays to have a drink with Mr. Winger they turn the back room into an old-timey bar, equipped with a band and all.

Meanwhile, the study group-well Frankie, Chang and Abed-meet and Abed lets Frankie know the other members aren't coming anymore. Abed tells Frankie he wants to join her for a little while, to get rid of the drama. Abed immediately enters into a montage of "Saving Greendale" that Frankie aptly puts a stop to by pointing out they are in reality, not a movie. Abed enters into another montage of him doing the list of things Frankie gave him, but again she stops him from his unnecessary actions-like changing his outfit over 5 times just send emails.

Abed goes to talk to Annie and Britta, and he finds out about their bar, and they all make up. They convince Abed to put on an "old-timey jacket" and stay for a drink, which of course turns into a montage of drinks. The next day, Frankie shuts down the bar, pointing out that she's known about the place the entire time and, unlike in past seasons, no one "tattled" on them she just lives in the real world and noticed that they built a bar in the school. She tells them that Abed deserves better than this, but he tells her that that is where he belongs. Frankie tells Abed he doesn't know any better, which makes Abed noticeably uncomfortable. After a failed attempt at insulting Leonard and everyone, Frankie leaves.

Now that Frankie is gone, they have an "everyone on campus getting as drunk as they want to" montage, which unfortunately ends with the teacher of Ladders falling off the ladder and hitting Annie and other students. Jeff and Abed realize they need to get Frankie back, and after a montage of various "I'm sorry's" she agrees to come back, finishing the montage with happy moments in the study room with the group.

The episode ends with a very strange moment between Garrett and Leonard, complete with ominous music and stares.

The episodes tag gives insight to where Shirley is: with a suicidal detective who lost his legs and his wife. It is a very over-dramatized scene, but it's scarily similar to many dramas on TV today.

Wow, Season 6 started off with a bang. The storyline of this episode addressed many of the concerns that viewers had: is Community going to be the same now even though so much has changed? I can safely say, yes, it is the same. Even though we've lost a few main characters along the way, Dan Harmon does an incredible job writing the show and keeping it as smart and funny and familiar as ever.

I think the addition of Frankie will be great, too, because although she brings a huge realist energy to the show, she is a good balance to everyone else, and has potential to be sucked into the madness. Her relationship with Abed is interesting. She commented that her family is "crazy" and she moved there to take care of one, so I wonder how much of that family member she sees Abed and if she's going to continue to try and bring him down to the real world.

Abed will always be my favorite character on this show, not only because of his spot on ability to relate real life to TV, but also because I share in his fears about life and change. It's always comforting to hear him talk through things and know that it isn't a feeling just I have. Abed's character is the part of all of us that wants things to stay the same for as long as possible, and Harmon does a great job writing that character. It was nice to see Abed trying to do more real-world type things, I mean he sent A LOT of emails. Although he still likes losing himself in fake worlds, he has started, just a little, to accept reality.

This episode also gives us a little insight on Leonard, the first person to ever get a Frisbee stuck on the roof. He went to Greendale 40 years ago, back when it was "Greendale Computery College." It was a sweet, yet sad moment, but a moment that begs the question: How has Leonard lasted at Greendale for 40 years?!

My favorite thing about this show is that every single moment is a joke, from every line said to what's happening visually. I have already watched it twice, and I feel like I still need to pick up on more gags and jokes I missed. I am so glad COMMUNITY is back, and I can't wait for what the rest of Season 6 has in store!

Before I go, I do have one complaint about this episode: NO DEAN PUNS! I am in desperate need for the Dean to walk in in costume and say something ridiculous, and it better happen in Episode 2 or I will go crazy!

Favorite Lines from "Ladders"

Change: "I've been reliving this day over and over for a thousand years."

Frankie: "You want to hang on to that grouping, in Marketing it's what we call the 'Good Belushi.'"

Jeff: "Well I can't teach with free-flowing sobriety."

Frankie: "Good shows change, I assume. Personally, I don't own a TV."

Abed: "You're the first to say that, that I didn't immediately delete from my brain."

Britta: "Let's see some ID. You snitch, you die."

Chang: "You guys ever hear of the Slenderman?"

Frankie: "Abed, if you change your clothes one more time today, you're fired."

Jeff: "Why's that guy a carrot?"

Frankie: "You built a bar, in a school! There was lumber involved"

Britta: "Shut up, Leonard, I once mistook 6 people for you in a pharmacy."

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Leave your comments on the episode below, or tweet me at @k8linmilligan! I will be recapping all of Season 6 as the episodes come out, so make sure to come back and read all of the recaps!

Photos Courtesy of Yahoo!

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