(This is the twenty-first part in an ongoing series, in which I am writing brief reviews of each and every episode of Dan Harmon's beloved cult- comedy "Community." Originally conceived as a response to NBC's cancellation of the series before it was revived for its final season on Yahoo.)
Greendale goes "Goodfellas" for this often funny send-up to mafia flicks that packs in plenty of big laughs even if it has a few oddball moments that don't quite add up. With sharp writing and clever direction, not to mention a big focus on fan-favorite character Abed, "Contempoarary American Poultry" is a another fine addition to the excellent first season of the cult-favorite "Community." Though it might not be my personal favorite, it's definitely a great half-hour of television entertainment. And what more can you ask for?
Chicken Fingers are all the rage at Greendale Community College, but the study-group can't seem to catch a break with the tasty treat. Soon enough, Jeff (Joel McHale) and Abed (Danny Pudi) hatch a plan to take over the school's supply of chicken, and they quickly work with the rest of the group and form a sort-of "chicken mafia." But as you can guess, things don't work out quite as perfectly as they might have seemed at first...
With the show's decidedly heavy leaning on meta-humor, the mafia styled story works exceptionally well, and makes a lot of sense "in universe." You get to see all the tropes and clichés play out with the most unlikely of subject matter, and you'll get many a laugh out of the proceedings. The acting is also completely on-point here, and it's nice seeing Abed sort-of become the "Don of Chicken Fingers." It's a great comedic storyline for the character, and provides endless entertainment value. I do think a few of the jokes can come off as a bit forced and strained, which is where it loses a point for me, but all in all, this is "Community" near its comedic and high-concept best.
I give "Contempoary American Poultry" a near-perfect 9 out of 10.