Modern Warfare: Defying Conventions

[TMC]

Season 1 Episode 23 of Community is widely considered one of the greatest sitcom episodes ever made. A 9.8 on IMDb. An A from the AV Club. A spot on TV Guide's 65 best episodes in television history. Directed by Justin Lin between Fast & Furious and Fast Five, written by Emily Cutler, and executed on a network television budget with no business looking this good.

But underneath all the Die Hard references, the John Woo entrance, the Predator callbacks and the Disco Warriors — there's something else going on. Something about why we fight for things that might not be worth fighting for. Something about the stories we tell ourselves to avoid saying the true thing plainly.

This is Modern Warfare. And the prize is fake.

In this video: a beat-by-beat breakdown of the episode, every major film reference and why it earns its place, Dan Harmon's Story Circle running twice simultaneously, and what all of it actually means.

Part of an ongoing series covering every episode of Community in order.