Community: Amy Poehler’s Season 2 Cameo Explained

Amy Poehler made a special cameo in Community season 2, but many viewers may have missed her appearance. Dan Harmon’s comedy series premiered on NBC in September 2009, which was just a few months after Parks and Recreation made its debut on the same network. Parks and Rec, of course, starred Poehler as Leslie Knope, a mid-level employee of the Parks and Recreation Department in Pawnee, Indiana. Though the actress didn’t directly make a cameo on Community, she was featured in an episode that honored Parks and Rec.

With the popularity of The Office and Parks and Rec on NBC, Community flew under the radar during its cable network run. Despite a stellar cast headlined by names like Joel McHale, Alison Brie, and Donald Glover, Community never quite received the ratings it deserved. When Harmon was fired as showrunner ahead of Community season 4, the show encountered more struggles. The show’s original creator was rehired for the fifth season, but it wasn’t enough to save the series. NBC canceled Community after season 5, but it was revived for a sixth and final season on Yahoo! Screen in 2015. That same year, Parks and Rec came to a conclusion on NBC with season 7.

SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY

Despite the overlap on NBC, Community never had a direct crossover with fellow comedies like Parks and Rec. That said, with Abed’s pop culture knowledge, he had a habit of referencing other popular titles that resided on NBC. Community season 2 also made it a point to feature an unorthodox appearance by Parks and Rec‘s primary protagonist in Poehler. The episode titled “Intermediate Documentary Filmmaking” was set in a local hospital rather than the typical focus of Greendale Community College after Pierce accidentally overdosed on pain medication. While the study group stood by as Pierce announced his “bequeathals,” a large framed photo of Poehler could be seen hung up on the wall of the hospital.

The Significance Of Amy Poehler’s Community Appearance

The picture of Poehler wasn’t from her time as Leslie Knope, nor an image from her acting past. Instead, it was a stock modeling photo of her in the past dressed as a hospital candy striper. The image was clearly chosen as a hidden joke as the prop team added text regarding “Junior Volunteers” being needed at the hospital. While it seems likely that the crew on Community wanted to poke some good-natured fun at Poehler for the comedic photo, the format of the particular episode had a connection to Parks and Rec.

“Intermediate Documentary Filmmaking” veered away from the typical style of Community by spoofing the mockumentary style of TV made popular by shows like The Office and Parks and Rec. As Pierce remained at the hospital, he pretended that he was dying to gain sympathy from the rest of the study group. To take it a step further, Pierce asked Abed to film the event of his interactions in the form of a documentary. What transpired was more of a mockumentary, something that Poehler was obviously familiar with during her time on Parks and Recreation. While fans never got a real crossover, Poehler will always have a special appearance on Harmon’s comedy.

Young Justice Introduces 2 New Zods: Who Is Lor-Zod?

About The Author

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *