VCR Maintenance and Educational Publishing

Episode Summary & Review

Summary

When Jeff, Shirley and Professor Hickey happen upon a hidden cache of textbooks, the discovery leads to some interesting power shifts as the group struggles with how to monetize their windfall. Meanwhile, Abed and Annie decide it’s time for a new roommate. Abed wants his friend Rachel to move in, while Annie wants her brother to move in. When they decide to play an old VCR game to determine the winner, things get a little intense.

Our Take

A middling episode that splits its energy between two ideas without committing to either. The textbook plot gives Shirley and Hickey some fun greedy scheming, but the VCR game subplot is the weirder, better half, leaning into that distinctly Community absurdity. It’s got laughs scattered throughout, yet neither story builds to much. Fine for a casual watch, just don’t expect a season highlight.