Removing these episodes from Netflix and Hulu takes away from real cases of blackface that need to be condemned.
This episode is streets ahead...
This episode is streets ahead...
42 Reviews
Censored for "Blackface"?
GoobyPolice27 June 2020
About the netflix and hulu block...
brinkerdalton27 June 2020
I love this episode and I was excited when I heard Community was coming to netflix. But now, netflix and hulu took this episode off of their sites and left all of the other episodes. This episode features Ben Chang (Ken Jeong) cosplaying as a dark elf or drow. The makeup he's wearing looks like blackface but is not. They reference it in the episode and make a joke about it, ultimately deciding that what Chang is doing is wrong. This is probably the best episode of what is probably the best show on netflix and hulu and they need to bring it back.
my favorite episode (in other words, netflix has disappointed me)
creepingde4th28 June 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons is my number one favorite episode of Community. Remedial Chaos Theory is an incredibly close second. THAT'S how much I love this episode. I'm not sure if I've reviewed this one before, but due to recent events, I'll do it again(?). Before getting into the Netflix crap, I'll explain why this episode is just amazing and brilliant, and the definition of perfection in my eyes. This will be a long review.
The episode revolves around a dude nicknamed "Fat Neil", for reasons I need not explain. I'm pretty sure Neil was mentioned a few episodes earlier maybe once or twice, but I'm not too sure. Either way, Neil is a new character to us. Technically, we shouldn't have a reason to care about him. He's not in the study group or anything; we don't KNOW him at all. Which is why I continue to find myself impressed with just how well this episode is written and directed, and how Charley Koontz's performance literally brings me to TEARS at times. I, along with pretty much everyone else, find myself feeling so bad for Neil and just wanting to give him a hug. It's such a convincing performance, it's incredible.
Anyway, the study group, except for Pierce, organizes a group of D&D to play with Neil after he gives Jeff all his books, saying "he won't need them anymore". They hope that maybe this game would cheer him up, and make him decide to continue living. It's a very dark and heavy subject, but the episode is FULL of funny moments as well. Personally, I thought the scene with Abed as the Elf Maiden and Annie as Hector the Well-Endowed "making a deal" was one of the funniest things I've ever seen.
Now, before I continue, let's get into why I'm writing this review in the first place: Netflix and Hulu's decision to remove it. They took the episode off of their platform because Chang was cosplaying as a "Dark Elf" for the game, and he was wearing black paint, elf ears, and a white wig. He was dressed like an elf, but the streaming services removed it for blackface.
I don't think they took the time to analyze what was actually happening, what the meaning behind the jokes were, and why they weren't offensive. Chang's similarities to blackface are IMMEDIATELY addressed in the episode by the characters, Shirley saying "so we're just going to ignore that hate crime, huh?", and Jeff wondering why Chang hadn't worn armor or something to be an elf instead.
The joke here isn't making light of racism or anything. It's quite simple, actually: the joke is that Chang is dumb, and doesn't realize what his elf costume resembles. Let's not forget that Chang is insane, and not very bright. It was too easy for Netflix/Hulu to see black paint, delete the episode, and call it a day, but they didn't understand the message behind the jokes. The Chang scenes, which by the way, is an insanely small portion of the START of the episode, show how tone-deaf people can be with their actions, even if their intentions aren't bad.
Now that I got that out of the way, let us dive a little deeper into why this episode is important and shouldn't have been deleted for reasons other than Chang.
This D&D game that takes place in the episode is referred to many times throughout the rest of the show. In A Fist Full Of Paintballs, one of season 2's final episodes, Neil says to Annie, "We're friends, remember? We played Dungeons & Dragons together". That's one of many examples, but I'm naming that one in particular because I'm thinking of the new fans, and how that would just seem like a random choice of a line to them. Since D&D is typically associated with "nerds" or "weird kids", new fans would probably just pass Neil off as some random nerd, instead of someone who was once suicidal but was saved by The Study Group, and Pierce.
Which brings me to my next point: Pierce Anastasia Hawthorne. In Advanced D&D, he sees his friends playing the game without him, and he's jealous that he wasn't invited. We watch him become something of a supervillain fueled by his jealousy, which again, repeats itself throughout the show, such as in A Fist Full Of Paintballs. As Abed would probably put it, this is like Pierce's "origin story". So many things will seem random or confusing to new fans, which is pretty unfortunate since Community tends to rely a lot on the dynamics between the characters. Without the source of Pierce's jealousy and slight character shift, some things might be left feeling empty or with a few holes in it for future viewers.
And finally, here's the biggest reason I believe the episode shouldn't have been removed, which kind of combines all of them but still: the message. This is a very well-done episode that deals with topics of bullying, depression, and suicidal thoughts in such a unique way. D&D, being associated with "nerds" as I mentioned earlier, suddenly becomes 1000x more important, as Neil's life depends on it. Maybe in any other type of episode or even SHOW, I wouldn't care too much about a little game, but the writers are able to make us care so much about a game that should be just that, a GAME, but they made it so much more than that.
I think this is an important episode because mental illness and bullying are real issues that many people struggle with in their daily lives, and Neil is someone that many people can relate to. Even if you don't relate to some of Neil's struggles, it's still an emotional journey. This is why I don't understand why those few MINUTES of "dark elf" Chang, which I've already dissected and explained earlier, overshadow the importance of the other aspects of this episode.
In conclusion, I'm disappointed in Netflix and Hulu, and whatever other streaming service removed/will remove this episode. It's clear to me that they're trying their hardest to be "woke", but failed. Honestly, I hadn't seen anyone bat a single eye over this scene/episode. There was no "outrage" from ANYONE. In fact, people only began talking about it because of the episode's removal. Even now, I've seen very few people online who were actually offended by the scene. Why, you may ask? Because most people understand the message behind the joke.
Netflix, Hulu, and/or others, PLEASE reconsider your decisions to pull the plug on this masterpiece of an episode. Listen to the fans. Listen to the people who found comfort in having a character like Neil to relate to. Listen to PEOPLE instead of removing anything you think makes you seem un-PC (if that's a word, I don't know) without hesitation, without even understanding the meaning or its importance.
The episode revolves around a dude nicknamed "Fat Neil", for reasons I need not explain. I'm pretty sure Neil was mentioned a few episodes earlier maybe once or twice, but I'm not too sure. Either way, Neil is a new character to us. Technically, we shouldn't have a reason to care about him. He's not in the study group or anything; we don't KNOW him at all. Which is why I continue to find myself impressed with just how well this episode is written and directed, and how Charley Koontz's performance literally brings me to TEARS at times. I, along with pretty much everyone else, find myself feeling so bad for Neil and just wanting to give him a hug. It's such a convincing performance, it's incredible.
Anyway, the study group, except for Pierce, organizes a group of D&D to play with Neil after he gives Jeff all his books, saying "he won't need them anymore". They hope that maybe this game would cheer him up, and make him decide to continue living. It's a very dark and heavy subject, but the episode is FULL of funny moments as well. Personally, I thought the scene with Abed as the Elf Maiden and Annie as Hector the Well-Endowed "making a deal" was one of the funniest things I've ever seen.
Now, before I continue, let's get into why I'm writing this review in the first place: Netflix and Hulu's decision to remove it. They took the episode off of their platform because Chang was cosplaying as a "Dark Elf" for the game, and he was wearing black paint, elf ears, and a white wig. He was dressed like an elf, but the streaming services removed it for blackface.
I don't think they took the time to analyze what was actually happening, what the meaning behind the jokes were, and why they weren't offensive. Chang's similarities to blackface are IMMEDIATELY addressed in the episode by the characters, Shirley saying "so we're just going to ignore that hate crime, huh?", and Jeff wondering why Chang hadn't worn armor or something to be an elf instead.
The joke here isn't making light of racism or anything. It's quite simple, actually: the joke is that Chang is dumb, and doesn't realize what his elf costume resembles. Let's not forget that Chang is insane, and not very bright. It was too easy for Netflix/Hulu to see black paint, delete the episode, and call it a day, but they didn't understand the message behind the jokes. The Chang scenes, which by the way, is an insanely small portion of the START of the episode, show how tone-deaf people can be with their actions, even if their intentions aren't bad.
Now that I got that out of the way, let us dive a little deeper into why this episode is important and shouldn't have been deleted for reasons other than Chang.
This D&D game that takes place in the episode is referred to many times throughout the rest of the show. In A Fist Full Of Paintballs, one of season 2's final episodes, Neil says to Annie, "We're friends, remember? We played Dungeons & Dragons together". That's one of many examples, but I'm naming that one in particular because I'm thinking of the new fans, and how that would just seem like a random choice of a line to them. Since D&D is typically associated with "nerds" or "weird kids", new fans would probably just pass Neil off as some random nerd, instead of someone who was once suicidal but was saved by The Study Group, and Pierce.
Which brings me to my next point: Pierce Anastasia Hawthorne. In Advanced D&D, he sees his friends playing the game without him, and he's jealous that he wasn't invited. We watch him become something of a supervillain fueled by his jealousy, which again, repeats itself throughout the show, such as in A Fist Full Of Paintballs. As Abed would probably put it, this is like Pierce's "origin story". So many things will seem random or confusing to new fans, which is pretty unfortunate since Community tends to rely a lot on the dynamics between the characters. Without the source of Pierce's jealousy and slight character shift, some things might be left feeling empty or with a few holes in it for future viewers.
And finally, here's the biggest reason I believe the episode shouldn't have been removed, which kind of combines all of them but still: the message. This is a very well-done episode that deals with topics of bullying, depression, and suicidal thoughts in such a unique way. D&D, being associated with "nerds" as I mentioned earlier, suddenly becomes 1000x more important, as Neil's life depends on it. Maybe in any other type of episode or even SHOW, I wouldn't care too much about a little game, but the writers are able to make us care so much about a game that should be just that, a GAME, but they made it so much more than that.
I think this is an important episode because mental illness and bullying are real issues that many people struggle with in their daily lives, and Neil is someone that many people can relate to. Even if you don't relate to some of Neil's struggles, it's still an emotional journey. This is why I don't understand why those few MINUTES of "dark elf" Chang, which I've already dissected and explained earlier, overshadow the importance of the other aspects of this episode.
In conclusion, I'm disappointed in Netflix and Hulu, and whatever other streaming service removed/will remove this episode. It's clear to me that they're trying their hardest to be "woke", but failed. Honestly, I hadn't seen anyone bat a single eye over this scene/episode. There was no "outrage" from ANYONE. In fact, people only began talking about it because of the episode's removal. Even now, I've seen very few people online who were actually offended by the scene. Why, you may ask? Because most people understand the message behind the joke.
Netflix, Hulu, and/or others, PLEASE reconsider your decisions to pull the plug on this masterpiece of an episode. Listen to the fans. Listen to the people who found comfort in having a character like Neil to relate to. Listen to PEOPLE instead of removing anything you think makes you seem un-PC (if that's a word, I don't know) without hesitation, without even understanding the meaning or its importance.
THIS IS WRONGLY PULLED
plargreg28 June 2020
I guess Klingons count as blackface now.
prestonpetersen28 June 2020
This is a thoughtful episode depicting the destructive and devastating ramifications of thoughtless mocking and derisive bullying. It also shows the healing and restoration that can happen when people reach out with compassion and ask for forgiveness. But it has a person of color using makeup to cosplay as a fictional race so you probably shouldn't ever watch it.
This is the best episode of "Community" by far
westa-6362527 June 2020
Advanced Dungeons and Dragons is the episode that you'd show your friends. It's a perfect stand-alone episode that introduces all of the characters, their characteristics, and who they are as people. It's filled with humor and jokes as well as underlining tones about suicide prevention and mental health. While the episode has been removed from streaming services due to Chang appearing in blackface as a Dark Elf Character and not an African American and the use of blackface is immediately addressed, shunned upon, and addressed in the episode from beginning to end this is the best episode of Community.
Come at me Remedial Chaos Theory Fans...
Come at me Remedial Chaos Theory Fans...
One of the best episodes but...
DanielAlejandroRuizReyes29 June 2020
The biggest mistake was being taken down by Netflix and Hulu because of a 45 seconds scene, that wasn't blackface!! It truly shows that Netflix didn't even analyze the scene and just do it for the current political situation.
Absolutely Amazing!
alvizurezj30 July 2019
This episode is genius! The fact that the whole episode relies on your imagination through clever writing and character performances just woes me every time! Probably one of the nerdiest episodes of a TV show ever and it is executed to perfection! #sixseasonsandamovie
This is getting out of hand.
luisnastro27 June 2020
Removed from Netflix and Hulu because of a supposed "blackface".
How can the people running these companies be so daft? How is Chang's portrayal of a GOBLIN in any way considered blackface? You've ruined the experience of another great show. This is one of the better episodes of the all series, with a simple premise and executed perfectly.
What's happening in America right now is important; but don't ruin art for it! Suppressing the past, instead of learning from it. You really never learn, uh, America? THIS ISN'T EVEN AN EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED PROBLEMATIC! Your stupidity is unfathomable.
Problamatic..
mitchell_d-5545828 June 2020
They removed it....
This helps no one facing real racial hate. None of the stupid pandering stuff that is going on does. If you stopped making TV, Movie, Games, Comics and every other fun escapist thing in the US today not one person who faces real racial hate would be helped. It would not stop or fix anything.
Wonderful app and writing
rwjbtrg28 June 2020
Low Marks for Poor Study Group Management
pdx_vw_erik4 February 2021
Reading through reviews, I'm sad that Pierce's performance (not Chevy's) in this episode was greatly overshadowed by Chang in blackface.
I am greatly disappointed that the Greendale *Six* didn't eject Pierce for his outright bullying and asshattedness.
Low marks because Chevy did such a great job at making me downright hate Pierce.
I am greatly disappointed that the Greendale *Six* didn't eject Pierce for his outright bullying and asshattedness.
Low marks because Chevy did such a great job at making me downright hate Pierce.
I was never a dungeons and dragons fan...never actually played a game, nor
jpapanone30 November 2019
Had any desire to. But this episode kicks a**. Love how Community uses the other actors sporadically throughout the seasons. The character is very likeable in this.
I love vengeful Pierce...and Chang is just ridiculous. Abed is a great dungeon master (I guess). The story and execution are great, and the dialogue is funny. An episode that moves quickly. I wish this one was more than just 22 minutes. I know they did another D&D episode, but the "feel" of this one was so great, I'm sure they left a lot that would have been just as if not better.
It is episodes like this that really made Community a show all its own. Seinfeld had the Puffy Shirt and the Yada Yada. Community has the D&D one, the Law and Order one, the Goodfellas one, etc. No other show/creator could or would do anything like this...and do it this well.
It is episodes like this that really made Community a show all its own. Seinfeld had the Puffy Shirt and the Yada Yada. Community has the D&D one, the Law and Order one, the Goodfellas one, etc. No other show/creator could or would do anything like this...and do it this well.
Good Job Netflix
wishonweinstein28 June 2020
Warning: Spoilers
This is by far one of the best episodes of this series. It not only is a self-contained episode that anyone could watch by itself, but it has a great morale and all the characters exemplify themselves to a wonderful extent.
Apparently Netflix, in their infintie wisdom of pandering to the whiniest majority decided to remove this episode due to the character Chang who is cosplaying as a DROW. Drow do not look like any species/race of human. Their skin is almost lumiscent with a sheen unlike any normal person would have.
The ultimate irony here though? There's another episode 'Physical Education' (S01E17) in which Abed is in WHITEFACE. This isn't a matter where the character is cosplaying a fictional race. No, Abed is straight up portraying the role of as the credits call him "White Abed".
How is this acceptable? Why is this not seen as a massive double standard? Specially considering Chang is NOT in blackface.
Apparently Netflix, in their infintie wisdom of pandering to the whiniest majority decided to remove this episode due to the character Chang who is cosplaying as a DROW. Drow do not look like any species/race of human. Their skin is almost lumiscent with a sheen unlike any normal person would have.
The ultimate irony here though? There's another episode 'Physical Education' (S01E17) in which Abed is in WHITEFACE. This isn't a matter where the character is cosplaying a fictional race. No, Abed is straight up portraying the role of as the credits call him "White Abed".
How is this acceptable? Why is this not seen as a massive double standard? Specially considering Chang is NOT in blackface.
A Top Three Episode, Down the Memory Hole
almont-5773630 June 2020
This episode is perfect. It's a Top 3 in one of my Top Three comedies. The plot, the twist, the performances (especially Chase's), with a redemptive message about bullying and forgiveness. And it's all been lost because the studio panicked over a "blackface" scene that would really only be offensive to Elves, who (Spoilers Ahead) last I checked don't really exist. If you haven't seen it find a way.
Got me into the show
nathanmcmsf28 June 2020
Loved this episode as it got me into the show Community as well as being one of the best pieces of writing in regards to bullying and suicide, not to mention it is one of the best TV show episodes that puts DnD/TTRPGs in a positive light
Also screw HBO and Netflix for thinking Chen's Drow cosplay is blackface... NEWS FLASH: It isn't!
Also screw HBO and Netflix for thinking Chen's Drow cosplay is blackface... NEWS FLASH: It isn't!
This should never have been removed from streaming services
skribs29 December 2022
This is an incredible episode. Unfortunately, you can't watch it if you're following the show on streaming services like Hulu or Netflix. The episode was removed because it features a character in blackface. The character is known to be racist, and is immediately called out on this being racist.
At what point is censorship too much? Do we remove the movies Blazing Saddles and Django Unchained because the bad guys say the N word? Do we get rid of all villains because what they do is evil?
The episode is funny and imaginative, while tackling major issues such as bullying and suicide. Oh, and racism, which is ironically what it gets cancelled for.
At what point is censorship too much? Do we remove the movies Blazing Saddles and Django Unchained because the bad guys say the N word? Do we get rid of all villains because what they do is evil?
The episode is funny and imaginative, while tackling major issues such as bullying and suicide. Oh, and racism, which is ironically what it gets cancelled for.
One of the most important episodes
baseballboy-1239028 June 2020
This is genuinely one of my favorite episodes
James09877 September 2020
Netflix censorship is inconsistent
mark-141-74699820 August 2020
In season 5, episode 12 of Weeds, ("Glue") Dean (played by Andy Milder) appears in Blackface makeup in an attempt to fool Celia (played by Elizabeth Perkins) As of 8/20/2020, this episode had not been censored or removed from the streaming service Netflix, unlike the controversy over the "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons" episode in Community (where actor Ken Jeong wore dark makeup to play a Dark Elf, not a human.) Netflix is completely inconsistent and unjust in its censorship of a brilliant episode here.
My genuine review of this episode
chewlekitten15 January 2024
Warning: Spoilers
I've never seen a review bomb in the opposite direction. This is by no means anything above a 5/10 overall. I'll describe my reasons below.
In my opinion, the blackface part of the episode really had no impact. If the rest of the episode was great and that was the only reason it was pulled, I'd get some of the outrage. But, I've got several other issues with it as well.
First, I'll start with the pro. I like the concept of the episode. Doing a DnD session to cheer someone up could be a good concept if handled correctly. But, this episode was not handled correctly.
Pierce is made out to be an extremely awful person in this episode. It felt oddly out of character. The abrupt hatred of the depressed character was really hard to watch.
Overall, this was a very weak episode, and I think platforms just used the controversy to wipe a weak episode from the lineup.
In my opinion, the blackface part of the episode really had no impact. If the rest of the episode was great and that was the only reason it was pulled, I'd get some of the outrage. But, I've got several other issues with it as well.
First, I'll start with the pro. I like the concept of the episode. Doing a DnD session to cheer someone up could be a good concept if handled correctly. But, this episode was not handled correctly.
Pierce is made out to be an extremely awful person in this episode. It felt oddly out of character. The abrupt hatred of the depressed character was really hard to watch.
Overall, this was a very weak episode, and I think platforms just used the controversy to wipe a weak episode from the lineup.
Shame
ssinger1-251-89405825 December 2020
Never got to see it
Nickfalzone1329 August 2020
I never got to see this episode which sounds like it was one of the best of the series. The reason for this "review" is how Netflix handled it. Hulu removed it as well but kept the proper episode numbers. Netflix renumbered them essentially erasing the episode. It's like it never existed. That it total garbage!
Put it back on stream services
bobdacow693 December 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Beautifully crafted episode which embraces creativity, diversity, and acceptance. The morals of the story to squash bullying and shed stereotypes is overshadowed by Chang's obvious ignorance. The argument of satire vs cultural inappropriateness leaves this episode a victim of creativity. Blackface is wrong, and there is no excuse. The character showing how it is inappropriate is the message not the portrayal of dark elves, Which are fiction. This episode expands the game of dungeons and dragons by letting the players tell the story. It is not a misrepresentation of a people or a community, but a great way of showing how wrong someone is and making them look foolish for trying to do what America got wrong in theater and film.
Wrongfully "erased".
daisyisabaker1 February 2021
Fantastic episode, but got removed because Netflix and Hulu misunderstand that a goblin is not a human. He's was dessing-up which is actually addressed by Shirley in the episode.
Absolutely ridiculous overreaction because this episode was perfect
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