NBC’s Community is often said to be one of the smartest sitcoms, and with good reason. Created by Dan Harmon (co-creator of Rick and Morty, with Justin Roiland), The show was well-known for parodying and paying homage to movies and TV shows such as Law and Order and Goodfellas, with hilarious, clever quotes.
Pierce Hawthorne, played by Chevy Chase, is a hilarious parody of some baby boomers one sees today – racist, homophobic and transphobic. And although Pierce seems to be nothing more than that, he can be very sweet sometimes. Here are 5 times Pierce was a great person, and 5 times he was terrible.
Great – Gave Annie A Tiara
In “Intermediate Documentary Filmmaking”, Pierce gives Annie a tiara and tells him that she’s his favorite, which Annie returns to him, as she interprets this as him teaching her a lesson about her elitism and playing favorites. However, Pierce just reveals it was a gift, nothing more.
Cut to season 5 when Pierce dies, and in his will he leaves the same tiara to Annie, telling her she really was his favorite. It was a sweet gesture from Pierce, as she and Annie had come to have one of the best relationships in the series.
Terrible – Took Over The Dungeons and Dragons Game
When the study group organizes a D&D game session to cheer up Neil, Pierce crashes the party and demands to be put in the game. He bullies, mocks and shouts at Neil, and uses the game to demean him.
He also tells everyone how it was Jeff who termed the name ‘Fat Neil’ and ruins the entire experience for everyone. Unknown to Pierce, Neil was depressed and suicidal, and he was a jerk to him the entire evening.
Great – Got Sophie B. Hawkins to Show Up At Britta’s Dance
After Britta accidentally ends up throwing a dance for singer Sophie B. Hawkins (instead of the feminist icon Susan B. Anthony), Jeff tells her that people will be expecting Sophie B. Hawkins to actually show up, and much to everyone’s surprise, she actually shows up.
Pierce reveals how he was the one who managed to get her to come, as he feels bad for her, and he makes Jeff realize how badly he’s been treating her considering how much she helped him with his issues with his father.
Terrible – Told Everyone About The Trampoline
When Pierce gets a radio-controlled drone, he uses it to catch Jeff and Troy at an illegal trampoline, and threaten to tell everyone about it if Troy doesn’t “double-bounce” him.
Although this went against the rules, Troy has no choice but to oblige. He launches Pierce in the air, and he falls and breaks his legs, but not before he shouts to everyone how they have an illegal trampoline. The trampoline is then destroyed, thanks to Pierce.
Great – Gave His Paintball Prize Money To Greendale
In Paintball II, Pierce has betrayed the study group and is at large. The Greendale students decide the prize money 0f $100,000 must be given to Greendale so the school can be cleaned. The Greendale Human Beings almost win but at the last second, their last soldier is shot.
However, Pierce saves the day by shooting the enemy and demands the prize money be given out to Greendale. It was a sweet thing to do, especially considering he had just betrayed the study group.
Terrible – Betrayed Jeff During Paintball
During their second paintball game, the study group has divided into factions and Pierce unites them, sending them all on a quest for more ammo and bigger and more powerful guns.
However, he loads Jeff’s gun with blanks, later saying he didn’t want Jeff to win again this year. It was only by pure chance that they survived, and the fake gun could’ve been their undoing.
Great – Advised Jeff About Letting Go Of His Hatred For Rich
After Pierce is kicked out from his Sailing class, he decides to go back, which Jeff doesn’t seem to understand. He asks why Pierce would go back if he’s so bad at it, and he advises Jeff about letting go of his hatred with Rich and to accept that being bad at pottery can be okay.
He says, “That thing some men call ‘failure’, I call, ‘living’. ‘Breakfast’. And I’m not leaving until I’ve cleaned out the buffet.”. It was one of those rare heartwarming moments when Pierce is poignant and advises Jeff.
Terrible – Faked Dying To Teach the Study Group A Lesson
After getting addicted to and overdosing on painkillers, Pierce invites the study group to the hospital and tells everyone he’s dying, in order to torture them psychologically. He uses their insecurities against them, such as getting Shirley worried about what the study group thinks of her behind her back.
He also tricks Jeff by saying his dad would be showing up, and when everyone finds out the truth, he says he’s tired of not being taken seriously. Maybe if he had just talked to them instead of manipulating and torturing them!
Great – His Last Words To The Study Group
Pierce, even in death, spends his dying wish torturing and manipulating the study group by revealing all their secrets and dirty deceptions to each other, through a lawyer and a lie detector machine. However, at the last minute, he does something sweet.
He leaves each member of the study group with a personal belonging and a heartfelt message, such as an iPod to Britta, filled with his favorite music, telling her to take life less seriously. Oh, and also a bottle of sperm.
Terrible – Tried To Take Over Shirley’s Sandwiches
In the season 3 finale, the Dean has finalized Shirley’s Sandwiches to operate in the Greendale cafeteria and asks either Shirley or Pierce to sign on the deed, and Pierce immediately starts to sign it, saying he funded the project.
He hires a lawyer and sues Shirley to take over the entire business, even though the entire project was made possible because of Shirley’s idea and business acumen. What’s more, he hires Jeff’s former lawyer friend to mess with Jeff’s head.
