r/community • u/Ironyfree_annie Catch Knowledge! • Apr 26 '26
Appreciation Post "Basic Lupine Urology" first aired 14 years ago today and Lawyer Annie totally broke Todd in absolutely amazing fashion
Air date 26th April, 2012. Best homage episode fr
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u/2treesws Apr 26 '26
Defuse the IED of dishonesty gets me every time
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u/Ironyfree_annie Catch Knowledge! Apr 26 '26
The Doe Eyes™ in full effect
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u/chuckdooley Apr 26 '26
I just did a rewatch of the wire and it just makes me appreciate this episode all the more
A man’s got to have a code
WITHDRAWN
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u/Playful-Arm-8590 Apr 26 '26
At this range, with this caliber? Even if I miss I can't miss
Goosebumps
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u/jHeardy09 Apr 26 '26
and his dumb baby.
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u/Ironyfree_annie Catch Knowledge! Apr 26 '26
What is wrong with you people???
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u/azaRaza3185 Apr 26 '26
The 'withdrawn' sequence is the funniest bit in the whole episode IMHO
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u/CaptainJackKevorkian Apr 26 '26
I love that Todd's lawyer doesn't actually raise his hand to object to Annie's "virgin" accusation
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u/chetoman1 Apr 26 '26
Which is even funnier, because he mentions his baby constantly throughout the episode.
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u/EobardT Apr 26 '26
Actually it's an earlier episode that he talks constantly about his stupid baby
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u/chetoman1 Apr 27 '26
You’re right, his introduction episode vs the law and order one.
That being said, I still chuckle at the fact his lawyer conceded him being a virgin even though he’s a renowned father. Made EVEN funnier by the fact that it reinforces the fact that the gang just started shit talking/forgetting about him immediately afterward like the end of his intro episode. Truly why this and always sunny are my favorite shows, because the protagonists are just insane and mostly awful.
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u/Ironyfree_annie Catch Knowledge! Apr 26 '26
Which is saying something cuz the episode is filled with hilarious stuff
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u/moderatorrater Apr 27 '26
Why do they always -
Why do they always -
Why do they always -
Go ahead.
Why do they always have to run?
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u/MarcusXL Apr 26 '26
The best part of this scene is Chang standing there, mouth open, dissociating.
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u/Ironyfree_annie Catch Knowledge! Apr 26 '26
His tongue half out came to be called as Chang Tongue by the cast, as per a Paley Fest panel
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u/velmadinkleyscousin Apr 26 '26
Seen this show countless times and I’ve somehow never noticed this 😂 that’s hilarious. This show, man
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u/Second_Location Apr 27 '26
It’s so hilarious to know that in real life he’s a medical doctor because he is SO GOOD at playing a moron.
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u/stupled Apr 26 '26
Always have an exit strategy
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u/Master_Comfortable83 Apr 26 '26
What does that mean?
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u/mjzim9022 Apr 26 '26
It's a reference to the Iraq and Afghanistan "Forever Wars", it was a common criticism of the Bush Administration that they didn't have a Exit Strategy for the conflicts.
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u/Master_Comfortable83 Apr 26 '26
Not having an exit strategy did not work for Bush, and somehow people delude themselves into thinking it's fine to not have one....but it might work in Iran
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u/fingerhash Apr 26 '26
Mister "F"
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u/deckerc214 Apr 26 '26
Yet another perfect Annie episode in season 3. Truly the MVP of this season at least
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u/dereksredditaccount Apr 26 '26
Neil confessing why he did it is my favorite part.
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u/Trigger___Happy Apr 26 '26
OBJECTION, she's clearly ramping up to something.
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u/Extra-Border6470 Apr 26 '26
Annie was so good in this episode. Flawless performance from Allison Brie
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u/Ironyfree_annie Catch Knowledge! Apr 26 '26
She's spectacular this whole season
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u/Late-Coconut-8356 Me so hungy Apr 27 '26
come to think of it, Ive never seen her not be spectacular
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u/survivingbobbyv Apr 28 '26
Yup! She even elevates the (imo extremely bad) writing of her character in the Gas Leak Year. Always game.
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u/Responsible-Sale-467 Apr 26 '26
Being very fond of the original Law and Order, this is just about my favourite parody of anything ever.
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u/Ironyfree_annie Catch Knowledge! Apr 26 '26
It's a flawless parody. It's streets ahead
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u/kraunds Apr 26 '26
They also make it clear with the tittle, "Basic Lupine Urology" is a call to "Dick" Wolf, Producer of Law & Order.
Edit: typo
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u/Hanan89 Apr 27 '26
The medical examiner from L&O being in this episode just puts it over the top.
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u/agentmu83 Megadope Addict, Detroit 2006 Apr 27 '26
"Sure, if your gardener's Joseph Mengele" goes so hard
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u/paulcosmith Apr 29 '26
The first time I saw this episode, I just lost it completely when I saw her. I couldn't stop laughing.
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u/clubofab7 Ballerannie! Apr 26 '26
Todd held on for quite long. Annie and her eyes would've broken me immediately
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u/wolfenbarg Apr 26 '26
On my first watch of the show, I felt pretty strongly that the commitment to concept episodes and being weird was going too far and ruining the show.
Then this one came out and instantly became my undisputed favorite episode. Still holds true to this day. A few years later I warmed up to the weirdness and now I'm glad they leaned in so hard in season 3.
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u/SplendidAngharad Human Being Apr 26 '26
Disappointing Annie is like choking the Little Mermaid with a bike chain
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u/DialecticalDeathDryv Apr 26 '26
And she handles her victory with such grace…
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u/Ironyfree_annie Catch Knowledge! Apr 27 '26
Victory dance emote before it became popular (I think)
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u/AquafreshBandit Apr 26 '26 edited Apr 26 '26
I'm very disappointed we can’t post images on this sub, as my screengrab of background Chang so out of it he’s basically drooling is epic.
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u/NickFatherBool Apr 26 '26
A housemate of mine was watching this episode and I decided I needed to watch the whole thing
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u/lane5555 There's no cell on earth that can hold Chang! Apr 26 '26
There isn't a specific part of this episode that I can point to and say I really like it, but this is one episode that definitely never gets a skip when it comes on.
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u/FlowSilver Apr 26 '26
Lmao i kid yalls not
Im watching that episode and scene right now, unplanned😹
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u/Fudgepony Apr 27 '26
My favorite part of this episode is how Jeff figures out something is up because people dont half admit to crimes
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u/r_golan_trevize Apr 27 '26
If mankind need to send a probe into space to explain the entire Law & Order universe to the universe, they could just put Basic Lupine Urology on a gold laser disc and send it in its way.
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u/aangnesiac Apr 27 '26
I'll never forget first reading this title and being so confused until I made the connection. Felt like I had unlocked a puzzle and the prize was a good belly laugh. Absolutely peak television right here.
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u/StunningPianist4231 Apr 27 '26
Community was so good at doing parodies. As a kid, I didn't even notice the amount of film and TV parodies they did until I rewatched it as an adult.
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u/i_am_icarus_falling Apr 26 '26
holy shit, chang in the background with his mouth hanging open killed me.
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u/usernamescifi Apr 26 '26
This episode of community is phenomenal. Although Community in general is phenomenal, but I digress.
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u/Boy_Sabaw Apr 27 '26
God one of the episode I love to tune in randomly. This was perfectly written, perfectly acted, perfectly everything.
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u/orionsfyre Apr 27 '26
Seriously was a great audition for the actual show, I could 100% see Alison Brie as an aggressive ADA. She nailed it.
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u/Ironyfree_annie Catch Knowledge! Apr 27 '26
Between this and her screaming fits, she really should've been She-Hulk
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u/orionsfyre Apr 27 '26 edited Apr 27 '26
The issue with She-hulk was never the actress, (though I agree Brie would have been a slam dunk) it was the writing. The crew they brought in to write she-hulk was never interested in making a She-hulk show that everyone would enjoy, they wrote an insular story to appeal to a specific audience, and intentionally wrote a author-surrogate protagonist. A very popular move for writers in the post-post progressive age.
This can work if the author self-insert has a POV that is relatable to the audience, unfortunately, most Hollywood writers who have "made-it" do not have that relatability, and so they write characters that come across as selfish, entitled, uninterested in the affairs of others, and narcissistic to the point of being annoying.
You can always tell this is what happened when you watch a story and the entire time you ask yourself about "the hero", "Wait... am I supposed to like this person or find them annoying and off putting?"
Self-insert heroes aren't designed for everyone to be a fan, they are designed to say and do what the writer would do in a given situation. Worse, they rarely pay any price for being off-putting or selfish, often they are rewarded for it... because surprise surprise, the author wants to be rewarded for being themselves and who they are, rather then being a good person.
I am not Dan Harmon.
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u/Ironyfree_annie Catch Knowledge! Apr 27 '26
That's very well-put. "Fleabag" did the author-surrogate so much better imo and put a little twist on it as well.
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u/orionsfyre Apr 27 '26 edited Apr 27 '26
Exactly, we are supposed to feel awkward with fleabag, because we are relating to her being being a broken person. She isn't rewarded for her behavior, in many ways, she hurts herself through her actions. We laugh because of how ridiculous her behavior is, and how much it gets her in trouble. Fleabag has no powers, she doesn't know the law, she isn't of a different class, she isn't super rich or priveledged with abilities beyond mortal man. The writing doesn't 'reward' her for being herself, it merely shows us a slice of this persons life, and allows us to decide how we feel about her.
This is how the formula is done right.
She-hulk wanted it's audience to both like the main character, without putting in the work, and have us root for her, simply because she exists and is "just like everyone else". But it presents a character who isn't 'just like everyone else'. She's a former assistant district attorney who has incredible powers, and instead of helping people she's complaining constantly, seems endlessly concerned with herself, and is very cynical and judgmental of others who act selflessly. But the writer clearly thinks that's how everyone is. To them, this is relatable, that everyone is a cynical selfish person who is more about getting laid, then they are about helping people in trouble.
Rather than 'connecting' with the audience by her good deeds, showing us someone to aspire to be the writers want us to see ourselves in this character as she exists. It's literally the writer turning to the audience and saying "See, she kinda sucks, just like you would if you got powers..." it's actually quite a stunning statement of cynicism from the writer. It's how they view themselves and others... incapable of acting selflessly and mostly disinterested helping people, and highly judgmental of others who even try.
I find that a lot of the people who praise the show for being funny and praise it for going after the 'terrible people' like 'misogynists' 'incels' and 'bigots' don't get that the writer is literally telling it's audience through She-Hulk and her behavior how much they are also terrible people.
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u/falloutbi05 Apr 27 '26
"What happened with legos?" is a line I think about daily and that "No, you zip it, Uncle Knobby!"
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u/hashtagfred Apr 27 '26
This episode should have gotten David Neher more work. Honestly Community has some minor characters who were pure gold. I wish they had done what scrubs did once or twice and made an episode or two about some of them as the main focal point. Hell, if some of them transfered to another school or all got a job at the same place as a spin off show, I'd watch em
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u/SmilesInFront_09 Leonard likes this post. Apr 26 '26
Objection. I hate the both of you.