(S01E20) One of the criticisms about 'Community' throughout this season has been with the characterization of Britta, as portrayed by Gillian Jacobs. While the rest of the ensemble has received praise for their goofy character quirks and the humor they bring to the series, Jacobs has been considered a bit of a buzzkill in the fan community.

Big props to the producers and writers of the series for tackling this criticism head on by making Britta's lack of "fun" the central plot of the episode. In doing so, they even did a respectable job of explaining to us how they see her role in the study group, and I guess I can buy it.

On the other side, because of April Fool's Day, Annie and Shirley are temporarily hired as campus security guards, just in time for a real crime to solve. Did I mention Pierce in a wizard's robe waving around a cookie on a stick?

I was glad at the end when Pierce revealed that he knew the robes weren't real, because I wasn't sure I wanted him to be quite that stupid. But then he went on to explain that he'd gotten held back at his weird religious cult, so he knew he hadn't truly earned them and I realized that I really do want him to be just as naive and stupid as ever. Troy can't carry that load alone.

Britta's attempt at an April Fool's joke did lead to some great comedic moments for Jacobs. Even if Britta can't succeed as "the funny one" ever, at least we know that Jacobs has no problems in that area at all. Those few seconds as the body slid out the window and she backed onto the sombrero-wearing frog were pure gold. It was all in the facial expressions.

Annie and Shirley's investigation into the matter was a whole different kind of funny. I thought their sparring over which one of them got to be the badass was perfect, as they're the two most buttoned down characters on the show. Annie, youthfully exuberant, was the only one who could have gotten away with abruptly slamming Jeff's head into the table. The laugh that slipped out of me was as surprising as the act itself.

Abed as audience to their buddy cop drama was another great use of his film, TV and pop culture obsessed persona. The explanation that his cable was out was all we needed to completely believe him in this role. Highlights were him asking the guy to hold his spot while he went to the bathroom, and him stepping in for Dean Pelton when the girls needed to be reprimanded.

The self-awareness of the show and of recurring story elements in popular entertainment are one of my favorite aspects of it. It works, because 'Community' manages to defy many of those common conventions, while staying true to them at its core: a juggling act that is difficult but can create very satisfying comedy.

We do like certain things in our comedies because they make us feel good. That's why Michael Scott on 'The Office' is off-putting to many people. He breaks all the conventions of a comic lead and makes the show uncomfortable to watch at times. 'Community' manages innovation in their characters without any discomfort.

I don't know if Greendale is big enough to have a morning radio show, or a radio station for that matter, but I would totally listen to 'Troy and Abed in the Morning.' In fact, considering the success Ricky Gervais has had with his podcast, I wonder how long before Donald Glover and Danny Pudi take this beautiful comic chemistry they have between them and expand it into other arenas.

[See if you have a funny bone with clips and full episodes of 'Community' over on SlashControl.]