NBC’s ‘Community’ season 4, episode 2 preview: Pierce’s special gym

On Thursday night’s “Community,” Halloween is going to be the theme … which really makes things rather awkward to being with considering that this is actually going to air on Valentine’s Day.

So what are we set to see this week? Basically, you can think of it almost as the “Community” version of “American Horror Story” season 1, where all of these characters end up being stuck insider Pierce’s house after a panic room incident divides the study group. This is the first time that the show has brought us into this world, and what we end up seeing as a result is one of the wackiest and over-the-top places known to man.

For one such example of that, check out the sneak peek below, in which Troy introduces Shirley to what he refers to as Pierce’s “special gym.” It’s a room that he was never allowed to enter back when Troy lived with him during the early stages of season 2, and what Donald Glover’s characters fails to understand at this very moment is the meaning of a room full of chains and leather. It’s not surprise, really, that Pierce would have such a room … just as it is really no surprise at all that the room is never really used.

The only thing that troubles us somewhat about the clip is something that has troubled us about “Community” as a whole over the course of the past week: Shirley’s character. She is this super-sweet woman, but we want to make sure that some of that edge is still maintained in a logical way. It’s interesting that she is so intimately familiar with the objects in Pierce’s room, and it is a great opportunity for there to be a joke thrown in here that never really happens.

What do you think about this clip? In case you have not heard about what former “Community” showrunner Dan Harmon had to say about this season, you can do so over at the link here.

Photo: NBC