School & The Gang: 'Community' Is Back!

After last December's Christmas episode, a musical that poked fun at Glee, Community went on a hiatus that had fans fearing they'd seen the last of their favorite dysfunctional study group. They weren't alone. :We operated under the assumption, 'Who knows what will happen?'" Danny Pudi, who plays pop culture junkie Abed, tells Star. "We had confidence that we would be back, but we didn't know when. So we just had fun and went wacky."

Wacky is an understatement at the school that disgraced lawyer Jeff (Joel McHale), millionaire pervert pierce (Chevy Chase), recovering adderall addict Annie (Alison Brie) and assorted other nutjobs all call home. That will be evident in the show's triumphant return. There's a wedding on campus and Troy (Donald Glover) and Abed, geeky best friends who like to watch sci-fi movies and build pillow forts, have a simple mission: to act like normal human beings. But this being Greendale Community College, that's easier said than done.

As Community returns, it fills a void for fans obsessed with its pop culture shout-outs and meta selfawareness.

"The greatest thing about our show is that everyone feels like a part of Greendale," Danny explains. "We get fan fiction and drawings and youTube videos and mashups. Seeing their reactions gives us hope."

In the meantime, fans are eager to see what the gang has in store for the rest of season three. "It's a little bit darker," Danny tells Star. "There's some exploration deeper into Abed's mind and his Dreamatorium. I'm still trying to wrap my head around those episodes. You think your brain is going to explode."

But don't worry. Danny promises Community won't get too deep: "There's also a monkey and he poops, so there is something for everyone."