Product Code Database
Abed Gubi Nadir is a fictional character on the NBC/Yahoo! Screen sitcom series Community, created by Dan Harmon and portrayed by Danny Pudi.
Abed is a student at Greendale Community College and one of the first members of the show's central study group. A Popular culture enthusiast, his extensive knowledge of TV shows and movies, as well as his passion for filmmaking, often lead the study group to reference or attempt to recreate famous media properties. Abed serves as the main link between Community and the real world, often pointing out motifs and tropes present within the show's events.
Abed's unusual social behavior and special interests imply that he is on the autism spectrum, as suggested by Harmon and stated by other characters on the show. Despite what some perceive as a lack of social skills, he is generally beloved by members of the study group and enjoys a close bond with Troy Barnes (Donald Glover).
Originally intended to be solely Palestinians, the character was made half-Polish when Pudi, who is half-Polish and half-Indian, was cast. Pudi, who auditioned for the role four times, was one of the two finalists for the role along with Kumail Nanjiani.
On February 3, 2023, Pudi and Alison Brie confirmed that they would both return for the Community movie.
Abed's father permits him to take classes at Greendale so that Abed can help take over the family's falafel restaurant one day. Abed later convinces his father to allow him to study film instead.
His encyclopedic knowledge of pop culture makes him highly observant and analytical, such that he is able to predict what fellow members of the study group will say and do (as shown in "Debate 109"). In "Aerodynamics of Gender", Abed uses these skills to fend off a group of mean girls; encouraged by Britta, Shirley, and Annie, he adopts a RoboCop-like ability to point out exactly what women on campus are insecure about.
Abed is the primary source of the show's : he warns the study group in "Cooperative Calligraphy" that their argument will lead to a bottle episode, is the only member of the group to notice that they are being portrayed via Stop motion in "Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas", and occasionally breaks the fourth wall.
Abed also regularly takes the opportunity to turn events into documentaries, such as in "Intermediate Documentary Filmmaking" where Pierce's near-death experience becomes the basis of a documentary. In the season 3 episode "", he attempts to recreate while capturing Dean Pelton's efforts to film a new commercial for Greendale.
Aside from his own projects, Abed shows interest in several media franchises: the fictional British sci-fi show Inspector Spacetime (which is a parody of Doctor Who), the short-lived superhero drama The Cape, and Cougar Town. The show's references to Cougar Town resulted in Pudi making a cameo appearance on the season 2 episode "Something Good Coming, Part 1".
In the series finale "Emotional Consequences of Broadcast Television", Abed reveals he is moving to Los Angeles to work as a production assistant for a TV show.
Abed forms a close friendship with Troy; their relationship is characterized by their joint willingness to engage in hijinks, such as building a campus-wide blanket fort and hosting a mock morning news program titled Troy and Abed in the Morning. The two move in together in season 3, and later invite Annie to join them in their apartment. The bounds of Troy and Abed's friendship are most notably explored in the season 3 episode "Pillows and Blankets", in which their conflicting philosophies regarding blanket forts results in a campus war, as well as in Troy's final episode "Geothermal Escapism", in which Abed must come to terms with Troy's departure from Greendale.
In the season 4 episode "Herstory of Dance", Abed meets and develops feelings for a Cloakroom girl named Rachel (Brie Larson). They date during season 5, though after the season's 9th episode, Rachel never appears again. Abed references her sudden disappearance in the season 6 episode "Ladders", remarking, "What happened to that girl I was dating?"
The phrase "Six Seasons and a Movie", yelled by Abed when Jeff argues that The Cape will be canceled, became a rallying cry for the Community fanbase when the show was on the verge of being canceled itself.
Though the show never confirms if Abed is autistic, many critics have praised the show for its portrayal of Abed within that context and for allowing Abed to establish relationships and undergo character development nonetheless. His portrayal has been well received by many autistic viewers.
|
|
