Community Season 5 Trailer Teases Jeff's Return

Community Season 5 spoilers ahead!

The new trailer for the anticipated fifth season of Community plays like a movie trailer, complete with a sad look at Joel McHale’s Jeff Winger losing it all, as movie people tend to do, before he becomes the center of a Scrubs-like overhaul on the series — this, according to Abed’s description — and returns to Greendale to educate. After four years at a two-year college, the student becomes the teacher.

From the looks of it, life after graduation isn’t treating Jeff Winger so well. Maybe he should’ve spent less money on special effects. Those repo guys might be right about that, but I can’t imagine Jeff regrets that amazing gavel super-lawyer costume. (Please let that outfit turn up again at some point in the future!) The trailer shows Jeff’s things being repossessed, after which he returns to Greendale — Leonard is not surprised — receives a hug from the Dean and then apparently takes a job teaching a Fundamentals of Law class. Because his only way out is to get back in. That’s pure movie-trailer-speak right there.

Cut to Jeff cleverly giving nicknames to some of his students, until he hits an awkward moment and rethinks his not-learning-names idea. Next, we see Jeff in what I can only imagine is the teacher’s lounge, which is clearly a swanky spot where teachers swill martinis and banter. Dean Pelton is only allowed to drop the checks and move on. Newcomer Jonathan Banks closes the door in Dean’s face, winning me over instantly in the process. And finally, it looks like Troy and Abed are plotting a prank, as Abed is dressed as a ficus and Troy has managed to turn into a chair. He may be right in saying, “This is going to be hilarious.”

As though there wasn’t already reason enough to be excited for Community, the trailer has me sold. Season 5 is one more reason to look forward to 2014. The new trailer follows a previously released preview (below) and some photos.

You can check out even more photos and character pics here. Community returns Thursday, January 2 at 8:00 p.m. ET. In addition to Jonathan Banks, Season 5 will also include appearances by Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan, Firefly’s Nathan Fillion, Walton Goggins, Brie Larson, LeVar Burton, Ben Folds, David Cross and Rob Corddry, among others.