If there’s one thing Joel McHale’s gonna do, it’s play a wry a-hole with a heart of gold beneath his many, many sarcastic layers. Community is proof positive of this and of how adept he is at this archetype. However, a new contender entered the ranks in 2023, and that, my friends, is FOX’s Animal Control. A sweet, low-stakes comedy, this series stars McHale as Frank Shaw, a — you guessed it — wry a-hole with a heart of gold beneath his many, many sarcastic layers … who works in animal control.
Animal Control boasts at least a few Community references during its three-season run (thus far), and I’ve attempted to compile them here. Proceed at your peril.
Hoist on One’s Own Petard
As early as Season 1 Episode 2, “Rabbits and Pythons,” Frank asks Shred (Michael Rowland) to look up “hoisted on one’s own petard” as Amit Patel (Ravi Patel) deals with a high, ravenous rabbit. This is a nod to Jeff (McHale) asking Britta (Gillian Jacobs) in Community Season 6 Episode 5, “Laws of Robotics & Party Rights,” what that very phrase means. She views a petard as a special leotard (with loops) that the wealthy donned when feeling “especially smug.” Oh, and poor people can hoist them up to punish them for their arrogance. To be fair, Britta’s definition is much better than the actual one.
Shouldn’t have worn that petard if you didn’t want to be hoisted by it!
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Daddy Issues
Here’s a common thread between Frank Shaw and Jeff Winger: both have daddy issues. In “Rabbits and Pythons,” we meet Frank’s father, Jimmy (John Procaccino), and learn they have a contentious relationship. On Community, we meet Jeff’s estranged father, William (James Brolin), in Season 4 Episode 5, “Cooperative Escapism in Familial Relations.” Jeff’s dad walked out when he was young, and his abandonment issues contribute significantly to how he handles relationships.
That said, Jimmy Shaw is a recurring character on Animal Control, and beneath his caustic exterior, it’s abundantly clear he loves Frank. Frank undoubtedly gets his acerbic wit from Jimmy, too.
The One Carny With Scruples
In Season 1 Episode 3, “Cougars and Kangaroos,” Frank remarks that he and Shred have found “the one carny with scruples.” In Community Season 3 Episode 15, “Origins of Vampire Mythology,” Britta struggles to steer clear of her carny ex-boyfriend, Blade (Kirk Fox). Remember the “You are a lying junkie” banana? Iconic.
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From Dust to Dust
This one is most definitely reaching, but I’m gonna include it anyway. In Season 1 Episode 7, “Peacocks and Pumas,” one of Victoria’s (Grace Palmer) pranks culminates in Frank being covered head to toe in talc powder while on a stakeout. It’s reminiscent of Community Season 3 Episode 1, “Biology 101,” when Jeff destroys the study room table with an ax. After this, he’s covered in dust.
During the prank war, Victoria also uses Wite-Out on Frank’s hair and beard on his ID to make him look older. In Community Season 6 Episode 8, “Intro to Recycled Cinema,” Jeff, Britta, Annie (Alison Brie) and Ben Chang (Ken Jeong) star in Abed’s (Danny Pudi) feature film Chief Starr and the Raiders of the Galaxy. Jeff plays the Mayor of Outer Space, and he wears a white wig and bushy white eyebrows. This could easily be a tenuous connection, but I made it nonetheless.
Taking Spanish in Community College
Here’s the most obvious Community reference. In Season 1 Episode 8, “Hellhounds and Sturgeons,” Frank tells Shred he took Spanish in community college after rattling off some Spanish. Was Roman Park (Jeong) his teacher?
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Double Bounce
Beware of the double bounce. In Season 2 Episode 1, “Raccoons and Mutts,” Frank and Shred jump — and double bounce — on trampolines, a tried and true instant serotonin booster. Community Season 2 Episode 7, “Aerodynamics of Gender,” sees Jeff and Troy (Donald Glover) stumble upon a secret garden with a trampoline on campus. They’re warned of the dangerous “double bounce.”
I’ll Allow It
Season 2 Episode 5, “Dogs and Chickens,” Ken Jeong guest stars as Roman Park, an expert dog trainer. Roman and Frank instantly butt heads. Jeong and McHale’s characters have a rivalry throughout Community. At one point, Roman claims he’ll “allow it” — a nod to Chang saying “I’ll allow it,” notably in Season 1 Episode 12, “Comparative Religion,” of Community. Roman also referencing himself as “The Alpha” feels like a wink at Chang’s “El Tigre Chino” moniker.
El Diablo Blanco/El Tigre Chino
Permission to get a bit out there? In Season 2 Episode 7, “Skunks and Swans,” Frank and Shred are on the hunt for Frank’s archnemesis, an unruly white swan he dubs “El Diablo Blanco.” As mentioned above, on Community, Chang is “El Tigre Chino,” so this could be a reference to that. Sure, I’ve already used that one as an example, but as I’m the author here, this is all arbitrary.
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Rip Off Your Shirt
Who needs clothing? Season 3 Episode 5, “Hot Dogs and Lobsters,” sees Frank and Emily (Vella Lovell) compete against Shred and Isabelle (Chelsea Frei) for trivia night. In a moment of triumphant euphoria, Frank rips off his shirt after beating Shred in the final round.
On Community, there are a few notable instances in which Jeff does this. There’s Season 4 Episode 3, “Conventions of Space and Time,” where he rips his shirt off onstage at an Inspector Spacetime convention. He also does this in Season 3 Episode 12, “Contemporary Impressionists,” at a bar mitzvah. He’s more handsome than the guy who’s famous for being handsome.
Roman Park/Ben Chang
Roman returns in the Season 3 penultimate episode, “Retrievers and Fruit Bats,” to help bring Emily’s outdoor kennel to fruition. Naturally, Frank is less than thrilled to see him. At one point, Roman forces Frank to acknowledge that he’s “savvy and smart” while gesturing like he’s conducting an orchestra. Chang also does this on Community when he’s a teacher, “conducting” while his students speak Spanish.
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“Franked It”
Is “Franked It” gonna be a thing now? My guess is Frank would rather it vanish into the ether. In “Retrievers and Fruit Bats,” Frank and Victoria mess up pretty damn badly — almost worse than the officer who wiped out a species of fruit bat. Templeton (Gerry Dee) presents Frank with a cake that says “Franked It.”
In Community Season 3 Episode 5, “Horror Fiction in Seven Spooky Steps,” Britta botches the results of a psychology test. The study group claims she “Britta’d it,” meaning she made a mistake. It becomes a running gag for the rest of the show.
What are your favorite Community references in Animal Control? Are there any I forgot to mention? Sound off in the comments.
Animal Control Seasons 1 through 3 are streaming on Hulu, while Community streams in its entirety on Peacock.
GGA’s Favorite Quotes From ANIMAL CONTROL’s ‘Hot Dogs and Lobsters’
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What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events.
Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet.
Bylines in: Tell-Tale TV, Culturess, Sideshow Collectibles, and inkMend on Medium.
Critic: Rotten Tomatoes, CherryPicks, and the Hollywood Creative Alliance.
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