r/Harmontown • u/HorrendousRex • Mar 15 '14
So where do I start?
I've heard a few episodes of Harmontown when they leak over from /r/community and have loved them. Though I have a vague apprehension of some sort of Lovecraftian corrupting influence should I dive deeper in to the show, my curiosity pushes me on. And so I turn to you all -
Where do I start? There's something like 90ish episodes, right? What's the sequentiality of this media, are we talking 'Just click the blue links' or am I looking for fan-made listening orders with 'must skip' episodes and alternate timelines?
Thanks!
Edit: I just noticed this got sticked, I was wondering why people kept adding to the conversation a month later! Anyway, thanks everyone, and I agree: best to start from the beginning.
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u/sycamorefeeling Mar 17 '14
Reposting this from a prior thread. I think other lists are great from the context of introducing you to the show and its "characters," but these are episodes that I return to for the funnies / feels.
- 6 - A story about Dan Harmon and Rob Schrab's buttholes
- 51 - Robin Williams, also the most hilarious Bobcat Goldthwait story ever (Gathering of the Juggalos)
- 58 - In which Jeff's not-so-latent psychic abilities are revealed
- 59 - Dan rants about bad television writing
- 67 - More butts (this time, those belonging to Dan's dog and cat)
- 77 - One of the most somber, feel-goody Harmontowns of all time. Jeff waxes poetic on how to be a better person. He also manages to strip down Dan's defenses a little bit, which allows Dan to reflect on his relationships with other people. This episode very deeply influenced the remainder of my 2013
- 87 - Dan invites the longest friend he's ever had, Rob Schrab, onto the show ostensibly to celebrate and promote the 20 year anniversary of his comic, S.C.U.D. The Disposable Assassin. Then Dan, Mitch Hurwitz, and Kumail Nanjiani sit and make fun of Rob for two hours.
I forget which episode features Dan comparing Obama and Romney to Coke & Pepsi, but that was another especially memorable moment for me as a politically jaded twenty-something.
Also CTRL+F "Kumail" and "Mitch" here: http://harmontown.com/podcast
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Mar 17 '14
He compared Obama and Romney to "choosing between Diet Pepsi and piss when you're dying of thirst" or something to that effect.
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u/thavirg Adventure! Jul 08 '14
Just stumbled on this. I went to 77, as my first in-person show, with my fiance and girlfriend of 9.5 years. 2 months later, she broke up with me.
The whole Harmontown series has been with me since that happened (it's basically what's gotten me through) and 77 will always hold a ton of meaning for me.
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u/Kaiser_Winhelm Mar 20 '14
I'm new to the show and have only listen to like five, but 87 absolutely killed me. Schrab made such a funny punching bag
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u/BBBTech The noose never loosens Aug 20 '14
Diet Coke/Piss comparison showed up in Cleft and Twain but he repeated it this last episode.
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u/no_capes Mar 16 '14
I started listening to the podcast when Dan got rehired and talked about the experience of watching season 4 of Community ( Ep 60-Us of the dangling Wee Wee ) I got hooked from then on and would listen to new episodes as they came out. Eventually I became a big enough fan that the completist inside of me prompted me to start from the beginning.
I recommend you listen to new episodes as they come out while also making your way through the back-catalogue in order.
Some particularly essential, origin story esque episodes:
Episode 1 First Harmontown performance that was podcasted. This is already after the Chevy Chase debacle. Dan kind of gives a podcast mission statement in this episode. Also he tells a story about his old girlfriend that might be one of the funniest things i've ever heard.
Episode 2 is a fantastic episode that reveals basically everything you need to know about Dan's relationship with his girlfriend,now fiancee, Erin.
Episode 4 is the introduction of Spencer, who goes on to become a regular and essential part of the show and also played Anthony Edison on this week's episode of Community.
Episode 6 will probably go down in Harmontown history as one of the greatest episodes for reasons that are best discovered for yourself.
-Other personal favorites:
And soooooo many others. Wow this became much more in-depth than I originally planned. Good luck friend. Enjoy yourself.
EDIT: formatting
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u/LorneMichaels Mar 19 '14
I'd say start from the beginning. The in jokes get so ridiculous that it's hard to keep track out of context. I guess there could be an argument for starting after Harmoncountry because they seem to do a soft reset and throw a lot of the old bits out, but D&D is still running and there's a lot of stuff in there that requires some getting used to.
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u/curious_kitchen Apr 23 '14
I would like to submit
No. 32 Harmoncountry, Arlington, VA
and
No. 58 I'm Like Very Science
as imperative to the story as well.
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Mar 15 '14
Just start from the beginning. You're probably going to end up listening to all of them anyway. That way, the D&D sessions will make more sense.
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u/had_too_much Mar 16 '14
Seconded. Also you'll get more of the "in" jokes and other things will make more sense.
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Mar 15 '14
I've binged over the last two weeks and I started with the most recent dozen or so episodes just to see where they end up. The ones were Mitch Hurwitz and Kumail are there now are like a recipe for comedic gold. I then went back to the first recorded podcast, though I understand it's not the first show ever which was probably in May 2011, and worked my way through chronologically.
I skipped a most of the tour episodes because I know the documentary will cover that. Then I got to Kumail's episodes and realized those were fucking awesome and I'm up to around the 70s right now. I love the show so I think it doesn't matter where you start.
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u/whatthehellisup Mar 15 '14
I'd recommend listening to the tour ones because some of the guest are great. Also the rapping is sensational. If you where to just pick one go for Brooklyn.
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u/kayester It's called peer review Mar 15 '14
And if you were to pick two, Brooklyn and Arlington.
And if you were to pick three, Brooklyn, Arlington and Denver.
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u/rowboat__cop Mar 16 '14
And if you were to pick two, Brooklyn and Arlington.
Arlington is fantastic; I’d choose it over Brooklyn even.
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Mar 16 '14
Pittsburgh?
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u/OneWonderfulFish "Dumb." Mar 18 '14
I know a lot of people hated Pittsburgh because of the fight heard 'round the world, but I kinda dig that trainwreck quality that can emerge when a relationship pours out into someone's work (or tendency to leer at 17-year-old volleyball players). :D
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u/Ultraberg Consulting Producer Mar 16 '14
Somerville!
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u/kayester It's called peer review May 08 '14
You know, I went back through the tour episodes and Bloomington is really the one that belongs up there with the best of 'em. A VERY strong episode.
Brooklyn > Arlington > Bloomington > Denver > the rest
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u/Condawg Mar 17 '14
The tour itself will be covered in the documentary, but I doubt the majority of the content in the podcasts will be. They're well worth a listen, the tour was awesome.
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u/LorneMichaels Mar 19 '14
As soon as I heard Kumail say "Chris De Burgh" my heart sank. I thought "Here's another idiot trying to derail D&D" but he actually improved it. Kumail does a good job of keeping it on track, especially when someone does a failed bit that needs to be bailed on fast.
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u/orbitur Team Adam Goldberg Mar 21 '14
I thought "Here's another idiot trying to derail D&D"
I'm 40 episodes in from the beginning. Do people start trying to derail it at some point?
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u/LorneMichaels Apr 09 '14
Not really. Occasionally someone will jump in with a bit that distracts from the story, like Erin trying to do some weird flashback about Sharpie's mom and that can be a pain when Spencer obviously has something cool lined up for them.
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u/psuedocanadian Apr 10 '14
But isn't this like most DnD campaigns? Or maybe it is just the ones I'm involved in. A little derailment can be fun.
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u/mjhing Mar 21 '14
The one where Dan raps about fuckin yo momma.
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Mar 20 '14
Throwing in my vote to start from the beginning. Trust me, you'll be caught up a lot sooner than you want to be.
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Mar 15 '14
If you're not down for starting at the beginning, this is a good place to get a taste.
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u/kayester It's called peer review Mar 15 '14
Right!
And I think that what eventually came out of this discussion was that 'Sand Pollution', episode 18, is a fantastic place to start - relatively early in the run, filled to the brim with good stuff.
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u/dertwerst Mar 18 '14
It probably will corrupt you, but it'll be worth it. Personally, I started listening just after the tour had concluded (~#45), and I just went from there, occasionally listening to a back-episode here and there, if I saw an interesting description. It wasn't until about four months later that I finally decided to go back and listen from the beginning. That was a very fun binge, indeed, but I don't think you have to START that way. D&D is of course the only part of the show with any continuity, and they rarely make references to older episodes.
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u/GaijinSama Mar 20 '14
Start with any episode featuring Mitch Hurwitz. Maybe go back to the first appearance of him on the show, which isn't too long. Hearing their friendship grow from 'acquaintance' to 'bff' over the span of a few weeks is heartwarming.
Or do what I did last year, just start listening with the current episode. There's a few callbacks, but it's all pretty much explained within the episode. The only really serialized portion is the D&D, and you can follow that along easily enough, since it's (until recently) mainly just been them fucking around anyway.
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u/CondimentGrrl Mar 20 '14
I started listening last May and was extremely confused during D&D. It took me a few episodes to hook in to the specialness of Harmontown. Then I went back to a middle episode and got extremely confused when Dan started rapping. Then I went back to the very beginning and it all began to make sense. I love the progression of the relationships, the guest stars, the guest stars relationships, the audience participants (Adam, Bill, Trevor).
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u/TheJWalker6 Jul 03 '14
I just started this week, and I'm loving it a lot. I found this link to all of the D&D pulled out into separate episodes so people can get caught up with that easier: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/18252097/harmontown.html
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u/obamunistpig Is impeccable with his word Jul 28 '14
Start at the first episode and play them at 1.4 speed.
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u/eadnams Mar 18 '14
I went back wards in 10 episode chunks, so I did like, 70-80, then 60-70. etc etc. So DnD wasnt completely backwards. I've done this back to 50, and feel good about not going further unless im bored.
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u/Subcriminal Mar 16 '14
I initially started listening around episode 75, then decided to go back to the start while also listening to new episodes as they came out. Don't do that, it gets confusing, especially when it comes to the D&D campaign. Just start from the beginning.
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u/welshwordman Jeff, look what time it is!!! Mar 16 '14
Go to the beginning! I started at 88 and went a few after and then just went back and now I just finished Harmoncountry! Now I'm trying to pace myself because I'll miss having as many as I want a week.
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u/csuazure Mar 17 '14
If you're a fan of the nerdist podcasts, I recommend starting at 5. It's like a crossover transition where you go from a very pure, clean structured, sober bubble to the random dirty hilarious alcoholic meander that is Harmontown.
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u/pieface42 Mar 17 '14
I started listening last summer around episode 65, and I would be listening to the old episodes throughout the week, and listening to the new episodes every Monday. Since they would usual talk about current events
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Mar 19 '14
If you're really apprehensive then start at episode 1. Episode 1 isn't really the start of Harmontown, it had been going on for around a year at that point, so there's really no introductory bedrock episode.
Episode 1 is a good starting place because, up until around episode 40 Dan actually edited each podcast. That makes the earlier episodes a little more focused and digestible than the later eps. Plus that if you start at ep 1 you have time to get to know all the personalities involved.
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u/all_login_are_taken Mar 20 '14 edited Mar 20 '14
I've just started two weeks ago, I listen simultaneously the new episodes as they come out and the rest of them from the beginning. It's amazing how much link I find to both community and R&M by listening to the show.
I was surprised at first that there were no video version, witch is sad because since I don't live in the US I won't be able to see a live show ever... (that's why I'm excited for the movie to come out).
But it's wonderfully entertaining. Just today I was at the Liam Neeson imitation and laughed out loud uncontrollably in the train, it was quite embarrassing.
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Apr 01 '14
I started somewhere in the 40s, went on from there, forcing myself to try and keep up, then I got sick of not getting the references to the tour so I went back and watched that, but really just continued with the weekly updates from there.
What I'm getting at is that you don't need all the episodes or to hear it all sequentially, but some callbacks are worth going back for.
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Apr 03 '14
Honestly, start at episode 1, or else you'll be all over the place for D&D which is no bueno
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u/chapel976 Apr 08 '14
as soon as I realized Schrab shows up on it, I started listening. I love listening to him talk.
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u/MyNameIsBobH111 SCORCHING RAY Apr 17 '14
Having been listening to the more recent ones for the past few weeks, and with this hiatus, I got around to listening from the beginning, and it's astounding. Getting to hear the first interactions between Spencer and Dan are simply wonderful
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u/Lesliebelich Apr 21 '14
I just discovered it a few months back so I listened to them all from the beginning. When they first met spencer I got chills haha! You don't need to start from the beginning to enjoy though. But I recommend episodes "earthshine" and "carpool diem" as personal faves.
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u/obamunistpig Is impeccable with his word Apr 25 '14
Just listen to all the episodes in order, dummy!
- Dr. Brule
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May 15 '14
I'm only familiar with the first two seasons of "Community" (just started watching) and "Scud: The Disposable Assassin" in terms of Dan Harmon's work. In general, where do I go next? I've heard "Rick and Morty" and "Harmontown" are very good.
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u/HorrendousRex May 15 '14 edited May 16 '14
You go here next. "Harmontown" and "Rick and Morty" are also good.
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May 16 '14
Sounds good. Which episode would I start with?
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u/HorrendousRex May 16 '14
Which episode of what? Harmontown? See the rest of this post. :) Most people answered "The First Episode" and I agree.
If you mean Heat Vision and Jack, I've got bad news for you - the pilot didn't get picked up. That's the only episode.
Re-reading my response, when I said "The rest is good too", I meant 'The rest of what you suggested - "Harmontown" and "Rick and Morty" - is also good.'
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u/azmauldin Jun 16 '14 edited Feb 27 '25
ripe treatment tap airport degree shaggy fuzzy languid depend tub
This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
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u/After-Bry Jul 11 '14
If you wish to see a great D&D session paired with a great monologue from Dan Harmon directed at a Frost Giant.
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u/jman2477 Jul 22 '14
I started maybe a month or so ago with episode 97 "Long Brown Blood". Holy shit that episode got me hooked. But it puts you into a podcast with a cast of characters that aren't necessarily the original cast. I since went through and listened to the entire anthology on iTunes. It's a damn good podcast. Start at episode 1, start whenever, doesn't matter. I have listened to every episode but I would suggest maybe skipping a few episodes (definitely skip the Kansas City episode of the HarmonCountry tour. Episode 30 something I think. Maybe 40 something.
TLDR; Great podcast. Start anywhere. Skip Kansas City episode.
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u/marknorman04 Jul 27 '14
I started at the newest episodes and just started working my way backward.. really enjoy sorta hearing about controversies with audience members and then hearing them happen the next episode post-aftermath. It's fun. Either way works though I think, as my friend who just started as well has gone from 1 - 55 as I've gone from 105-65.
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u/SixGunGorilla Heel Popper Mar 16 '14
The beginning preferably, you wouldn't start a movie halfway, then watch the beginning. They're are some continuous jokes that are nice to know the origin of. And every episode has great jokes so it's always fun to hear.
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Mar 15 '14
[deleted]
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Mar 16 '14
Don't know why you're being downvoted, esp after your edit. I agree. Start from the beginning and get the context for D&D. Also for Harmonquest, whenever a network buys the pilot for that. D&D is the main reason I listen to the podcast and I love it even though I've never played it.
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Mar 16 '14
His opinion on the Community seasons is spot on though. Season 5 is streets ahead of 4, but still streets behind of 1, 2 and 3.
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u/kayester It's called peer review Mar 16 '14
Season 5 not as good as 1, 2 and 3? I don't think so.
I actually really, really like season 5 so far. It feels like a synthesis of the rather divergent styles of the first three seasons, and when it hits the mark comedically it has really, really killed me. But much more importantly, the bigger themes and ideas behind the show and the motivations of its core characters have all been really well served and carefully developed.
I also think that being in a difficult position - not always being able to depend on a Pierce non-sequitur or a hilarious line emanating from Troy's confusion over something - has actually really brought the best out of the writers.
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u/ChazDolphin Mar 15 '14
I just started about 2 weeks ago and I'm loving it. I started from episode 1 and so far they have all been entertaining. It seems there are a lot of inside jokes and routines that form in the beginning so I would recommend the first episode to start.