When Chevy Chase left Community late last week, it raised a few interesting questions: How would the writers handle his departure on such short notice? What would happen to his character, Pierce? Wouldn’t it be great if we could all watch Fletch on cable in peace without thinking about what a prickly jackass Chevy Chase has been over the past 25 years every time he pops up on screen? Well, it looks like we’re starting to get some answers. (Spoiler-y stuff ahead, sort of.) According to TV Line, the season finale — which was filmed out of order, before Chase left the show — features a cliffhanger “that leaves the fate of several characters up in the air — one of them being Pierce.” So if Community is picked up for a fifth season, and that’s a mighty big “if” at this point, it looks like they have a pretty decent out.

As for the two episodes that hadn’t been filmed before his departure, there may be a plan in place for those as well:

Meanwhile, rumor has it Community may have devised a way to include Pierce in one of the two Season 4 episodes shot after Chase’s exit (aka Nos. 411 and 412). Remember, this is a show that has turned its actors into everything from cartoons to giant pillowmen.

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