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==Production==
The season finale aired as the thirteenth episode, but was the eleventh episode produced.<ref name="meganganztweet_nov16">{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/meganganz/status/268092136153546752|title=Day one of shooting the finale.|work=[[Twitter]]|last=Ganz|first=Megan|date=November 12, 2012|accessdateaccess-date=May 8, 2013}}</ref> In a [[Reddit]] [[Reddit#IAmA and AMA|AMA]], [[Megan Ganz]] explained that, because it was written in “a pinch”, she wishes that she could have gone back and redone the season finale. She wrote, "I wrote it too long (like... 6 minutes too long) and we had to cut a ton out of it in the edit bay. […] Finales are generally terrible, and I am expecting that people will say this one is trying to [sic] hard, because it is."<ref>{{cite web|last1=Ganz|first1=Megan|title=This is probably a bad thing to say...|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/community/comments/181irk/we_are_the_writing_staff_of_nbcs_community_ama/c8arzxp|publisher=[[Reddit]]|accessdateaccess-date=June 13, 2016|date=2013}}</ref>
This is the second "Introduction to Finality" episode of the series, following [[Community (season 3)|season three]]'s finale, "[[Introduction to Finality]]."
==Reception==
===Ratings===
In its original broadcast, the episode was viewed by 3.08 million American viewers, and received an 18-49 rating/share of 1.3/5.<ref name=4x13ratings>{{cite web|last=Kondolojy|first=Amanda|title=Thursday Final Ratings: 'Big Bang Theory', 'Grey's Anatomy', 'American Idol', 'Vampire Diaries', 'Two and a Half Men', 'Wipeout', & 'Elementary' Adjusted Up; 'Glee' Adjusted Down|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/05/10/thursday-final-ratings-big-bang-theory-greys-anatomy-american-idol-vampire-diaries-two-and-a-half-men-wipeout-glee-adjusted-down/181920/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130607023334/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/05/10/thursday-final-ratings-big-bang-theory-greys-anatomy-american-idol-vampire-diaries-two-and-a-half-men-wipeout-glee-adjusted-down/181920/|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 7, 2013|work=TV by the Numbers|accessdateaccess-date=May 10, 2013|date=May 10, 2013}}</ref> It displays a significant rise in viewers and ratings from the previous episode "[[Heroic Origins]]."<ref name=4x12ratings>{{cite web|last=Bibel|first=Sara|title=Thursday Final Ratings: 'The Big Bang Theory', 'American Idol', 'The Vampire Diaries', 'Two and a Half Men', 'Grey's Anatomy', 'Glee','Parks and Recreation' & 'Hannibal' Adjusted Up|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/05/03/thursday-final-ratings-the-big-bang-theory-american-idol-the-vampire-diaries-two-and-a-half-men-greys-anatomy-gleeparks-and-recreation-hannibal-adjusted-up/180875/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130506031620/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/05/03/thursday-final-ratings-the-big-bang-theory-american-idol-the-vampire-diaries-two-and-a-half-men-greys-anatomy-gleeparks-and-recreation-hannibal-adjusted-up/180875/|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 6, 2013|work=TV by the Numbers|accessdateaccess-date=May 4, 2013|date=May 3, 2013}}</ref> The finale also tied in 18-49 ratings with the [[Community (season 3)|third season]] finale "[[Introduction to Finality]]," but beat it in viewers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/05/18/thursday-final-ratings-american-idol-greys-anatomy-30-rock-adjusted-up-touch-scandal-adjusted-down/134984/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120522001613/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/05/18/thursday-final-ratings-american-idol-greys-anatomy-30-rock-adjusted-up-touch-scandal-adjusted-down/134984/|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 22, 2012|title=Thursday Final Ratings: 'American Idol', 'Grey's Anatomy', '30 Rock' Adjusted Up; 'Touch', 'Scandal' Adjusted Down|last=Bibel|first=Sara|date=May 18, 2012|work=TV by the Numbers|accessdateaccess-date=May 18, 2012}}</ref> The show placed third in its timeslot and ninth for the night.<ref name=4x13ratings/>
===Critical reception===
The episode received mixed reviews from critics. Eric Goldman of [[IGN]] rated the episode "good" at 7.6, saying, "as far as being a fun, nostalgia-packed episode, that may be the very last one, it mostly worked."<ref name="ign">{{cite web|last=Goldman|first=Eric|title=Community Review: Not Without My Study Group|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/05/10/community-advanced-introduction-to-finality-review?abthid=518c49f0778c162029000037| work=IGN|date=May 9, 2013|accessdateaccess-date=May 10, 2013}}</ref> Gabrielle Moss of TV Fanatic was positive, saying, "this episode was an excellent tribute to the slow-burn character development of Jeff Winger."<ref name="tvfanatic">{{cite web|last=Moss|first=Gabrielle|title=Community Review: Not Without My Study Group|url=http://www.tvfanatic.com/2013/05/community-review-not-without-my-study-group/| work=TV Fanatic|date=May 9, 2013|accessdateaccess-date=May 9, 2013}}</ref>
Alan Sepinwall of [[HitFix]] was less favourable, stating, "The actual non-dream graduation ceremony was sweet, but nearly everything leading up to it was a mess."<ref name="hitfix">{{cite web|last=Sepinwall|first=Alan|title=Season finale review: 'Community' - 'Advanced Introduction to Finality': The folly of evil|url=http://www.hitfix.com/whats-alan-watching/season-finale-review-community-advanced-introduction-to-finality-the-folly-of-evil| work=HitFix|date=May 9, 2013|accessdateaccess-date=May 9, 2013}}</ref> Emily VanDerWerff of ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' was negative and rated the episode a D, saying it was, "no longer a show that's capable of much beyond repeating elements it thinks the audience will like over and over again."<ref name="avclub">{{cite web|last=VanDerWerff|first=Emily|title="Advanced Introduction to Finality" S4 / E13|url=http://www.avclub.com/articles/advanced-introduction-to-finality,97134/| work=The A.V. Club|date=May 9, 2013|accessdateaccess-date=May 9, 2013}}</ref>
In a retrospective ranking of all 110 episodes of the series, Cory Barker of [[TV.com]] ranked this episode last, describing it (along with season 4's "[[Conventions of Space and Time]]") as "everything you loved about ''Community'', only broken apart into a million pieces, and reconstructed without a soul".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tv.com/news/greendale-forever-ranking-all-the-episodes-of-community-143378138401/ |title=Greendale Forever: Ranking ALL The Episodes of ''Community'' |last=Barker |first=Cory |date=June 11, 2015 |website=[[TV.com]] |access-date=May 15, 2020}}</ref>
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