diff --git a/examples/podcast/podcast_runner.py b/examples/podcast/podcast_runner.py
index ad49a71..22e1d90 100644
--- a/examples/podcast/podcast_runner.py
+++ b/examples/podcast/podcast_runner.py
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ async def main(use_bulk: bool = True):
                 reference_time=message.actual_timestamp,
                 source_description='Podcast Transcript',
                 group_id='1',
+                update_communities=True,
             )
 
         return
diff --git a/graphiti_core/edges.py b/graphiti_core/edges.py
index 13450cc..a535d94 100644
--- a/graphiti_core/edges.py
+++ b/graphiti_core/edges.py
@@ -137,8 +137,8 @@ class EntityEdge(Edge):
     name: str = Field(description='name of the edge, relation name')
     fact: str = Field(description='fact representing the edge and nodes that it connects')
     fact_embedding: list[float] | None = Field(default=None, description='embedding of the fact')
-    episodes: list[str] | None = Field(
-        default=None,
+    episodes: list[str] = Field(
+        default=[],
         description='list of episode ids that reference these entity edges',
     )
     expired_at: datetime | None = Field(