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Plot[]

“
You know what they say. Fives have lives, fours have chores, threes have fleas, twos have blues, and ones don't get a rhyme because they're garbage
”
Dean Pelton
After another Save Greendale Committee meeting concludes, Shirley learns everyone but her was invited to dinner later. Jeff says he didn't bother asking her since he knew she was busy. Shirley then annoys Jeff by guilting the group into rescheduling so she could join them. Dean Pelton arrives and introduces a pair of app developers named David and Bixel. They present a new social networking app called "MeowMeowBeenz." The software allows users to rank anything on a scale from one to five. Greendale is to beta test the app before it's officially released to the public. On the first day of the trial, Jeff sees Garrett order Star-Burns around and Abed explains it's due to him being higher ranked.



5X8 MeowMeowBeenz
The latest social network: "MeowMeowBeenz."
Jeff finds Hickey, Britta, and Annie have also embraced the latest campus fad. While in the cafeteria, Britta rants about how the app causes users to blindly follow the higher ranked ones. After wiping mustard off her face, she publicly protests the app, only to have everyone down vote her rank to a "One." Jeff and Annie tell her she should have kept the mustard on her face as it diluted her intensity and made them more open to her opinion. Jeff is motivated to bring down the new social network after seeing Shirley abuse her Five status by getting others to down vote Vicki. On the second day of the "Meowmeowbeenz" trial, Jeff raises his rating up to "Two" which gets him the attention of Shirley.



5X8 Worshipping a calculator
"Students of Greendale! You don't have to worship a calculator!"
Six days later, the beta test of the app is released and the campus has changed drastically. A social caste system has been imposed with the "Fives" in charge and the lower numbers serving them. This group consists of Shirley, Chang, Abed, Hickey, and an older student named Koogler. Under their influence, the campus decor and dress style reflect a quasi-futuristic look. In the redecorated study room, the "Fives" sense dissension from the proletariat and decide to hold a talent competition to distract them. Britta learns about this from her spy Star-Burns and passes the information to Jeff, who was recently made a "Four."



5X8 The Fives living in style
The Fives are living in style.
The night of the talent show, Dean Pelton warns Jeff if he fails it might mean full loss of status. Jeff's turn comes up after a glow stick performer, along with a security guard, are down voted by Shirley and her cronies. Jeff takes the stage and launches into a stand-up comedy routine based on the new caste system. He quickly wins over not just the crowd but also a few of the Fives. When Jeff finishes his act, Shirley is about to down vote him when Koogler declares his approval and up votes Jeff. The rest of the crowd follows suit and Jeff instantly becomes a "Five." Britta, who was watching from the crowd, is infuriated by his actions. She berates his selfishness but he claims it's all a part of his plan to take down Shirley. Later in the study room, Jeff takes part in an elaborate dance ceremony to welcome him to the "Five" club. As the induction continues, Shirley and Jeff try to undermine each other's position within the group.



5X8 Jeff becomes a Five
Jeff has a successful open mike night.
This leads to an argument between them that disrupts the ceremony. Meanwhile, Britta goes to the student lounge and tries to rally her fellow lower ranked numbers to revolt but is ignored. Remembering what Jeff and Annie told her earlier, she puts mustard on her face and everyone starts to pay attention to her words. Back in the study room, Shirley and Jeff's argument escalates, annoying the other Fives. They downvote both of their statuses to One and have the guards banish them. Koogler attempts to get the party back on track when he is interrupted by the arrival of Britta and her army of lower ranked numbers. Calling themselves the "Reviewlution," Britta declares an end to the Fives' rule. Outside the library, Shirley and Jeff are ejected from the building and into the "Outlands" with the other "Ones." An angry Jeff reiterates to Shirley that he knew she couldn't make the dinner which is why he didn't invite her. Shirley replies it would have been nice to have been asked anyway.



5X8 The Reviewlution
The Reviewlution has arrived.
They both admit that their clashing controlling personalities caused this situation and apologize to each other. Star-Burns then suddenly appears and invites all the banished "Ones" to return to school. Shirley and Jeff make their way to the cafeteria and see that a tribunal presided over by Britta has just passed judgement on Koogler for his crimes as a "Five." Jeff decides to end the insanity by pointing out the one thing most deserving of punishment: the app itself. Beta testing was completed on it days ago and it is now available to consumers. Jeff says that in order to make the "Five" purge complete they all need to delete the app. Once everyone does that they decide to head home since it's already the weekend. Britta desperately tries to regain control of the mob by adding more mustard to her face to no avail. On the next school day, Jeff asks Shirley if she would like to check out a new restaurant but she sadly replies she can't. He then suggests that they order take-out and eat in the study room, which she happily agrees to.



5X8 The true enemy
The true enemy is revealed.

End tag[]

A trailer for the "Koogler" movie is shown done in the style of an R-rated 1980s teen college films.


Recurring themes[]

Continuity[]

Continuity lists
Narrative
Recurring or debuting plot points in this episode:
  • Mad skillz: Jeff is able to make the audience laugh with his stand-up comedy routine.
  • Replay: Britta intentionally smears mustard on her face to make people more attentive to her. In the Season One episode "Pascal's Triangle Revisited," Ian Duncan tries a similar tactic but is ignored.
People
Recurring or debuting characters in this episode:
Places
Recurring or debuting places in this episode:
Things
Recurring or debuting items in this episode:

Running gags[]

List of Running gags
Recurring or debuting running gags in this episode:
  • Attention students!: The Dean announces that it would be best if everyone forgets the MeowMeowBeenz beta test occurrences.
  • Awww!: Britta, Annie, Chang, and Abed (who is just mimicking the others) coo when Shirley appears to be selfless in her attitude. They all coo again when Jeff appears to be bullying her.
  • Disney face: Shirley makes a sad face to get the others to reschedule the dinner in order to include her.
  • Nice outfit:
    • The number Four (including the Dean's outfit) and Five ranked students wear togas and gowns. The outfits of the Fours and the guards (in gray and black) are heavily reminiscent of outfits in Logan's Run.
    • The Two and Three ranked students wear gray jumpsuits.
    • Star-Burns rents a costume once the rebellion occurs (see Meta section "Use your allusion").
    • Hickey tries on a mini sombrero, but then settles on a birthday party hat.
    • Chang uses crutches to engender pity.
    • Britta wears a beret like Che Guevara.
  • Take that, inspector!: The Greendale soccer field does not have grass.
  • You're the worst!:
    • Britta gets downvoted to a One after giving a speech about the new app.
    • Vicki gets downvoted when Shirley manipulates her followers to lower her rank.
    • A devil sticks contestant at the talent show is downvoted by Shirley and the crowd. A security guard tasked with removing him gets downvoted as well after he fails to deliver a decent exit line.
    • Shirley and Jeff get downvoted by the other Fives at the same time when they have an argument.

Pop culture references[]

List of Pop culture references
References to popular culture in this episode:
  • IMDb: Ones are banished to the outlands, a reference to the 1981 film, Outland. Sean Connery, who stars in the film, also stars in Zardoz, which is repeatedly referenced in the episode (see "Use your allusion").
  • Product placement: Facebook, Trivial Pursuit, Starburst.
  • Shout out:
  • Use your allusion:
    • The TV show and movie Logan's Run is referenced by the guard's uniforms and by the outfits worn by the Fours.
    • Episode director Rob Schrab explained on his Twitter account that the outfits worn by the Twos were inspired by the 1980s science fiction musical film The Apple.
    • Several elements are borrowed from the 1974 movie Zardoz, including complete social segregation based on status, severe punishment for minor and arbitrary breaches of norms, and the apathetic attitude of the Twos and Threes. The redecoration of the study room where the Fives gather is similar to the tent in the "Vortex" where the elite congregate. Also, Star-Burns' costume is the same as what Sean Connery's character wore along with the other "exterminators."
    • Britta yells "Long live the Reviewlution!" as she tears down the sheet, a play on the French Revolutionary phrase "Vive la Revolution!" and "¡Viva la revolución!" from the Cuban Revolution, a phrase made popular by Che Guevara.
    • Other classic science fiction references include the regimentation of the Threes and Twos into a 1984-like existence, and the division of society into several distinct social classes which was a motif in the novel Brave New World.
    • The room number of Jeff's office (D-503) is a reference to the protagonist of Yevgeny Zamyatin's 1921 novel "We."
    • Koogler is a parody of college comedies such as Animal House, Revenge of the Nerds and Old School.

Meta references:[]

List of Meta references
Meta references in this episode:
  • Background check: Several messages can be read on the background of various scenes:
    • "Did you know dry-erase boards LOVE chalkboard jokes?!"
    • "If you spend a lot of time being your "Own Best Friend"... It may be time to find new friends."
    • "We've been alerted that there may be a Fourth Wall!"
    • "We've also been told that's where Comedy Happens!"
    • "Chess pes love checker jokes!"
    • "Now you see me, now you don't!
      Will he make it? I bet he won't!
      If I am the eyes and ears of this institution,
      For who am I? You can consider it over.
      Excellent. You can hear what others have written.
      [...] you read what I have written... what will you remember?
      [...] than not, the message is more important than the Messenger."
  • Satire: This episode mocks the social networking culture, criticizing how it turns users into mindless sheep who blindly follow trends and overvalue someone else's opinion above their own. It emphasizes this idea by using a social network as the impetus of an oppressive totalitarian power that rises up and takes control of the school which must be brought down by a revolution.
  • Up against the wall: The end tags play a fake film trailer for Koogler. The credits in the trailer feature the names of crew members from the episode including executive producers Dan Harmon and Chris McKenna, writers Jordan Blum and Parker Deay, and director Rob Schrab. Mitchell D. Hurwitz, who is best known as the creator of the TV show "Arrested Development," plays Koogler in the episode.

Trivia[]

  • Long-haired guy (played by frequent background extra actor Andy Lobo) makes another of over 65 episode appearances. He was was a "Two" in the app test of "MeowMeowBeenz", was in the hallway cheering when after Jeff was made a "Five" and sat below Britta as she passed judgment.

Quotes[]

Long live the reviewlution!Britta
Season Five Episodes

1. "Repilot"
2. "Introduction to Teaching"
3. "Basic Intergluteal Numismatics"
4. "Cooperative Polygraphy"
5. "Geothermal Escapism"
6. "Analysis of Cork-Based Networking"
7. "Bondage and Beta Male Sexuality"

8. "App Development and Condiments"
9. "VCR Maintenance and Educational Publishing"
10. "Advanced Advanced Dungeons & Dragons"
11. "G.I. Jeff"
12. "Basic Story"
13. "Basic Sandwich"

Community The Complete Fifth Season

Season OneSeason TwoSeason ThreeSeason FourSeason FiveSeason Six
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