Basic Genealogy

Basic Genealogy

◀️ Previous   Gallery   Transcript  ▶️ Next — Episode information 🔽

Director: Ken Whittingham — Writer: Karey Dornetto — Aired: March 11, 2010 —Season: One — Number: Eighteen Summary: {{{summary}}}

“	I DON'T UNDERSTAND YOU BRITTA! I DON'T UNDERSTAND YOU AT ALL	”
–Troy

Summary: It's Family Day at Greendale. Pierce tries to rebuild his relationship with his stepdaughter, but she only has eyes for Jeff. Britta gets in trouble with Troy's Nana, and Shirley's kids cause problems for Abed's father.

Plot

Jeff discovers he has Abed's ability of precognition.

As the school prepares for the upcoming Family Day event, Jeff catches up with Slater. When she tells him she needs to talk to him, he jokingly asks if she's going to break up with him, and to his surprise, he was correct. In the study room, Shirley is looking forward to the day's festivities and is excited for the study group to meet her children. Abed mentions his father is coming along with his cousin Abra. Troy isn't as excited about his grandmother's visit which causes Britta to admonish him. Jeff arrives and announces he was just dumped by Slater. The study group comforts him, but he explains that as the dumpee, he is allowed to have many meaningless hookups. Jeff tries to prove his point by hitting on a woman outside the study room whom he learns is named Amber. His efforts are hindered by Pierce who turns out to be her ex-stepfather.

Pierce thwarts Jeff's efforts for a rebound with his stepdaughter Amber.

In Spanish class, the students' family members attend the class as well. Shirley meets Abed's cousin Abra who is dressed in a burqa and his father who introduces himself as Gubi while she presents her children Elijah and Jordan. Jeff tries to chat with Pierce's stepdaughter Amber, but Pierce won't allow it. After class, Pierce asks Jeff for help. He sees Amber as his last chance at having a family. However, he can't seem to connect with her and wants Jeff to convince her that he's cool. Jeff refuses and walks away but is subsequently approached by Annie who overheard the conversation. He explains he's unwilling to help someone who's not only been a jerk to him all day but also stopped him from scoring his rebound from Slater. Annie tricks Jeff by asking him for a favor, and after he agrees, she asks him to help Pierce with his stepdaughter.

The Bennetts and the Nadirs attend the Family Day BBQ together.

Elsewhere, Britta runs into Troy and his grandmother. Britta accidentally offends her when Nana Barnes misinterprets a compliment she was trying to give her. When Britta asks for a way to make it up to her, Nana Barnes tells her to find her a switch. At the Family Day BBQ, Dean Pelton meets Chang's brother Rabbi Chang while Pierce is still striking out with Amber. Jeff then shows up and starts to regale her with stories about Pierce's exploits at Greendale. Elsewhere, Abed and his family are sitting with Shirley and her kids. Elijah and Jordan ask Abra if she wants to play, but Gubi won't allow her despite her wanting to try out the bouncy house. A heated exchange between the niece and uncle ensues.

Jeff and Amber make out in the library with just the right amount of tongue.

Shirley leaves to get some food just as her boys start to fight over a video game. The ruckus causes them to knock over a beverage onto Gubi, drenching him. Before leaving to change his shirt, he berates Shirley for having unruly children and calls her a bad mother. Meanwhile, Jeff finishes his Pierce stories, and Amber appears impressed. She leaves to go to the restroom, and Pierce tells Jeff he can take over from here and asks him to go. Jeff wishes him luck and leaves but runs into Amber on his way out. They start to make out, but Jeff feels guilty about it and stops. Pierce then shows up with an invitation for Amber to compete with him in a Pictionary Tournament in the student lounge. She makes it clear she won't go unless Jeff does, and Pierce reluctantly invites him as well.

1/9

Outside, Britta is searching for the perfect switch while Troy incredulously watches on. Back at the BBQ, Shirley returns to the table with food and sees Abed and Abra but not her kids. She asks Abed where they went, but he refuses to say. Concerned, she asks Abed again where they are when Gubi returns wearing a new shirt. He says he's not surprised they are missing with the lack of control she has over them. Shirley admits she needs to rein them in more but says that Gubi's overprotective nature of Abra is just as bad. She then looks closer at "Abra" and is shocked. She sends Gubi away to get napkins and removes "Abra"s burqa to find Elijah and Jordan underneath. Shirley looks at Abed who points toward the bouncy house where the real Abra is inside enjoying herself.

It's a windmill...or maybe it's an unfinished maze.

In the student lounge, Pierce, Amber, and Jeff are on the same team competing against Star-Burns and his son's team in Pictionary. Jeff correctly guesses Amber's clue which annoys Pierce. When it's Pierce's turn, he accidentally draws his clue in the shape of a swastika. Chang and his brother Rabbi Chang see this and are outraged. Chang and Pierce get into a fight, the aftermath of which is overseen by Officer Cackowski who has to take statements from them both. Jeff and Amber excuse themselves by saying they are going out for coffee, but Pierce suggests they are leaving to have sex. In the Spanish classroom, Britta proudly presents to Nana Barnes the switch she found. Nana Barnes tells Britta to drop her drawers and get across her lap, so she can administer a whooping.

Jeff and Amber are distracted.

Troy tells Britta to just walk away, but she wants to prove she's not a hypocrite and decides to go through with it. As Nana Barnes starts spanking Britta, her resolve starts to crumble, and she begins to cry out in pain. Troy looks on with terror and pleads with his grandmother to stop. As this is going on, Jeff and Amber stumble into the classroom making out with each other but become distracted by the spectacle taking place inside. They quickly leave and find a supply closet. Amber starts to undress when Jeff notices something fall out of her jacket. After picking it up he discovers it's a check from Pierce to her for $25,000. She admits that she was hustling money from Pierce and pointedly asks Jeff if he'd rather be a good person or be with her.

Jordan grabs a cake snack from the vending machine and proudly shows it off to Abed and Shirley.

Later, Jeff runs into Annie in the hallway and tells her about how Pierce's step-daughter is grifting him. Annie asks him if he is going to tell Pierce, but he says it's complicated because he slept with Amber. Though disgusted by this, she makes him realize that his internal conflict has nothing to do with Amber. Rather, it's an indication that he already knows the right thing to do; he's just trying to rationalize his bad behavior, and he's come to Annie, whom he considers to be a moral person, to convince himself otherwise. Defeated by her logic, he goes to do the right thing. Elsewhere, Shirley catches up with Abed and tells him it was a nice thing he did for his cousin. Abed tells her it was Elijah's and Jordan's idea and then compliments her for being a good mom and raising two compassionate kids.

The last event of the Family Day festivities at Greendale, a dance held in the school cafeteria.

At the Family Day Dance in the school cafeteria, Troy finds Britta still sore from the whooping his grandmother gave her. Nana Barnes shows up, overhears them talking, and confronts Troy about some nasty comments he said about her. She then demands he get her a switch so she can whoop him too. Also at the dance is Jeff who greets Amber when she arrives for the festivities. He asks her to tear up the check and instead spend time with Pierce. She mistakenly interprets this as an attempt to get a cut of the money she swindled. Jeff corrects her and says that he's Pierce's friend and is just trying to do right by him. He tells her she can be his stepdaughter if she wants to, but she opts to just take the money and leaves.

"We always used to watch the shows she wanted to watch! I hate Glee! I don't understand the appeal at all!"

Pierce notices Jeff and asks about Amber. Jeff is about to break the news to him when Pierce stops him and guesses that she already left with the money. Jeff is sympathetic and offers to help him cancel the check, but Pierce says she earned it. Pierce advises him to start a family now while he has the chance; if he doesn't, he will end up alone with no one to share his life with. Jeff tells Pierce that he isn't alone and already has a family in the study group. Pierce pulls him into a hug and says that he would have acted as Jeff did if the roles had been reversed and slept with his ex-stepdaughter. Jeff admits that he did do that which doesn't actually surprise Pierce. He says it was just a way for Jeff to distract himself from his real pain. Pierce then gestures over to Slater who is dancing with another guy. Jeff starts to break down and cry as Pierce comforts him.

End tag

Troy and Abed are trapped in the student lounge vending machine.

Note:This is referenced in "Remedial Chaos Theory" as the refrigerator in Troy and Abed's apartment is decorated with a vending machine poster that has Troy as one of the item selections.

Recurring themes

Continuity:

• Returning students: Star-Burns appears along with his son who is dressed more conservatively than his father.
• Returning faculty: Dean Pelton and Michelle Slater return.
• Familiar faces: Abed's father returns, and his full name is revealed to be Gobi Nadir. The Greendale Human Being with a little Human Being also returns in this episode.
• First appearance: Elijah and Jordan debut in this episode.
• Anticlimax: Jeff and Slater's relationship comes to an end although she makes a return in the season finale episode "Pascal's Triangle Revisited".
• History lesson:
  • Chang reveals he had a twin but ate her in utero, the name of the twin is revealed in "First Chang Dynasty". His first name Ben is revealed in this episode by his brother Rabbi Chang.
  • We learn about and meet the families of several group members: Shirley's two sons, Pierce's stepdaughter, Abed's father and cousin, and Troy's grandmother.
• That just happened: Jeff tells Amber about Pierce's encounters with Mike (Comparative Religion) and Vaughn (Home Economics).
• School supplies: Get me a switch!
• This must be the place: The Spanish classroom, Student Lounge, Group Study Room F, the cafeteria and the quad are all prominently featured.

Running gags:

• My other half: Troy finishes Abed's sentences (and pie).
• Changuage: Chang calls Star-Burns' son a virgin and then punctuates the insult by saying "Cha-chang!"
• Disney face: Annie successfully uses her doe eyes on Jeff.
• Gay, he's so gay!: Amber mentions that Pierce told her Jeff was gay. During Pictionary, Pierce thinks Jeff's answer was gay.
• Come sail away!: Troy starts to cry when Britta is spanked by his grandmother.

Pop culture references:

• IMDB: Jeff mentions The Little Mermaid.
• Product placement: The board game Pictionary is featured in this episode.
• Alert nerd!: Chang makes several references to Star Wars when he calls Abed's cousin Abra "phantom menace" and then asks how her trade embargo with Naboo is going.
• Shout out: Shirley reveals that her son, Jordan, is named after "the 14 time NBA all-star."

Quotes

“Get me a switch!”— Troy's Grandmother

“You're becoming dangerous, Annie. It's those doe eyes. Disappointing you is like choking the Little Mermaid with a bike chain.”— Jeff

“'Señor Chang'? Ben, do you realize how ridiculous that sounds?”— Ben Chang's brother, Rabbi Chang, wearing yarmulke and prayer shawl

“Off to the bathroom, Stepdad.”— Amber

[She kisses Pierce on the cheek and leaves]

“I've never been called 'Stepdad'.”— Pierce

“I don't think anyone has.”— Jeff

Season One Episodes
1. "Pilot" 2. "Spanish 101" 3. "Introduction to Film" 4. "Social Psychology" 5. "Advanced Criminal Law" 6. "Football, Feminism and You" 7. "Introduction to Statistics" 8. "Home Economics" 9. "Debate 109" 10. "Environmental Science" 11. "The Politics of Human Sexuality" 12. "Comparative Religion" 13. "Investigative Journalism"	14. "Interpretive Dance" 15. "Romantic Expressionism" 16. "Communication Studies" 17. "Physical Education" 18. "Basic Genealogy" 19. "Beginner Pottery" 20. "The Science of Illusion" 21. "Contemporary American Poultry" 22. "The Art of Discourse" 23. "Modern Warfare" 24. "English as a Second Language" 25. "Pascal's Triangle Revisited"
Season One • Season Two • Season Three • Season Four • Season Five • Season Six