Basic Genealogy

Basic Genealogy

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Director: Ken Whittingham — Writer: Karey Dornetto — Aired: March 11, 2010 —Season: One — Number: Eighteen Summary: Pierce bonds with his stepdaughter; Britta meets Troy's Nana; Shirley's kids annoy Abed's father.

Plot

I DON'T UNDERSTAND YOU BRITTA! I DON'T UNDERSTAND YOU AT ALL!

— Troy

As the school prepares for the upcoming Family Day event, Jeff catches up with his girlfriend Professor Slater. He is shocked when she unexpectedly breaks up with him. 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 while Troy dejectedly adds that his grandmother's visiting as well. 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 named Amber. His efforts are hindered by Pierce who turns out to be her ex-stepfather.

Jeff discovers he has Abed's ability of precognition.

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 Gobi while she presents her children Elijah and Jordan. Jeff tries to chat with Pierce's stepdaughter Amber, but Pierce won't allow it. Despite this, after class Pierce inexplicably asks Jeff for help in connecting with Amber. Jeff refuses and walks away only to be stopped by Annie who overheard Pierces request. Annie tricks Jeff by asking him for a favor, and after he agrees, she asks him to help Pierce with his stepdaughter. 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.

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

At the Family Day BBQ, Dean Pelton meets Chang's brother Rabbi Chang while Pierce is still failing to connect 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. Shirley leaves to get some food just as her boys start to fight over a video game. The ruckus causes them to drench Gubi with a beverage they knocked over. 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.

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

Amber leaves to go to the restroom and Pierce tells Jeff to take off believing he can handle it from here. Jeff goes but runs into Amber on his way out. They start to make out although Jeff feels guilty about it. An oblivious Pierce interrupts them and invites Amber to compete with him in a Pictionary Tournament. She makes it clear she won't go unless Jeff does, and Pierce reluctantly invites him as well. 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. Gobi returns wearing a new shirt and 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.

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

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 enjoying herself. 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 takes 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.

Abra enjoys the Bouncy house.

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. Troy tells Britta to just walk away, but she wants to prove she's not a hypocrite. As Nana Barnes starts spanking Britta, her resolve starts to crumble, and she begins to cry out in pain. As Troy pleads with his grandmother to stop, Jeff and Amber stumble into the classroom. They quickly leave and find a supply closet to continue making out. Amber starts to undress when Jeff notices a check fall out of her jacket. Even though she admits that it's money she hustled from Pierce, the revelation doesn't stop Jeff from having sex with her. Later, Jeff runs into Annie in the hallway and tells her about how Pierce's step-daughter just grifted him. Annie convinces a reluctant Jeff to tell Pierce the truth. In the student lounge, Shirley catches up with Abed. He tells her helping Abra was Elijah's and Jordan's idea and compliments her for being a good mom.

Britta proves she is not a hypocrite.

At the Family Day Dance in the school cafeteria, Troy finds Britta still sore from the whooping. Nana Barnes shows up, overhears them talking, and confronts Troy about some nasty comments he said about her. Also at the festivities is Jeff who greets Amber. He asks her to tear up the check and instead spend time with Pierce. She opts to just take the money and leaves. Jeff goes to break the news to Pierce but the he had already figured what happened. Pierce advises Jeff to start a family now or he'll end up alone. Jeff tells Pierce that he already has a family in the study group. Pierce then tells Jeff he would have acted the same way if the roles had been reversed and slept with his ex-stepdaughter. Jeff admits to having done just that and Pierce suggests it was 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.

"We always used to watch the shows she wanted to watch! I hate Glee!"

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. Officer Craig Cackowski, formerly appearing as a Greendale campus security guard, now returns as a police officer.
• First appearance: Elijah and Jordan debut in this episode.
• Googly eyes: 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" as "Connie". 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! The Foosball table can be seen behind Jeff and Amber when they are playing Pictionary.
• This must be the place: The Spanish classroom, lounge, Group Study Room F, the cafeteria, the Campus courtyard and the quad are all seen.

Running gags:

• Changuage: Chang calls Star-Burns' son a virgin and then punctuates the insult by saying "Cha-chang!"
• Come sail away!: Troy starts to cry when Britta is spanked by his grandmother.
• Disney face: Annie successfully uses her doe eyes on Jeff to guilt him into doing right by Pierce.
• Gay, he's so gay!: Amber mentions that Pierce told her Jeff was gay. During Pictionary, Pierce thinks Jeff's answer was gay.
• I hate Glee!: Jeff tells Pierce that he hates Glee and doesn't understand the appeal of the show.
• My other half: Troy finishes Abed's sentences (and pie).
• Thrown together: Jeff gets paper balls thrown at him when he says that everyone at Greendale is his family.

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."

Trivia

• Frequent background extras Long haired guy and Jeremy make another of over 65 and 45 episode appearances respectively. Long haired guy is in numerous hallway and outdoor scenes. Jeremy is prominently featured at a picnic table behind Pierce and behind Star-burns during the Pictionary game.

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"
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