Plot
An Asian Annie. Obama's America.
|
— Pierce |
Annie is in political science class listening to a lecture by the teacher Professor Cligoris. He poses a question that Annie responds to, mistakenly believing that he had called on her. However, it turns out he was actually referring to another student named Annie Kim. When Kim provides the right answer and receives praise from Cligoris, Annie finds herself somewhat unnerved. In the hallways, Britta is walking with Shirley to the study room when she finds out a friend of hers from her political activist days has just been arrested. Elsewhere, Chang is looking forward to his new job as security guard but is disheartened when he quickly discovers that he has very little actual authority.
Annie takes Annie Kim to the study room to meet the rest of the group. The tension between them is obvious even though Annie denies it. Shirley warns her not to let a rivalry get the best of her, causing Jeff to leap to her defense. Britta interjects with a rambling tirade, and Shirley explains that Britta is just upset that her friend is still actively protesting while she has decided to start a new life in academia. An upset Britta leaves and runs into Chang outside the library. After warning her not to bump into the trashcans, she decides to kick one. He issues her a written warning which she eats in front of him. After warning her again, she walks away defiantly. Both are shown to be happy about the adversarial relationship they just created.
Annie notices an announcement on a bulletin board of the formation of a Model UN at Greendale, started by Annie Kim. She shows the flyer to the study group, upset that Kim has stolen an idea she had. Jeff decides to confront Kim, and they head over to the political science class. Annie Kim doesn't deny that Edison thought of it first but argues that she should still receive the credit since she made the idea a reality. Professor Cligoris steps in and offers a solution: he will conduct a Model UN showdown with two teams lead by Kim and Edison battling it out for the right to represent the school.
At the Model UN competition, Annie goes over instructions with her Model UN team. It is made up of the study group sans Britta who is outside protesting. Britta is taken into custody by Chang and brought before his Sgt. Nunez, where she admits she's not going to commit any actual crime. At the UN competition, Garrett reads off various crisis alerts that both teams have to resolve. Edison's team gets the lead, but the team loses focus when they are distracted by someone's flatulence. Annie turns to Jeff to get them back on track, but instead he makes a joke. After they all start laughing, Annie throws a childish tantrum. Jeff chastises her, and she runs off stage humiliated.
Jeff finds Annie hiding in the library. Ashamed by her actions, she berates herself for acting like a child. Jeff takes the blame saying that it was him treating her like a kid in the first place that lead to this; he admits it's a crutch he uses to avoid his feelings for her. While it lets her know how important she is to him, it's also stopping her from growing. Although they've become comfortable in these roles, it's creepy considering the feelings they have for one another. Elsewhere, Chang receives a message from Britta that she is going to disrupt the Model UN competition. Sgt. Nunez hands Chang a taser and dispatches him to deal with it.
Back at the UN competition, Annie Kim's Red Model UN team has taken the lead. Jeff and Annie return as she makes her apologies to the group for her behavior. Abed then reveals an unorthodox plan to win the competition. The Blue Model UN interrupts the Red team's deliberations and makes them an offer. Professor Cligoris overrules Kim's objections to the disruption, allowing Edison's last ditch effort. Their ultimatum is that both UN teams concede the match and form a union, a "united United Nations".
Kim rejects the offer, preferring the real victory over an idea. Cligoris explains that's what the UN is at its heart, rhetoric and ideas, and that Edison's Blue UN has perfectly simulated it by their actions. After he awards the contest to Edison, Britta makes a sudden appearance wearing a ridiculous outfit and making a big spectacle of herself. Chang shows up and tazes her, happy to finally be able to exert his authority. Britta is happy as well since she was able to relive her old activist days. Despite the pain, she manages to spit in Chang's face as he carries her away.
End tag
Troy and Abed are playing a live action version of the board game "Operation" on a sleeping Pierce.
Recurring themes
Continuity:
- History Lesson: Troy expands on Annie's past Adderall addiction in high school. Apparently, while on an Adderall high, she tried to straighten the lines on the school's football field while a game was in progress.
- Returning students: Garrett returns as the moderator for the competition, and Vicky is on Annie Kim's Red Model UN team.
- Familiar faces: Sgt. Nunez returns in this episode.
- Googly eyes: Jeff and Annie have a frank discussion about their relationship and the need for them to evolve past roles they've become comfortable in even if it means losing what they have now.
- A nice gesture: Jeff explains that treating Annie as a kid was a crutch he used to avoid his feelings for her.
Running gags:
- Double entendre: Professor Cligoris' name; I don't think I have to explain that one.
- It's a vase: Annie again unintentionally does another suggestive motion, this time with a straw.
- Gasp: Annie gasps after Annie Kim asks her if Jeff is her father or her lover.
- Gay, he's so gay!: Pierce intentionally mispronounces Jeff's country that he represents in the Model UN competition (Uruguay) as "You are gay".
- Nice outfit: Britta's final protest of the UN has her wearing a black leotard with dolls hanging off of it.
- NOOOOO!: Annie yells this and throws a tantrum after Jeff and the others become distracted by a fart during the Model U.N. showdown.
- Turning it into a snake: Britta dances around and chants as if doing a ritual during her final protest.
- That's Nice: Shirley says this as Chang carries Britta away, though she realise it's not.
Meta references:
- Use your allusion: The red and blue alternate universes could be a reference to the ones in "Fringe."
- IRL: Donald Glover's hometown was in Stone Mountain, Georgia. His character Troy Barnes represents the Eurasian country of Georgia in the Model UN showdown.
- Résumé: When Annie sees the Model U.N. flyer on the bulletin board right next to it is an advertisement for "Party Down" referencing the Starz show "Party Down" which featured Martin Starr as Roman. Martin Starr also starred in the 2012 independent film "Save The Date" alongside his co-star from "Party Down" Lizzy Caplan and Alison Brie who played his fiancée.
Pop culture references:
- IMDB: The study group references Spartacus by everyone taking the fall and saying they farted.
- Product placement: The classic board game "Operation" is mentioned in the end tag.
- Name that tune: "Hello" by Lionel Richie is played several times during Chang and Britta's interactions.
Quotes
- “Maybe I don't want a new path or any path. Maybe my path is a warpath that leads to the Terror Dome, N-words...okay, maybe I went too far. Maybe I don't want to offend my African American friends, but the larger point is maybe I'm not done RAGING AGAINST THE MACHINE!”— Britta
- “Ohhh! Damn, Pierce!”— Shirley
- “That wasn't me!”— Pierce
- “I don't smell anything...Oh wait, I just got it.”— Abed
- “Guys, come on focus, we've got to get through this like adults or were going to lose pionts!”— Annie
- “Get through it? It's almost a solid!”— Troy
- “Guys! This is important to Annie! So whoever actually died a few months ago fess up so we can put a stake through your heart!”— Jeff
- “Jeff!”— Annie
- “Annie, I think the real lesson here is that a Model U.N., much like the real U.N., quickly fall apart when faced with actual adversity...”— Jeff
- “NOOOOOO! I think the lesson here is that I need to win this! I want to win! And you! YOU SUCK! Your a stupid, ugly, poop face and I'm better than you!”— Annie
- “Annie, stop! You're acting like a little school girl and not in a hot way!”— Jeff
- “If embarrassment were bountiful zinc deposits, I'd be Zambia.”— Annie
- “There's nothing to be Zambia about, Annie.”— Jeff
- “A logical, effective, common sense move, Annie Kim...One which flies in the very face of the United Nations itself: a fundamentally symbolic organization founded on the principles of high-minded rhetoric and empty gestures.”— Professor Cligoris
Promotional Images
Season Three Episodes | ||
---|---|---|
1. "Biology 101" |
12. "Contemporary Impressionists" |
|
Season One • Season Two • Season Three • Season Four • Season Five • Season Six |