Intermediate Documentary Filmmaking

Intermediate Documentary Filmmaking

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Director: Joe Russo — Writer: Dan Harmon, Megan Ganz — Aired: February 17, 2011 —Season: Two — Number: Sixteen Summary: {{{summary}}}

Summary: Upset that he's not getting the respect he feels he deserves, Pierce claims that he is about to die and summons the study group to the hospital to bequeath personalized gifts unto them as Abed ducuments the entire event.

Plot

Im dying...NOT!

The study group arrives at the hospital after learning about Pierce's overdose. When they go to see him in his room they notice Abed there with a crew flming them. He explains he's there to document Pierce's life for historical purposes. A cut away scene featuring Abed reveals that he's not actually filming for Pierce's sake but just to try out the documentary format which he feels is easier to tell a complex story. The scene cuts back to Pierce who tells the group that he called them all there to bequeth them gifts. He explains that the pills wiped him out and that he is dying. In a cut away scene Pierce reveals his that he's not dying and that he's planning on getting revenge on the study group for being disrespectful to him.

End tag

Levar Burton is having dinner with Troy in the study room. Troy is unable to hanlde being alone with his favorite star and runs out of the room crying.

Recurring themes

Contnuity:

• Returning students: Pavel and Garrett return as members of Abed's documenatry film crew.
• History lesson: Pierce provides Jeff with detailed information on his Father, William Winger, in order to ocnvince him that he really ahs located him and is bringing him to the hospital to reunite them.

Running gags:

• Come sail away: Troy cries repeatedly throughout the epsiode when he meets his idol Levar Burton.

Pop culture references:

• TV Guide: Levar Burton metions his time as host of the PBS show "Reading Rainbow" and "Star Trek: The Next Generation".
• IMDB: Pierce mentions having recently seen the horror/comedy movie "Critters 3" and the striaght to DVD Bruce Willis film "Surragates".

Meta references:

• Parody: The epsiode can be seen as a spoof of the current trend in sitcoms started by "The Office" to structure thier stories around a documentary style.