Community Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Community Wiki

Plot[]

“
Okay, now, I know it's unrealistic to think we can eliminate riots completely.
”
— Dean Pelton
On his first official day as a Law professor at Greendale, Jeff finds himself unable to adjust to his new teaching position. He goes to his office to settle in and meets Criminology professor Buzz Hickey. Later in the study room, Jeff arrives just as the group finishes admiring Table MK II. When Abed proposes they all take a course on actor Nicolas Cage Jeff is eager to sign up until Annie reminds he has his own class to teach. Dean Pelton then shows up to give Jeff an impromptu teacher make over. Afterwards, the rest of the group attends the Nicolas Cage class which is being taught by the drama professor Sean Garrity.



5X2 Buzz Hickey Criminology
"Buzz Hickey - Criminology".
Garrity states the focus of the course is whether Cage is a good or bad actor. The professor recalls Abed had a similar reaction to another class he took years ago taught by Professor Sheffield. Garrity assures there is no definitive answer to the question he is posing. In the cafeteria, Buzz shows Jeff the advantages of being a teacher such as cutting in line and intimidating students. Buzz demonstrates by bullying Leonard before taking Jeff to see the teachers' lounge where the faculty is having a party. Over at Troy, Abed and Annie's apartment, the group are doing their Nicolas Cage homework and watching several of his movies.



5X2 The Teachers Lounge
The Teachers' Lounge - members only.
Annie calls Jeff to see how he is doing only to overhear the partying going on in the teachers lounge. The following day she enrolls in Jeffs class and afterwards criticizes his lack of knowledge on the subject he is teaching. Annie insists he study up as she will be testing to see if he is qualified to teach. Later that day Jeff has lunch with Buzz who advises Annie be given an "A minus"; its a grade designed specifically to annoy overachieving students like her into dropping a class. Back at Abed's apartment, Troy and Annie are scared when they find Abed has become obsessed over Nicolas Cage's worth as an actor.



5X2 She in your class yo
Awwwww, she in your class yo?
Later in Law class, Annie gets into a debate with Jeff over his class assignment. Jeff manages to win the argument causing Annie to leave in a huff which impresses the other students. Jeff explains how he outwitted Annie and begins to actually teach a lesson to his students. Jeff later finds Annie in the student lounge and learns she got an "A minus" from Professor Hickey. Believing her "bad" grade was due to her overextending her schedule she tells Jeff she has to drop his class. Over at the film studies course, an unhinged Abed shows up and launches into a medley of Nicolas Cage's performances.



5X2 Abed is a sexy cat
"I'm a cat! I'm a sexy cat!"
Elsewhere, Buzz refuses to change Annie's grade despite Jeff's confrontation. Later Jeff explains what an A minus really means to Annie who uses this truth to incite a student riot. At Abed's apartment, Shirley finds him in crisis over Nicolas Cage's acting ability. Shirley gets him to accept some things defy explanation like her own appreciation of the "Hellraiser" movie franchise. At school, Annie and an angry mob demand the Greendale faculty give them accurate grades. Jeff suggests they should all be united by their shared mediocrity which fails to mollify the protesters.



5X2 Its riot time
"IT'S RIOT TIME!"
Afterwards in the Dean's office, Pelton proposes to Jeff a true "Save Greendale Committee" made up of teachers and students. Together they will work to improve relations and ensure harmony on campus. Buzz joins them and apologizes for his part in what happened. Jeff accepts Pelton's plan on the condition that Buzz join him on the new committee alongside the study group. Some time later at the first meeting Jeff officially bans the Dean from attending. As they eat lunch, Pelton sadly looks from outside and sings a song in his head.



5X2 Sad Dean ing
Such a sad-Dean-ing sight...

End tag[]

Troy and Abed stage an elaborate prank for Jeff in his new office disguising themselves as a potted plant and a leather armchair. Buzz Hickey walks in unaware of their presence and begins arguing with his pharmacist. Troy and Abed are frozen in place as Hickey describes his worsening medical condition, his inability to pay for the drugs to treat it due to his meagre salary and how he is now forced to tell his mother that they don't have enough money to pay for his father's burial. A single tear is seen on Troy's face.



Troy as a chair
Troy disguised as an arm chair.

Recurring themes[]

Continuity[]

Continuity lists
Narrative
Recurring or debuting plot points in this episode:
  • Previously: Professor Garrity mentions Abed disproving Professor Sheffield's Who's the Boss? theory from the Season Two episode "Competitive Wine Tasting."
  • Identity crisis:
    • Jeff struggles in his new role as a teacher.
    • Abed has a mental breakdown and starts acting like Nicolas Cage.
    • After attending Jeff's class for the first time, Annie assumes the role of teacher to Jeff, who then acts like her student.
  • Replay: Jeff repeats "I hate her! I hate her!..." after Annie give him homework much like Troy did after ending his date with Mariah in "Early 21st Century Romanticism."
  • Mad skillz: Jeff wins an argument against Annie which impresses his students.
  • That just happened:
    • The study group admires the new study table which replaces the original one they set fire to in the previous episode "Repilot."
    • Dean Pelton recounts that Jeff pretended to form a “Save Greendale Committee” in "Repilot."
  • Winger speech: Jeff tries to calm down the angry students with one of his speeches.
  • Googly eyes: Britta eyes Abed suggestively during the part of his Nicolas Cage breakdown where he proclaims himself to be a "sexy cat."
  • Middle Eastern Magic 8 Ball:
  • Theoretical Phys-Ed: The class Abed takes is called "Nicolas Cage: Good or Bad?"
  • Express tuition aisle: Annie doesn't like Jeff's lackadaisical teaching methods, but his fellow professors don't mind. Jeff also openly admits to Annie that, having been a fake lawyer, he doesn't actually know law.
People
Recurring or debuting characters in this episode:

First appearance:

  • Buzz Hickey debuts in this episode as Annie's Criminology professor.
  • Dave debuts in this episode and later becomes a recurring character in Season Six.

Returning faculty: Sean Garrity returns in this episode. Returning students:

Places
Recurring or debuting places in this episode:

This must be the place:

Things
Recurring or debuting items in this episode:

Running gags[]

List of Running gag references
*Man crush: Dean Pelton repeatedly tries to get Jeff to remove his shirt.
  • Nice outfit: In the episode end tag, Troy is wearing a costume designed to make him look like a leather recliner and Abed is wearing a costume designed to make him look like a potted plant.
  • Raging against the machine: Garrity interrupts one of Britta's rants.
  • Shut up, Leonard!:
    • Leonard quips, "Hey look! It's the star of 'head of the ass,'" to which Jeff responds, "Shut up, Leonard! Nice earring. You look like the road manager for the California Raisins."
    • Later, Leonard tees Jeff up for another “Shut up, Leonard!” line, but Jeff's new status as teacher prevents him from responding in kind.
  • The Jim Belushi of...: Abed says that every actor is either good or bad, categorizes Robert Downey Jr. as good, and Jim Belushi as bad.
  • Thrown together: Jeff's attempt to mollify the students' rage results in being pelted with food by students and faculty alike.
  • WWBJD?: Shirley halfheartedly tries to get Abed to convert to Christianity again.

Pop culture references[]

List of Pop culture references
*IMDb:

Meta references:[]

List of Meta references
*Everyone's a critic: Britta's statement about the lack of Asian-Americans in the study group/committee and subsequent hesitance to take a course of action is probably a nod to the fact that the study group, while ethnically diverse, doesn't have any Asian-American (or Hispanic) members. The demographic makeup of the cast has been discussed in commentaries by the show's cast and crew.
  • Resumé: In the credit sequence, Troy is dressed as an armchair. This is a reference to one of Donald Glover's jokes in his "Weirdo" stand-up comedy routine in which he mentions getting raped by a man dressed up as a chair.
  • Up against the wall: Jeff's office number is D-502. "502" is the production number for the episode. The chalkboard in the study room, as it so often does, displays the production number in the top right corner. The markerboard in the study room and the chalkboard in Professor Garrity's classroom also display the production number.

Production[]

  • Production for this episode used the title "Gone in 60 Hats" on its clapperboard. This follows the theme of hat-based puns throughout Season Five's production titles.

Quotes[]

Episode Quotes
List of quotes
Annie, I don't know law. I wasn't a real lawyer, remember? I can't just pretend I'm teaching. I'm not Mythbusters.Jeff
There's a course on Nicolas Cage but if you mention Jesus to your science teacher you get a written warning.Shirley
Okay, so, break into groups and then you guys quiz each other.Jeff
Mr. Winger, is that really the best use of our time? Seems like the value of having you here is...Annie
I think my value as a teacher is to teach you how to learn.Jeff
I think you're telling us we should teach ourselves.Annie
I don't think you're going to learn if I tell you how to think.Jeff
I think if you tell us what you think then we'll learn that.Annie
I thought you should break into groups. But you failed to learn that so your theory's invalid.Jeff
Minuses are made up!Annie, yelling to the other students
It's riot time!Fat Neil
Bring me their heads!Garrett
POP POP!Magnitude
I know that it's unrealistic to think that we can eliminate riots completely, but I have been crunching the numbers and I believe we can reduce them by 40%.Dean Pelton

External links[]

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
Advertisement