Bio[]
Not a lot of people get a second chance. Just you and probably Obama.
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— Murray to Troy, "The First Chang Dynasty". |
Murray was Vice Dean Laybourne's second-in-command at Greendale's Air Conditioning Annex. Along with scouting potential recruits for the annex among Greendale's student body, he is an instructor himself as well as trusted adviser to Laybourne. Although he appears to be loyal believer in the air conditioning legend of the "One True Repairman", it's eventually revealed that he has his own dark ambitions. His first appearance was in the Season Three episode "Advanced Gay". He is portrayed by comedian/actor Dan Bakkedahl. |
Character history[]
While Troy was assisting Jerry in fixing a toilet in the episode "Advanced Gay", Murray was quietly observing them with much interest. He makes his presence known by loudly clapping and complimenting Troy for his skills at plumbing. Jerry angrily chased him off and made Troy promise not to get involved with anyone from the Air Conditioning Annex. It was too late at this point as Murray had Troy kidnapped and brought to a secret "audition" being held for the repair school. Seated beside Vice Dean Laybourne, he watched as Troy easily fixed an air conditioning unit while the other potential repair school students they had abducted were unable to.
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Although strongly tempted, Troy ultimately turns down the vice dean's offer to join the annex. When Murray informs Laybourne that Troy was able to fix a difficult air conditioning problem in the cafeteria all by himself, it makes the vice dean more obsessed with getting Troy to join the school. Murray is next seen in the episode end tag to "Digital Exploration of Interior Design". He tells Vice Dean Laybourne that due to his machinations, Troy and Abed are now at odds. Abed's Pillowtown citizens and Troy's Blanketsburg followers are now poised to go to war against each other. By subtly influencing them and breaking their friendship up, Laybourne hopes that an unencumbered Troy will finally accept his destiny. Murray is both impressed and disturbed by Laybourne's ruthlessness.
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His next appearance is in "First Chang Dynasty". After being expelled from Greendale along with the rest of the study group, Troy calls on Murray to provide the inside scoop on what's been going on at the school since their expulsion. They meet at Señor Kevin's, and Murray explains in detail the tight security that's been put in place by Sgt. Chang and his Changlourious Basterds. The study group plans an elaborate heist to save the Dean Pelton and the school based on the information Murray provides. Despite the advanced planning they did, the group is captured and held in the cafeteria basement. Realizing there's no other way to escape without the air conditioning school's help, Troy finally agrees to join them by signalling a silent acknowledgement to one of their surveillance cameras in the basement. The study group manages to escape and restore order to Greendale. Later, Murray appears at Troy and Abed's apartment to settle the debt Troy owes them. Now enrolled at the repair school, Troy is forced to leave his friends behind and move into the annex's dorms. Some time later, Murray is instructing a class at the school when he notices Troy not paying attention.
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When the Robert Laybourne is killed after an "accident" during his repair of a faulty air conditioner, Murray becomes the new vice dean. Troy becomes suspicious and confronts Murray, who releases Troy from his bonds to the Air Conditioning School. Troy is about to leave when he has a change of heart and decides to try and figure out Murray's complicity with Laybourne's death. He disrupts Murray's coronation as the new head of the school and challenges him to a duel in The Sun Chamber. The duel consists of repairing an air conditioning unit in a room that grows increasingly hotter. Unable to complete the challenge, the temperature on Murray's side reaches well over a hundred; the intense heat coupled with his frustration in fixing his A/C unit and the ease with which Troy fixed his causes him to confess to killing the vice dean. After Murray is removed from the chamber, the students wish to send him to the labyrinth, but Troy tells them that they are weird, and they should send him to the police instead.
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Quotes[]
- “Tight seal, good flow...kid's pretty handy”— Murray
- “You get the hell out of here!”— Jerry