Plot[]
 What is community college? Well, you've heard all kinds of things. You've heard it's 'loser college' for remedial teens, twenty-something drop-outs, middle-aged divorcees, and old people keeping their minds active as they circle the drain of eternity. That's what you heard;, however... I wish you luck!
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| — Dean Pelton |
| It's the first week of classes for Greendale Community College's 2009 fall semester. On the campus quad, Dean Craig Pelton fails at giving an inspirational speech to the new arrivals. Watching from afar is thirty-something former attorney turned student Jeff Winger, joined by his Spanish 101 classmate Abed Nadir. Jeff stops Abed rambling about his life story to ask about a female student. Abed reveals her name is Britta Perry and rattles off detailed information from a conversation he had with her. Impressed, Jeff thanks Abed before going off to meet a friend, Professor Ian Duncan.
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| At Duncan's office, Jeff tells Ian that the state Bar Association learned he faked a degree. To become a lawyer again, he needs to earn a legitimate one at Greendale. He asks Duncan to get him the answers for all his class exams. He also reminds him of a 2002 D.U.I. charge he saved Duncan from. Later in the cafeteria, Jeff is in the lunch line when he spots Britta. He skips the queue to chat her up and lies about being a board-certified Spanish tutor. Once he convinces her of his credentials, Jeff invites Britta to join a study group he is forming in the library. She leaves without giving an answer just as Cafeteria Lady appears, demanding Jeff pay for his food.
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| Afterwards, in the study room, Britta does show up for Jeff's fake study group. However, his efforts to woo her are hampered by the arrival of Abed, whom Britta had invited. Jeff receives a text message from Duncan and goes to meet him at the football field. Ian says his request might be possible but questions Jeff's sense of right and wrong. Jeff is unconcerned, believing such concepts are subjective, particularly when he is talented enough to convincingly argue for either side. Exasperated by Jeff's arrogance, Ian agrees to get the exam answers. Jeff returns to the library, only to find that Britta is missing and four more students, Pierce Hawthorne, Troy Barnes, Annie Edison and Shirley Bennett, are now seated at the study table.
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| Jeff learns they had all been invited by Abed and attempts to sneak away. Upon leaving the building he finds Britta outside taking a cigarette break. She suggests they go back inside to join the study group and hints they can go have dinner if the other students are untutorable. When they return, Pierce, the eldest of the four, attempts to introduce everyone. When he gets their names wrong, Troy, Annie and Shirley correct him. Jeff subtly manipulates everyone until they are arguing amongst themselves. He then gets another call from Duncan, who wants to meet up with him again, this time in the parking lot.
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| He finds Duncan waiting in his tiny smart car which he wants to trade for Jeff's luxury sedan in return for the test answers. After some agonizing, Jeff reluctantly agrees to Ian’s terms and gets a packet of test answers. Upon returning to the study room Britta is waiting for him and pleads to Jeff to calm down the still-arguing study group. It is only after she agrees to go out with him that Jeff goes inside the study room to deliver a stirring speech to the group. In it, he praises each of their strengths and explains that by coming together, they are no longer a study group but a Community. Once they are pacified, he announces that he is leaving to have dinner with Britta.
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| Britta reveals she lied to get Jeff to fix his mess and tells him to get out so the study session can resume. Jeff takes back what he said and boasts that he doesn't need them, as he now has the test answers. Leaving the library, he opens the packet Duncan gave him but finds that it's full of blank paper. After storming Duncan's office to retrieve his car keys from he passes by the library where Pierce calls out to him from the front steps. While they talk, the rest of the study group comes outside and admits to Jeff that studying is boring without him. The group convinces Britta to invite him to study with them again, and they return to the library. Jeff briefly hesitates but decides to follow them back inside. ("Don't You (Forget About Me)")
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 "CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME NOW?" |
Recurring themes[]
Continuity[]
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Running gags[]
| List of Running gags |
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Recurring or debuting running gags in this episode:
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Pop culture references[]
| List of Pop culture references |
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References to popular culture in this episode:
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Meta references[]
| List of Meta references |
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Meta references in this episode:
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Trivia[]
- The original script for the pilot had a number of differences from the broadcast version, including dialogue, extended scenes and, most notably, a different last name for Jeff: "Crocker". Also, the cafeteria lady made recurring appearances throughout the episode, but all the scenes, with the exception of her meeting Jeff, were cut. The original script can be read here.
- When giving the "Look Left" speech, Jeff says that instead of giving you the salt you asked for, Abed would give you soup, because soup is better. Joel McHale, who plays Jeff, is the host of The Soup.
- Troy calls Jeff "Seacrest". It is a running gag of Joel McHale's on The Soup to make fun of Ryan Seacrest.
- Britta claims to have been a Peace Corps volunteer after dropping out of high school. This would not be possible, as Peace Corps generally requires a minimum of a bachelor's degree for acceptance into its volunteer program; Britta does not have the background for its non-degree positions.
- This episode was in memoriam of director John Hughes, who directed the film The Breakfast Club which is referenced multiple times in the episode.
- The following scenes are absent from the version available on Amazon Prime Video and Netflix, due to being from the syndication cut and thus reducing the episode's length from 24:28 to 21:48:
- The very beginning of the episode, when Dean Pelton tries and fails to switch his boombox from "tape" to "mic" is missing. Instead, the episode begins with his speech.
- Jeff's comment on the size of Professor Duncan's office. Duncan and Jeff reflecting on the time Jeff helped Duncan with his DUI by bringing up 9/11 in court.
- The chalupas incident is nevertheless mentioned later on, now stripped of its context, and instead of saying he does love America, Duncan simply ponders silenty for a couple of seconds, then agrees to help Jeff.
- Jeff's conversation with the cafeteria lady.
- Britta recounting her past to Jeff. Here, she immediately answers "what's your deal?" with "Honesty".
- Abed and later Jeff bringing up Britta's resemblance to Elisabeth Shue.
- Jeff commenting on the age of the people running around the football field.
- Annie reminding Troy she sat behind him in class. Here, he recognizes her on his own when she brings up his letter jacket.
- The shot of Jeff looking for Duncan and reacting with disgust when he sees his car.
- Troy asking Jeff whether he should keep wearing his letter jacket.
Quotes[]
- “I still cannot figure out how you got a jury to connect September the 11th with my DUI.”— Ian
- “The state bar has suspended my license. They found out my college degree was less than legitimate.”— Jeff
- “I thought you had a bachelor's from Columbia?”— Ian
- “And now I have to get one from America.”— Jeff
- “Jeff, are you familiar with the adage 'cheaters never prosper'?”— Ian
- “No, and if I had wanted to learn something, I wouldn't have come to community college.”— Jeff
- “You already know Brittles.”— Pierce
- “Britta”— Britta
- “Abed. Abed the Arab. Is that inappropriate?”— Pierce
- “Sure.”— Abed
- “Roy. Roy the wonder boy.”— Pierce
- “Troy.”— Troy
- “Little princess Elizabeth.”— Pierce
- “Annie.”— Annie
- “And finally, this beautiful creature is named Shirley.”— Pierce
- “Is that even close?”— Jeff
- [Shirley nods]
- “You have been sexually harassing me since the very first day of class.”— Shirley
- “'Sexually harassing'? What? That makes no sense to me. Why would I harass someone who turns me on?”— Pierce
- “Saying she turns you on is the harassment, dude.”— Troy
- “You know what I got for Christmas? It was a banner year at the Bender family. I got a carton of cigarettes. The old man grabbed me and he said, "Heeeey, smoke up Johnny!" No dad, what about you!”— Abed
- “Well, that actually was from the Breakfast Club.”— Jeff
- “Nobody puts Baby in the corner.”— Abed
- “Dirty Dancing.”— Jeff
- “You know what makes humans different from other animals?”— Jeff
- “Feet.”— Troy
- “No, no, come on. Bears have feet.”— Pierce
- “We can sympathize with a pencil. We can forgive a shark, and we can give Ben Affleck an Academy Award for screenwriting.”— Jeff
- “Big mistake.”— Pierce
- “You've just stopped being a study group. You've become something unstoppable. I hereby pronounce you a community.”— Jeff
- “I like you, Jeffrey. You remind me of myself at your age.”— Pierce
- “I deserve that.”— Jeff
- “Jeff, before you say anything, you might wanna think about the gift you've given.”— Duncan
- “An excuse to punch a hippy?”— Jeff
- “No, no. Not that. An important lesson. You see, the tools you acquired to survive out there will not help you here at Greendale. What you have my friend, is a second chance at a honest life.”— Duncan
- “Why are people trying to teach me everything at a school that has an express tuition aisle? Give me my keys.”— Jeff
- “No, I have to keep your car for a lesson.”— Duncan
- “(Jeff scaring Duncan)”
- “Please, please don't hit me (Gives Jeff his key back)”— Duncan
- “Are we cool, are we cool? We cool”— Duncan
- “Well, the funny thing about being smart is that you can get through most of life without ever having to do any work.”— Jeff
| Season One Episodes | ||
|---|---|---|
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1. "Pilot" |
14. "Interpretive Dance" |
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| Season One • Season Two • Season Three • Season Four • Season Five • Season Six | ||
