Who is this kettle corn popping phantom? This human question mark? This number 8 scoop of vanilla tapioca with a PhD in being swell and a Masters in "Everybody loves me!"?
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— Jeff discussing Rich, "Asian Population Studies". |
Dr. Rich Stephenson was a student in pottery class whose impressive skills working the pottery wheel were praised by everyone and envied by Jeff. An accomplished doctor who is friendly and pleasantly outgoing, he is a stark contrast to Jeff's cynical attitude and emotional aloofness. His first appearance was in the Season One episode "Beginner Pottery". He makes two more appearances in Season Two in "Epidemiology" and "Asian Population Studies". He is portrayed by Greg Cromer. |
Character history[]
Season One[]
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Season Two[]
In the study group's second year at Greendale, Rich attended a Halloween party held in the library dressed in a banana costume. When a mysterious epidemic spread at the event he volunteered to look at a few of the infected. He overheard someone asking for a doctor and was surprised to see Pierce and Annie. Rich noticed Pierce wasn't looking well and after asking him to sit down complimented Annie's costume. When the Dean brought more students who are sick Rich suggested it could be food poisoning but Pelton refuses to believe it. As they argued, Star-Burns got bitten in the arm by Pierce who ran off. Startled by the extreme development of Pierce's condition Rich remarked that the infection was definitely not food poisoning. Rich noted that Star-Burns started to develop the same symptoms Pierce displayed.
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Rich agreed with Annie's suggestion that he was infected through the bite since he hadn't eaten the taco meat. Rich and Annie were forced to flee after Star-Burns tried to bite them. They reached Group Study Room F and tried to warn Jeff, Britta and Shirley what was happening. However, it was too late as Leonard and other infected students started to attack all the party goers. Rich and the others made it to the exit only to find that Dean Pelton locked the doors. He told them a quarantine had been imposed by the government and the in six hours the army will show up to deal with the situation. Rich and the study group fought their way through infected students back to the study room. Rich theorized what happened was a rabies related pathogen affecting the pre-frontal cortex of the brain causing hyper aggression.
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When Shirley proclaimed it was "End of Days" Rich corrected her saying such a thing would take years to infect the rest of the world. Rich then praised a vertical fold Jeff did when he laid it down his jacket. An annoyed Jeff replied how much he hated Rich. Before they started barricading the room, Rich asked that they all had come clean if they have been bitten. To his shock, Rich discovered he himself had been bitten but chose to not say anything. After describing the symptoms of the virus, he revealed himself to be infected when he slurred his words. Britta revealed herself to be infected as well and they both attacked the others. Sometime later, Rich managed to put Jeff's suit jacket on and pursued him to the basement. Later, he and the other infected students were cured after Troy managed to lower the temperature of the building ("Epidemiology").
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After spending winter break volunteering with Annie, he joins Duncan's Anthropology class and unsuccessfully competes against Chang for a spot in the study group despite support from Annie, Troy and Pierce. Jeff claimed no one was as nice as Rich seemed to be and at least they knew what kind of a person Chang was. This convinced Britta and Abed to vote for Chang over Rich. Shirley, after some hesitation (and a threat from Pierce that he would shatter her world if she didn't vote for Rich due to how much he liked Rich's kettle corn), also voted for Chang. As drama unfolds when Pierce mentions that Shirley might be pregnant with Chang's child, Rich politely says it might be a good time for him to leave, despite Annie and Pierce's objections. When Jeff learns from Abed that Rich turned down a date with Annie due to her young age, Jeff begins to admire his ethics and immediately seeks life-advice from him, although he only wants to abuse the power Rich gets from everyone loving him . Rich says he can't just fake being good to get away with doing bad things. Jeff says he still has to try and the Rich would be a bad person if he didn't try to help him. Rich agrees and happily invites him into his home. He is later seen with Troy and Abed, taking part in their fake "Troy and Abed in the Morning!" show where he is showing how to make kettle corn. He states that the paddle he used was carved by himself using an oak tree on his lawn that was struck by lightning while using the remaining wood to make a rocking horse for his nephew. Jeff walks in and points out to Rich there is no cameras and that the show is fake. Rich says he knows but it finds it a fun way to start the day and invites Jeff to join in. Jeff briefly sounds into the idea but then walks away. Rich then says the show's title with along with Troy and Abed.("Asian Population Studies").
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Trivia[]
- In the DVD commentary to Beginner Pottery, episode writer Hilary Winston mentions that the character Rich was named after her first boyfriend.