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Plot[]

“
Conflicts like this will ultimately bring us together as an unlikely family.
”
Abed
At Greendale, the Dean is making the morning announcements as Jeff arrives late for school in his Lexus. In the study room, the group awaits his arrival. Britta is annoyed everyone is concerned about Jeff instead of social injustices like journalists in Guatemala killed by their government. Jeff finally shows up for the meeting and charms everyone except Britta. Jeff tries to smooth things over afterwards but is rebuffed. Britta criticizes him for exploiting the group and Pierce advises him not to pursue her so desperately. He then makes a failed attempt himself to spend time with Jeff.



S101 BFF's
BFF's.
Outside the library, Shirley and Annie want to protest something and are told by Britta to research Guatemalan journalist Chacata Panecos. In the Spanish classroom, the instructor Señor Ben Chang gives a lengthy tirade about being an Asian Spanish teacher. He then explains the latest class assignment where the students pair up, practice Spanish phrases and give a presentation. He divides the class up by giving them each corresponding cards. Upon learning Abed is paired with Britta Jeff makes a deal to exchange cards. Jeff approaches Britta at the end of class suggesting they have dinner. He discovers that she switched her card too, and his partner is Pierce.



S101 Chang debuts
"They call me "EL TIGRE CHINO" cause my Spanish knowledge will BITE YOUR FACE OFF!"
Later in the study room, Jeff and Pierce are supposed to working on their assignment, but Pierce insists on trying to bond with him. Meanwhile, Britta is displeased when she sees the overly flashy protest Shirley and Annie have organized. She calls their efforts "tacky and lame" but gets criticized by Shirley for preaching about injustices but not actually doing anything about them. Britta then apologizes and asks how she can help. Back in the study room, Jeff is becoming frustrated at the lack of progress he and Pierce are making on the project. Troy and Abed show up and inform them of the protest Britta is now involved in.



S01E02-Shirley Guatemala protest
Shirley protests with brownies.
Jeff gets angry at Pierce for having wasted his time and leaves. Once outside, Jeff joins the protest which has become a candle light vigil. He quickly finds Britta and she apologizes to him for how judgemental she was of him earlier. A drunk Pierce stumbles out of the library and calls out Jeff for how dismissively he treated him. He tries to punch Jeff, but ends up igniting the sleeve of his coat when it touches a protester's candle. He manages to extinguish himself by jumping into a fountain. The next day in the Spanish classroom, Shirley and Annie excitedly tell Britta about how the protest got briefly mentioned in a local newspaper.



S101 Fire
Pierce is ablaze with anger at Jeff.
Jeff arrives and apologizes to Britta for Pierce ruining her protest. She explains that Pierce was only looking to get close to Jeff because he's lonely and sees the study group as an opportunity to be with a family he never had. Pierce then arrives with Chang animatedly discussing something with him. Chang then approaches Jeff to let him know that he will automatically get a passing grade since Pierce and him had a falling out. Jeff declines the offer and convinces Pierce to let him help with the presentation they both created. They deliver a very long and elaborate performance that has very little to do with Spanish. ("Wise Up")



S101 Wise up
Wise up.
When they finish, Chang gives both of them a failing grade. Afterwards, Britta compliments Jeff for his actions but tells him that there's no way any woman in class who saw the presentation could ever think of him as a viable sexual candidate. Undeterred, Jeff sees hope when he notices that as Britta walks away she looks back at him. ("Daylight") Pierce sneaks up behind him and tells Jeff he did a good job. They walk off together as Pierce gives Jeff advice on improving his performance for the next time they work together.



1x2 Britta looks back
Britta looks back.

End tag[]

The first end tag of the show, where Troy and Abed perform the Spanish rap.



La Biblioteca Rap
Donde está la biblioteca...

Recurring themes[]

Continuity[]

Continuity lists
Narrative
Recurring or debuting plot points in this episode:
  • A nice gesture: This is the first episode where Jeff rubs someone's head to show affection.
  • Catchphrase: Jeff and Annie introduce their "Milady/Milord" exchange.
  • Googly eyes:
    • Jeff and Annie's flirting begins as the dynamic of the relationship starts to change between them. The "Milday/Milord" greeting was the inspiration for a live journal fansite dedicated to this particular pairing.
    • Britta and Jeff continue to flirt. At the end of the episode she walks away from Jeff but looks back at him which gives him hope that she's still interested.
  • History lesson: Pierce discusses his past with Jeff including the moist towelette industry, his failed marriages, and his medical condition called "Hyper Virility" which is responsible for him not being able to have children.
  • Middle Eastern Magic 8 Ball: At the evening protest, Abed says, "Conflicts like these will ultimately bring us together as an unlikely family". This foreshadows the eventual closeness of The Study Group.
People
Recurring or debuting characters in this episode:
Places
Recurring or debuting places in this episode:
Things
Recurring or debuting items in this episode:

Running gags[]

List of Running gags
Recurring or debuting running gags in this episode:
  • A dollop of whipped irony: Pierce tells Jeff not to pursue Britta so desperately because it comes off as too creepy. He then ignores his own advice and asks Jeff to have a drink with him and have what the kids are calling a "sausage fest".
  • Attention students!: Dean Pelton continues to make ridiculous announcements.
  • Awww!: Annie reacts sadly to Jeff mentioning how empty his life is.
  • Biggest laugh of the night!: Pierce's arm catches fire at the protest forcing him to dive into a water fountain to extinguish it.
  • Raging against the machine: Britta's political activism is introduced as she lectures Annie and Shirley about the murder of Guatemalan journalists.

Pop culture references[]

List of Pop culture references
References to popular culture in this episode:
  • Name that tune:
  • Product placement: When talking to Jeff about Britta, Pierce mentions the water filter company Brita.
  • Shout out: Annie compares Britta's activism to Jodie Foster and Susan Sarandon.
  • Use your allusion:
    • When Britta tries to explain to Abed the differences between reality and TV, Jeff appears, doing Fonzie's signature thumbs up gesture and catchphrase "A-y-y-y-y!".
    • Jeff calls Pierce "Amigo" which is possibly a reference to his 1986 film The Three Amigos. Jeff says "And it's called Two Conquistadors, should probably be dos", also possibly referring to the same movie.

Trivia[]

Additional notes[]

  • The opening credit sequence along with the theme song of the show "At Least It Was Here" makes its debut.
  • The show's first end tag debuts with Troy and Abed's Spanish rap.
  • The cards Chang hands out in Spanish class have the Italian flag on one side, a possible foreshadowing to the fact that Chang is not in fact a Spanish genius, as he claims to be. (It could also be the Mexican flag without the coat of arms in the center.)
  • When Chang introduces himself, he asks rhetorical questions such as why he teaches Spanish and not math. In additional to a play on stereotypes of East Asians, it may also foreshadow Chang becoming a math teacher in Season Five.
  • Frequent background extra Long haired guy played by Andy Lobo makes the first of 65 episode appearances. He's sitting in front of Troy in Spanish class and later is front row for Pierce and Jeff's performance.

Quotes[]

You're like Jodie Foster or Susan Sarandon: you'd rather keep it real than be likeable.Annie while asking Britta about Guatemala
"YA BIT!"Senor Chang
Okay, tell me what I've got so far.Pierce
What we have so far? Well, what we have is something incredibly long and very confusing, and a little homophobic. And really, really, specifically, surprisingly, and gratuitously critical of Israel. And it's called Two Conquistadors, should probably be dos. I mean it is Spanish class. Oh, which reminds me, the only thing not included in this epic are the five phrases required to get me a passing grade.Jeff
You're right. Needs more work.Pierce
Conflicts like this will ultimately bring us together as an unlikely family.Abed upon seeing Pierce confront Jeff at the protest
Season One Episodes

1. "Pilot"
2. "Spanish 101"
3. "Introduction to Film"
4. "Social Psychology"
5. "Advanced Criminal Law"
6. "Football, Feminism and You"
7. "Introduction to Statistics"
8. "Home Economics"
9. "Debate 109"
10. "Environmental Science"
11. "The Politics of Human Sexuality"
12. "Comparative Religion"
13. "Investigative Journalism"

14. "Interpretive Dance"
15. "Romantic Expressionism"
16. "Communication Studies"
17. "Physical Education"
18. "Basic Genealogy"
19. "Beginner Pottery"
20. "The Science of Illusion"
21. "Contemporary American Poultry"
22. "The Art of Discourse"
23. "Modern Warfare"
24. "English as a Second Language"
25. "Pascal's Triangle Revisited"

Nbc-community-dvd

Season OneSeason TwoSeason ThreeSeason FourSeason FiveSeason Six
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