'Community' recap: Guns n' betrayal

Ah, conspiracy theories. There’s the old JFK chestnut (paging Frohike, Byers and Langly), and the ever-popular chemtrails. And of course this week’s hot topic -– Bristol Palin’s “tea party”-fueled trip to the finals on “Dancing With the Stars.” And then there’s Thursday night’s conspiracy within a conspiracy within a conspiracy, all warmly wrapped up in the world’s biggest blanket fort.

It all starts so innocently -– or does it? -– in the study room. Annie (Alison Brie) is showing off her entry for Greendale’s Bio Diorama Rama: “Alternative Energy: The Key to a Brighter Tomorrow.” Suddenly, Dean Pelton (Jim Rash) bursts in, waving a printout around and accusing uber slacker Jeff (Joel McHale) of taking a fake independent study class, Conspiracy Theories in U.S. History (Where do I sign up?). Jeff denies it, even leading the dean and Annie to the appropriate classroom, which -– surprise! -– is a supply closet. Who should then conveniently show up but the instructor -– Professor P. Professorson (Kevin Corrigan) -- who vouches for Jeff (“An actual conspiracy to round out your education in conspiracies and theories, thereof”).  The dean leaves and then Jeff ’fesses up that he made the whole thing up. So, who is this professor? Will Annie and Jeff get to the bottom of it? Stay tuned.  

Dioramas and conspiracies -– so not for Troy (Donald Glover) and Abed (Danny Pudi). Instead, they’ve decided to revisit their inner child by donning jammies and building an enormous blanket fort in Abed’s dorm room. And before you can describe at least one facet of “The X-Files’” complicated government-alien conspiracy story line to a newbie, the blanket fort has grown into a multicultural “city” where the dress code appears to be cute flannel PJs. Hey, it beats writing that 20-page term paper due tomorrow.

Meanwhile, back in conspiracy land, Annie has discovered that Professorson is actually night school instructor S. Lawrence Woolley (sign: Aquarius; courses: Introduction to Basics and Active Passivity).  Or is he? He tries to give Jeff and Annie the slip, but they’re hot on his trail in the blanket city, finally catching him at the Latvian Independence Day parade.  He leads our duo back to “night school,” which turns out to be a room full of ancient printers, fake students, fake professors and fake classes. And where he is unmasked as drama professor Sean Garrity, doing a little bit of acting for the dean. With me there?

Jeff decides to teach the dean a lesson or two (“He doesn’t like fake classes? Well, he’s about to get a real lesson on the fact that Jeff Winger never learns!”).  Prop guns are acquired. Let the firing begin! The dean shoots Annie, Jeff shoots the dean, Annie shoots Jeff. It’s all one swirling mass of conspiracies, double-dealings (Fake classes! Lessons in friendship! Love, liplocks and being ignored!) and meltdowns. As the dean put it, “I can’t keep track of it anymore!”

And just when you think it’s all over, in walks Officer Cackowski (Craig Cackowski) to blow things up again (“Well, it just goes to show you -– prop guns belong backstage”). Of course, this being a conspiracy within a conspiracy within a conspiracy, the final “victim” (Garrity) and the shooter go off for breakfast.

One more meltdown from the dean and we cut to the gang having a confab in blanket land. “I’m not sure what lesson we’ve managed to teach each other,” Jeff says, “but I’m proud of Annie. She took to deception like Abed took to ‘Cougar Town.’ Especially when she went off-script.” Oh, and that blanket fort? The trend is sweeping campuses across the nation, so Troy and Abed decide to pull the plug. Mainstream? Not these two.

Wow. My head is still swirling. A fun, fast-paced story (kudos to all involved), but why were Chevy Chase (Pierce) and Yvette Nicole Brown (Shirley) so under-used this week? And is Shirley pregnant or not? Inquiring minds want to know! Oh, and any Jeff and Annie shippers out there? This one was for you.

Extra credit: Troy and Abed’s very, very short once-upon-a-time: spaceships, aliens, mercenaries, war, betrayal, romance, karate, the credits and the end. 

-- Alison Dingeldein

Photo: Jeff (Joel McHale) in action on "Community." Credit: Justin Lubin / NBC

Comments

[Marvin]

This hate is getting beyond ridiculous. We have comments about everything from overt racism to tea party conspiracies.
Let's look at the obvious first, Bristol getting votes does not signify racism. Kyle has been gathering many more votes than Bristol. Some may argue that Brandy was a better dancer than Kyle, but I do not hear the outrage that he was safe. No, Kyle was safe because people like him, just like people like Bristol. As the show host says "vote for your favorite" not for the best dancer (if this was purely a dancing competition then there would be only judges votes, and that is not how it is).
Brandy was not well liked. She had an attitude, argued with her partner, and lied how she wasn't responsible for that accident (evidence shows that she was not Criminally responsible, but was negligent and was in fact responsible for the accident). A tragedy for the other family and her, but it is what it is.
It was also in poor taste that the celebs got 10s from the celebs when they duplicated their dances, except Osborne could not do it for Bristol and had to show her prejudice by giving her a lower score. I am sure this got Bristol more sympathy votes than any tea party conspiracy (you can thank KO for getting Bristol into the finals).
Is it wrong for conservatives to vote for Bristol? How about older Jewish ladies voting for Jennifer, or black people voting for Kyle? No, you vote for whoever you want for whatever reason. It is a TV show, and helping your favorite win is empowering. The problems I hear mostly are from those who didn't even vote, yet complain about the outcome.
So now we go to the last week. Will the youth vote split and Jennifer wins? Will the white vote split and Kyle win? Will the liberals split and Bristol win? The judges will do their best to make it lopsided towards their favorite, but it is up to the public to vote for theirs.
Be sure to vote, and vote as often as the rules allow, and live with it. It is only a TV show.

[Tomincmh]

Loved this episode. One of my favorites this season.