I didn't realize we were really good friends. I figured we were more like Chandler and Phoebe; they never really had stories together. Sure, I'll do it, Chandler.
Abed and Annie share a mostly platonic friendship marked by occasional forays into role-playing. Abed will at times adopt personalities that Annie is attracted to and the two shared a kiss during the second paintball tournament. For now, the attraction is mostly played up as a running gag and whether it's indicative of any deeper feelings between them is unclear. As they are both control freaks they have a tendency to clash on that front as well. Regardless, the two still enjoy a solid friendship and even have a secret handshake. Abed is portrayed by Danny Pudi and Annie is portrayed by Alison Brie.
Because you asked me to stay and you said we were friends.''
”
–Abed explains to Annie why he stayed for the Psych experiment, "Social Psychology"
School year synopsis
In his freshmen year at Greendale, Abed invites a number of his Spanish 101 classmates, including Annie, to a study group. When Annie joins a Psychology lab experiment she asks Abed to participate. He is reluctant at first having planned to see an "Indiana Jones" movie marathon. Annie convinced him after she told told him she considers him a good friend. However, his participation causes the experiment to fail. Annie is upset with Abed until she realized that the outcome came about because he valued their friendship. As a way of apologizing she gives him a DVD set of the "Indina Jones" movies minus the fourth one which he hated. The following Spring semester, Annie and the study group try to help Abed romance another student named Jenny Adams. While helping him prepare to woo her, Annie briefly becomes attracted to Abed when he role plays as Don Draper from the TV show "Mad Men". Later, Annie and Abed join Jeff for a pottery class. They become worried after he becomes obsessed with proving another student a fraud. When Abed's cable goes out, he amuses himself by accompanying Annie and Shirley when they become volunteer campus security gaurds At the end of the semester, Abed and the study group say goodbye to Annie for the Summer when she decided to go with her boyfriend Vaughn to visit his new school in Deleware.
You Like me because I'm immature. You need more immaturity in your life.
”
–Abed as Han Solo to Annie
School year synopsis
The sophomore year at Greendale sees Annie and Abed walking to school together and arriving at the study room for the first meeting of the study group that year. Annie suspects an old Law firm buddy of Jeff's named Alan Conner was the one who had him disbarred. Annie, Abed and Troy broke into Alan's office to find evidence to back up her claims and present it to Jeff. When Annie, Britta and Shirley take a women's studies course, Abed invites himself and helps then deal with a trio of "Mean Girls" they meet there. During Christmas time, Annie and the study group help Abed after he apparently has a nervous breakdown. She and the others help him deal with his issues by pretending to be in a claymation reality on a world called "Planet Abed". The study group attempted to help a fellow student named Neil deal with his depression by playing a game of Dungeons & Dragons. Abed acts as Dungeon Master while Annie plays the role of "Hector the Well-Endowed" ( a Abed created with Troy in mind ). The two role play a very descriptive sex scene with Abed as an Elf Maiden that Annie as "Hector" seduces. At the end of the year, another paintball competition is being held at school. Once the competition starts the study group is separated. Abed finds Annie and recruits her to join him and Jeff. Eventually the entire study group reunites only for them to have to deal with a betrayal from Pierce. It's discovered that City College had infiltrated the game in order to destroy Greendale. Annie and Abed join a group of the remains Greendale students to form an alliance to stop the rival schools plans. Abed decides to role play as Han Solo throughout the conflict and casts Annie as his Princess Leia. After completing a mission that eliminated a number of City College invaders they lose themselves in the role play and share a kiss in the library as paint rains down on them.
"Anthropology 101": Annie and Abed arrive to school together for their second semester at Greendale while laughing at Troy's twitter account inspired by Pierce's rants called "Old White Man Says".
"Aerodynamics of Gender": Annie, along with Britta and Shirley, enjoy Abed's ability to talk smack about other girls on campus until he turns his talent on them.
"For A Few Paintballs More": Annie and Abed assume the roles of Han Solo and Princess Leia and share a passionate kiss as orange paint pours down on them.
''Your simulations are nothing more than anxieties, you're afraid you don't fit in, you're afraid you'll be alone. Great news! You share that with all of us so you'll never be alone and you'll always fit in.
In their third year at Greendale together, Annie accepted Abeds invitation to move in with him and Troy eager to move out of the bad neighborhood she lived in at that time. When Abed and Troy helped Annie pack up her things at her old apartment she became annoyed at their childish antics. Annie lost her cool when she discovered her room was meant to be a blanket fort; the apartments spare bedroom was turned into a a playroom. When Abed and Troy saw how upset she was they offered her thier room instead while they took the pillow fort. Before the Winter holiday break, Abed started recruiting the study group to replace the incapacitated Glee Club in a Christmas pageant performance. With Troy and Glee Club director "Mr.Rad"'s help, Abed successfully got Annie to join the show. Over the semester, Annie and Abed noticed Troy and Britta's budding romance. Annie encouraged the pairing and arranged for Troy and Britta to go on a lunch date. While this happened, Abed and Annie spent time in the Dreamatorium where he criticized her matchmaking. The two got into an argument which culminated in Abed having a mental breakdown and Annie trying to awaken him from his stupor. Annie discovered Abed objection to Troy and Britta dating was due to his fear of ending up alone. Annie told him he'll never be alone because feeling that way connects him to others who share his fear. When Ben Chang staged a coup of the school, Annie, Abed and the rest of the group are expelled through Chang's machinations. Together with thier friends they manage to oust Chang and be reinstated. However, as a result Annie and Abed had to say goodbye to Troy who was forced to join the Greendale Air Conditioning Repair School.
What about wanting to grow or is that just a lie so you can do another world-famous Abed TV adventure. These are real people! Kat's over there hula hooping by herself!
”
–Annie, "Herstory of Dance"
School year synopsis
In the study groups fourth year at Greendale, Abed is worried that their senior year means the end of the groups friendship. He retreats to the happy place in his mind to deal with his anxieties which has Annie and the study group in a television sitcom version of his life. On Halloween, The study group go to Hawthorne Manor to rescue Pierce from his panic room. Annie and Abed search the library for the code to unlock the panic rooms door. They get separated when Abed discovers an entrance to a secret surveillance room while Annie is distracted reading Pierces journal. Later Annie and Abed along with Britta, Troy and Jeff, go to the Inspector Spacetime convention. On Thanksgiving, Annie, Abed, Troy and Pierce head to Shirley's house for dinner. When a Sadie a Hawkins Dance is announced, Annie and Shirley compete to find a date for Abed. Annie's choice is a student named Kat but she later encourages Abed to go after another girl he was interested in named Rachel. Abed discovers a connection between him and Annie after examining the intersecting history of the study groups members before they came to Greendale. It turns out he was the one who ratted Annie out when she stole a prescription pad from the doctors office in order to get more Adderall. Annie, Abed and the rest of the group later attended Jeff's early graduation ceremony.
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"Paranormal Parentage": When Pierce needs help escaping from his mansion's panic room, Annie and Abed pair off to look for codes to unlock the door.
After they all graduated the study group is unexpectedly reunited months later and Annie and Abed re-enroll at Greendale with their friends. They also join a "Save Greendale Committee" whose purpose is to improve campus life. Not long afterwards Pierce has passed away. An inquest into Pierce's death led by a Mr. Stone revealed some secrets Annie and Abed kept from each other. Annie had been overcharging Abed and Troy for their share of the rent and put the extra money into a savings account for them. She slow dosed Abed and the study group with some amphetamines in order for them to keep studying years ago. It was revealed that Abed "catfished" Annie by pretending to be her online Facebook boyfriend "Brent Underjaw" in order girl her to make pancakes for him and Troy. Abed also somehow implanted Geo trackers in Annie and the other study group members. After Troy moves out, Annie and Abed struggle to make rent for the apartment. Annie proposes her brother Anthony move in while Abed nominates his girlfriend Rachel. They decide to settle the dispute with a game called "Pile of Bullets". However, neither one wins due to the confusing rules and they are forced to confront the void Troys absence left in their lives. Annie, Abed and their friends play another game of Dungeons & Dragons in order to help Professor Hickey reconnect with his son. After the committee succeeds in It's efforts, the school board decides to sell Greendale to the Subway corporation. Annie and Abed are helping Dean Pelton pack up his office when they discover a scroll with clues to a possible hidden fortune on campus. Annie, Abed and the rest of the committee undertake one last assignment to save the school from the sale.
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"Repilot": Annie and Abed reenroll at Greendale; her goal is in order to pursue a career in Forensic science while he hopes to better understand people.
"Cooperative Calligraphy": Annie and Abed take a polygraph test and discover a few secrets they kept from each other.
"Advanced Advanced Dungeons & Dragons": In a second game of D&D, Annie reprises her character of "Hector the Well Endowed" while Abed reassues the role of Dungeon Master.
"Basic Story": In Dean Pelton's office, Annie and Abed uncover a hidden scroll with clues to a possible fortune on campus.
"Basic Sandwich": Annie, Abed and the rest if the Save Greendale Committee make a last ditch attempt to stop the sale of the school to Subway.
Development
Alison Brie & Danny Pudi in "Too Many Feet"
Danny and Alison hijinks on set
In real life the actors portraying Annie and Abed, Alison Brie and Danny Pudi, are good friends and have even been referred to as the real Troy and Abed on set ([1]). The chemistry of the two cast members was also noted in a few interviews they did together ([2]) and when they guest hosted the G4 network's talk show "Attack of the Show" together ([3]). The pairing of Annie and Abed is not only a nod to this friendship but also to Community creator Dan Harmon's intentions regarding relationships on the show.
He had stated in several interviews ([1], [2]) any pairing on the show was a romantic possibility. In one interview with the online entertainment news site Vulture , he discussed specifically the Annie/Abed kiss they shared in the Season Two finale "For A Few Paintballs More". He admitted the difficulty of an actual romance between the two characters and that the role playing between the two is a way for the writers to provide fan service. The fans of the duo get their moment while allowing a return to the status quo and keeping other romantic pairings viable. Although Alison Brie has stated that she is open to all romantic possibilities for Annie on the show in an interview with the Huffington Post she was unsure a one with Abed would actually work as she sees them more as siblings.
