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Plot[]

“
If you have friends, you have family.
”
Jeff to Pierce
As the school prepares for the upcoming Family Day event, Jeff is shocked when his girlfriend Professor Slater unexpectedly breaks up with him. In the study room, Shirley is looking forward to the day's festivities and is excited for the study group to meet her children. Abed mentions his father is coming along with his cousin Abra while Troy adds that his grandmother's visiting as well. Jeff arrives and announces he was just dumped by Slater. The study group comforts him, but he explains that as the dumpee, he is allowed to have many meaningless hookups. Jeff tries to prove his point by hitting on a woman outside the study room named Amber. His efforts are hindered by Pierce who turns out to be her ex-stepfather. In Spanish class, the students' family members attend the class alongside them.



BG We need to talk
Jeff discovers he has Abed's ability of precognition.
Shirley meets Abed's cousin Abra who is dressed in a burqa and his father who introduces himself as Gobi. She in turn introduces her children Elijah and Jordan. Jeff attempts to chat with Amber but Pierce won't allow it. Despite this, after class Pierce asks Jeff for help in connecting with Amber. Jeff refuses only to be stopped by Annie who overheard the conversation and convinces him to help Pierce. Elsewhere, Britta runs into Troy and his grandmother. Britta accidentally offends her when Nana Barnes misinterprets a compliment she was trying to give her. Britta asks for a way to make it up to her and Nana Barnes tells her to find her a switch. At the Family Day BBQ, Dean Pelton meets Chang's brother Rabbi Chang while Pierce is still failing to connect with Amber.



BG Pierce cock blocks Jeff
Pierce thwarts Jeff's efforts for a rebound with his stepdaughter Amber.
Jeff then shows up and starts to regale her with exploits about Pierce at Greendale. Elsewhere, Abed and his family are sitting with Shirley and her kids. Elijah and Jordan ask Abra if she wants to play, but Gubi won't allow it despite her wanting to try out the bouncy house. A heated exchange between the niece and uncle ensues. Shirley leaves to get some food just as her boys start to fight over a video game. The ruckus causes them to knock over a beverage on to Gubi. Before leaving to change his shirt, he berates Shirley for having unruly children and calls her a bad mother. Meanwhile, Jeff impresses Amber with his stories about Pierce. Amber leaves to go to the restroom and Pierce tells Jeff to take off believing he can handle it from here.



BG Shirley and Abed with their families at the BBQ
The Bennetts and the Nadirs attend the Family Day BBQ together.
Jeff goes but runs into Amber on his way out. They start to make out when an oblivious Pierce interrupts them. He invites Amber to compete with him in a Pictionary Tournament but she makes it clear she won't go unless Jeff does. Outside, Britta is searching for the perfect switch while Troy incredulously watches on. Back at the BBQ, Shirley returns to the table with food and sees Abed and Abra but not her kids. Abed refuses to say where they went as Gobi returns and criticizes Shirley's parenting. Shirley admits she needs to rein them in more but replies that Gubi is too overprotective of Abra. When she looks closer at "Abra" she sends Gubi away to get napkins and finds Elijah and Jordan underneath the burqa. Abed points toward the bouncy house where the real Abra is enjoying herself.



BG Jeff and Amber make out
Jeff and Amber make out in the library with just the right amount of tongue.
In the student lounge, Pierce, Amber, and Jeff are on the same team competing against Star-Burns and his son's team in Pictionary. Jeff correctly guesses Amber's clue annoying Pierce who accidentally draws his clue in the shape of a swastika. Chang and his brother Rabbi Chang see this and are outraged. Chang and Pierce get into a fight, the aftermath of which is overseen by Officer Cackowski who takes statements from them both. Jeff and Amber excuse themselves by saying they are going out for coffee, but Pierce suggests they are leaving to have sex. In the Spanish classroom, Britta proudly presents Nana Barnes the switch she found. Nana Barnes tells Britta to drop her drawers and get across her lap for the whooping.



BG burqa 8
Abra enjoys the Bouncy house.
Troy tells Britta to walk away, but she wants to prove she's not a hypocrite. As Nana Barnes starts spanking Britta her resolve crumbles and she cries out in pain. Jeff and Amber stumble onto the scene as Troy pleads with his grandmother to stop. They go to a supply closet and Jeff notices a check fall out of her jacket when Amber undresses. Even though she admits she hustled Pierce, Jeff still has sex with her. Later, Jeff runs into Annie in the hallway and tells her how Pierce's step-daughter is a grifter. Annie then convinces Jeff to tell Pierce the truth. In the student lounge, Shirley catches up with Abed who tells her helping Abra was Elijah's and Jordan's idea and compliments her for being a good mom.



I don't understand you at all!
Britta proves she is not a hypocrite.
At the Family Day Dance in the school cafeteria, Troy finds Britta still sore from the whooping. Nana Barnes shows up, overhears them talking, and confronts Troy about some comments he made about her. Also at the festivities is Jeff who greets Amber. He asks her to tear up the check and instead spend time with Pierce. She opts to just take the money and leaves. Jeff breaks the news to Pierce but he had already figured what happened. Pierce advises Jeff to start a family now or he'll end up alone. Jeff tells Pierce he already has a family in the study group. Pierce then tells Jeff he would have acted the same way if the roles had been reversed and slept with his ex-stepdaughter. Jeff admits to having done just that and Pierce suggests it was to distract himself from his real pain. When he sees Slater with another guy Jeff starts to cry as Pierce comforts him.



I HATE GLEE!
"We always used to watch the shows she wanted to watch! I hate Glee!"

End tag[]

Troy and Abed get trapped inside a student lounge vending machine.

Community_-_Troy_and_Abed_in_Vending_Machine

Recurring themes[]

Continuity[]

Continuity lists
Narrative
Recurring or debuting plot points in this episode:
  • Googly eyes: Jeff and Slater's relationship comes to an end although she makes a return in the season finale episode "Pascal's Triangle Revisited".
  • History lesson:
    • Chang reveals he had a twin but ate her in utero; the name of the twin is revealed in "First Chang Dynasty" as "Connie".
    • We learn about and meet the families of several group members: Shirley's two sons, one of Pierce's stepdaughters, Abed's father and cousin, and Troy's grandmother.
  • That just happened: Jeff tells Amber about Pierce's encounters with Mike ("Comparative Religion") and Vaughn ("Home Economics").
People
Recurring or debuting characters in this episode:
Places
Recurring or debuting places in this episode:
Things
Recurring or debuting items in this episode:
  • School supplies: Get me a switch! The Foosball table can be seen behind Jeff and Amber when they are playing Pictionary.

Running gags[]

List of Running gags
Recurring or debuting running gags in this episode:
  • Changuage: Chang calls Star-Burns' son a virgin and then punctuates the insult by saying "Cha-chang!"
  • Come sail away!: Troy starts to cry when Britta is spanked by his grandmother.
  • Disney face: Annie successfully uses her doe eyes on Jeff to guilt him into doing right by Pierce.
  • Gay, he's so gay!: Amber mentions that Pierce told her Jeff was gay. During Pictionary, Pierce thinks Jeff's answer was gay.
  • I hate Glee!: Jeff tells Pierce that he hates Glee and doesn't understand the appeal of the show.
  • My other half: Troy finishes Abed's sentences (and pie).
  • Thrown together: Jeff gets paper balls thrown at him when he says that everyone at Greendale is his family.
  • Butt Stuff: In the end scene, Troy pushes the wrong buttons while stuck in the vending machine. It's implied the coil is pushed into his butt.

Pop culture references[]

List of Pop culture references
References to popular culture in this episode:
  • Alert nerd!:
    • Chang makes several references to Star Wars when he calls Abed's cousin Abra "phantom menace" and then asks how her trade embargo with Naboo is going.
    • Amber calls Pierce Daddy Warbucks, a wealthy man from the comic strip Little Orphan Annie.
  • IMDb:
  • Jeff mentions The Little Mermaid.
  • Product placement: The board game Pictionary is featured in this episode. Pierce tries to draw a windmill, but mistakenly draws a swastika instead.
  • Shout out: Shirley reveals that her son, Jordan, is named after "the 14 time NBA all-star."

Trivia[]

  • Troy and Abed's end tag hijinks in this episode is referenced in the Season Three episode "Remedial Chaos Theory". A refrigerator in their new apartment is decorated with a vending machine poster that has Troy as one of the item selections.
  • Pierce says "twelve o'clock" to Jeff, but Michelle is at four o'clock relative to Jeff.

Quotes[]

Troy didn't tell me you were such a knockout.Britta
What do you mean by that?Nana Barnes
Oh, come on. I'm sure you've broken a few hearts in your time.Britta
Oh. Tell me, how many men do you think I've laid with? Who are you?Nana Barnes
I'm Britta and I have offended you and I am sorry. Is there anything I can get you?Britta
Yes. Get me a switch.Nana Barnes
A what?Britta
She's not family, Nana. You can't make her get a switch.Troy
She can make me get it. I just have to know what it is first.Britta
A switch is a stick she can use to whoop you with. Cherish, Britta. Cherish.Troy
I think it's cool that she's got her own style of discipline. Nana's old school.Britta
Yeah, my mom told me there'd be white people that did this. With the pocket watches and coffee grinders, and pretending to be into steamboats. But let's get this straight. This is real life. My Nana is gonna whoop you.Troy
Not unless I find her a switch. How about this?Britta
Yeah, that's a great switch, Britta. Very hip. Should hurt a lot.Troy
How much effort do I rate?Annie
For you, I'd break a light sweat.Jeff
Good. I need a favor. Help Pierce with his step daughter?Annie
You're becoming dangerous, Annie. It's those doe eyes. Disappointing you is like choking the Little Mermaid with a bike chain.Jeff
'Señor Chang'? Ben, do you realize how ridiculous that sounds?Ben Chang's brother, Rabbi Chang, wearing yarmulke and prayer shawl
Off to the bathroom, Stepdad.Amber
[She kisses Pierce on the cheek and leaves]
I've never been called 'Stepdad'.Pierce
I don't think anyone has.Jeff
Have a family. Share life. That and learning computers are two things you can't knock out at the end.Pierce
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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