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"Competitive Ecology"
◄ Season Three, Episode Four ►
Air date	October 6, 2011 on
Written by	Maggie Bandur
Directed by	Anthony Russo

“	What is happening at this school? I have so many conversations here that make no sense.	”
–Marshall Kane

Summary: The study group spends the night trying to decide their lab partners while Chang investigates a conspiracy.

PlotEdit

Professor Kane tells his biology students that their lab partners for their new terrarium project and for the rest of the semester will be the people sitting across from them. The members of the group realize that the people they sit across from are unknown to them. The group enters Professor Kane's office and requests that they be able to partner up with each other. Professor Kane grants their appeal, and the group goes to tell their partners why they can’t be with them. Afterwards, the group tries to figure out how they’re going to divide each other up. Pierce, of course, is left out, partnering with an easygoing student named Todd. Meanwhile, Chang meets with Sgt. Nunez and tells him that he’s ready to be a real detective.

Sgt. Nunez tells Chang that he has only been there a month and has barely done anything. After this conversation, Chang delves into a hysterical film noir-like montage in which he resolves to solve any crime at Greendale. Over in the cafeteria, Annie is annoyed that Jeff isn't listening to her ideas for the Biology assignment. Elswhere, Troy and Abed are initially excited to be lab partners but start to recognize the fact that they may be spending too much time together. Meanwhile, Shirley is getting on Britta’s nerves by showing her numerous pictures of her children. In an attempt to get away from their respective partners, Troy and Britta find each other outside and realize that they want to partner up; the rest of the group finds out that they’re thinking of changing partners as well.

They meet in the study room to decide on a fair way to split up but are unable to come up with a definitive way to decide how to go about it. Jeff proposes that they make a list of names with a preferred order of who they would like to work with. Back in Chang’s place in the cafetria boiler room, he finds a matchbook in the bathroom and tries to figure out who might have left it there. He attempts to solve the mystery by putting together a crude evidence board to help him solve his case. A ball of yarn he was using for his board rolls towards the boiler and accidentally catches fire. The Hot & Brown coffee shop is burned down because of this. Afterwards, Sgt. Nunez tells Pelton that the firemen explained someone had been squatting in the utility closet causing the fire.

The dean ends up backing Chang’s conspiracy theory story to avoid police involvement. Upset with the dean's actions, Sgt. Nunez quits his position. The dean then promotes Chang as the new Head of Security. In the study room, Abed used an algorithm to put the least popular and most popular members together to determine the lab partners. Due to this, the group quickly figures out how their rank among their friends leading them to argue and refusing Abed's selections. Todd tries to leave, citing his newborn as an excuse, but Jeff won’t let him until they’ve decided something. When Britta uses her lighter to try and destory Abed's list, she almost kills Todd’s turtle in the process. Todd finally loses it, angrilly berating the group for their dysfunctional dynamic and storms out.

The next day, the group shows up to class without their terrariums as a result of not being able to resolve their issues (Annie does actually complete hers, causing Jeff to label her as pathological.) Troy says that their ideas didn’t work out, and Jeff concludes that they just have to work with their original lab partners. Professor Kane calls them “the mean clique,” saying that Todd called him crying about the way he was treated. This seems to sober the group up enough to realize their mistakes. However, they later blame Todd for all their problems and make fun of him, not realizing that he is listening from an adjacent table.

End tagEdit

The tag for the episode is the study group filling out practice evaluations for Britta’s psychology class, where all she can see is awkward male organs instead of penciled-in bubbles.

Recurring themesEdit

Continuity:Edit

Returning Faculty: Professor Kane returns this episode as the group's Biology Teacher.
First Appearance: Todd makes his first appearance as the kind former soldier taking Biology with the group. The janitor known as Crazy Schmidt makes his debut as well.
That just happened: Troy and Abed having moved in together as of Biology 101, and realize as roommates, best friends and lab partners, they spend too much time together.
Previously: When asking for new lab partners the group references a few plotlines from previous episodes including "the space bus", "paintball", and "second paintball."
Discontinuity: Pierce claims to have had sex with Eartha Kitt, a reference to one of the recurring plot points from Remedial Chaos Theory, an episode which was produced before Competitive Ecology but aired one week later.
Middle Eastern Magic 8 Ball: During his numerous narrative voice-overs Chang repeatedly questions his own sanity, foreshadowing his growing break with reality throughout the season.

Running gags:Edit

Aww!: The group responds to Shirley's baby pictures and then to Annie's ignorance of Nick Nolte.
Man crush: Dean Pelton mistakes Jeff's simple question, "What are you doing?" for a come-on, stating his availability after lunch.
Annie's boobs: Jeff describes Annie as "a good grade in a tight sweater."
WWBJD: Shirley gets pedantic while commenting on science versus religion. Everyone groans.
Gasp: Annie gasps when Professor Kane calls them "the mean clique."
Biggest laugh of the night: Annie faints and falls off her chair with a loud thud when she fails the first major lab assignment.

Meta references:Edit

Use Your Allusion:
- Chang's detective fantasy is an homage of film noir and detective films.
- In the DVD commentary, episode writer Maggie Bandur explains that the fire in the cafeteria was modeled after the Reichstag fire which Adolf Hitler used to consolidate power in Nazi Germany. In the aftermath of the Greendale fire, Chang is named head of security after Sgt. Nunez quits.
Up against the wall:
- The entire class groans when Professor Kane assigns a diorama for Biology homework. Greendale students were assigned 20 dioramas for Anthropology 101 alone.
- When assigned lab partners for the semester, everyone in the study group is initially teamed up with somebody outside the group leading to many awkward stares. Troy quietly asks, "Who are these people?" This is a nod to the fact that everything that happens at Greendale revolves around the study group members.
- The group requests to be lab partnered up amongst themselves and Britta explains, "It's kind of a thing, we've been through a lot," laying out the premise of the show. Kane responds that he has "so many conversations that make no sense."
- Troy and Abed suddenly notice how much time they spend together.
- Abed assigns lab partners according to optimal audience appeal. The rest of the group then discusses their relative popularity.
- Annie wonders who Jeff is always texting since everyone he knows is already there.
- Jeff interrupts a group argument and Troy immediately assumes that Jeff will heal the group with another Winger Speech.
- Todd scolds the group with a diatribe about the dysfunctional nature of the study group.
Everyone's a critic: Jeff states that Abed is a computer. Abed agrees. Many viewers and critics find Abed's character unrelatable.

Pop culture references:Edit

Shout-Out:
- Troy mentions Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy.
- Eartha Kitt. Yes, Pierce, we heard you. An airplane bathroom.
- Though not mentioned out loud, Chang hangs a picture of Larry Bird while trying to unravel the mystery of the Arizona Matchbook Company.
- Chang wonders what would happen if Jack Nicholson was a gynecologist.
Product Placement:
- Professor Kane wants to know what happened with Legos.
- Jeff isn't a fan of Ben Sherman's winter collection, unlike three of his twitter followers.
IMDB: Professor Kane mentions Harry Potter and Star Wars.
TV Guide: Troy breaks up with his lab partner, claiming he wants to catch up on Breaking Bad.

QuotesEdit

“I've been walking my beat a long time, sir. A long time. I've kept my head down, paid my dues and, well, I think I'm ready to make detective.”— Chang

“You've only been here a month, you really haven't done much of anything and there's no such thing as security-guard detective.”— Sgt. Nunez

“If loving worms is stupid I don't wanna be smart.”— Britta

“It is, and you can't be!”— Annie

“What is wrong with you people?! Huh?! I thought you were supposed to be friends! I thought you were supposed to love each other! Your love is weird! And toxic! And it destroys everything it touches!”— Todd

“Ha, ha. Gotcha. This was also a test and you all penised.”— Britta

ImagesEdit

Promotional videoEdit

Season Three Episodes
1. "Biology 101" 2. "Geography of Global Conflict" 3. "Remedial Chaos Theory" 4. "Competitive Ecology" 5. "Horror Fiction in Seven Spooky Steps" 6. "Advanced Gay" 7. "Studies in Modern Movement" 8. "Documentary Filmmaking: Redux" 9. "Foosball and Nocturnal Vigilantism" 10. "Regional Holiday Music" 11. "Contemporary Impressionists"	12. "Urban Matrimony and the Sandwich Arts" 13. "Digital Exploration of Interior Design 14. "Pillows and Blankets" 15. "Origins of Vampire Mythology" 16. "Virtual Systems Analysis" 17. "Basic Lupine Urology" 18. "Course Listing Unavailable" 19. "Curriculum Unavailable" 20. "Digital Estate Planning" 21. "First Chang Dynasty" 22. "Introduction to Finality"
Season One • Season Two • Season Three • Season Four • Season Five

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