"Home Economics"
◄   Season One, Episode Eight  ►
Air date	November 5, 2009 on
Written by	Lauren Pomerantz
Directed by	Anthony Russo

“	Maybe you're one of those rare people with nothing underneath the surface. Maybe if you put stain remover on a turd you don't get a diamond: you just get a turd with less direction in life.	”
–Britta, trying to give Jeff a pep talk

Summary: After Jeff loses his home, he is forced to move in with Abed in his dorm room. When Troy has a date, he asks a jealous Annie to help him prepare, and Pierce becomes the keyboardist for Vaughn's band.

Contents 1 Plot 2 End tag 3 Recurring Themes 3.1 Continuity: 3.2 Running gags: 3.3 Pop culture references: 3.4 Meta references: 4 Quotes 5 Comments

PlotEdit

In Spanish class, Chang stops his lecture when he notices what Pierce is doing: Jeff is fast asleep at his desk with his head tilted back as Pierce throws paper wads into his open mouth. Chang encourages him to continue and while sneaking up on Jeff. After he yells in his face, Jeff wakes up and starts spitting out paper wads. Chang laughs and dismisses the class. Once they leave, Troy asks Annie for advice about dating a friend. Thinking she is the one he has in mind, she suggests a picnic during A Night Under the Stars, a live music concert that's being held on campus tomorrow night. She's disappointed when she finds out he intends to take someone named Randi.

Britta and Jeff are walking across campus when she notices how ragged Jeff's appearance is. He deflects her questions and leaves just as her ex-boyfriend Vaughn shows up. Britta tries to apologize to Vaughn for the way things ended between him. Still upset about what happened, he rejects her apology and walks away in a huff. Pierce sees their argument and volunteers to have a talk with him on Britta's behalf, but she tells him not to. Elsewhere, Jeff parks his Lexus behind the cafeteria. He starts to wash up using an outdoor spigot. Unknown to him, Shirley and Britta are watching. Britta is confused until Shirley explains that Jeff is living out of his car like her ex-husband used to when she got angry at him.

The next day, the study group waits for Jeff to arrive, so they can discuss his current living situation. Pierce tells Britta that he went to talk to Vaughn and is now a member of his band. When Jeff shows up, Shirley immediately blurts out that they all know where he lives now. Jeff explains it's just a temporary setback and doesn't want any pity. After the study session, Troy asks Annie for more help for his date. Later, Britta catches up with Jeff, and he shows her a listing of his condo on a laptop. It's already been put up for sale, and Britta suggests that he move on. When he ignores her advice, she points out that his current residence is being towed away. Jeff then reluctantly goes to Abed's dorm room and asks if he can stay for awhile.

The next day, Jeff is stressed out trying to raise money for his condo, but a conversation with Abed makes him realize he needs a break. In the cafeteria, Annie gives Troy a family heirloom for his date with Randi. Shirley confronts Annie and tells her to just admit her feelings to Troy. The former subsequently leaves to go to the student lounge where students have gathered to watch Vaughn's band perform. Shirley finds Britta there who explains that she is trying to support Vaughn and hopefully smooth things over between them. Her hopes are dashed when she hears his latest song, an ode to their breakup called "Gettin' Rid of Britta".

Britta checks in on Jeff and is glad to see he is adjusting to his new low-maintenance lifestyle but is upset to discover that Vaughn's breakup song is a hit with the student population. She confronts him during band practice, but Pierce intervenes when Vaughn claims sole ownership of the song. They argue, and Pierce gets kicked out of the band. Britta misunderstands and assumes Pierce was defending her honor. Annie helps Troy rehearse for his date, but when he tries to leave to go get ready, she claims her appendix has burst in a desperate attempt to spend more time with him. They go to the health center and, though the nurse quickly rules out appendicitis, Annie's insistence that she hurts everywhere leads him to quarantine her and send Troy safely on his way, even supplying him with a roll of condoms.

Britta worries that Jeff has slid too far when he begins skipping Spanish class. Abed confirms her fear and says that this new arrangement is not healthy for Jeff. He instructs Britta to entice Jeff back to his old ways. She finds Jeff watching TV in Abed's room and tells him that she was wrong: some level of materialism is necessary for people like Jeff. She encourages Jeff to find a new place to live and gives him the handcrafted Italian faucets she managed to steal from his old apartment as a pre-housewarming gift. Jeff sees her efforts as subtle sexual advances which gives him the motivation to improve his living situation.

Troy's date is underway as "A Night Under the Stars" kicks off with Vaughn's band performing his latest breakup song entitled Pierce, You're a B. Though initially upset, Pierce begins to relish the notoriety gained by the negative attention. Wearing only a hospital gown after escaping quarantine, Annie interrupts Troy's date but is unable to confess her feelings. Instead, she demands the return of her Nana's blanket. Witnessing the exchange, Shirley looks skeptical, but Annie tells her that just having the confidence to reclaim the blanket was a major breakthrough. Now freshly groomed and presentable, Jeff thanks Britta for taking the time to care about him.

End tagEdit

Pierce and a rapper he's hired are working on a song to get back at Vaughn for his song about Pierce. Vaughn walks in on them and tells him that this isn't over.

Recurring ThemesEdit

Continuity:Edit

• That just happened: Britta has to deal with the aftermath of her recent fling.
• Returning students: Vaughn returns in this episode.
• Sweet ride: Jeff's Lexus is featured as his new home before it ends up being towed away.
• Mad skillz: Vaughn's and Pierce's musical talents are displayed in this episode.
• First appearance: Pavel debuts in this episode as does Nurse Jackie.
• School uniform: The first of many Annie's signature cardigans makes an appearance.
• Googly eyes: Shirley tries to help Annie deal with her obvious crush on Troy.
• This must be the place: Abed's dorm room and the Greendale Student Health Center makes their first appearances in this episode. Vaughn's band practices in the music room and performs in the student lounge.

Running gags:Edit

• Fanservice:
  • Jeff takes off his shirt much to the delight of Shirley and to the confusion of Britta.
  • While wearing a patient's gown from the school clinic, Annie flashes her bare backside briefly after grabbing her grandparents' courting blanket back from Troy at the music fest.
• It's a vase: Annie decides to take Shirley's advice about rolling the dice and admitting her feelings for Troy. While reaching this decision, she makes a very suggestive hand motion.

Pop culture references:Edit

• Shout out:
  • Abed mentions Brian Williams, Goldie Hawn, and Kurt Russell.
  • Pierce mentions Garfunkel.
  • Britta compares Jeff to Phil Spector.
  • Shirley thinks that Pierce's performance will lead to a Michael Richards type situation (see "Use your allusion").
• IMDB: Abed compares Jeff to a character in Overboard who changed for the better.

Meta references:Edit

• Use your allusion:
  • Jeff describes a comic book he is trying to sell and is obviously referring to Spider-Man (see Résumé).
  • Vaughn mistakes Pierce's Garfunkel reference for Garfield.
  • Jeff and Abed watch a Knight Rider marathon.
  • Abed references E.T.
  • Britta interrupts Jeff watching The Jeffersons.
  • When Shirley mentions comedian/actor Michael Richards she is referencing an infamous incident that occurred during the actor's stand-up routine at the Laugh Factory on November 17, 2006. Richards was being heckled by black audience members and responded...poorly. It was captured on a camera phone and can be seen here (warning NSFW language). He admitted to being flustered and overreacted to the hecklers. He later apologized publicly for not handling the situation well.
• Résumé: Joel McHale had a brief part as a bank loan officer in Spider-Man 2.

QuotesEdit

“Are you okay? It looks like you have actual bedhead this morning.”— Britta

“In fashion, I'm what's known as a taste maker.”— Jeff

“And you missed an entire side of your face shaving.”— Britta

“And next month, so will Gwen Stefani. Here comes Vaughn. Bye.”— Jeff

“Yeah, well I'm sorry that I can't accept your apology 'cause you're toxic, Britta. You know what? You're like, you're like the exact opposite of an antioxidant. Yeah. I got band practice. Lates.”— Vaughn

“Can't we still be friends? Isn't the word 'later' already short enough?”— Britta

“'Gettin' Rid of Britta'? That song was disrespectful to me and and to the definition of rhyme scheme.”— Britta

“Do it, Britta. Seduce him. Draw the tapeworm of Jeff's old self out of him with the bowl of milk that is your sexuality.”— Abed

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"
Season One • Season Two • Season Three • Season Four • Season Five

Start a Discussion Discussions about Home Economics

You can find discussions about everything related to this wiki on Community Wiki Forum!