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Jeff and Britta
Portrayed by Joel McHale and Gillian Jacobs

“	So, it begins. The greatest relationship ever known.	”
–Jeff, "Anthropology 101"

Jeff and Britta were the first major pairing, romantic or otherwise, on Community. A clear love/hate dynamic was established between the two with Jeff's aggressive pursuit of Britta romantically in the beginning of Season One. Although Jeff created the study group as a means to impress her, he eventually forms a close bond with all of them including Britta. Initially, they felt a sense of responsibility towards the other members of the study group and considered themselves to be their Greendale parents. They have since abandoned those roles and just become friends with them. Over the course of the show they have became lovers, friends and somewhere in between both extremes. Jeff is portrayed by Joel McHale and Britta is portrayed by Gillian Jacobs.

Pairing HistoryEdit

“	Oh, hey! Spanish...	”
–Jeff

“	Yeah, don't hit on me.	”
–Britta

Season OneEdit

Jeff aggressively pursued Britta romantically in Season One, but she repeatedly refused him; he did see some hope with her after Shirley reveals that Britta had a sex dream about him. Eventually, he moved on and started dating Professor Slater. During her tap dance recital, Britta saw that Jeff and Slater were actually serious, which made her realize her own potential feelings for him. She ends up leaving Jeff an embarrassing drunk dial laced with BCI. Upon Abed's insistence and with his help, Jeff later drunk dials her as well in order to restore the balance between them. Not long afterwards, however, Slater unceremoniously dumps Jeff. During the chaos of a Greendale paintball competition, Jeff and Britta find themselves swept up in the moment and end up having sex. Afterwards, they both agree it was a mistake and decide to keep it a secret from the study group. At the end of the school year, Abed throws a keg party at his dorm, and Jeff makes an awkward pass at a clueless Britta. Slater interrupts the moment, having made an attempt earlier that day to get back with Jeff. That night at the Transfer Dance formal, Slater and Britta compete for his affections. Desperate to win at the competition more than be with Jeff, it culminates with both women declaring their love for him. Instead of choosing between them, Jeff leaves the dance and ends up running into a third option.

Significant episodes:

"Social Psychology": Jeff becomes jealous of Britta's new relationship with Vaughn Miller and inadvertently ends up sabotaging it.

"Introduction to Film": Jeff helps Britta out with her problem with Abed and his father, so she pays him back by kissing him to help him obtain a passing grade from Professor Whitman.

"Interpretive Dance": When Britta sees that the relationship between Jeff and Slater is serious, she freezes onstage during her dance recital, and Troy has to save her.

"Communication Studies": Britta is embarrassed when she drunk dials Jeff, so he drunk dials her back to restore the balance between them.

"Romantic Expressionism": Jeff and Britta conspire to break up Annie and Vaughn.

"The Art of Discourse": Jeff and Britta team up to take down three annoying teens.

"Modern Warfare": Jeff and Britta get swept up in the moment and have sex during Greendale's paintball assassination game.

"Pascal's Triangle Revisited": Britta and Slater compete for Jeff's affections at the Tranny Dance.

“	Look, just because we're good-looking doesn't make us villains.	”
–Jeff, "Paradigms of Human Memory"

Season TwoEdit

Jeff deals with the fallout of the Tranny Dance events, which sees him being scorned by the female students at Greendale who believe Britta to be the victim of unrequited love. Jeff starts a competition between them to bring the truth to light which sees them almost getting married thanks to Abed's interference. Although Jeff manages to win the contest, they nearly end up tearing the study group apart in the process. Troy's birthday celebration at a bar leads to a drunk make out session between the two of them, but they quickly decide it was a mistake. Eventually, at the end of the school year, it's revealed to the study group by Abed that Britta and Jeff have been secretly sleeping together. Although the group forgives them for keeping it a secret and gives them their blessing to continue, they both agree not to.

Significant episodes:

The greatest kiss ever known.
Drunk make out session.
The Cool Cats
Britta flirts with Jeff at the Halloween party.
Abed finds Jeff and Britta half naked in his dorm room.

"Anthropology 101": Jeff initiates a game of escalating romantic gestures between him and Britta in order to get her to publicly admit the truth behind the events at the Tranny Dance.

"Mixology Certification": Jeff and Britta have a drunken make out session in the back of Jeff's Lexus while Abed is forced to watch.

"Celebrity Pharmacology 212": Jeff uses Britta's phone to send suggestive text messages to someone he thinks she is sleeping with.

"Paradigms of Human Memory": It is revealed to the rest of the study group that Jeff and Britta have been hooking up all year.

“	Okay, listen to me, you are not that big of a deal. do you understand? You have bad posture, when you do too many push-ups it looks like you have boobs, the tile in your bathroom is tacky, you were emotionally closed-off in bed to the point where one time I didn't come up because I couldn't find close enough parking! You have an unusually high butt-crack!	”
–Britta destroying Jeff's ego for his own good, "Contemporary Impressionists"

Season ThreeEdit

Jeff and Britta appear to have moved on romantically but still have a good friendship with each other. On Halloween, Jeff tries to help Britta figure out which member of the study group could be a psychopath. When Pierce's father shows up, Britta warns Jeff about his issues with his own father which might be affecting him more than he thinks. Jeff defends Britta when Mr. Rad berates her for ruining the school musical. When a recently engaged Shirley and Andre Bennett have a wedding rehearsal, a drunk Jeff and Britta try to get married themselves. Later, Britta tries in vain to stop Jeff's ego from spiraling out of control. Jeff decides to see for himself what the big deal is about Britta's old boyfriend and makes a shocking discovery. After the study group learns how Ben Chang set them up to be expelled and had the real Dean Pelton replaced with Faux-by, the group concocts an elaborate plan to set things right. As part of the plan, Jeff and Britta team up and infiltrate the school as Ricky Nightshade the rock and roll magician and his goth assistant respectively.

Significant episodes:

I'm fine with it.

"Horror Fiction In Seven Spooky Steps": Jeff helps Britta determine which member of the study group could be a murderous psychopath.

"Advanced Gay": Britta believes Jeff is suffering from an "Edible complex".

"Urban Matrimony and the Sandwich Arts": Jeff and Britta get drunk and try to get married at Andre and Shirley's wedding rehearsal.

"Contemporary Impressionists": Jeff's new therapist gives him too much anti-anxiety meds which causes him to turn into an ego fueled monster.

"Origins of Vampire Mythology": Jeff decides to meet one of Britta's old flames to see if he can learn his ability to drive women crazy.

"First Chang Dynasty": Jeff and Britta disguise themselves as "Ricky Nightshade" and his goth assistant in order to infiltrate Greendale which has been taken over by Sgt. Chang.

Season FourEdit

“	Oh...So that's progressed.	”
–Jeff notices that Troy and Britta are an item, "History 101"

At the start of their senior year at Greendale, Britta is now in a relationship with Troy ("History 101"). According to interviews from new showrunners Moses Port and David Guarascio, a spark maybe reigniting between Jeff and Britta. The fourth season will see Britta helping Jeff deal with his issues with his father William Winger.

Significant episodes:

"History 101": Jeff and Britta show up for the first day of class wearing hipster glasses.

"Paranormal Parentage": The study group splits up into pairs to search for Pierce with Jeff and Britta forming one of the pairings.

"Cooperative Escapism in Familial Relations" Britta finds out where William Winger lives from the Dean in order to 'help' Jeff get closure from his father. At the end of the episode Britta gives a Jeff a 'look and Jeff says jokingly that he knows she may want to sleep with him and Britta awkwardly shrugs it off.

Promotional photosEdit

“	Will they or won't they, sexual tension.	”
–Abed, "Football, Feminism and You"

DevelopmentEdit

Dan Harmon based this relationship, as well as the story of Community itself, on his real life experience of going back to community college in order to impress a girl he was dating at the time. The couple was featured prominently in a lot of NBC's promotional material and was to be the main pairing on the show. At first, the differences in their personalities were emphasized; Britta was selfless, and Jeff was selfish. In Season One DVD commentaries and in this interview, Harmon mentions how Britta had become relegated to policing Jeff's bad behavior. Reacting to feedback from critics and his own writing staff, he sought to change that aspect of their relationship. A gradual but noticeable change was made mid-season, and her negative similarities with Jeff began to be emphasized more while her positive influence was phased out. A new dynamic was established which led to Britta being a partner-in-crime of Jeff's antics and an enabler of his bad behavior; this was highlighted in a number of episodes ("Romantic Expressionism","The Art of Discourse", "Mixology Certification" and even commented on by Shirley in "Paradigms of Human Memory". As the series progressed, Jeff and Britta went from flirting and a one night stand in Season One, casual secret hook ups throughout Season Two, and back to being just friends in Season Three.

“	To be blunt, Jeff and Britta is no Ross and Rachel. Your sexual tension and lack of chemistry are putting us all on edge, which is why, ironically — and hear this on every level — you’re keeping us from being friends.	”
–Abed, "Modern Warfare"

Relationship analysisEdit

Jeff and Britta are initially introduced as the main focus of show with a will-they-won’t-they dynamic. Many of the earlier episodes in Season One involved Jeff trying to win Britta's affections. Britta at first denied any attraction she had to him, but Jeff's relationship with Michelle Slater forced her to realize her feelings. It's worth noting that two contradictory analyses of Britta and Slater in relation to Jeff are made in Season One. In the episode "Communication Studies", Abed explains to Jeff that Michelle accepts him as he is and expects nothing more from him while Britta is the opposite and challenges him to be a better person. Jeff agrees with this statement but curiously changes his opinion by the end of the year. In Pascal's Triangle Revisited, Jeff reveals to Annie that Slater is the one who makes him want to be a better person while Britta is the one who accepts him as he is. In an interview, Dan Harmon somewhat admitted the contrasting views was an unintentional oversight on his part, although he did offer a retroactive explanation for the discrepancy.

Personality wise, both Britta and Jeff share a cynical outlook on life, sarcastic attitudes, and moments of vanity and selfishness. Although they connect through these similarities, their interactions unfortunately often brings out the worst in them with humorous consequences to follow. Despite their past sexual history, they have not let it affect their friendship as they both genuinely care for each other in spite of all their bickering. While the snarky bantering between them may seem hurtful to others, it is mostly indicative of how comfortable they are around each other; they are able to give each other grief without it becoming a sore point between them. Currently, it appears they have both moved on and are possibly pursuing romantic possibilities with other members of the study group. Jeff even seems to have silently given his approval for Britta to explore a relationship with Troy.

FandomEdit

Despite the canonical status of their romantic relationship, Jeff and Britta still have a devoted shipper following online, particularly on tumblr. A fanvid called Jeff/Britta 500 days, based on the movie "500 days of Summer", was praised by Dan Harmon, Joel McHale, Gillian Jacobs and Donald Glover on their twitter accounts and has so far received close to 100,000 views. Back in October 2010 when Community during Season Two, online Entertainment Weekly published an article online entitled "9 TV Couples We Say Belong Together". Jeff and Britta were one of the couples mentioned although the description of their relationship suggested the early Season One version of the dynamic between them.