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Plot[]

“
There are people who say, 'I don't get it. So it was a pillow fight.' To which I say: ' You weren't there.'
”
Shirley "Big Cheddar" Bennett
After a confrontation in the study room between Abed's Pillowtown denizens and Troy's Blanketsburg followers Greendale is on the verge of a civil war. A documentary crew is hired by Troy to chronicle his attempts at getting his blanket fort into the Guinness Book of World Records. In Dean Peltons office the crew documents a meeting with Troy and Abed mediated by Jeff to try and settle the issues between the two rival forts. The talks break down and at midnight Troy's Blanketsburg forces declare war by attacking Pillowtown.



3x14-Diagram 1
How it all started.
The rest of the study group soon take up roles in the conflict. Shirley is made Troy’s second in command which insults Pierce who joins Abed in Blanketsburg. Annie sets up a clinic to treat the wounded while Britta takes photos of the war. Jeff manipulates both sides to keep the war going so that classes are cancelled which angers Annie who reminds him that Troy and Abed's friendship is at stake. Meanwhile, Pierce suffers a humiliating defeat during a brief skirmish and tries to redeem himself by creating a weapon of mass destruction for Abed.



3x14 Winger speech
Who wants to miss more classes?!
Troy learns about this threat and forms an alliance with the head of campus security Sgt. Ben Chang. This bolsters Blanketsburg's ranks by adding the "Changlourious Basterds", a group of middle schoolers Chang recruited. When the Basterds terrorize the Pillowtonians Abed responds by unleashing Pierce's doomsday device: "Pillow Man". Equipped with pillow armor Pierce successfully routs the invaders. Abed then sends a classified e-mail to his generals outlining Troy's weaknesses. These include his lack of intelligence, attractions to shiny objects and inexplicable bouts of crying.



3x14-Map 3
Campuswide carnage.
Troy is devastated after receiving an intercepted copy of the message and composes an e-mail of his own in response. He tells Abed that no one but him has the patience to deal with Abed's issues and he can consider him his first and last friend. Upon Jeff learning how personal the grudge has gotten between them he sets up another meeting. It backfires as in a heated exchange Abed and Troy raise the stakes of the war deciding that whoever wins gets to stay in the apartment and the loser has to move out.The next morning, the final showdown occurs with both sides meeting in the cafeteria.



3x14-Final Battle
The beginning of the end.
A great war ensues with heavy casualties inflicted on both sides. However, the fighting concludes in surprising fashion with an announcement Dean Pelton. He lets everyone know that the representative for Guinness who suggested they break the world record was fired. With nothing to fight for or against all the combatants promptly walk away from the field of battle. Abed and Troy are the only ones remaining and continue to pillow fight. They tell Jeff it will be the last thing they will ever do together. Jeff points out that they like each other so much they are would rather keep the conflict going forever. Jeff comes up with a solution and gives Abed and Troy "imaginary friend hats" he gave to them in the Dean's office which allow them to become friends again.



Pillows and a Blankets War
War!
Jeff then reveals that he actually went to the Dean's office and "searched" for the friend hats, showing that he does take what's happening amongst his friends seriously even if he's not entirely sure why. During the war, Britta tries to get photographs of the events that occurred, only to mess up every photo, except for her final shot with Troy and Abed doing their signature handshake. The narrator reveals that she, in very Britta style, was trying to get an image of light reflecting off a plate of waffles and took her lone great picture by accident.



3x14-Abed Jeff Troy friends again
Best friends again.

End tag[]

Troy and Abed are having a pledge drive for Greendale Campus Television that loses its funding mid-broadcast.



60058217
Troy and Abed telethoning!


Recurring themes[]

Continuity[]

Continuity lists
Narrative
Recurring or debuting plot points in this episode:
  • And we're back: This is a direct continuation of the previous episode "Digital Exploration of Interior Design."
  • A nice gesture: Troy and Abed's hand clap is shown once again in this episode.
  • Discontinuity: The campus map used for the engagement diagrams is highly inconsistent with the one used in other episodes, usually displayed behind Dean Pelton's desk.
  • History lesson: The study group's past history is briefly touched upon by the narrator of the documentary. Annie's wish to be a Health Care Administrator is also mentioned which is something she herself had stated in "Mixology Certification".
  • Climax: The war is ended simply by the Dean announcing the Guinness Rep is no longer coming.
  • Previously: A shot of Pierce's medical records include "Broken legs; set, caste, pain meds" on Nov 4 2010. This is a nod to the events in the Season Two episode "Aerodynamics of Gender" when he double bounced and broke both his legs on the trampoline.
  • Replay: The documentary theme is used once again, but this time in the style of filmmaker Ken Burns format.
  • Winger speech: Jeff uses his gift of persuasion to keep the feud going longer so he doesn't have to attend classes.
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:
    • Jeff's cell phone and his texting obsession are featured prominently.
    • The Foosball table is seen when Dean Pelton asks Jeff to mediate the dispute between Troy and Abed.

Running gags[]

List of Running gags
Recurring or debuting running gags in this episode:
  • Annie's Boobs:
    • A picture of Annie is shown with the camera panning up from her chest to her face.
    • In the episodes end tag, Abed and Troy are having a pledge drive and offer a copy of their DVD documentary on the life of the monkey called From Labs to Riches.
  • Bag-ul: Troy mispronounces the word "ultimatum" as two words "all tomato".
  • Britta'd it: Britta tries unsuccessfully to document the war through photography.
  • Changuage:
    • Chang's new security force is nicknamed "The Changlourious Basterds ".
    • Troy and Abed offer a DVD entitled That's Enter-Chang-ment during the end tag.
  • Come sail away!: Troy cries when he sees the e-mail Abed sent listing his weaknesses. Abed also mentions in the email that it is easy to make Troy cry.
  • Man crush: Pelton cries for Jeff to save him during the initial skirmish when the two opposing forces collide in the study room.
  • Nice outfit: Pierce creates the "Pillow Man" suit as a special WMD. Both sides of the conflict have uniforms that identify them as Pillowtonians or Blanketsburgers. In the end tag, Dean Pelton can be seen in his cotillion oufit from "Paradigms of Human Memory" on a DVD entitled "Craig Pelton: A Year in Paris".

Pop culture references[]

List of Pop culture references
Pop culture references in this episode:
  • IMDb:
    • The Rambo franchise is mentioned along with the confusing titles of each installment.
    • The name of the Doctor on Pierce's medical form is Dr. Rosen Rosen, which is one of the fake names Chevy Chase used in the movie Fletch  .
    • Jeff is accused of channeling Ferris Bueller when he exploits the conflict to delay classes.
    • The nickname "Changlourious Basterds" is inspired by the film Inglourious Basterds.
    • Neil's radio show is reminiscent of Mister Señor Love Daddy's in Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing.
  • Name that tune: "Daybreak" is featured again this time played by Fat Real Neil on his radio show.
  • Product placement: The Subway sandwich shop can be seen prominently several times in the final battle in the cafeteria.
  • Shout out: Somebody tried, and failed, to get Tom Hanks to voice the documentary.
  • TV Guide: Jeff recognizes the documentary narrator as the actor from The Cape.
  • Use your allusion:
    • The tone and style of this episode is done in the manner of the famous documentary film maker Ken Burns.
    • Series creator Dan Harmon's likeness was used for the painting of English Memorial.

Meta references[]

List of Meta references
Meta references in this episode:
  • Behind the scenes: According to Pierce's medical records, the date of the events of the episode is April 1, the weekend before this episode aired. However, according to Shirley's text to her husband, the date is March 20, possibly the Thursday the episode would have aired if not for the hiatus.
  • Résumé: The narrator of the documentary is actor Keith David, who has done voiceovers for Ken Burns documentaries before. He is never shown onscreen but Jeff is heard talking to him during his voiceover. He recognizes him as the actor Keith David. He once starred in the short lived TV show The Cape which was mentioned in Paradigms of Human Memory and shown to be a favorite of Abed's. However, Keith David denies to Jeff that he had been on the show.
  • Parody:
    • A Changlourious Basterd says, "You guys like pillows? How do you like these pillows?" while pummeling a student. Community creator Dan Harmon has repeatedly stated his dislike of the film Good Will Hunting and the "Do you like apples?" line in particular.
    • Troy and Abed's pledge drive mimics how PBS (the network most associated with Ken Burns documentaries) interrupts their programming to solicit funding donations.
  • Up against the wall: During their pledge drive in the end credits, Troy and Abed beg for donations explaining that Greendale programming is in danger of going off the air. The show Community has struggled with ratings throughout its run on NBC leading to questions, around the time this episode aired, about a fourth season.

Trivia[]

The Old Negro Space Program[]

In 2007, the writer of this episode, Andy Bobrow, wrote, produced, and directed a ten-minute short film called "The Old Negro Space Program". It was a mockumentary done in the style of Ken Burns's films. It chronicled the struggles of black astronauts excluded from "white" NASA and the formation of their own group called NASSA (Negro American Space Society of Astronauts). It later became the inspiration for this episode. The_Old_Negro_Space_Program

Quotes[]

I know there's a lot of blanket stackers and pillow packers out there thinking it's gonna go down tonight. But there's a lot of us folks from the scene in between saying: 'Hey, we're all looking to chill out, and lay down with someone special.' This is real Neil, with pipes of steel, signing off with the smooth sounds of Daybreak.Fat "Real Neil" Neil
Well, that's it. I just heard from the Guinness rep. He's not coming. He's been fired, in what he described as the world's biggest mistake. I doubt that will make the next edition.Dean Pelton
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. "Urban Matrimony and the Sandwich Arts"

12. "Contemporary Impressionists"
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. "The First Chang Dynasty"
22. "Introduction to Finality"

Community season 3 dvd

Season OneSeason TwoSeason ThreeSeason FourSeason FiveSeason Six
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