(S01E03) Hey Glee fans, Principal Figgins (Iqbal Theba) is Abed's father! Not the character, but the actor. We can always pretend, though. When those kids graduate McKinley High, they can come here. And Theba's not the only fun guest star we got this week. Fresh from a failed stint on Kath & Kim, John Michael Higgins appeared as the most free-spirited economics professor you could ever meet.Throw out your books, your shoes and stand on your desk. Carpe diem! Wow, easy "A," right? That's what Jeff thought. He tried to look like he was seizing the day to earn the grade, but to truly do it requires a combination of relaxation and impulsiveness. Jeff's not capable of doing anything without planning and an ulterior motive, generally self-serving. Still it was fun watching his carefully orchestrated attempts to appear spontaneous.
It's impressive that as loony as Professor Whitman is, he sniffed out Jeff immediately. Of course, Britta was later able to outsmart him that Jeff had seized the day by kissing Jeff at just the right moment. Whitman was so impressed that he climbed a tree.
So Abed's film was ... weird. But it was enough to get his point across to his father, so I guess that's what matters. I suspect that the weird editing and visuals are pretty representative of how Abed sees the world, but at least he found a medium that allows him to express himself easier than he does with regular words.
This episode was a nice character piece for Abed, and it showed a little bit of growth in Britta and Jeff's reluctant friendship, as well. Jeff has a long way to go if he's going to become a better person, but this study group is the perfect place for him to learn. They genuinely appear to be looking out for one another, as proven when Pierce decided to help Troy with his sneezing problem.
Extra Credit
- Troy has the daintiest little sneeze, so of course he's mortified about it. But Pierce's manly sneeze examples were hilarious! And later, Troy nailed it!
- Pierce doesn't know how to eat pizza! Flip it up and hope the end catches in your mouth.
- Whitman ordering a birthday cake instead of a coffee. Talk about seizing the day. The man is certifiable.
- Why don't you stand on desks?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-02-2009 @ 4:18AM
Mike Rogus said...
I don't want Jeff to become a better person. Ever. In much the same way that I don't want the gang on It's Always Sunny to become even slightly better. I want them to become worse and worse, openly defying your expectations by not learning the lesson you expect them to.
Jeff is a terrible person who gets ahead by being terrible and manipulating people into thinking he's not. I like that take on his character and I don't want it to change.
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10-02-2009 @ 8:29AM
Johnph22 said...
I thought it was a Film class, not Economics. I might have missed it though. I know Jeff walks out saying the worse Econ class ever, but I thought he was being Jeff.
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10-02-2009 @ 9:41AM
Grover said...
pretty sure it was an accounting class... hilarious episode either way
10-02-2009 @ 11:47PM
CC said...
I think it was econ (or something financial) class. Definitely was not film class - Abed wasn't in the class (though he apparently didn't go to film class, since he was working on his film).
10-02-2009 @ 12:05PM
Sarah said...
This whole episode had me laughing. My favorite part was:
Abed- "You can play the role of my dad."
Jeff- "I don't want to be your dad."
Abed- "Good, you already know your lines."
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10-02-2009 @ 12:44PM
MosquitoControl said...
This episode felt better.
New series, hasn't found its legs and everything feels somewhat off. Standard new series stuff.
It is synching better here, though. The cast is great, the concept works, it'll just be a matter of figuring out how to make it work weekly.
The movie was fantastic. Poignant in its own way, and I like that it was a bit more subtle about the divorce (I don't remember them outright using that word in the show, ever, unless I missed it in a prior episode.) It treated the father/son relationship a tad more delicately there than I'd expect from the show.
The movie wrapped up perfectly. It went from showing why Abed is so weird, and what his life has been like, to the zany credits.
I hope this show grows and flourishes. This feels like it fits with Better Off Ted, 30 Rock and The Office as the only sit-coms I'll watch.
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10-02-2009 @ 9:07PM
The1337 said...
This was my favorite episode so far. The Dead Poets Society reference was pretty great and John Michael Higgins pulled it off nicely. The Abed story may have been a little overboard with his obnoxiousness, but overall, it was a great episode. Full review of the episode.
http://th3tvobsessed.blogspot.com/2009/10/review-community-season-1-episode-3.html
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10-03-2009 @ 2:16AM
Lara Williams said...
I loved this episode. It was great to see Glee's Iqbal Theba in a completely different role. He was terrific. I really like the fact the show tries to find the humanity of the characters and is not only about cracking jokes.
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10-03-2009 @ 11:54AM
cgar said...
So many great new comedies this fall. Community, modern fam, the middle, and cougar town are all original and funny. I hope they survive.
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10-05-2009 @ 5:30PM
makb said...
Another great episode. I love this show. Actors are great and I love how the show runners are bringing in really funny actors to play the other professors. They can pop in anytime during the season as needed. And the shout-outs to movies I love are terrific. NBC - KEEP THIS ONE AROUND FOR AWHILE (please !)
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