Community Episode 1.24 English as a Second Language

To combat the stress of finals, "soothing" sounds of nature play over the PA system. Annie's not worried about passing the Spanish final, since she's transcribed the semester's notes from her digital recorder. The others may kid, but Annie intends to spend the next few days helping them all bone up to pass the test, so they can move on to Spanish 103 as a group.

Jeff's on a tight four-year schedule. Since he's already filled his language requirement with Spanish 102, 103 is just not going to happen. Annie admits, the real goal of her maneuver is to keep the study group together. She tells Jeff to go ahead, be the cool guy next fall. When he gets lonely, she'll be in the front row of Spanish 103. Everyone's with Annie until they learn next semester's class is scheduled for 6:00 a.m. Right on cue, the PA system broadcasts the soothing sounds of crickets...

Jeff explains his four-year plan, which culminates in an unbreakable date. On May 23, 2013, he's reserved a table for one at Morty's Steakhouse to celebrate becoming a lawyer again. This will only happen if he takes a full load of strategically scheduled classes each semester. He can't build a schedule around his BFFs. When Annie offers to build the study group's class schedule around Jeff, Britta assures her they'll still be friends even if they don't have class together. Annie remains skeptical.

Senor Chang hits the classroom filled with urgency. He asks to speak to Jeff in private, then waits for everyone else to leave. Once they're alone, Chang asks where Jeff got his fake degree. The truth is Chang's spent all his time since high school playing keytar in a band. Paying the bills with a job as a grocery store bagboy hasn't been working out so great since he hit his 30s. Finally, he did what anyone else would do: fake his way into teaching Spanish, relying on phrases he picked up from Sesame Street. If the dean finds out, everyone's grades will be invalid, and they'll have to repeat the class. Neither Jeff nor Chang notice the digital recorder that Annie's left running on her desk.

Troy happens upon a broken water fountain in a hallway. He spies a wrench and fixes it in a jiffy. When janitor Jerry rounds the corner to see Troy holding the wrench, he chases him off, then discovers that Troy's actually fixed the water fountain. Meanwhile, Annie hears Senor Chang's confession on her digital recorder.

The next day, Dean Pelton greets the Spanish class with an announcement. After receiving an anonymous tip that Senor Chang's qualifications are fake, the Dean fired him. Luckily, their grades won't be invalidated. All the students have to do is pass the standard final given by Chang's replacement, Dr. Escodera. The only trouble - Dr. Escodera speaks only in Spanish and expects the students to understand her.

Jeff, Troy and Abed trudge through the parking lot with 20 hours to go before the exam. When his car alarm goes off, Jeff runs, only to find Chang smashing his car with a keytar. Why'd Jeff turn him into the Dean?! Denying it, Jeff climbs onto the roof of his car, trying to wrestle the keytar away from Chang. When security shows up with tasers, the situation goes from bad to worse, as the guys are flung to the ground, and Jeff pees his pants.

Troy finds some free cake, which dirties his fingers. When he hits the bathroom to wash up, he spies a broken sink. Luckily there's a wrench on the counter. Whistling happily, Troy fixes the sink. Suddenly, Jerry pops out of a toilet to call out Troy's hidden talent. What's he doing in school, when he could be having a real life as a plumber? Troy claims that learning is the only thing that matters, so he can think, get a student loan, grind coffee, and understand HBO. Little does he know, Abed has heard the whole thing.

With 14 hours until the Spanish final, everyone's cramming in the Study Room, and it's not going too well. Jeff slams his book. He doesn't want to sound defeatist, but they're defeated. Everyone's going to fail, and it's all Annie's fault because she ratted out Chang so they would have to re-take the semester. Annie finally cops to the truth, and starts crying in hopes of gaining some sympathy.

Convinced Annie has stolen a year of their lives, Jeff lays into her, making everyone close their eyes so as not to be swayed by her crying. Regardless of anything else, they're all screwed. When Shirley points out they'll still see each other all the time, Annie confesses. That's what her rehab group said to each other, and only one weird guy ever calls her. Annie runs out, and Jeff forbids anyone to go after her. They can study on their own, even if they don't know how.

Everyone wakes up in the Study Room the next morning to the soothing sounds of antelope slaughter, wafting through the PA system. Pierce won't wake up, and Shirley's worried about Annie. Jeff assures her they'll see Annie at the exam, but right now they need to keep their eyes on the prize. Abed confesses that he saw Troy deploying his plumber skills. Troy's determined not to be a plumber. He needs to pass the Spanish test just like everyone else, so that one day he'll be sophisticated and unemployed, while looking like he has a job from a distance.

With four minutes to go, everyone files into Spanish class, all except for Annie. Worried, Shirley has sent her a text. Jeff thinks Annie's radio silence is a ploy for attention. When a text from Annie finally does come through, Annie claims she's not playing for attention, but determined to make things right, starting with Chang.

Jeff jumps up in a panic. Chang will surely kill Annie when he discovers she cost him his job. They've got to save her! The other members of the study group fall in line and head for the door. Dr. Escodera's promise that they'll all fail the final falls on deaf ears. Finally they can use their Spanish to communicate this message: Who cares about the stupid exam? They're a study group! After they leave, Starburns rallies the rest of the class to leave, too.

Everyone runs to Chang's office only to hear desperate screams issuing from behind the locked door. Jeff breaks in to find Chang showing Annie how to sample scream sounds using the keytar. Chang has decided that getting fired is the best thing that ever happened to him. Annie has helped re-plan his life so he can get a job and stay on at Greendale as a student. Everyone agrees, more music education would be great for Senor Chang.

Everyone runs back to class to take the final. Afterwards, Jeff apologizes to Annie for treating her like a child - you shouldn't have to be a kid to admit you like people. Although everyone thinks they did well on the test, Jeff wants to plan for the worst-case scenario. If they do all pass, they won't have class together, so he rallies everyone to join him in taking an anthropology class. Later, Pierce thanks Dr. Escodera for last night, and for making the test easier.