Community Episode 2.03 The Psychology of Letting Go

Britta and Annie are working on a display to show students the effect of the Gulf Oil Spill on the environment. They're going to raise money to donate to the clean-up effort. Jeff and Shirley join Annie and Britta in the study room, followed by Abed and Troy who's completely deadpan. When asked what's wrong, he lets everyone know he discovered Pierce's mom, dead in the garage.

Pierce arrives to the study group completely unaffected by the death of his mother. When the gang offers their condolences, Pierce explains that although his mother's body has stopped functioning, she's still alive according to his religion. His mother was a Level Five Laser Lotus, just like him. When a Level Five body stops functioning, it's vaporized into the "Temple of Renewal." Then in a few years when the technology advances, her vapors will be extracted and made solid state once again.

Pierce arrives to the study group completely unaffected by the death of his mother. When the gang offers their condolences, Pierce explains that although his mother's body has stopped functioning, she's still alive according to his religion. His mother was a Level Five Laser Lotus, just like him. When a Level Five body stops functioning, it's vaporized into the "Temple of Renewal." Then in a few years when the technology advances, her vapors will be extracted and made solid state once again.

Just as Professor Duncan starts class, Chang enters from the rear. Duncan reminds everyone that after Chang attacked him at the school dance last semester, he got a restraining order requiring Chang to stay 25 feet away from him at all times. Prepared, Chang pulls out a tape measure and asks Abed to assist. They measure 25 feet and Chang takes his seat.

Students respond to Annie's lighthearted and sweet approach to raising money for the Gulf Oil Spill clean-up by donating much more money to her than to Britta. Britta's harder, fact-based approach seems to turn people off. While Annie and Britta continue their fundraising in the quad, Jeff stops by the GCC Student Health Center to get the results of his blood work. Everything checked out. In fact Jeff's a terrific specimen of good health, with one exception - his cholesterol is a little high. Jeff is shocked. He treats his body like a temple, and can't understand how this has happened.

In the cafeteria, Jeff eats a plate of egg whites when Shirley thanks him for setting everyone straight about their religious differences. Still angry over his test results, Jeff dismisses Shirley's thanks, telling her none of it matters because they're all dying. Off that conversation, Shirley checks in with Annie and Britta on their fundraising efforts. Annie raised $236. Adding the money Britta raised, they're close to $250 total for the day. Peeved that Annie raised more money, Britta suggests that the only reason people are giving her donations is because of the sweet schoolgirl routine she puts on.

Pierce brings what appears to be a lava lamp into Anthropology class. When Troy comments on it, Pierce corrects him. It's not a lava lamp; it's his mother's vapors from the Temple of Renewal. Still bitter over his cholesterol report, Jeff takes aim at Pierce and the lava lamp, debating the difference between a cult and a religion, and putting Pierce's religious beliefs under direct fire. Later, to prove her earlier point, Britta shows up to raise more money for the Gulf Oil Spill dressed like Annie and ready to act just like her. Annie and Britta start to argue about their opposing approaches while Shirley looks on.

Duncan sits with Jeff in the cafeteria to talk about what happened in Anthropology class. Duncan tells Jeff how he sees it. While Jeff claims to not believe in a god, he has actually spent his whole life worshipping himself. When he found out his god had high cholesterol, he tried to kick Pierce's god where it hurts. After Duncan's heart-to-heart, Jeff sees how he can expose Pierce's religion for what it is, and plans to take Pierce to the county morgue where his mother's body is actually being kept.

While Jeff takes Pierce to the county morgue, Annie and Britta continue to argue, this time in the quad. The fight escalates, knocking over the display and covering them both in oil. While everyone in the quad looks on, things between Annie and Britta get physical. Covered in oil, they wrestle each other to the ground. Meanwhile, Jeff, Pierce and Troy are in the car. Troy thinks they're going to get ice cream. Pierce pulls out his sack of CDs to find some music for the car ride and discovers a CD labeled "For Piercy."

Pierce plays the CD - it's his mother! She tells the story of birth and death. She tells Pierce she's gone for good, not vaporized. But, even after listening, Pierce thinks the CD does nothing more than confirm his mother was losing her mind at the end. He tosses the CD out the window. Jeff abandons his plan, and turns the car around.

Back at GCC, still covered in oil, Annie and Britta apologize to each other. Pierce, Troy and Jeff return to campus with ice cream. Since no one lives forever, Jeff figures he might as well enjoy ice cream while he can. Duncan and Chang come to a mutual agreement over dueling restraining orders.