Community/Recap/S1 E24 English As a Second Language

The study group is studying for finals when a secret about Chang is uncovered that threatens to cause everyone to fail. Meanwhile, Troy discovers a hidden talent for plumbing which, much of his mystification, everyone seems to think is worth dropping out of college for.

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The Community episode "English as a Second Language" provides examples of:

• Actor Allusion: Pierce's "Tierra del Fuego!"
• Ax Crazy: Chang
• Big No: Combined with electronic sampling.
• Call Back: Chang faking his death.
  • Also the Big No sampling is from Advanced Criminal Law when Chang said he would flunk everyone.
• Chekhov's Gun: Annie's Class Recorder. I'm sure this has no impact on the episode's plot.
  • When Pierce wakes up before the exam, the book he's been studying isn't the textbook - it's a guide to talking dirty in Spanish. It looks like Pierce being Pierce -- until you get to the end of the episode and find out he seduced the Spanish teacher.
• Chirping Crickets: Lampshaded - they're part of the Dean's "relaxing" ambient noise broadcast.

Dean: And now, crickets! [chirp chirp]

• Deconstruction: Abed pulls a paraphrasing of Ben Affleck's "the best part of my day" speech from Good Will Hunting on Troy, to try to get him to 'use his gift' and become a plumber. The next day, Abed turns to find that Troy is no longer sitting next to him in class... but not because he's inspired and has dropped out, but because Troy has switched seats because he's offended that his best friend would actually think the prospect of him just leaving without a word would be the best part of his day. Turns out, that would actually be a really horrible and offensive thing to say to a friend, no matter how gifted.
• Double Entendre

Pierce: Thanks for making it easy. Spanish Professor: I was going to say the same thing [[[Beat]]] but you were gone before breakfast. Pierce: heh, I'm an early riser. SP: I'll say.

• Double Subversion: Troy stops to check out an "unsolvable" equation on a blackboard, picks up the chalk... and walks off with it. Then he finds out the water fountain's broken and discovers his latent plumbing skills.
• Dreadful Musician: Chang on Key-tar.
• El Spanish-O:

Jeff: El crapo.

• Foreshadowing:
  • Jeff mentions that he has a dinner appointment on May 23, 2013. That's a Thursday. Fourth season finale (or, given Jeff's plans for a four-year degree, series finale), much?
• Homage: Abed and Troy's Good Will Hunting subplot.
• Hypocritical Humour:

Chang: I hear you faked your bachelor's degree. Two questions: where did you get it; could you have prevented being caught; and how? Jeff: One question: where did you learn to count questions; and are you telling me you need a fake degree?

• I Did What I Had to Do: Annie's explanation that she ratted out Chang because she wanted the study group to stay together.
• Instrument of Murder: Key-tar vs. windshield
• Instant Waking Skills: Discrimination Lawsuit!
• Iris Out
• Kavorka Man: He's a Dirty Old Man Rich Idiot With No Day Job Racist Grandpa, but when he puts his mind to it, he can seduce someone with little effort.
• Lampshaded Double Entendre: See Double Entendre.
• Let's Get Dangerous: Pierce can really seduce someone if he really wants to. Like the replacement Spanish teacher.
• My Name Is Not Durwood:

Spanish Class: We love Hannah!

• New Year, Same Class: Annie actively works to invoke this trope, going so far as to risk all of her students failing class so they can stay together. She fails - they instead make a conscious choice to pick another class to take together.
• Noisy Nature: Antelope Slaughter at Indutu
• Not That Kind of Doctor:

Troy: Why is she teaching Spanish if she's a doctor? Go cure something!

• Out-of-Character Moment: Annie freaks out majorly at the mere thought of a failing grade, yet she is willing to let the whole class fail. It's somewhat justified in how she really wants to stay together with the group. But in the very next episode, she plans on leaving the state with Vaughn. Then a few episodes later, she tries to sabotage the simulated space launch so she could transfer to City College, without even telling the group until being confronted about it.
• Political Correctness Gone Mad: Pelton apparently hired Chang without checking his credentials, because he thought running a check for Spanish qualifications on an Asian man would look racist.
• Puppy Eyes
• Ship Tease:
  • When Annie reveals that she's been dressing in a way that she hopes make her look like a professor (Jeff dated a professor earlier in the season).
  • Britta and Abed sleep on each other and walk arm in arm behind the rest of the group at least twice once with a spotlight zeroing in on them. Usually, Abed and Britta don't interact that much.
• Shout-Out: The countdown to the Spanish final is the same as Without a Trace.
• Stealth Insult:

Britta: Music lessons would be great for you.

• Strange Minds Think Alike:

Abed: Like the first season of The Wire. Troy: Exactly like... ah hell I can't stay mad at you.

• Take That: To Good Will Hunting. Combined with Unfortunate Implications For Massive Damage.
• Two Questions
• Unfortunate Implications: The black male of the group is pressured to drop out of school. This is done for parody however, and lampshaded in that Troy thinks the idea of dropping out of college to become a plumber is ridiculous.
• Who Names Their Kid "Dude"?: Britta

Annie: Of course you think that Britta. Its obvious from your name that your parents smoked pot.

• Whole-Plot Reference: Troy's subplot in "English As A Second Language" is Good Will Hunting with faucets. So really, just in reverse.
• Wouldn't Hit a Girl:

Troy: Someone make her a dude so I can punch her!

• Wrong Genre Savvy: Abed, usually anything but this trope, thinks Troy's subplot is inspired by Good Will Hunting. It isn't; it's a parody of Good Will Hunting.
• You Go, Girl!
• You Have 48 Hours