Community/Recap/S2/E02 Accounting for Lawyers

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"God, it's a sea of Wingers. This whole place reeks of moral ambiguity." - Britta

Jeff reconnects with Alan (Rob Corddry), a lawyer from his old firm. As he drifts away from the group, Chang makes an attempt at joining the study group by helping them win the school Pop-and-Lock-athon. Annie realizes that she has met Alan before, and that he was, in fact, the one who got Jeff disbarred. She tells Jeff, but he refuses to believe her. While Jeff attends an office party at the firm, the rest of the study follow him in an attempt to prove it, leaving Chang alone at Greendale.

---

The Community episode "Accounting for Lawyers" provides examples of:

• Actor Allusion: Rob Corrdry's Jon Stewart impression.
• Amoral Attorney: Everyone in the law firm.
• Beware the Nice Ones: Annie; see Crosses the Line Twice.
• Big No: Chang, when they lose the competition.
• Brain Bleach:

Annie: First, he said it was 69. I wanna rub Purell on my brain.

• Bread, Eggs, Milk, Squick: While hanging out with the lawyers, Britta, Shirley, and Pierce stumble upon worse and worse "opportunities": Britta can use a lawyer’s beach house if she sleeps with him once a month, Shirley can sue the stripper her husband left her for, and Pierce can hunt people.
• Brick Joke: Jeff notices that a lot of people are wearing green hats and wonders if the Greendale hat club is still struggling to survive. The Dean explains it's Octoberfest. Cut to Jeff and Abed at the food machines, where they run into Alan.

Alan: What has this place done to you? Jeff: You have no idea. Random Guy: Hat club! [puts a ridiculous hat on Jeff] Jeff: Now you have some idea.

• • At the start Abed and Jeff say the school's become more cartoony so Abed drew a cartoon tunnel. See The Tag entry below for the results.
• Broken Aesop: In-universe.

Alan: You know what they call a lawyer who fakes his college degree? Best lawyer EVER.

• Butt Monkey: Jeff's opinion of strippers.

Jeff: Shirley, don't sue a stripper. Shirley: Why not? Jeff: Because she's a stripper. Life sued her and she lost.

• Character Development: Jeff really did used to be exactly like Alan, if a bit less hammy.
• Completely Missing the Point: After Jeff spies his old friend and hides, saying, "This is all I need," Abed calls out to him, saying, "You’re all my friend needs."
• Crosses the Line Twice: Annie chloroforming the janitor. When they realize what she’s done, Abed suggests that they and Troy pretend to have also been chloroformed. When the guard wakes up and asks why Annie is holding a rag, she chloroforms him again.
• Crowning Moment of Heartwarming: Jeff showing up to pop and lock with the group at the end.
• Deceased Fall Guy Gambit: Alan blames a former lawyer acquaintance of theirs who no longer practices for Jeff's disbarring. Jeff isn't buying it.
• Description Cut: Shirley suggests telling someone that the group can't make the Pop-and-Lock-athon, while Pierce claims that nobody cares. Cut to Chang, signing in at the Pop-and-Lock-athon alone.
• The Determinator: Chang dancing for five straight hours so he can join the study group.
• Distracted by the Sexy: Annie complains to Troy and Abed that all she’s been used for that night is bait and distraction. They’re too busy staring at her bouncing chest to catch what she says.

Abed: You get any of that? Troy All I heard was suck.

• Freak-Out: After Anne chloroforms the janitor, Troy "launches" into a Freak-Out.
• I Can Explain: Subverted; Troy doesn't actually have an explanation, he’s just stalling for time. Double Subverted, it actually works. Also:

Jeff: I can explain. I'm a teacher. Wait, that's worse than the truth. I'm a student.

• Ho Yay: Jeff and Alan.

Alan: If I wasn’t actively repressing my bi-curiosity right now, I would kiss you full on your beautiful mouth!

• Honesty Is the Best Policy: Jeff's perfectly willing to associate with Alan even after receiving conclusive proof that it was Alan who stabbed him in the back by revealing his lack of qualifications and getting him fired, but when Alan can't even admit it to Jeff, instead weaseling out of it by blaming an intern, Jeff returns to his friends.
• Hunting the Most Dangerous Game: Conversed. Pierce believes it's Badass. Jeff, not so much.

Jeff: Britta, you're not a whore. Shirley, Jesus turned the other cheek, he didn't garnish wages. Pierce, do I need to say this? IT IS BAD WRONG TO HUNT MAN FOR SPORT.

• Jerkass: Jeff, even more so than usual. The highlight is probably when, after they show him the email Alan sent that got him disbarred, he lectures them on how caring is bad.
• Jerkass Woobie: Chang, at the end. Yes, he’s a horrible person. Yes, he needs a hug.
• Lampshade Hanging:

Jeff: Every day this campus gets more and more cartoon-y. Abed: I know. I painted a tunnel on the library wall. As soon as it dries, I'm going for it.

• Large Ham: Troy, freaking out after Annie chloroforms the janitor.
• Laughing Mad: Chang does this while lying on the floor at the end. The study group refuses to let him join even after he dances for hours representing them in the pop and lock contest.

Dean Pelton: Y'know what? He's bringing us down. Let's move him. Can we move him?

• Nakama: At the end, so much.
• Not So Above It All: Abed, when Annie chloroforms the janitor. Lampshaded:

I usually have one foot out of reality, and even I'm freaking out right now.

• Poisonous Friend: Alan, to Jeff.
• Power Trio: Troy, Abed, and Annie.
• Romance on the Set: Rob Corddry jokes on the commentary that during shooting he and Alison Brie engaged in a "torrid sexual affair".
• Shout-Out: Alan calls Jeff Tango, Jeff calls him Sundance. They worked with different partners.
• The Tag: You have to believe, Troy!

Abed: Nothing's impossible in here. Animals can talk, your heart is shaped like a heart, and the smell of pie can make you float!

• Up to Eleven: Of course Alan lies and tells Jeff it was someone else, and of course that someone was a wonderful guy. How wonderful? He adopted three at-risk teens and donated a kidney to a temp.
• Weird Al Effect: An in-universe example. Britta does an impression of a bit Jon Stewart does frequently on The Daily Show, which is itself an impression of Johnny Carson, which comes off as a weird impersonation of Carson. When asked "Is that your Johnny Carson?" Britta is confused, and says no, it was her Jon Stewart.
  • Another in-universe ones plays off the first in-universe one: when Alan does his Carson impression Troy says he's "got Britta down."