Penny and Aggie/Recap/Pre History: Difference between revisions

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After a gruelling math exam, several of the characters hang out in the student lounge, studying for their last fall semester exam, in American history, or chatting. Among the latter, the conversation soon turns to Stan, who's filming his latest vlog post out of earshot. Fred suspects that Stan is gay, because the impression he gets from him is similar to the one he gets from a girl in his chemistry lab. By constant talking and listening to music, respectively, both seem to Fred to be "trying to drown out uncomfortable questions with noise."

=== Tropes ===

* [[All There in the Manual]]: In the aftermath of this arc, readers wondered what happened when Giuliani caught Elmer joking over the unconscious Xena. Did he think Elmer was the assailant? Did Elmer face expulsion for the assault? If so, why didn't Aggie come forward if she's so concerned about justice? Nearly a year later, Campbell answered this in the forum: Giuliani did indeed expel Elmer, not for the assault (because there was no direct evidence he'd done it and Xena hadn't seen who did) but for his callously joking upon discovering her knocked out rather than calling for help. However, as Elmer has no friends except Bob, no one else at school knew why, or even that, he'd been expelled; it was assumed he'd just disappeared.

* [[Beware the Nice Ones]]

* [[Church of Happyology]]: Note, however, the [[Word of God]] that Xena is not an official member of the religion in question. (An actual initiate wouldn't learn about Xenu, and his imprisonment of souls in volcanoes, to which she alludes in her "history" speeches, until the third course level, and would be strictly instructed not to reveal these teachings to outsiders, nor to initiates at lower levels.) Rather, she's a do-it-yourselfer who's read indiscriminately through the organization's documents as leaked online, as well as those not part of its official policy, such as Hubbard's personal correspondence, from which the above racist quote comes.

* [[Cloudcuckoolander]]

* [[The Cuckoolander Was Right]]: Xena's comments about the purpose of studying history not only make sense to Aggie but inspire Michelle to stop living in the past with regard to Stan.

* [[Heteronormative Crusader]]: Xena.

* [[Jerkass]]: Elmer.

* [[My Name Is Not Durwood]] / [[The Nicknamer]]: When Penny finally tires of Stan calling her by the names of blonde celebrities as an insult, and tells him to knock it off, he says, "Okay, Petty."

* [[Rage Breaking Point]]: For Brandi, it's Xena's racial slur.

* [[Right Behind Me]]: Stan tells Penny he doesn't owe anyone notice that he and Brandi have gotten serious. Brandi then points out that right behind him is Michelle, the one person they ''didn't'' want to know about their going steady, because the reason he'd given her for ending ''their'' relationship was that he didn't want to be tied down to anyone. On top of that, the breakup had contributed to Michelle's eating disorder. No wonder Stan, upon seeing Michelle, feels so guilty he tries to flee.

* [[There Are No Therapists]]: [[Averted Trope|Averted]]. Michelle, in recovery from an eating disorder, mentions that she's seeing a therapist and implies that it's been helpful.

 

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[[Category:Recap]]