History Recap / CommunityS3E19CurriculumUnavailable

* DiedInYourArmsTonight: The Dean and Abed.
* DiggingYourselfDeeper: A flashback shows Abed freaking out about the janitor moving the clock back:
-->'''Abed''': ''[whimpering]''\\
'''Troy''': ''[stroking Abed's head]'' It's okay, buddy. Just a few more minutes and we're good till spring, okay?\\
'''Abed''': ''[panicked]'' But it doesn't make any sense!\\
'''Annie''': Think of it this way: we get the hour back later in the year.\\
'''Troy''': Yeah.\\
'''Abed''': ''[{{beat}}]'' AAAAA-- ''[scene change]''
* DramaticThunder: Once Dr. Heidi [[TheReveal reveals]] TheAwfulTruth (which is a lie).

* FunnyBackgroundEvent: When Troy is in the centre of a dramatic DutchAngle and music sting when he's the only one to buy into Dr. Heidi's claim of being the Devil, Jeff can audibly be heard incredulously / skeptically yelling ''"What?!"''

-->'''Jeff:''' Wait...give me a break! That made ''no sense!''\\
''[Cut to:]''\\

Two months have passed since the "Greendale Seven" [[Recap/CommunityS3E18CourseListingUnavailable were expelled]]. Having spent the intervening time drinking, eating unhealthy meals at Troy and Abed's apartment, and generally dwelling on their years at Greendale to an obsessive degree, they are forced to face their situation when Abed is discovered in full JustForFun/InspectorSpacetime costume on the community college campus [[NoodleIncident again]]. Taken into custody and insisting that the Dean has been replaced by a fraud, he is given the choice between therapy and jail time, and the entire group accompanies him to see a recommended psychiatrist (John Hodgman). Soon, however, they discover that all may not be as it seems and the therapy visit could change their lives forever.

** Though [[https://twitter.com/#!/hodgman/status/200940727910404096 he claims it was unintentional]], it's hard not to think of the Judge John Hodgman podcast when Dr. Heidi says "I think I have everything I need to make my decision."

* BedlamHouse: The fictional Greendale Asylum; patients are crammed into locked, badly-lighted wards in straitjackets, while orderlies either watch their antics in amusement or abet sadistic experiments performed by the [[MadScientist lab-coated doctors]] in charge.
* BigNo: Subverted. Abed's reaction to having to see ''Theatre/{{Chicago}}'' is not a BigNo as would be expected, but a Big ''Lame''.

* BreadEggsBreadedEggs

* BrickJoke: Officer Cackowski recommends against using the brick to prop open the outer door as it was used in "[[Recap/CommunityS3E04RemedialChaosTheory Remedial Chaos Theory]]" (Annie, who removed the brick last time, glares at Troy) ... [[BaitAndSwitch because it's an antique worth $60]]. Then he [[DoubleSubversion warns them that rapes are up 8%.]] Bonus points for actually involving a brick (compare to the buttered NoodleIncident from "[[Recap/CommunityS3E09FoosballAndNocturnalVigilantism Foosball And Nocturnal Vigilantism]]").

* CastingGag: John Hodgman plays a psychologist. The ''other'' psychologist in the show is ''also'' played by a ''[[Series/TheDailyShow Daily Show]]'' correspondent named "John."

--->'''Dean:''' ''(through the library’s PA system)'' In order to increase awareness of the homelessness, security has been given binoculars.

*** Actually some of [[Recap/CommunityS2E24ForAFewPaintballsMore them do work]], but either the dean presumably doesn't know which ones do, or that flashback took place between [[Recap/CommunityS2E22AppliedAnthropologyAndCulinaryArts Applied Anthropology and Culinary Arts]] and [[Recap/CommunityS2E23AFistfulOfPaintballs A Fistful of Paintballs]]. Or the sprinkler system is functional but isn't hooked up to anything.
** The Greendale Asylum flashbacks: [[Recap/CommunityS2E07AerodynamicsOfGender the trampoline]], [[Recap/CommunityS2E24ForAFewPaintballsMore paintball combat]], [[Recap/CommunityS3E10RegionalHolidayMusic "Baby Boomer Santa"]], doing a [[Recap/CommunityS2E21ParadigmsOfHumanMemory clip show]], doing a [[Recap/CommunityS2E08CooperativeCalligraphy bottle episode]], doing [[Recap/CommunityS3E19CurriculumUnavailable another clip show]], [[Recap/CommunityS2E24ForAFewPaintballsMore Harrison Ford]], [[Recap/CommunityS2E21ParadigmsOfHumanMemory Abed remembering camping and painting the nursery causing Troy's scream]], [[Recap/CommunityS3E04RemedialChaosTheory Pierce's random interjection of having sex with Eartha Kitt]], and [[Recap/CommunityS2E08CooperativeCalligraphy Annie's lost pen]].

** In the background of the "Wigging Out" party can be heard the song "Party Where Your Heart Is" from [[Recap/CommunityS1E22TheArtOfDiscourse The Art of Discourse]].

* ClipShow: Like [[Recap/CommunityS2E21ParadigmsOfHumanMemory Paradigms of Human Memory]] the idea is spoofed. Hell it even references [[Recap/CommunityS2E21ParadigmsOfHumanMemory Paradigms of Human Memory]].

-->'''Abed''': ''(whimpering)''\\
'''Troy''': ''(stroking Abed's head)'' It's okay, buddy. Just a few more minutes and we're good til spring, okay?\\
'''Abed''': ''(panicked)'' But it doesn't make any sense!\\

'''Abed''': ''([[{{Beat}} beat]])'' AAAAA- ''(scene change)''
* DramaticThunder: Once Dr. Heidi [[TheReveal reveals the awful truth]] (which is a lie).

* EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory: Dr. Heidi literally [[{{invoked}} invokes]] this at one point, although by this point no one ([[TheDitz except Troy]]) is buying it.

* ImADoctorNotAPlaceholder:
-->'''Dr. Heidi:''' I'm a fake psychiatrist not a fake ethnologist!
* InstantlyProvenWrong: When Troy tries to assure the policeman that Abed is not crazy, the latter goes off into a monologue about the Dean being replaced by an identical life form. [[TheCuckoolanderWasRight It only sounded insane at the time, though]].
* KarmaHoudini: Dr. Heidi runs out the window when the group is distracted by memories of Chang being violent or illogical. As Jeff lampshades, they lost their only lead.

** Literally, Dr. Heidi´s office has an unusual amount of lampshades.

* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: In "Troy and Abed and Annie in the Morning"

'''Pierce''': ''(getting up and leaving)'' I take it back, I don't want to be in your novel.\\

* NiceJobFixingItVillain: Chang could have dealt with Abed by pressing charges and getting a restraining order or sending him to jail. The alternate solution of getting Abed committed snowballs into an attempt to convince the whole study group that they're crazy and drive them away from Greendale. The session just serves to help them realize that Abed's right and that the Dean has been replaced with an impostor.

** Due to Abed's aversion to doctors, the group had to prevent him from removing his own tonsils.
** As with "[[Recap/CommunityS2E21ParadigmsOfHumanMemory Paradigms of Human Memory]]" all of the flashbacks are things which happened in episodes we didn't see.
* NotSoAboveItAll: One flashback shows that City College's Dean Spreck played HumanChess with the dean for a better parking space.
* OutOfFocus: Lampshaped when Pierce doesn't get a "crazy-town banana pants" flashback and later complains that he isn't in most of the stories.

'''Abed:''' You're a bad person. ''You're a bad person''.

** May also count as DisproportionateRetribution, since one of those possessions includes a ''martial arts tournament trophy.''

*** "We have to go back" are Arc Words used in ''Series/{{Lost}}''
** "Dr. Heidi" might be a reference to "[[Film/TheHumanCentipede Dr. Heiter]]".

** Dr. Heidi's lie about Greendale actually being an insane asylum and how quickly it's debunked seems to be one to fan theories that claim the series takes place in a mental institution with the events being just a delusion. It seems to be an all-purpose one to stories which rely heavily on AllJustADream / All Just A Delusion.

* TeachersPet: Inverted; they don't do a lot of sucking up to him in this episode (or over the series in general) but there's a lengthy montage that establishes, if this wasn't already abundantly quite clear, that the study group are the Dean's favourite students in the entire school. It's what helps the group realize that there's something wrong at Greendale and that the Dean would never have stabbed them in the back like they were led to believe he did; he loves them too much.
* TimeSkip: The biggest one on the show so far, with the exception of past summer breaks. The narrative picks up two uneventful months after the cliffhanger at the end of the last episode, and the viewer is brought up to speed with a few seconds of dialogue.
** A two month TimeSkip also allows the show to get back to ThePresentDay, since the spring premiere was delayed by almost exactly two months.

** [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]]: this one is debunked before the end of the episode.

** Later, [[AvertedTrope averted]] and [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]]:

** Dr. Heidi's lie about Greendale actually being an insane asylum and how quickly it's debunked seems to be one to fan theories that claim the series they're for actually take place in a mental institution with the events being a delusion. It seems to be an all-purpose one to stories which rely heavily on AllJustADream / All Just A Delusion

-->'''Annie:''' Troy, you can't bring that in here!\\

-->'''Abed''': ''(whimpering)''
-->'''Troy''': ''(stroking Abed's head)'' It's okay, buddy. Just a few more minutes and we're good til spring, okay?
-->'''Abed''': ''(panicked)'' But it doesn't make any sense!
-->'''Annie''': Think of it this way: we get the hour back later in the year.
-->'''Troy''': Yeah.
-->'''Abed''': ''([[{{Beat}} beat]])'' AAAAA- ''(scene change)''

-->1. They may not want to play with you any more.
-->2. It can lead to permanent buzz kill.
-->3. It could cause them to need meds the rest of their life.
-->4. Meth can turn present fun into future numb.
-->5. It turned [[Recap/CommunityS3E17BasicLupineUrology Star Burns]] into [[Recap/CommunityS3E18CourseListingUnavailable Star Burned]].
-->So if someone offers to tell you a "meth time story" ... pass.
-->"If grieving you is wrong... I don't want to be right." [[MeaningfulName C. Hawk Bored]]

-->'''Britta:''' Sorry!\\

---> '''Jeff:''' How long did you think we'd buy that?
---> '''Annie:''' I'm literally carrying a Greendale backpack.
---> '''Abed:''' I have like 1000 photos of the campus on my phone.
---> '''Shirley:''' I have children I see everyday. I have definitely not been locked up!

-->'''Abed''': Time enough at last to eat a sandwich. Though even he knew that this sandwich was nearer his last sandwich than his first.
-->'''Pierce''': Abed, I'm trying to eat.
-->'''Abed''': He said, oldly. His brittle bones straining to support the weight of his wrinkly skin.
-->'''Pierce''': Stop narrating me.
-->'''Abed''': He shouted, to no one. Just a man, alone in time with nothing but the cold squishiness of tuna salad to comfort him.
-->'''Pierce''': ''(getting up and leaving)'' I take it back, I don't want to be in your novel.
-->'''Abed''': Pierce Hawthorne had nearly lost his grip on reality. Lately he'd begun to think that he was in a novel.

* WhamLine: Subverted: this one is debunked before the end of the episode.
--> '''Dr. Heidi:''' But you can't ''go'' back to Greendale!
--> '''Britta:''' Why, because it isn't healthy?
--> '''Dr. Heidi:''' Because it doesn't exist.
** Later, averted and lampshaded:
--->'''Troy:''' I knew it!
--->'''Jeff:''' [''[[GetAHoldOfYourselfMan slaps Troy]]''] Stop letting him make you realize things.

* NotSoAboveItAll: Professor Kane[[note]]or possibly City College's Dean Spreck[[/note]] played HumanChess with the dean for a better parking space.

* FanFicFuel: A proposed alternate history of the series in which all of the depicted events took place on some level... but in the locked ward of an insane asylum? A field day for speculative/AU writers.

* RantInducingSlight: Not towards him, but towards cinephiles in general; Shirley learns the hard way not to favorably compare Creator/BrettRatner with Creator/StevenSpielberg in front of Abed.

* AdultFear:
** Everyone freaks out when the psychiatrist tries to get Abed committed. Even worse, he reveals he's not a "real" psychiatrist. Now count how many times someone has been committed in real life for speaking up about an issue and being proven right in the end.
** In TheTag, Troy wishes that your nightmares be spooky monsters scary, and not "grandma died" scary.

* PaintballEpisode: Averted, but [[Recap/CommunityS1E23ModernWarfare another]] [[Recap/CommunityS2E23AFistfulOfPaintballs one]] [[Recap/CommunityS2E23AFistfulOfPaintballs happened]] off-screen. This time it was with a FilmNoir theme and Abed won. After the therapy session, [[SelfDeprecation the group all agree that the idea is played out]].

** Everyone freaks out when the psychiatrist tries to get Abed committed. Even worse, he reveals he's not a "real" psychiatrist. Now count how many times a minority has been committed in real life for speaking up about an issue and being proven right in the end.

* NotSoAboveItAll: Professor Kane played HumanChess with the dean for a better parking space.

* RealityEnsues: Invoked by the group when Dr. Heidi tries to gaslight them into believing they were released from an asylum. Annie points out she has a ''Greendale backpack'' and Abed shows off the many photos he took of the campus.