Line #52 Recap/CommunityS2E03ThePsychologyofLettingGo


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_psychology_of_letting_go_6.jpg]]
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3	Pierce deals with the death of his mom. Jeff gets an unexpected result back from a medical test. Abed has a side adventure. And Britta and Annie try to raise funds and awareness about the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, but just find themselves in conflict over their respective approaches.
4
5	!!The ''Series/{{Community}}'' episode "The Psychology of Letting Go" provides examples of:
6
7	* BaitAndSwitchComment: At the hospital:
8	-->'''Nurse Jackie:''' You have something very infectious.
9	-->'''Jeff''': What?
10	-->'''Nurse Jackie:''' Charm!
11	* BirthDeathJuxtaposition: As Pierce's mom narrates [[DeathByNewberyMedal how life works,]] Abed can be seen helping a young couple give birth in the background. Considering his [[MetaGuy role in the show]] he probably sought the pregnant girl out. In the commentary, Donald Glover says [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=7tP0ubODOUQ#t=8s this scene]] made him realize that Abed has casual sex ([[TakeThatMe and Troy doesn't]]), because the girl is telling Abed that the baby might be his, so it might not be a case of his meta-sense seeking out an opportunity, and it might be a case of almost-fatherhood (but likely neither - see BrickJoke).
12	* BilingualDialogue: Creator/BettyWhite and an African tribesman in TheTag. This is so another tribesman won't be spoiled by the English half of their discussion of ''Film/{{Inception}}''.
13	* BrickJoke: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrVcTXXGLho This video]] makes a strong case that the pregnant couple in Abed's OutOfFocus story blame him for the pregnancy [[Recap/CommunityS1E11ThePoliticsOfHumanSexuality due to his poorly-worded advice in an episode last season]] - the couple (or one very much like them) are even visibly celebrating his PA announcement not to use condoms.
14	* BrokenAesop: Jeff takes Duncan's psychology completely the wrong way. Instead of getting over his angst and quitting his attempt to destroy Pierce's faith he comes to the realization that that was his goal and really rolls his sleeves up.
15	* BrokenBird: Jeff spends most of the episode angsting over his mortality. He's in near-perfect health. The "near" part is devastating to him.
16	* BuffySpeak: Britta's imitating Annie.
17	-->''"Hi, I like need you to save the pelicans? They're all feathery and pelicany? I wuv them."''
18	* CaptainObviousAesop: {{Invoked}} during Annie and Britta's demonstration, when Britta is angrily yelling about how horrible the oil spill is. A nearby student mockingly points out that she doesn't actually need to yell at them, because "nobody is on the other side of this issue!"
19	* CatFight: Britta and Annie oil-wrestling draws a lot of male attention.
20	-->'''Duncan:''' Now this is why I came to America.
21	* ChurchOfHappyology: Pierce's "Buddhist church" continues to be an absurd amalgamation of Scientology and ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion''
22	* ComicallyMissingThePoint:
23	** Duncan points out that Jeff's recent desire to belittle and undermine Pierce's faith in his cult is linked to Jeff's discovery that he has high cholesterol. Jeff accepts this, but instead of the expected 'so lighten up about it and let Pierce continue regardless' message, Jeff instead decides that this increased self-awareness means he can ''really'' go to town on pulling the rug from under Pierce.
24	--->'''Professor Duncan:''' No, that wasn't what I w -- actually, I don't care.
25	** Britta tells Annie that due to her flirting, [[IllBeInMyBunk guys have socks with her name on them]]. Her reply?
26	--->'''Annie:''' ...if a guy wants to make a puppet of me it's hardly your concern.
27	* ContinuityNod:
28	** "Did we ''completely'' miss the point of [[Recap/CommunityS1E12ComparativeReligion last Christmas?]]"
29	** Pierce's mom plays herself out, just like [[Recap/CommunityS1E05AdvancedCriminalLaw Pierce did]].
30	* CoyGirlishFlirtPose: Annie when she tries to raise money. Britta thinks Annie is being coy and shows of her feminine charms on purpose, trying to milk money from guys.
31	* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: Annie and Britta get into this while arguing.
32	--->'''Annie:''' "Bitter, much?"
33	--->'''Britta:''' "Say 'Bitter, much' much?"
34	--->'''Annie:''' [[LameComeback "Say, 'Say 'Bitter, much' much'... MUCH?!"]]
35	* DesecratingTheDead: Defied. Jeff is about to take Troy and Pierce to the morgue to see his mother's body for real and shake Pierce awake. He realizes he can't do it, however, on hearing the last message Pierce's mother left for him. Jeff turns the car around and treats everyone to ice cream like he promised.
36	* DrinkingTheKoolAid: Invoked. Pierce's faith believes that when Buddha returns everyone will merge into a shimmering ocean of knowledge that tastes like Hawaiian Punch. [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything Which sounds a lot like]] [[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion an incredibly oft-mentioned anime.]]
37	* EurekaMoment: Duncan discovers he can force Chang to run away.
38	* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas: While Jeff is not speaking to his mother, he still respects her to some extent. And when he hears what Pierce's mother says, it snaps him out of his funk. He is offended when Pierce tosses the tape out of his car window.
39	* FanService: Annie and Britta's wrestling while [[MudWrestling covered in oil]]
40	-->'''Professor Duncan:''' Now, ''this'' is why I came to America.
41	* FunnyBackgroundEvent:
42	** While Pierce is explaining his [[{{cult}} religion]] in Anthropology, there's a guy in the background taking notes on it.
43	** Look carefully at the girl who Jeff hits on in the student health clinic - she's reading an STD pamphlet.
44	%%** Abed's plotline is MeaningfulBackgroundEvent
45	* GirlOnGirlIsHot: Annie and Britta's oil-wrestling match draws a very large crowd. The men of the study group also approve.
46	* GreenEyedMonster:
47	** Non-romantic version; Shirley spends most of the episode poorly concealing her jealousy over the fact that she wasn't invited to join in Britta and Annie's project.
48	** Equally, for all that she tries to frame her objections in superiority and lofty StrawFeminist terms, on some level at least Britta is also clearly just seething with jealousy about how Annie attracts the attention of guys more than her.
49	* HeroOfAnotherStory: Abed's background storyline this episode
50	* HollywoodRestrainingOrder: Both Duncan and Chang act as if Duncan's restraining order is an actual physical force-field.
51	* {{Hypocrite}}: During their argument, Annie points out that despite Britta's self-righteousness over Annie's efforts to get the attention of men, Britta's own actions clearly suggest that she values getting the attention of men just as much.
52	* HypocriticalHumor
53	-->'''Duncan:''' Well, I think you're being a little childish-- hold on a sec, I need to use my [[HollywoodRestrainingOrder force field]] to prevent Chang from getting food.
54	** Shirley sardonically highlights a certain hypocrisy in Annie and Britta's jealous sniping match with each other:
55	--->'''Shirley:''' Yeah, you're both ''soooo'' different. Skinny bitches.
56	* ItsAllAboutMe: Jeff ends his speech urging the study group to be tolerant of Pierce's religion by encouraging them to "be cool like me". Troy notes that Jeff tends to end a lot of his speeches by pointing out how cool he is.
57	* LawOfDisproportionateResponse: Jeff is told he is near-perfect health except for slightly high cholesterol. He reacts as if he's been told he's going to die later that afternoon.
58	* LeaveMeAlone: Played for laughs when Jeff is devastated by the news of his slightly high cholesterol levels and demands to be left alone... in the foyer of a public health clinic:
59	--> '''Jeff:''' I need to be alone.\
60	'''Nurse Jackie:''' ''[Nonplussed]'' Uh... you can do that by ''leaving''.
61	* MeaningfulBackgroundEvent: The background events tell the story of Abed helping a pregnant woman, getting in an argument with the father, and eventually delivering the baby. At the end, the group asks Abed where he's been. You can see it [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrVcTXXGLho here]]. It's quite impressive when you go back and watch it. Shirley even comments on it after noticing that Abed [[PresentAbsence has barely appeared in the episode]] (and the couple are in the background when she does).
62	* MoodWhiplash: The first track on Pierce's mother's CD is a recording of her pleading with him to understand the finality of death. The second track is hardcore gangsta rap.
63	* OutOfFocus: Literally; the episode features a subplot of Abed befriending a pregnant classmate that takes place entirely in the background.
64	* PassThePopcorn: Shirley happily munches on crisps while Annie and Britta get into it.
65	* SoapboxSadie: Britta's anger over the oil spill is seen as this.
66	-->'''Redhead Guy:''' You don't need to shout at us! No one is on the other side of this issue!
67	* ShoutOut:
68	** At one point Pierce is explaining the tenets of his religion (cult), mentioning that humans have a vapour form. Abed asks if there is a liquid form, to which Pierce replies that when Buddha comes all humans would turn into a liquid and combine into a single, superintelligent lifeform that resembles an ocean of fruit punch, referencing ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'''s superintelligence.
69	** Male Nurse Jackie references the Indiana Jones franchise by mentioning ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom''.
70	* SureLetsGoWithThat: A [[BrainlessBeauty ditzy-sounding female student]] pops into Professor Duncan's Anthropology lecture to inquire whether it's the Anesthesiology class.
71	--> '''Duncan''': Yes, yes it is.
72	* TakeThat:
73	-->'''Jeff:''' I treat my body like a temple!\
74	'''Male Nurse Jackie:''' Well, I can't be the first person to tell you that the temple doesn't last forever; I mean, it's made of hamburger! This is a temple of doom! And like the real ''[[Film/IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom Temple of Doom]]'', it represents the inconvenient fact that all good things, be they people or movie franchises, eventually collapse into sagging, sloppy piles of hard-to-follow nonsense.
75	* TheTapeKnewYouWouldSayThat
76	-->'''Pierce's Mom:'''[on audio] Pierce, if you're listening to this it means I'm dead.\
77	'''Pierce:''' Vaporized.\
78	'''Pierce's Mom:''' Not vaporized.
79	* ThrowItIn: The boiled eggs Jeff dejectedly de-yolks at lunch are actually what Joel [=McHale=] brought in for lunch that day.
80	* VideoWills: Well, an audio will. Pierce's mom leaves one for him. Pierce ignores it, choosing to believe his mother went insane towards the end.
81	* YourMom: Troy initially interprets a comment by Pierce to be one of these:
82	--> '''Pierce''': It's not a lava lamp. It's my mom.
83	--> '''Troy''': Oh snap! ...wait, what?

Context Recap / CommunityS2E03ThePsychologyofLettingGo